Maintenance FAQ: Read if you have any maintenance questions

[thierry]

Where can I find a repair manual for 1998 Subaru Impreza?

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[thierry]

Is it possible for someone in north Phoenix AZ to guide me to repair my my 1998 subaru Impreza?

[thierry]

My Impreza has 120 k..Is it a good idea to change it for a newer one or I should spend the money to matain and fix it for emission(8 error codes found with a OBD 2 scanner) . I am really looking for advice and consideration. Thanks to all

[Caboobaroo]

So I have an '87 Subaru GL with a 3.7 clutch type LSD in the back. Gonna be doing an Uncle Scotties Cocktail for my tranny but what should I use for the diff? It has 210k miles on it and I haven't serviced it in the 3 years I've had it (2 years it was in a project car). Suggestions?

[Eugene Onegin]

This might be the wrong place to ask but is there a easy way to service the air filter or modify the air box to make it easy on a 03 Impreza 2.5 RS.

[the_unknown]

Thanks Unabomber, your FAQ's are extremely helpful. The one point I might add to this deals with doing oil changes yourself. When I change my own oil and have the oil drained and filter changed, i pour about a 1/2 quart of clean oil through the motor to help get rid of any old oil still in the drain pan and other parts of the motor. If you watch it drain, you will see the color change from black/brown to golden brown. Then i put the plug back in and finish the oil change.

Probably not a big deal but every little bit helps IMHO.

[sidwin]

it would be nice if you could also add how many quarts of each fluid.

thanks,
sid

[exwrx]

hi, i am wondering what kind of fluid i should use for kaaz straight cut gears and kaaz lsd aswell. i heard synthetic oil is not good for the straight cuts. can somebody help me out.thanks.

[sonycrr]

went in to get 30k servicing and on my reciept is says 4qts gear oil.
i called the dealer and they said this was used for the transmission and front/rear differential since they use the same oil..

is this correct?

thanks for the info

[sigurd]

Originally Posted by sonycrr

went in to get 30k servicing and on my reciept is says 4qts gear oil.
i called the dealer and they said this was used for the transmission and front/rear differential since they use the same oil..

is this correct?

thanks for the info

yup..

[Buggn' Out]

subscribed!

[Suburban]

I'm not sure that anybody's really going to see this so far into the topic, but you should pop on a pair of latex gloves just before you pop the fuel lines off the filter.

There is some nasty stuff in the fuel, and even if the lines are no longer pressurized, some gas will spill out of the filter. It's been a while since I looked at the MSDS for gasoline, but words toluene and benzene come to mind.

[Travis Birch]

Thanks for all the tips - I have a few questions, hoping you might care to lead me in the right direction.

Just bought a 2006 manual trans. Impreza. Has only 4,000 mi. on it, but was sitting on a lot in Toronto for a while, and we had a ton of snow this winter.

Anyhow, shuddered and stalled on me a couple of times when fuel gauge got down around 1/8 tank. Got a little scared, so I took it to the Subaru dealership. Mechanic there checked it out and said it was just water in the gas line. He put some gasline anti-freeze in and told me to fill it up with high-test gas a couple of tanks and use fuel cleaners if I wanted. Said it should clear up.

He also changed the oil, cause the car was sitting outside (hot summers, cold winters) for almost 2 years.

I've filled it with high-test a few times now, tried some different additives, but problem still hasn't gone away. Still shudders/boggles when idling, even on a full tank. Feels less responsive on excellerating than I know it should, too.

I get also get a vibration at around 65-70 mph - feel it mostly in the steering wheel - would that be an alignment issue?

Any advice?

Another concern:

There's this annoying sqeak coming from my clutch - mostly between fully and about 80% compressed - in and out. It's worse when it's cold. Seems to go away when I've been driving it for a while.

Apologies if this is a long and boring message for you guys.

It's cool to be on here - cheers to all! And thanks!!!

[Suburban]

My 2.5 does the sputter thing too, but only just after starting, and usually only if it's cold out.

[OHGEESQUARES2499]

I Just Traded My 05 Evo Because The Engine Had Blown Twice And Was Having Front End Issues As Well I Was Rteaching The Fifty Thousand Mile Mark Which Means No More Warranty So I Found An 06 Sti With Sti Short Throw, Exhaust And Air Intake So I Bought It And Asked What Oil To Use And I Was Told Not To Use Syntheic Oil ,they Told Me To Use Regular Oil.now My Evo Only Took Syn.oil So I Was Wondering If You Knew The Deal And What To Use And What Oil Comes From Factory?

[OHGEESQUARES2499]

Originally Posted by pwilk

I'm pulling together the parts/fluids I need for my 60k service and had a question with the maintenance list provided at http://subaru.com/owners/schedules/s...2004myfed.html

Item 8 "Air cleaner element".

Is this the engine air filter or the cabin air filter (the one in the dash)? It doesn't seem to differentiate so I would assume it is the engine air filter which would be more critical to the car.

they mean the engine air filtrer i never changed the cabin one in my evo 8 even after blowin the engine twice (second time theire fault for leaving loose metel in the motor and other warranty probs they never said a thing about not changing the cabin filter but if your a smoker or have allergies change it around 15 000 miles

[OHGEESQUARES2499]

i had similar issues with my 05 evo blew the motor twice it was never the same had the same clutch noise and it lost its spunk i did a fuel injector cleaning it ran great for a week then got ssslugish on take offs only the dealer had no aswer to my front end problem or sluggishness so i tradded in for an sti with some work done to it but dont know what oil to use the dealer said not to use synthetic on it cause it would screw my motor up but i hear people use itdo you know anything bout that

[pete_falcone]

Thanks for the info, Una.

This is just an addendum for those first-time do-it-yourself'ers (like myself) who want to change the transmission fluid on the later-model Subarus with the T70 torx bit as dru_hill mentioned.

The bolt under the 2006 STI looks like this:


the bit you need looks like this:

Buy it here for ~ $12 shipped or get a better one that a vendor is selling for $3 more.

I mention this because a lot of how-to's and searches will point out that the plug on the clutch housing is a 20mm. That's not the case on some models. And these torx bits are indeed virtually impossible to find at hardware stores.

[SurfWagon]

For future information...
...latex gloves give you milliseconds of protection against fluids. Nitrile gloves give you a couple of seconds. If you really want to protect your skin you have to use those big yellow thick gloves, or thick rubber ones from Home Depot.

[Bbasso]

A quick question if you don't mind...
In a 05 WRX with the 4EAT, how much fluid is needed in the trans and diff? please... I don't have the owner's manual anymore :|
thank you.

[garnet_s]

sounds like you know what you're doing... How do I get my jack out of the back of my '99 impreza outback? I've pulled on it and it just seems like its stuck in there good...

[steakraw]

hi, i want to maintain my car. I do not know which manual i should get. Service Manual
Owner's Manual
Technical Service Bulletin
State Inspection / Maintenance Program Advisory Bulletins

Warranty Bulletins
Subaru Product/Service Campaign Bulletins
TechTIPS Newsletters
Technician's
Reference Booklets

Video Training Reference Books and VHS Tapes
Other Publications

Free Publications

On Board
Diagnostic II

There are so many, which one do i really need? I just want to know how to take care of my wrx. Thanks in advance.

[steakraw]

am i allowed to bump myself after more than 24 hrs of no response? Sorry if not.

[YouInSee]

Originally Posted by Suburban

There is some nasty stuff in the fuel, and even if the lines are no longer pressurized, some gas will spill out of the filter. It's been a while since I looked at the MSDS for gasoline, but words toluene and benzene come to mind.

It is a good idea to protect against skin contact but inhalation especially of benzene is a baaaad idea. Its an unofficial carcinogen though there are tons of studies saying it is one. Be careful out there!

[nvsn8]

Am I reading this wrong? but Subaru's maintenance schedule shows no need to replace transmission/diff oil. Only to inspect.

#10

http://www.subaru.com/owners/schedul...2005myfed.html