new svx purchase
 

hello folks,

My friend's acquaintance is offering him a 92 svx w/ 130k miles

problem is it shifts 1-2, skips 3 and goes to 4 when rpm's climb high enough from 2nd.

should i buy this car? is this a solenoid issue or clutch pack issue?

is this car reliable? are parts pricey?

also,... battery is dead,... we tried boosting it with a new battery and while the other car is running, cranking the subaru causes the running car's lights to dim, and the subaru just clicks. The car supplying the power is a big mercedes with a large battery so it should have enough cranking power, is there a trick to boost starting this car?

thanks in advance

Hey, welcome to the site.

It's possible that the shifting issue is related to the band brake. It can be adjusted. Use the http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/images/top_search.gif to find all the info on that.

I find that when boosting it's better to leave the battery connected to the other car for several minutes before trying to start the car.

It's reliable if not abused. What are your plans for the car?

thanks

i did the search, but didnt find any 3rd gear issues..mostly people were compalining about 4th gear

do u recommend replacing the tranny w/ a used JDM one? or just have it rebuilt?

i plan it to be my daily driver.. also being that it is AWD, it will do fairly well in the snow, this way I can retire my S500 for the winter

:confused:

http://www.automoderna.lt/uzsienis/F...0S500%2003.jpg

:confused:

If you can afford that then you should be able to afford a proper traney rebuild on an SVX, DO NOT GO CHEAP! I've heard good things about level 10 rebuilds



Level Ten

Search for band brake issues.

You won't be able to easily install a JDM tranny in a US SVX. It would be more beneficial to install a 5/6 spd.

thats the new S500,.. mine is the older one.

http://members.rogers.com/sclass/benz/9.JPG

sorry what's a band brake?

Here's a "brief" definition:

Reference Link

thanks for all your help..

gonna read the link now

Nice car still... but affordable:D

Very nice - I'm fond of the W140 series but especially the coupe

However, our SVX tranny saga (the 'there's nothing wrong with it, you must be mistaken' stance especially) was repeated with the aircon evaporator on the W140's and SL of the same period

Was supposed to be a sealed, never replace unit and was buried in under the dash but......it fails!!

It requires removal of most of the interior back to the firewall to do it - a horror story but, like the SVX, you can negotiate accordingly

Now, where's that S600C

:D

i agree,.. every car has its own share of infamous issues

i went to see this svx today... it wouldnt start,.. no big deal i figured..battery is dead... hooked up jumper cables and it made the lights in the benz go dim while cranking the svx

the svx would crank half a crank and stop... meanwhile, the other car had to be revved otherwise the very attempt to crank the svx would cause the other car to stall

needless to say i couldnt get it to start.. it would continue to crank for 1 sec and stop, and battery light in the other car would come on even while revving.. holly!!!! how much power is this car taking to start? is this normal when jump starting subarus or is this an issue specific to this car?

disc brakes appear oxidized.. obviously i cant start it although owner insists it was running, and we know it skips 3rd gear... may have other issues, but I dont know,...a very good friend of mine knows the seller and he has driven the car previously and he mentioned it drove well... i am buying this car solely based on my friend's words as I trust him completely... body is ok, although a door appears to have been painted... there are 3 rust bubbles on front and 2 rear fenders, paint on spoiler is peeling. Leather appears to be in good condition w/ small cracks on bolster but no rips... front headlights are grimey (water condensation from the inside as are rear tail lights, except you can see condensation inside them). It may need hand brake cables,... calipers may be seized as it has been sitting outside for 6+ months (not running), paint overall is faded (pearl white), my friend has told me at the time he drove it a bit (last year prior to tranny giving up and car being stored, all electricals were operational, and there was no check/warning lights on the dash), and that the car drove quite smooth on the road with no evidence of wandering or suspension trouble.

how much should i offer the seller?

thanks again for all your guidance w/ my purchase

I think the starter is bad... I will let you know if the deal goes through

Personally, I think that's a fair offer. If the seller refuses then just move on...

-Chike

I would offer less then $1000

Let him know that its gonna take some money to fix "this" and to fix "that", and show him cash when you make your offer. It all may help, but hopefully he will go lower then the asked $1000

Ive seen 93, and 94 SVX's with broken diffs, and 130k miles or so go for $1000(and less!). They also had other small problems aswell though. But ended up being great cars.

Depending on your problem with the tranny,You can buy a used tranny off ebay, or some where else off the internet. But be careful buying a used tranny.
If you can afford it, i think a rebuilt tranny is the best way to go. And remember there are many options when it comes to a rebuilt tranny.. you'll see in the pricing. If your interested in some pricing with available options, also LOTS of cool SVX stuff, go to PlanetSvx.com There is an email addy there to. Good luck, and take care :)

I am now the proud owner of a broken tranny/ starter/ seized brakes/ dead battery/ 206k miles/ rust bubbles formin on the rear q. panels / god knows what else is wrong svx :D

wish me luck as I bring this thing back to life and make it the tasteful desirable car it once was/ and deserves to be

I am done reading on brake bands... also came across http://svx-iw.com in which there is a detailed tranny troubleshooting faq... i will pull some codes and see whats wrong...

will keep u updated as things progress... its not my daily driver.. i will work on it on my days off, and when i am done, i will drop it off to get painted

thanks again for your replies, and putting up w/ my "newbie" q's.

if you have any suggestions/ comments at all, I welcome them as I have plenty to learn about this car