Back to the SVX Eruption, home page…
*****
2024
September 3, 2024
Called Dennis Automotive and described our problem with it not starting sometimes. Dennis said it sounds like the starter. This was our next guess anyway, but to have it declared by someone that knew, made us fell funny to have started with a new battery and an alternator.
He recommended a starter from Auto Zone and here is why. The more expensive official Subaru starter is parts and labor guaranteed for one year.
Dennis also guarantees the labor for one year, but auto zone guarantees for parts failure for life. He will facilitate the process if this happens, to help take care of his customers.
Even though we wanted genuine Subaru parts for this classic, this less expensive option is looking very good.
January 24, 2024
Talked to Trool Master and he said that the SVX also fails when trying to turn the key in the ignition from time to time. He says he just keeps trying. Sometimes he can hear it, like the key cylinder is warming up.
Note: Right now, we have a 2016 Subaru Legacy that had the same problem. This tips me off to the idea that I need to start saving up. For the Legacy it was $416 after a 15% coupon to have a new key cylinder installed. This included the locksmith keying the cylinder for our current keys. It still would not work right, and then learned that the (insert correct part name) was also needing replacement and that it was the reason that the key cylinder was bad.
Note: Ask id Subaru sells that part or will I need to get it on E-bay. They told us once that parts that are necessary for the car to drive will always be available for order by Subaru. Genuine Subaru parts are good for a one-year warranty. Parts and labor for one year. Which honestly, is a reason to use a Subaru dealer.
Note: Ebay is way easier than a junk yard; however, junk yards are like a co-op and has a network and can usually get a part from all over the country. Sometimes this means trusting and online networking junk yard service. But Ebay is good, and you can have the part delivered to the dealer. This could justify you having the loaner vehicle longer. Ebay also comes with good service ratings and parts can be returned.
January 24, 2024
Drove to the post office and turned off the SVX, but this time left the stereo on. I figured this was ok because the very modern Boss stereo goes through a process of restarting every time, anyway. Meaning, I try to turn off everything before I turn off the ignition since it still doesn’t turnover at 100%. Even with a new alternator it still doesn’t turnover like a new car. I am hoping that having zero drain on the battery at start-up might help.
When I came out the key would not turn. I adjusted the steering column. I turned the steering wheel left and right. Nothing seemed to work. Eventually the key just turned, and the car started. What is going on?
I then drove to Les Schwab for the free air check on the tires. My son drives it to Oregon State every day so since I was driving to get Costco gas, why not. I turned off the car at Les Schwab so as to not gas out the tire attendant. When done. The car started right away.
After refueling, ten minutes later, it started right up, again.
My son, Trool Master, says that if the gas tank gets too low, the car doesn’t want to start after. I actually did experience this once. Scary. Even in this instance, eventually it started. Not a great feeling as you are holding up the line at the gas station.
When it would not start at the post office I wondered if this was the problem, but it couldn’t be because the key wasn’t tuning, which would not be a fuel problem.
The fuel hypothesis may likely be wrong as the frequency of t it not starting is varied.
January 23, 2023
Now truly overdue for an oil change.
After sitting for four days in snow conditions barely turned over on the first try. With a new battery and alternator, a new starter will be next but want to wait until about August.
Trunk still accumulates water. Attempt to goop potential leaky areas has failed. Will get a quote to have a body shop take care of it.
2023
September 25, 2023
Oil change scheduled but by the letter of the law, this would be too soon. We don’t put enough miles on it for miles to be the determining factor. January would be six months for the synthetic oil change.
July
Les Schwab said that the battery was fine.
We said, “Enough is enough,” and had a genuine Subaru alternator ordered and installed by Toyota Subaru of Corvallis. We figured this was an in-n-out straight-forward fix, and the crew enjoyed seeing this “classic” again.
Back at Les Schwab they said the battery gained 13% in efficiency after the new alternator.
We have not told Capital Subaru in Salem, of this, yet. We figure they need to know. To learn as we learn. But it feels confrontational. Pending…
Note: But still, the SVX still would act sluggish upon turning over, if it would sit for over four days without being driven. Cranky old man?
We are determined to replace the starter but figure we have done enough for now. This time next year, or at the end of next summer. We feel at that time we could pay cash? You see, in about August of 2024 we think we will have enough debt paid, to stop using the credit card for dental and auto expenses/repair.
*****
Note About Tires: The tires were over ten years old. They were not failing because of over-usage, but because of age. It became too dangerous, so we had Les Schwab install over $670 worth of tires. We had to do it right then because it had to be safe for our son to have at Oregon State.
June
June 30, 2023: Bleed, Flush and Install New Fluid at Les Schwab, Albany, Oregon, for $129.99.
June 30, 2023: Right Front Brake Hose, at Les Schwab, Albany, Oregon, for $81.73. This explains the drip found in the driveway.
*****
June 23, 2023: Oil Servicing at Capital Subaru, Salem Oregon. SVX was still there, three weeks total. June 23 was near the end of its stay.
Over $94, Oil change. Last oil change was in January, 2022. Could have waited one more month?
Install right window motor. Ordered from Ebay and delivered to the dealership.
Search and repair trunk leak problem. They found every bad gasket and then said I would have to find the replacement parts.
The message: “We are not really trained to work on older Subaru’s.”
We forget what else was done on this visit. Had the transmission flushed?
But in total we were out another $1,300. Put it on the debt card. Meaning, credit card.
Also, checked to see if alternator was shot. They said it was good.
They said the battery was bad. You see it would have trouble turning over on cold days.
They said the battery was bad and would replace it for about $225. It was almost new so we said, “No, we will have Les Schwab check it as it is still under warranty.”
Day after day they would start the SVX and it would start up every time. We asked if they were keeping it indoors, and they said yes, so we asked them to keep it out in the cold. Still not a lot of resolution on this aspect.
April
April 8, 2023: $130.35 to install the computer brain. It worked! had it shipped directly to the dealership by Ebay.
*****
2022
December
December 7, 2022: $203.45 to install the new/used speedometer/dash cluster, at Capitol Subaru, Salem, Oregon.
Sadly, it has two small cigarettes burns on the lense. Ho – hum. But it works. Had Ebay mail it directly to the dealer service department.
Note: I forgot what I wanted to add here.
December 7, 2022: $237.77, Capitol Subaru, Salem, Oregon.
December 7, 2022: $542.10, Capitol Subaru, Salem, Oregon.
September 30, 2022: $2,202.85 to Maaco Collision Repair, Eugene, Oregon, for a two-tone paint job and body work. Split the payment. $100 of it went onto another credit card.
Spring
Drove out of a parking lot at a 90-degree angle and slammed the front of the car on asphalt. Immediately it had trouble staying on. We could only drive a few feet without having to restart it, again, and again.
Had it fixed locally. $1,300 more at the local shop, and it dies once we got it up to 55 MPH. Or I should say, it acted like it wanted to die, and once I pulled into my place of employment seven miles later, it died three times before I could get it parked.
More expense for a Tow Truck to a dealer in Salem, Oregon for a second opinion. They quickly found that the computer brain had died. We ordered two computer brains from Ebay just to make sure. We had them sent directly to the dealer by Ebay. Car stayed there as we waited for the parts and repair.
April
April 8, 2023: $130.35 to install the computer brain, at Capitol Subaru, Salem, Oregon. It worked! had it shipped directly to the dealership by Ebay.
*****
February
Feb 1, 2023: Appointment, SVX.
January
January 3, 2022: This was the big pre-inspection that other decisions would be made from.
A used car vehicle inspection as recommended, and we went to Toyota Subaru of Corvallis. $1,302.82 if we had done all that was recommended.
Canister purge Solenoid, aka Broken Solenoid. $797.02, they bypassed the solenoid. This allowed it to run smoothly. A repair for the future. Not cheap.
Harmonic balancer. $408.56, Crankshaft pulley separated. We had them do this.
Brake fluid flush. $85, and did not have them do it.
Axle replacement. $427.78, had them do this. Right front CV Axle outer boot ripped and grease gone. Dang!
Battery replacement. $240.56.06, but we went to Les Schwab.
Four tires. $674.20, but we waited and eventually did all four at Les Schwab.
Alignment. $198.00, but we waited and went to Les Schwab.
Maintenance package. $94.95, we had this done. basically, the oil change. It was a new car to us, so we felt we had to do it.
Maintenace package. $109.95, the more expensive maintenance package, we said no to this. This included the rotation, but we waited and eventually just got the new tires at Les Schwab. So, why waste money on a tire rotation, right?
Water intrusion in trunk. $462, and maybe we should have done it, but we waited, and got no resolution when we had it looked at somewhere else about five months later..
Battery tie down needed. What? It didn’t have one? $55.76, we waited but had them do it eventually because Les Schwab would not install a new battery until it had this.
Break rotor resurface. $231.00, and we said no to this.
Indicator light on gauge cluster. $231, does not illuminate. Recommend remove cluster and test or replace bulb. NULN will likely be a special after removing to see what it is. We said no to this. had to have cluster replaced later after we noticed the speedometer was not working.
Note: Why did they not mention this at the initial inspection?
Note: This means that it was working, before?
The repairs we committed to, totaled $837.34.
*****
2021
December
We noticed that the Speedometer didn’t work. Our Florida friends did not remember if it worked when it arrived to them? Could a speedometer stop working by being hauled across the country?
We would learn that this part is only available on Ebay, or a junk yard. We found junk yards hit or miss, so Ebay basically is an easier way of auto wrecking yard shopping. We used a speedometer app for a while on my phone. I actually liked it but felt wrong to have a car with no speedometer. What luck, I had never known a car to have this problem.
November
It continued to have trouble keeping a battery charge, as well as turning the car over. So, we got a new battery at Les Scwhab, Albany, Oregon. This didn’t fully help so we were considering a new alternator.
October
I returned home to find the SVX was dead. We had AAA come to jump it. It took quite a while based on our other priorities, but we eventually go the DMV stuf taken care of.
August
The SVX arrived at Portland, Oregon and then an affiliate company drove it the two hours south to us. It arrived, but I was delirious from COVID. The next day my wife took me to the Samaritan, Albany General Hospital, where they then transported me to the Oregon Health and Science University where I would be for almost a month fighting COVID/Double Pneumonia. I was in an induced coma and on a ventilator. An experience that many don’t survive. I would for forget about the SVX. I would forgoet the name of my wife and kids. I forgot my name. I forgot where I was, but how would I know that. Two weeks in the coma I lived in a nightmare world where my mind would not sleep. The third week I was coming out of it but was still very confused. The third week, I came out of it to learn that to get out of there I would need to learn to play the game, showing them what they needed in order to release me.
OHSU Hospital, Portland | OHSU
July
Found our SVX in Florida. The owner lived in Ohio but was one of those part time Florida birds. The car had spent some time in another state, the Carolina’s we believe, but for about five years had been sitting around in Florida for the driver to drive when he would visit.
So far, no signs of rust body cancer.
We could tell that all that sitting around was not good for it.
However, it came with the claim and documentation that a previous owner had been a Subaru technician and had rebuilt the engine. he also took care of its Achille’s heal. Some problem it had back when it was new. Research pending. We had heard of this problem, which really crippled its credibility back in the day.
we feared a scam for many reasons, but got our bank i9nvolved for the loan, which helped make it more secure. Also, we had some Tamp friends be the delivery point from the owner, and then we had a shipping company pick it up at their house. For those we are indebted to them. Surely, we owe them updates of this cars journey.
*****
1994
Our SVX was created.
1992
SVX was announced to the world.