Beware of what you buy!! My BP5 pain!!

[xNeXuSx]

So I purchased a BP5 Leggy recently fellas and the seller pointed out two issues. Oil leak at bank 2 cam sensor and hard shift out of 2nd gear. He insisted the hard shift was being caused by the knock sensor going bad. He also said engine and tranny fluids were just changed and that a slight humming noise coming from the rear left wheel was because of a tire being broken in. Now I knew nothing about Subaru vehicles going in and I fully acknowledge that it was my fault for going there without a mechanic or someone with prior experience with these vehicles. Truly a mistake I will never make again.

I bought the car and considering the price I paid for it, I believed that fixing these issues would still be more than worth it. I intend to do aftermarket upgrades throughout, so it didn't matter too much if certain stock parts were failing because they would more than likely be changed anyway.

What I can't stand is how amazingly dishonest this guy was. He knew exactly how bad he messed up this vehicle and lied and omitted almost everything. Judging from the problems I have uncovered, I believe him to be a cheap and lazy.

Here are some of the things I found with the help of a reputable, Subaru specific mechanic:

Transmission oil had not been changed for quite some time and smelled burnt.

The humming noise he described as coming from the tire was actually the wheel hub bearing. You could rock the wheel about a half inch when it is off the ground. Both rear wheels.

The knock sensor was probably not bad. Hard shift remains when engine temp is low, after sensor was changed.

The Cam sensor was bad and leaking oil, as he described.

He neglected to mention that the rear Crankshaft seal was also bad and leaking about a half quart of oil a day.

All engine mounts are bad.

The spark plugs are stock and based on their condition, they were probably never changed in over 100,000km.

Pinion seal is bad and the car is completely missing two bushings on the steering rack.

The up-pipe is not for a Legacy.

The inner boot rubbers are not for a Legacy.

All 4 axle seals were worn.

The engine was previously worked on and even after the Crankshaft seal was replaced, the engine still leaked oil because the block was not sealed properly. The leak is much, much less now however. The valve stem seals are also bad causing the car to smoke and burn oil, mostly at startup. I'm forced to do my engine rebuild earlier because of these engine issues.

The thing that really tripped me off was the fuel pump. The pump probably failed before, so this cheap fool decided to cut open the pump assembly and replace the pump and filter with a used one from another vehicle manufacturer. Pics of this madness below.

Overall, I'm not pleased, but mainly because I'm being forced to do my upgrades alot earlier than I anticipated and all the smaller problems the vehicle has that are just caused by pure negligence, I really didn't expect that from a Legacy owner.

My point here: Don't be like me. There are good people out here, but there are also cheap, foolish liars. Regardless of which you encounter, you should have someone knowledgeable with you, if you don't have the knowledge yourself.

Peace.

Pics of new and old fuel pump and assembly. I'm sure you will have no trouble telling which is which....

[Halfbreed07]

Classic patch and sell, sorry for that, but as u realise you should have done your homework.
Was that car on tuner by any chance?

[xNeXuSx]

Yes my friend, I do realise my mistake. Yes, it was on tuner. I think he deleted the thread.

[Halfbreed07]

Was close to buying one also, hence my interest

[xNeXuSx]

Don't let my experience put you off. The car doesn't work 100% and I still enjoy driving it. It helps that I have something else to drive when this is being worked on. Just cover your bases and I doubt you can end up in my position.

[kerwin1968]

You need to put his shady azz on blast name that dishonest fool

[Halfbreed07]

I agree if it's true, others should be aware.

[Mr.Bollywood]

Wowwwwww sorry to hear man! Especially around this season! I wish u all the best with the car! Hope things work out man!

I agree u should also put the screen name of the seller on tuner! Happy New Years bro!

[xNeXuSx]

Thanks pal. All the best to you as well.

I could post his full address since I have copies of his ID and DP, but I won't. I can't remember his tuner screen name. The real point of this was to make others aware of my mistake, so this type of thing doesn't happen to them.

[legacyspecb]

Interesting post. You should have gotten a competent mech to ascertain the condition of the car before you purchased.

The prob with the legacy is not the car.. but the owners. Alot of owners get carried away with the looks and performance of the BL/BP 5's and then the harsh reality hits that you need to be willing to spend money to have the car in optimal working order.

As such, botch engine jobs, incorrect substitution of parts etc are common place. I think potential buyers should ask the owners to see a service history if available. Also the owner must facilitate an inspection from the buyer's mech etc

WRT your tranny issue...you should do the iterative drain and fill method with the subaru atf hp

If this doesnt solve the issue..try connecting to the TCU with SSM and clear memory 2..this should eliminate the hard shift and there is also a procedure to relearn the parameters ...It is available online for your perusal.

Good luck and sorry to hear about your issue. But that being said, the legacy is such a great car to drive.

[xNeXuSx]

Thanks for the tips legacyspecb. I'll get a vag com cable and get it cleared since I already replaced the fluid with OEM and there was no change.

[legacyspecb]

Your case is still not that bad..shift shock is common at low engine temp with alot of subaru's...but once the trans oil is up to working temp it should engage smoother.

TCU is adaptive...so maybe the previous owner used to floor the car when the block was cold and the trans adapted by increasing line pressure..so now you would be experiencing these effects which may be undone by a simple reset of the learnt parameters

All in all you shouldn't worry much..get the vag com cable and check out stuff for your self..curious about your IAM also...which is a good indicator of knock being experienced.

After everything is sorted you may want to tune..alot of options out there so it shouldn't be an issue.

If you need parts you can check ADAH on the forum..has better prices than massy/motorist

Was looking for an inner boot the other day and he was the only guy who had it..massey didn't even see fit to stock this.. sighs..

[xNeXuSx]

TCU is adaptive...so maybe the previous owner used to floor the car when the block was cold and the trans adapted by increasing line pressure..so now you would be experiencing these effects which may be undone by a simple reset of the learnt parameters

All in all you shouldn't worry much..get the vag com cable and check out stuff for your self..curious about your IAM also...which is a good indicator of knock being experienced.

The TCU stuff makes sense when you put it like that and from my research I have a feeling the IAM will be off as well. We shall see when I get the cable.

[Morpheus]

Hmmm scary stuff. I have been looking at these vehicles for some time now.....

At least half of sellers omit need-to-know info.

GL with those repairs, etc.

[A172]

Thanks pal. All the best to you as well.

His name is Wasim Aggan of Naparima Mayaro Road, Princess Town. I could post his full address since I have copies of his ID and DP, but I won't. I can't remember his tuner screen name. The real point of this was to make others aware of my mistake, so this type of thing doesn't happen to them. I hope he sees this and tries to refute anything I've said.

haha that is SCAR Concepts from P.Town, nothing new for them bro!

[wagonrunner]

I really didn't expect that from a Legacy owner.

fuh real. dats a higher being right there

[Aaron 2NR]

One mans pride is another mans junk

[legacyspecb]

^^Yup, QFT

IMHO legacies are ultra reliable when treated right...they may not be able to withstand the abuse that can be meted out to the nissans but they are generally robust

my padna's worries can be easily solved and he seems to have a good handle on it

like i said, jus check and double check the vehicle before purchase...lots of unscrupulous sellers out there..but also lots of honest ones

parts etc are easily attainable for these cars.. so guys have no fear in ur purchase

[xNeXuSx]

Well the car is in the shop now. Valve stem seals were bad also, so a little oil was getting through and causing smoke when engine is cold. Pistons were fine and the block seems ok. I will find out tomorrow if it needs shaving so I can't pull the trigger on getting pistons yet.

Going with new bearings, cams, head studs and nuts, rods, pistons and gasket. ACL, Manley, APR, Wiseco, BC and Cometic. Engine should be good for some time after this is completed. Is there a good alternative to Group N engine mounts?

I fully intend to bring this car back to a proper/acceptable standard. I won't sell it, not like anyone would buy it anyway, because I would feel compelled to disclose everything.

haha that is SCAR Concepts from P.Town, nothing new for them bro!

SCAR Concepts eh. I'll remember the name.

[jfm001]

tuff luck on the bad purchase.
My 2005 legacy runs great,
however I have spared no expense in maintanining it - only new parts installed by a reputable mechanic, and no issues since doing proper maintenance on it




(currently for sale BTW)

[Aaron 2NR]

Perrin has an aftermarket that seems to be more durable than the group N

[Ted_v2]

Yep. All those guys on club Wrx does rate up the perrin parts

[Aaron 2NR]

I habe a couple in my sti...proper build quality and fitment

[xNeXuSx]

@legacyspecb - Forgot to mention, the IAM was 0.5 and TCU has been reset.

[Lance]

Well the car is in the shop now. Valve stem seals were bad also, so a little oil was getting through and causing smoke when engine is cold. Pistons were fine and the block seems ok. I will find out tomorrow if it needs shaving so I can't pull the trigger on getting pistons yet.

Going with new bearings, cams, head studs and nuts, rods, pistons and gasket. ACL, Manley, APR, Wiseco, BC and Cometic. Engine should be good for some time after this is completed. Is there a good alternative to Group N engine mounts?

I fully intend to bring this car back to a proper/acceptable standard. I won't sell it, not like anyone would buy it anyway, because I would feel compelled to disclose everything.

haha that is SCAR Concepts from P.Town, nothing new for them bro!

SCAR Concepts eh. I'll remember the name.

So you took apart the engine?

The replacement parts you listed should be fine. Have a look at your existing oil pump as well to see if there is any unusual wear. I'd invest in one just for peace of mind.

If you're not an aggressive driver then I strongly suggest you stick to OEM mounts.

If the car was untuned then its normal for your IAM to be lower than 1 (32bit ECU) and especially so if the car is JDM Spec. I would have expected to see it a slight bit higher than .5 though.

All in all, its a learning experience and sometimes you get the messy end of the stick. Count your blessings though because if you heard my horror story, you would surely cry.

Lance

[1UZFE]

Op this have happenend thousands of times here on tuner. Thing is after all that work u goin n pit into it, u know what u have. U can appreciate it more. Has happened to me twice but i always recoup my money.

[xNeXuSx]

The replacement parts you listed should be fine. Have a look at your existing oil pump as well to see if there is any unusual wear. I'd invest in one just for peace of mind.

My mechanic advised this as well, so I got a new one.

If the car was untuned then its normal for your IAM to be lower than 1 (32bit ECU) and especially so if the car is JDM Spec. I would have expected to see it a slight bit higher than .5 though.

It is JDM Spec. I tried changing it myself...got the cable and I can communicate with the ECU using SSM and RR, but I can't read the current MAP using ECUFlash. I keep getting an error (green test cables connected). Don't know if this car has a flash block jumper, but I couldn't find any. Hopefully the guys at the shop will have better luck when that time comes.

Op this have happened thousands of times here on tuner.

Ah know it bound to happen eh, but when you see the lengths some people go through to hide their own slackness, it just unbelievable.

[Lance]

The replacement parts you listed should be fine. Have a look at your existing oil pump as well to see if there is any unusual wear. I'd invest in one just for peace of mind.

My mechanic advised this as well, so I got a new one.

If the car was untuned then its normal for your IAM to be lower than 1 (32bit ECU) and especially so if the car is JDM Spec. I would have expected to see it a slight bit higher than .5 though.

It is JDM Spec. I tried changing it myself...got the cable and I can communicate with the ECU using SSM and RR, but I can't read the current MAP using ECUFlash. I keep getting an error (green test cables connected). Don't know if this car has a flash block jumper, but I couldn't find any. Hopefully the guys at the shop will have better luck when that time comes.

Op this have happened thousands of times here on tuner.

Ah know it bound to happen eh, but when you see the lengths some people go through to hide their own slackness, it just unbelievable.

When you say change it, what exactly do you mean? You want to change the default starting iam so that it starts at 1?

To be honest, it wouldn't matter much as one can assume that it will just drop back . The reason why the iam hasn't jumped forward to 1 is most likely due to the fact that the knock sensor is still detecting knock.

What cable are you using? I assume that it is a tactrix? This is really the only cable in the market that possess the necessary voltage to allow for pulling and flashing roms. Any other cable (including the vag) would just allow you to pull learning views and do logging.

Which garage is doing the rebuild , if you don't mind me asking?

[trini_guy]

Real hard scene OP!
got burned on Tuner already, but on considerably cheaper items...
:-/

[Densil]

way boy....that is real mess ....sorry to hear you had to go through that.......some ppl just have no integrity .. I too just recently bought a legacy, but i trust the seller as i have bought cars from him before....i drive it rarely and in the process of looking for a good mechanic close to south ... Im hearing about garage 61 ...... have to do a full run through to make sure everything is in order... It so hard to leave your car with ppl for an extended period ...... even the the most honest ppl sometimes betray your trust. =-/