More car advice sought
#1
OK, so I've received lots of good car advice here in the past, so here I go with another question!

Our 2003 Subaru Legacy is on its last legs -- it now has 260,000 km on it and has several small things wrong with it and one more serious issue. ("Small" things: half of the dashboard lights, cruise contra, A/C and others...)

The serious one is that its passenger sider axle needs repairing or replacing. When turning R/H corners, it makes a clicking or knocking sound. I've had two garages (whom I trust) check it out and they've said that the front passenger side axle needs repairing or replacing. I've been quoted $300 - $350 for this. It's serious and should be done within the next week.

I'm thinking of getting this repair done and getting the car to last another few months. While it's been a great car to drive and very practical, it has been high maintenance (for example, I had to spend $3200 at the 155,000 km mark to repair its transmission and around $3,000 on steering repairs 3 years ago).

Getting this repair done is basically a $350 calculated risk. If I had this repair made, my hunch is that the car would probably keep running fine until the spring or longer.

Thoughts? Is the car at the end of its life or should I try to keep it going a bit longer?

Thanks in advance! Rob
Rob
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#2
Rob,I kept my 21 year old Buick Lesabre running until the drive axle needed replaced as well as the throttle modulator and I sadly decided it was time for a newer vehicle since the repair exceed the car's worth in scrap.. I ended up buying a '98 Jeep Scout from my son and haven't looked back. The end results is I have a clear title and a Jeep in good condition with a strong motor and transmission...I hated selling the old Buick due to its mechanical issues even though the buyer (my nephew) knew the problems but, he wanted the Lesabre for rebuilding as a antique show car..Once rebuilt to show room condition and shown at shows he will easily triple his investment.
Larry
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Summerset Ry

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#3
RobertInOntario Wrote:...When turning R/H corners, it makes a clicking or knocking sound.....

That sounds like a problem with the CV joints, Rob, and the usual procedure is replacement rather than repair. It's a fairly serious issue, though, and one which shouldn't be ignored for too long - the noise is caused by wear, but is often followed by complete failure, which can leave you stranded.
The price sounds within reason for that repair, so it's your call.

The minor problems may be even more minor that you think, as a blown fuse could account for the errant dashboard lighting or the lack of air conditioning - not saying that's all it could be, but perhaps worth checking out, as it might influence your decision on repairing the CV joints.
I'm of the mind to keep an older car as long as my wallet stays in good condition similar to that of the car. A 13 year old Subaru shouldn't be going to the scrap yard, yet. My Mazda is only a year newer, and I hope to keep it for at least another 10 years.


Wayne
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#4
doctorwayne Wrote:
RobertInOntario Wrote:...When turning R/H corners, it makes a clicking or knocking sound.....

That sounds like a problem with the CV joints, Rob, and the usual procedure is replacement rather than repair. It's a fairly serious issue, though, and one which shouldn't be ignored for too long - the noise is caused by wear, but is often followed by complete failure, which can leave you stranded.
The price sounds within reason for that repair, so it's your call.

The minor problems may be even more minor that you think, as a blown fuse could account for the errant dashboard lighting or the lack of air conditioning - not saying that's all it could be, but perhaps worth checking out, as it might influence your decision on repairing the CV joints.
I'm of the mind to keep an older car as long as my wallet stays in good condition similar to that of the car. A 13 year old Subaru shouldn't be going to the scrap yard, yet. My Mazda is only a year newer, and I hope to keep it for at least another 10 years.
Wayne

Thanks, Wayne. Yes, I'm getting a little spooked by this problem, so will try to get fixed asap.

I think the AC problem is due to a compressor that has died. Still thinking about this...

Rob
Rob
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#5
Brakie Wrote:Rob,I kept my 21 year old Buick Lesabre running until the drive axle needed replaced as well as the throttle modulator and I sadly decided it was time for a newer vehicle since the repair exceed the car's worth in scrap.. I ended up buying a '98 Jeep Scout from my son and haven't looked back. The end results is I have a clear title and a Jeep in good condition with a strong motor and transmission...I hated selling the old Buick due to its mechanical issues even though the buyer (my nephew) knew the problems but, he wanted the Lesabre for rebuilding as a antique show car..Once rebuilt to show room condition and shown at shows he will easily triple his investment.

Thanks! I've been told by a Subaru enthusiast that it's a good car in good shape, although it does look rather weathered & worn these days. Giving this some thought (i.e. keeping it going).

Rob
Rob
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#6
I wouldn't throw good money after bad . There comes a time when you say " enough" . I'm at that point with my 2001 Olds Aurora ....has 211 K ( kms ) and the air just went ....$2000 to replace what is necessary . I won't pay it because the car is worth $500-1000 so it doesn't make sense . You have a potentially dangerous situation with the Subaru ....besides that it won't pass emissions with all the dash lights on . If it was me I would get what I could for the vehicle and move on .

T
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
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#7
teejay Wrote:....besides that it won't pass emissions with all the dash lights on .
T

It's my understanding that half of the dash lights aren't working - I took that to mean the dash illumination.
The only light-on that will fail an emission test nowadays is the "CHECK ENGINE" light, and that's straight from a licenced test technician.

Wayne
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#8
Thanks for your feedback, TeeJay and Wayne.

Yes, by dashboard lights -- I meant that (currently) only the speedometer is lit up. It's actually changed & occasionally improved -- at one point, all of them were out!

Late last week, my mechanics said that the car was OK for the weekend but that I should get the repair done within a week, if that sheds any light on the issue.

Cheers, Rob
Rob
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#9
The place that I go for emissions, 2nd time now , in Windsor , has a tech who first asks " any dash lights on ?" . He won't do the test because he says it will fail and you will still have to pay the $32 for the test ! Then get it fixed ! ......he even asked if I had the battery disconnected the last few days before the test . I would get a straight opinion on this because there are people out there who will take your money because they have you by the shorthairs .
If you have a friend with one of those meters for displaying the codes for dash lights on , he may be able to help you before you go to the emissions place . My neighbour was able to do that for me several years ago when I had a faulty gas cap that set the dash light off . Got it fixed before I took the car in for emissions .
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
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#10
teejay Wrote:The place that I go for emissions, 2nd time now , in Windsor , has a tech who first asks " any dash lights on ?" . He won't do the test because he says it will fail and you will still have to pay the $32 for the test ! Then get it fixed ! ......he even asked if I had the battery disconnected the last few days before the test . I would get a straight opinion on this because there are people out there who will take your money because they have you by the shorthairs .
If you have a friend with one of those meters for displaying the codes for dash lights on , he may be able to help you before you go to the emissions place . My neighbour was able to do that for me several years ago when I had a faulty gas cap that set the dash light off . Got it fixed before I took the car in for emissions .

Thanks, while the "check engine" light is "On," I know what the issue is there ... but I was referring to the cluster lights that illuminate the speedometer, gas gauge and tachometer, etc. Right now, only the speedometer is lit up. While I can live with that, it's still one of the ongoing minor problems I've been dealing with.

Another problem is that the horn doesn't work -- seems to be a wiring issue!
Rob
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#11
RobertInOntario Wrote:....Late last week, my mechanics said that the car was OK for the weekend but that I should get the repair done within a week, if that sheds any light on the issue.

Cheers, Rob

It definitely sounds like CV joints, Rob (the right side is often first to go, supposedly due to the fact that most right turns are done more sharply than most left turns) and if it breaks, it can do damage to other nearby parts. This is one of those things that can sometimes be spotted early by the car owner, simply by turning down the radio and heater fan for a minute or two, and listening while making turns. If I recall correctly, (it's been a while since I've had one go bad) making a left turn puts stress on the right CV joints, causing them to make the noise, and vice-versa with a right turn. Your mechanic will know which one needs the work, and should be able to tell you if the other one is acceptable or if it's near to needing replacement, too. Money-wise, it's probably preferable to have to replace only one at a time, but some items (shocks, tires, brakes, f'rinstance) should almost always be replaced in pairs).

Here's a link to some more info on CV joints.

Wayne
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#12
doctorwayne Wrote:
RobertInOntario Wrote:....Late last week, my mechanics said that the car was OK for the weekend but that I should get the repair done within a week, if that sheds any light on the issue.

Cheers, Rob

It definitely sounds like CV joints, Rob (the right side is often first to go, supposedly due to the fact that most right turns are done more sharply than most left turns) and if it breaks, it can do damage to other nearby parts. This is one of those things that can sometimes be spotted early by the car owner, simply by turning down the radio and heater fan for a minute or two, and listening while making turns. If I recall correctly, (it's been a while since I've had one go bad) making a left turn puts stress on the right CV joints, causing them to make the noise, and vice-versa with a right turn. Your mechanic will know which one needs the work, and should be able to tell you if the other one is acceptable or if it's near to needing replacement, too. Money-wise, it's probably preferable to have to replace only one at a time, but some items (shocks, tires, brakes, f'rinstance) should almost always be replaced in pairs).

Here's a link to some more info on CV joints.
Wayne

Thanks, Wayne. Because I had some extra time, I took the car to two different garages. I trust both of them but there's one that I trust a little more than the other! At any rate, both said practically the same thing -- that it's the passenger side axle/joint that's going. Apparently, the driver's side is OK -- I asked specifically about that. Having said that, I'm still a little cynical that it (or something similar) will go soon.

Until we get it fixed, or decide to get rid of it, we're just going to use the car for local trips now.
Rob
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#13
[quote="teejay"]The place that I go for emissions, 2nd time now , in Windsor , has a tech who first asks " any dash lights on ?" . He won't do the test because he says it will fail and you will still have to pay the $32 for the test ! Then get it fixed ! ......he even asked if I had the battery disconnected the last few days before the test ... [quote]

Yeah, that one confuses me: if the car is running, with the handbrake on, the door open and the tech sitting in it without the seatbelt done-up, there'll be lots of idiot lights glowing which have nothing to do with emissions. Perhaps it confuses the camera which takes the picture of the dashboard display - since there is no longer an actual emission test being done, it simply relies on the car's computer to tell the camera that nothing's wrong because the light's not on.

In my opinion, this has been a tax rip-off since the day it was conceived - I still see winter-beaters blowing more blue smoke than the crowd at a bingo hall, but cars on which the responsible owners spend money to maintain are dinged for a test that, nowadays, doesn't even show if the car's emissions are worse (not to a point of failure, though) than they were on the last test. I always viewed such results as a warning that maybe a new air filter or sparkplugs might be needed soon. Now, the only warning is to tell you to expect to pay this fee again in two years.

Wayne
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#14
Yeah, bad CV joint.

If you have no other problems with the engine or body rust, or other looming major repairs, I'd say have the cv joints replaced.
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#15
nachoman Wrote:Yeah, bad CV joint.

If you have no other problems with the engine or body rust, or other looming major repairs, I'd say have the cv joints replaced.

Thanks, Kevin. It does have some rust above the rear fenders (but otherwise not too bad) and the engine has a slow leak (oil lead around the gasket heads).

Actually, I think we've just recently decided to trade it in -- it's too old with too many problems!

Rob
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