Looking at an SVX, timing belt hasn't been changed?

[SVXalter]

I'm looking at a 96 L that seems to be in good shape although I haven't seen it in person. It has 79k on it with a very very small oil leak from the transmission that the owner says has been there for the past 10 years without getting worse. The timing belt has not been replaced, and he says he waits til about 120k on subarus (He has 4 of them) and even then the belts seem to be in good shape. It's in the shop getting one of the rear wheel bearings replaced and the last thing done before that was having all the fluids changed about a year or 1500 miles ago. Also, it sounds as if it was used mainly for highway driving the past 30k or so. Is this a bad thing if the trips were too long considering the problem with overheating transmissions?

Thanks for any advice, sorry for any dumb questions. I'm fairly new to the svx, but I do know I am drawn in by their sexiness

[1986nate]

Driving on the highway is what the SVX was really designed for and is the least amount of strain on the transmission. The timing belt is recommended to be done at 60k however the SVX motor is a non-interference motor meaning that if the t-belt should happen to break, no damage will occur to the valvetrain in the motor. Also if you can just do the t-belt yourself, you can save a lot of money as most of the cost of a shop doing it is labor. You might also consider changing the water pump and thermostat for preventative measure since you will have access to it right away anyway.

[SVXalter]

Thank you! Any idea what it's worth or what I should be concerned about/looking for?

[1986nate]

When you take it for a drive, if there is a flare in shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, I would be very weary about it as that would mean the brake band is out of adjustment and might have been this for awhile. This basically causes slipping and could mean the transmission is on the way out. By the 96 model year, Subaru made a lot of upgrades to the transmission so it should still be very solid at 79k.

Also check to make sure it accelerates smoothly with all levels of pressure on the gas to make sure the TPS is good. Check for any binding when you are turning as it could mean possible problems with the transfer clutch. Ask about when the spark plugs were changed-hopefully they have been and he hasn't been lazy about doing those as it is just quite a bit of work the first time you do it. Try and find where the "oil leak" is coming from and check the color to see if it is dark(oil) or reddish(ATF fluid). Find out why he's only having one of the bearings done as it is usually just best to replace both at the same time.

Check the valve covers as they are probably starting to seep out oil-Probably ok for now but something to think about down the road if you plan on keeping it for a few years. Again, something that is a lot of work but not much parts so if you can do yourself, it will save you. If I were you I would've tried to check out the car before he changes fluids so you can see what kind of condition the ATF and oil are in to make sure the oil isn't especially dirty and even more importantly, that the ATF is not burnt.

Anything else is going to be just like any other car, braking should be smooth, steering should be straight, etc. I think there is also a sticky or how-to for things to look for when buying an SVX.

Good luck and hopefully it is as good as it sounds.

[SVXalter]

Thanks again, I will be sure to check everything you mentioned. Here's an interesting situation the owner mentioned in an email to me.

"I replaced #1 ignition coil about 4 or 5 years ago. The engine check light has remained on because I was lazy and left my test spark plug in cylinder #1 from when I was trying to find the problem. I need to put the proper plug back in. It runs just fine as is though so didnt' see the need to change it back. For some reason the computer doesn't like it."

I asked him if he could try putting the right plug back in and he said he doesn't have time...

[Sean486]

Originally Posted by SVXalter

Thanks again, I will be sure to check everything you mentioned. Here's an interesting situation the owner mentioned in an email to me.

"I replaced #1 ignition coil about 4 or 5 years ago. The engine check light has remained on because I was lazy and left my test spark plug in cylinder #1 from when I was trying to find the problem. I need to put the proper plug back in. It runs just fine as is though so didnt' see the need to change it back. For some reason the computer doesn't like it."

I asked him if he could try putting the right plug back in and he said he doesn't have time...

I get the impression he does things half assed. Is he saying he has a bad spark plug installed and he doesn't care?

[SVXalter]

Apparently it hasn't given him any problems... but still? 5 or 6 years?

I have a friend with experience who said he could help me fix it if I end up getting it, but it would be nice to have it cleared up Before I make a purchase.