Questions From a New 2007 Legacy Owner

[obikenobi27]

Good afternoon to everyone! I recently bought a used 2007 Legacy 2.5GT Limited 5AT (the link shows the exact model in Google). Great car in wonderful condition with just under 40,000 miles! It hasn't even been in an accident! Anyway, I'd like to know what I can do to prolong and improve the lifetime of this vehicle. I would also like to know how to fix some of the "quirks" my car seems to have.

 

What I have already done.

• Replace the accesories belt (alternator, power steering, and engine).
  
• Replaced wipers with Rain-X (not really relevant, but trying to give plenty of detail to those who want to help).
  

 

Questions:

 

1. Since I bought the car (less than a month from posting date), I have had a notable amount of incidents. In these incidents: the power steering turns off and the engine stops. The battery and BRAKE lights turn on, and the odometer display shows the E-brake moving to the off position (which is what happens when the E-brake is pulled when driving). This is all fixed when I restart the car. The problem became apparent (or so I thought) when the accessories belt (connects alternator, power steering, and engine) snapped and came off. I've replaced this belt, but there are still instances where this happens. Does anybody know how to fix this?

 

2. Whenever I start my car in the morning, I always notice the blue light on the oil temperature gauge (which tells me the oil is cold). This normally wouldn't bother me (I'm worried about damaging the car, but it seems normal for oil to be cold in the morning) except the cold oil causes rough idling and makes the morning drive to school somewhat uncomfortable. The oil usually heats up after about five minutes (depending on throttle use) and then the ride is smooth. Is there a way to either decrease the time for oil to reach temperature, or eliminate the issue entirely?

 

3. Is there anything I should know about my car and/or modifications I should make to prolong the lifespan of the vehicle (e.g. How often I should change oil)?

 

Thanks in advance,

obikenobi27

[Max Capacity]

Welcome to the forum.

 

You might want to inspect the cark shaft pulley to make sure its not starting to come apart, some have been known to do that. That could be the belt issue. Look for chafe marks in the plastic timing belt cover.

 

That blue light is the engine is cold and you can't use S# yet until the engine coolant is above that white line.

 

Rough Idle when cold is normally the black O-rings between the intake manifold and TGV's, the new larger orange ones will fix that issue.

 

I'm not good with 5eat, so many be someone else will help there.

 

With only 40,000 miles the car should have nothing wrong with it.

 

After it runs good, you'll want to get the car tuned and off the stock MAP. That factory tune will cause burnt valves and or cracked ring lands on the pistons.

 

Most guy's use Shell Rotella t6 oil and a good oil filter, change the oil & filter every 3500 miles.

 

Before you buy anything for the car ask us about it here first. Don't waste your money on stuff you don't need.

 

Read the sticky's at the tops of the forums.

[obikenobi27]

Thanks for the info Max. The crank shaft pulley looks fine. Any other suggestions? Also, can you link those O-rings? That or a part number would be awesome. Here is a picture of my engine if that helps any.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uQM97S34hqBc-hPfqPETmPr5G-_hTXAXkA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m9vYls2saXIra8RJe9oXN8AT_19EbQjBDQ/view?usp=sharing

Scratch that. Engine coolant is fine. Just looks lower compared to my previous car.

[apexi]

I could be wrong and maybe I'm just not use to seeing AT crank pulleys, but it does look like your crank pulley might have separation. When looking at the front of your crank pulley, i can see a lip, and I don't think that should be there.

 

On the MT's, the crank pulley face should be pretty much flush, as you can see in the link below.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/remove-install-crank-pulley-123466.html

 

It's hard to tell from Subaru's picture, but in the link below it looks like the AT crank pulley should be almost flush too.

http://parts.subaru.com/p/Subaru_2007_Legacy25L-TURBO-5AT-4WDGT-Limited-Sedan/PULLEY-CRANKSHAFT/49224547/12305AA252.html

 

Also like it says in Max's signature, don't forget to check your oil often.

 

*I also noticed your crank pulley doesn't look like the one in the subaru link. So maybe that's an aftermarket pulley that I'm not familiar with, or an older design that is supposed to have that small lip?

[obikenobi27]

I could be wrong and maybe I'm just not use to seeing AT crank pulleys, but it does look like your crank pulley might have separation. When looking at the front of your crank pulley, i can see a lip, and I don't think that should be there.

 

On the MT's, the crank pulley face should be pretty much flush, as you can see in the link below.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/remove-install-crank-pulley-123466.html

 

It's hard to tell from Subaru's picture, but in the link below it looks like the AT crank pulley should be almost flush too.

http://parts.subaru.com/p/Subaru_2007_Legacy25L-TURBO-5AT-4WDGT-Limited-Sedan/PULLEY-CRANKSHAFT/49224547/12305AA252.html

 

Also like it says in Max's signature, don't forget to check your oil often.

 

*I also noticed your crank pulley doesn't look like the one in the subaru link. So maybe that's an aftermarket pulley that I'm not familiar with, or an older design that is supposed to have that small lip?

 

I looked at the crankshaft pulley, ran the engine as well to see if there was any wobble. Nothing seems out of the ordinary though. It may be an aftermarket addition by the previous owner. It runs smooth though. The only thing that kinda freaked me out (I'm new to the whole car maintenance thing so don't laugh too hard) was the top right gear belt thing would spin up then coast. I'm assuming this is normal though. I'm also noticing the engine belt seems a little beat up. When it is going to the bottom gear, the belt has a few nicks on the outer rows. Would this cause the car to freak out on me if the belt slipped? I would take this to a dealer to fix, but there are no Subaru dealers nearby, and the dealer I bought it from is a General Motors dealer. They don't really know what they're looking at when I show them my car, and I can't ever reproduce the issue to show them. Every time it does happen, I'm either pulling up to school or work.

 

Could it be the alternator? How long should it take for my car to start? Is there a way to check if power is being generated by the alternator? It's the last part from the original problem where I replaced the accessories belt. According to this forum, a replacement alternator seemed to fix it. I'm not sure this would be the case. I thought that once the engine was running, it would keep running regardless of a drained battery. The only times a drained battery would make a difference is during the ignition. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[battelready]

The 5EAT has a mind of its own. You cant really change when it shifts but you can change how.

[obikenobi27]

The 5EAT has a mind of its own. You cant really change when it shifts but you can change how.

 

Do you mean the time it takes to change a gear? I would probably use the car in sequential if I was really annoyed, but the car seems to take a lifetime to actually change gears.

 

As for the BRAKE and battery light issue, I will grab a multi-meter in the morning and find out if the alternator is working 100%. I think the alternator still functions, but not enough to keep everything running for extended periods of time. I tried to turn everything on and get a result tonight, but to no avail. Probably too short of a drive.

 

Also, does anybody have a link to where I can get the larger O-rings mentioned in post #2?

[obikenobi27]

I found out where that crank pulley is from. It is the same one out of the Impreza from that year. At least, that is the only car I could find with a similar crank pulley.

[battelready]

Do you mean the time it takes to change a gear? I would probably use the car in sequential if I was really annoyed, but the car seems to take a lifetime to actually change gears.

 

As for the BRAKE and battery light issue, I will grab a multi-meter in the morning and find out if the alternator is working 100%. I think the alternator still functions, but not enough to keep everything running for extended periods of time. I tried to turn everything on and get a result tonight, but to no avail. Probably too short of a drive.

 

Also, does anybody have a link to where I can get the larger O-rings mentioned in post #2?

 

Actually you cant modify the transmission like in the 05 and 06. I mean the randomness of shifting gears. Sometimes it'll change low sometimes it waits for a higher rpm.

[08SpecB_DE]

Sounds like a pulley seizing up. Take the power steering belt off and spin the power steering and alt pullies to see if one is hard to spin.

[obikenobi27]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a socket set or specific tools? I have some socket wrenches, but they are all SI and not metric. Some of the sockets have gone missing as well.

[Max Capacity]

If you plan to do all you can on the car, then Sears Craftsman is a main choice where you can get good tools without spending a ton of money. If a Sears tool breaks, take it to any Sears or some hardware stores the carry Craftsman and get it replaced for free.

 

Harbor Fright also has tools with the same type replacement.

 

I grew up using Craftsman tools since the 1960's or so.

 

Here at work we have lots of Craftsman tools for the same reason. We also have Snap-On but they are harder to get replaced, time wise.

 

Watch the Sears sale flier in the newspaper for deals on tools.

 

Kmart also carries Craftsman tools.

 

I do carry the HF $29.00 tool kit in my wagon just in case...

[obikenobi27]

I'm almost positive the issue is in the alternator. I'm going to borrow a multimeter from a friend and check the voltage differences. If I do end up with a dying alternator (which I am almost positive I will), would this alternator (CARQUEST Alternator - Remanufactured - 110 Amps) be a reliable replacement?

 

I ask because of...

Before you buy anything for the car ask us about it here first. Don't waste your money on stuff you don't need.

 

I hear that the Bosch alternators have a great reputation, but I don't want to spend the $300.00 premium for that.

[Max Capacity]

Yes for items like that and PS pump, something from a local auto parts store with a warranty is the best route, if there's an issue they are right close to you. Easy to get it taken care of.

[obikenobi27]

So I do think I've found the source of the problem now. I checked the voltage of the alternator by touching the positive lead to the red terminal on the alternator and touching the ground lead the car body. The multimeter read 10V. If what I read is true, this should be around 14V when the engine is running. I may have misread the multimeter though, as it has some kind of auto setting, not a 20V setting. Either way, I called the dealer I bought from. Hopefully they can either compensate for the money I will have to spend on an alternator or replace it themselves. I've only had the car for about 500 miles so they should do one of the two.

 

Also, I called a dealer about those O-Rings. They had two of them. Unfortunately Subaru no longer makes them. When I asked if they were getting anymore, they said no. Apparently there are around 7,000 left. Pretty soon people will have to find another option to fix rough idling.

[Phillip J. Fry]

you are driving in S# when it downshifts like that. in S and i its more smoother. S# is supposed to hold the gears longer and in stock form it rivals the so called ipt valve job from the 05 and 06 people.

 

i think many people dont know the 07 in S# has more clamping than in S or I. you can actually feel the shift differences. are you speeding through parking lots? thats the only way i can believe you missed a parking space. haha. and S# is pretty good with the gearing. under 45 or so it wont shift into 4th on its own. i have no idea what you are doing.

 

i can visually see the orange ring tabs on my 07. im sure you may have them too.

 

your shift complaints do sound a bit off though. so does warm up idle. id guess your transmission fluid is old. maybe other fluids too. i will tell you this...my head gaskets did not like 3 years of very low mileage. one year was around 4k miles and that included driving to and from canada. something to look out for imo.

 

for the idle...maybe do the ecu reset with full idle relearn.

[obikenobi27]

you are driving in S# when it downshifts like that. in S and i its more smoother. S# is supposed to hold the gears longer and in stock form it rivals the so called ipt valve job from the 05 and 06 people.

 

i think many people dont know the 07 in S# has more clamping than in S or I. you can actually feel the shift differences. are you speeding through parking lots? thats the only way i can believe you missed a parking space. haha. and S# is pretty good with the gearing. under 45 or so it wont shift into 4th on its own. i have no idea what you are doing.

 

i can visually see the orange ring tabs on my 07. im sure you may have them too.

 

your shift complaints do sound a bit off though. so does warm up idle. id guess your transmission fluid is old. maybe other fluids too. i will tell you this...my head gaskets did not like 3 years of very low mileage. one year was around 4k miles and that included driving to and from canada. something to look out for imo.

 

for the idle...maybe do the ecu reset with full idle relearn.

 

I drive in the intelligent mode most of the time. On highways I switch to Sport or Sport# depending on the road quality. I just read over my parking space story. I must have been drunk when I wrote that because it sounds retarded. Just ignore that stuff. Will edit OP. I was mainly worried about the car stops. Problem solved.

[obikenobi27]

Another question. Trying not to pollute by making a new thread.

 

Are the cigarette lighters/ power outlets "smart?" "Smart" referring to their ability to stop sending power when the battery isn't being charged. I need to know if I can leave something plugged in without consequences of a dead battery.

[Max Capacity]

I'm guessing they are not smart.

 

You could be the first one to find out and let us know...

 

I'd guess you know after one over night...

[obikenobi27]

I'm guessing they are not smart.

 

You could be the first one to find out and let us know...

 

I'd guess you know after one over night...

 

Does anybody have a "safe" way to check? One that doesn't involve me draining my battery?

[obikenobi27]

Finally found an answer. For future reference:

 

From the Subaru Owner's Manual (6-9)

Use of an electric appliance in the accessory power outlet for a long period of time while the engine is not running can cause battery discharge.

 

That answers that one. Probably will try to install switches on each of the outlets so I don't have to unplug stuff every time I get out of the car. That or find a way to rewire them entirely.

[apexi]

I understand your concern, I would say it obviously depends on what you have plugged in. I leave a 3.5mm bluetooth adapter plugged into the cigarette outlet all the time, and have never had any issues. At the same time, the battery capacity of the adapter isn't big enough to drain the car battery.

http://amzn.com/B00MJMV0GU

[obikenobi27]

So, I went to Advance Auto Parts and let them test it. I knew they were going to give me an honest answer. Turns out the battery was a little low, but the alternator was perfectly fine. I'm wondering if when I replaced my serpentine belt, the battery was pretty much dead from the drive home. Since I have rather short drives to school and work, the alternator may have not been charging the battery for long enough. I haven't had a cut-out in around a week, and I made sure the battery was charged up when I left Advance Auto Parts today. Hopefully it's pretty much resolved now.

[obikenobi27]

Does anybody know if I can put Brembo brakes on my 2007 Legacy 2.5GT? My last car died because someone pulled out in front of me when I was going through a fast intersection. I wasn't able to stop in time. I don't want that to happen again, so I figure a set of good brakes will help out.

[Max Capacity]

Check the brake forum below. lot's of info there.

 

Most of us just use better pads and rotors on our cars.

 

You'll need to make sure you have the brembo's brake balance set correctly.

 

 

 

There's a new thread about Caddy brakes too. check that one out.