a few noob questions

[themandan]

First off....great site! Glad I found it!

 

Okay so I picked up a 2003 Legacy L Special Edition a few weeks back.

 

Its got 113k miles on it but its super clean. One owner and garage kept it seems throughout its whole life.

 

I have 3 issues that I would like to ask about and then maybe go from there.

 

1. After start up for about 10-15 minutes I have engine ticking. After the car has been run for about 5 miles or so it seems to go away and does not happen until the car is cold again. Is this common or something I should address? The oil level is good.

 

2. The rear defroster is not working. It clicks when I push the button and the fuse is good. Anything anyone can suggest checking before ripping anything apart?

 

3. I have a guard that is hanging down and needs replaced on the underside. It looks like it covers the axle on the drivers side...made of a black fabric/fiberglass substance? There is an identical one on the passenger side but does not go the whole way across. What I am looking for is maybe a parts breakdown or a parts guide to the car so I can look at the individual parts and go through and fix/replace anything that needs it.

 

I love this car and I hope it lasts me many years. I think I may be hooked on Subaru's now!

 

Thanks in advance for any/all advice!

[Platinum_Racing]

1. Check the oil. I use 10W40, but my car is 17 years old... See if the noise goes away with 93 octane fuel. If it does use some fuel injector cleaner and see if that helps. Different spark plugs might also help the problem. Maybe a different heat rating. If the problem persists, use Engine Restore W/ CSL lubricant. I swear by this stuff in EVERY car. I used some in a 1991 Nissan Sentra that would only run on 3 cylinders and this stuff went through the whole motor and increased compression on cylinder one enough for it to run on all 4. Every time cylinder 1 would cut out, I'd put in another can and be good for another 100 miles. That car was a legit $h*tbox though... It made the Sube run better, and even quieted down noisy VVT-I oil pressure mechanism in my girlfriends '07 Corrolla over the winter on cold starts. (That's the car to the far left on my Avatar pic...)

 

2. Check the wires that run along the window. If the leads from the main wires that power those little etchings are broken you can buy a repair kit that sticks to your window and completes the electrical circuit. I'm not sure how long these kits last, but it's cheaper than a window, that's for sure.

 

3. At most $20 and a trip to the junkyard.

[cghag1]

Regarding your rear defroster check the wiring as suggested by Platinum. Do you have a multi-meter (DVOM)? If not, you will want to pick one up at your local Radio Shack or Sears. For $25-$30 you can get a decent unit that will do plenty of stuff around the car and the house.

 

With your meter you will see if you have electrical current getting to the rear window. If not the problem is somewhere between the switch and the window. If you have current at the window then likely the issue is with the grid within the window it's self (this is typically the problem).

 

a) The wire(s) that feed current to the window grid have come off the window. Your local parts store will have a kit to fix this using epoxy with bits of copper in it to glue it back in pace while allowing current to flow through the epoxy.

b) The grid has been damaged in some way such as a scratch that broke the grid continuity. Take your multi-meter and set it to OHMS for a continuity test. You want to see if an electrical signal can get from one side of the window to the other side. Do not use the pointy leads from the meter directly against the copper grid on the window since they can scratch it and cause more problems. Instead you want to take a small strip of aluminum foil and wrap it around the probe, and then run the foil over the window grid so you don't cause any damage. I suspect there are plenty of tutorials on the internet explaining this test and repair in full detail (with pictures). Once again, repair kits are available at your local parts store.

 

Run these tests and let us know what you discover.

[themandan]

Unfortunately there is tint on my windows and cannot test for conductivity. I think my antenna is also in the window because I have no external antenna on the car. I was looking the other day and I cannot see anywhere where the defroster lines plug into a electrical line. Is it in the trunk? In my old car there was a little blade/plug that came off the window on each side and you could check to see if they were plugged in or not.

 

As for the ticking I will check all of that today.

 

The thing I described in question #3....does anyone know the name of it? I will call around and see if anyone has one at a junkyard.

 

Thanks again!

[Osei]

can't seem to find link for vacation pix from Russian site.

 

If anyone can chime in here, please do.

 

If not, I have them in pdf format. pm me your e mail address and I'll send you what you need.

 

O.

[eekay]

can't seem to find link for vacation pix from Russian site.

 

If anyone can chime in here, please do.

 

If not, I have them in pdf format. pm me your e mail address and I'll send you what you need.

 

O.

 

WTF?

[Osei]

ok, here we go, found it. Search is your friend.

 

www.subaru-car.ru/left/doc/

 

ignore the russian , the manuals are in English.

 

Our BE,BG series. both 4 and 6 cyl.

 

O.

 

credit to subarumannen poster who found it in 07

[eekay]

I see nothing in English...?

[Osei]

just enter any section and it will be in english. Look at the end of the sentence.

after a while you'll see the trend in sections.

Go down to where you see 2.5, for they also have the 2.0 listed and the 3.0

 

O.

 

ps note: these are European MY, so their 04 is our 05, so the turbo 2.5 engine is also there.

[blackfang]

1. After start up for about 10-15 minutes I have engine ticking. After the car has been run for about 5 miles or so it seems to go away and does not happen until the car is cold again. Is this common or something I should address? The oil level is good.

 

What you are describing could be normal of the boxer motor as it gets older. I would worry if the noise doesn't go away. Some of the cars I get in in the morning when cold damn near sound like a diesel. Here is a PDF regarding the noise at the bottom.

 

2. The rear defroster is not working. It clicks when I push the button and the fuse is good. Anything anyone can suggest checking before ripping anything apart?

Tough to say, but I would check the relays and wiring.

 

3. I have a guard that is hanging down and needs replaced on the underside. It looks like it covers the axle on the drivers side...made of a black fabric/fiberglass substance? There is an identical one on the passenger side but does not go the whole way across. What I am looking for is maybe a parts breakdown or a parts guide to the car so I can look at the individual parts and go through and fix/replace anything that needs it.

 

That is probably the under carriage splash shield that you can find at the parts dept at your local dealer or just remove them.

subarunoise.pdf