i bought a '99 import Legacy estate in January this year, drove it for 3 weeks and the engine blew up. i finally got it back last week but it's not right, it's got a really bad vibration and the revs keep dropping to zero. i'm now over 2k lighter and i have a lovely looking car that won't even get to the end of my road without conking out. i can't get hold of the guy who did the rebuild, he seems to have disappeared off the planet (surprise surprise). i'm not sure about the vibration but i'm hoping that the revs is a simple adjustment of the idling speed.

What i need to know is..... how am i gonna get the flippin thing back on the road, i'm stuck on the west coast of Wales with a car that won't go, i've phoned nearly every garage locally and as soon as i mention Subaru i hear the sharp intake of breath through the teeth and the phone goes dead (is there a special college course for this i wonder?). Any advice would be gratefully received, i haven't a clue what to do.

Elli

 

Have you not got a warranty with it ?
Did you buy it from a reputable dealer ?

Are you near Camarthan, try DRJ motors see if they can advise you.
They have a good name on here... ask in the Welsh section for contact details as some of the guy's in there use them.

Simon

 

More fool me..... it was a private sale.

Thanks for the info, i'll look in the yellow pages for their number and see what they can advise me, i just wish i could get it further than the end of the street, i'd take it up there personally.

Have a feeling tho' i'm gonna have to get one of my male friends to ring, i'm sooo fed up of being patronised by mechanics.

Elli

 

hi elli i have a wealth of knowledge on these cars an if i dont know my friends will but im in watford so cant look at the car but you can call me on 07749 550722 an describe whats happened or contact me at dhughes31@hotmail.com an well try to getyou sorted best i can do bieng so far away

 

thanx ever so, i'll mail you tomoz when the brain might be working.


Elli

 

Im crossing my fingers its coil-packs or a fuel supply problem....

 

id ask david api he knows his way around a scooby engine
just had mine rebuilt by them, first class job

dannytwo

 

Won't be coil packs on 99 GTB, they don't have them.

The idle control is probably a faulty MAF which is the same as any other 99 spec car UK or JDM try that first. Alternatively, the Lambda on a GTB is completely different to all others on a Subaru and none of the others will fit and work. Nor is there as generic one that'll do the job. They're about £135.00 and only from Japan. We order and get them in, about 5 days later from APi Japan.

The problem with the Lambda is that is on the same side as the battery tray and if the engine fitter trys to take the engine out with the lambda still in the manifold IT WILL BREAK as there is not enough room for it to clear the battery tray and the porcelain fitting where the wires go in cracks and fractures the wires. We sell more for breakage than fault.............

Go for MAF first then if no great improvement, Lambda.

Good Luck, David, APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

We can mail order you one if you want.

The Vibration is a wory as it could be anytrhing and really needs an honets techhie to drive or listen to offer an opinion Then we can get on and get you fixed.

 

Thanks for the plug dannytwo Glad all is OK. Thanks for the business.

David APi

 

my mistake., sorry..

 

Worth posting a message on here as well: http://www.uklegacy.com/

 

Have a look under the dash (Under Steering wheel and to the left)and you will see two black connectors. Connect them together and switch the ignition on. Count how many times the Check Engine light flashes and let us know. This will give you the fault(s) the car knows about. Let us know what results you get.

 

Any results? Not seen anything on UKLegacy either...

Hope you are being looked after scoobigirl

 

Sorry about the looooong delay, been chasin the guy that did the rebuild. Looks like he's disappeared off the face of the earth. i've left him legal letters all over the place so now it's down to the small claims court to sort it as i have to have another new engine due to his bad workmanship.

i'm so very disappointed, i really love this car but i've only managed to drive it for 4 weeks since January.

The good news is, i've managed to find another engine and she's booked in for the transplant on Oct 24th. i really hope this will be the last one, she's cost me almost 13k so far with another 1.5 to add soon..... & i can't afford to sell her 'cos i've seen what 1999 legacy's go for. Also it turns out the bodywork's all been replaced too so between that and the new engine i'll have a totally new car by the end of the month (in theory!).

Only problem is, i've totally lost faith in the car. Once it's done i'll always be waiting for it to let me down again. Think i'll give it to my boyfriend to drive to and from work in Bridgend until the engine's run in, i'll stay with the seriously underpowered pug for a bit longer

 

Nothing, nada, zilch...... No power at all

elli
x

 

Pay Peanuts - get monkeys
U get what you pay for
Quality costs
A fool and their money are soon parted
yada yada yada

 

That's really helpful, I bet Elli feels better already.

 

What a nightmare story, I cant believe ure about to be on engine no.2 in under a year.

Hope you get your money back in the small claims court....but I suppose that depends if your man re-appears

 

If you've got nothing good to say....say nothing
yada yada yada

simb

 

Does this **** of a mechanic not have a workshop that u could visit? Preferably with a heavy squad of male friends.

 

Yup, been there zillions of times, his 'business partner' hasn't seen him for months either..... strange that seeing as his car's been seen there umpteen times.

As for the other gentleman's reply... thanks but two and a half thousand pounds for an engine rebuild is a heck of a lot of peanuts. i was led to believe these guys are good and know their imports.... they do but one half of the partnership is just a crap mechanic with a flippin good line in bs & i believed him when he told me he'd get my car running as well as his does... my fault i guess for being female and trusting people. Oh well.... live & learn

i'm so fed up with the whole thing i feel like scrapping the car but by the time the new engine's in she'll have cost me 14k in total for a car i could probably buy on ebay for something ridiculous. i'm just sorry i fell in love with her.... my next car'll probably be a spaceship, it'll take me that long to save up for a replacement.

 

 

Tough luck Scoobigirl , sounds like you found one of the 'lemon' type Impreza ' specialists' that abound.

One another matter, don't you guys sleep?? posts at 03.41 and 03.55 !! or is it that your car is keeping you awake?

Good luck with it when you get sorted.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com