2004 Subaru Outback 192000 lemonlover's lemon

I’m retired and very poor, off the charts poor so I have to work with what I’ve got or become a bus rider. Not too many options for this 69 year old on SSI and soc sec. I’m 69 so my days of doing car care myself are limited. Will have to baby this one or get it at least saleable. It’s one that was auctioned off due to hail damage and comes from back East and I drove it from Colorado to Oregon and it worked like a gem until I looked into that it had head gasket leaks. Got those fixed, new clutch, etc, so going to put a little more money in it then call it a day and do City bus riding which works where I live pretty well and I have a daughter who helps. Thanks.

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Wow! Beam me up, Scotty! This discussion started out bad and then went downhill from there.

[“…men out there who are strong and wear overalls or dresses or women too, you can post.”]
That’s it! Too smart. Right.
Again, best of luck with saving a little money, finding a man or a woman or a girly man, and getting that beater car running. May the force be with you!
CSA
:palm_tree::sunglasses::palm_tree:

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Downhill this is normal talk out West and all people are accepted as being mechanical types. We are quite open and accepting of all persons in my neck of the woods. I knew I would get some funny replies and some not so modern ones. We are with the times here in Oregon. I’m sure there are all kinds of mechanics. Kilts might be nice as I’m of Scottish descent and we could dance around my Subaru and play bag pipes. Only thinking of Click and Clack humor.

Are there any people out there who can joke like Click and clack and joke about my car and ultra lemon situation? Guess I’m a creative hobby mechanic especially in my retirement and retirement temporarily of this car. I’m looking for a good joke to defray the fact that I will be spending another thousand dollars on my car. My retirement only brings in 5000 a year plus 1500 in SSI.

One good joke would be good but not one that puts down women or men in LGBT person or Scottish.

With your lemon car and income problem, sounds like you need Lemon Aid! Sign up now at your local Oregon state office. Tell them Florida sent you!

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Understandable. But this is why you need to avoid chain shops, like Aamco, and find a decent independent Subaru mechanic. Subarus have lots of quirks, an expert might know a way to save you much of that $1,000.

I will try to squeeze some juice out of my budget but it’s becoming rather strained. But I do live on next to nothing and can’t drive for 3 months so I may actually save money lol. My rent is low and landlord is great!

I’m not going to get into the gender discussion but I think you have failed to grasp the importance of NEVER EVER going to AAMCO for anything. Do not trust anything they tell you. The managers could have been former shoe store managers, not mechanics. They prey on people without resources and options. I don’t know how to be clearer and if you go back there, expect to be abused. It’s that simple. It’s like the difference in dealing with a pawn shop versus a bank. If you have to take a shower after going there, don’t go back.

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OK after a little more review, I have some questions and don’t know anything about Subarus. Is the problem an oil leak or something else? What would a drive shaft have to do with a transmission leak? If it is a drive shaft problem like a vibration or something, is is bent, out of balance, or what? How would you go about welding the U joint in? They have to turn. How and what exactly would you weld? Is it possible the U joint just needs replacing and the originals are not serviceable? Can’t believe any manufacturer would make a drive shaft with three U joints that couldn’t be replaced. I’ve replaced U joints and all you need is a large vice and some sockets. Not a big deal. So I remain confused by this whole thing.

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If you just wanted information about a used driveshaft, that is what you should have posted. You are the one who opened with all the extraneous info about men and relationships and if you were truly knowledgeable about cars, you would never take one to AAMCO.

The old joke is AAMCO means All Automatics Must Come Out, and that saying has been bandied about for many, many years.

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I question if there really is a problem with the drive shaft. In your other thread, if I remember correctly, you stated it drove fine. Seems if there was a drive shaft problem you would have felt or heard something.
Have the driveshaft evaluated by a REAL mechanic, not a chain shop.
Make use of the tools available to you, mechanic files on this site, yelp reviews, etc.

I don’t know all of the details but the manager of aamco says that it wobbles and the seals are bad. It’s been leaking for a while. And yes I am going to get two more quotes once I ask friends for good transmission mechanics around here. I don’t know what the weld is. The manager seems too busy to send me a quote. His price on a new drive shaft seems double to what I see on line. I have some time, about 3 months so will get this right. I still have to get money together so I will park it.

Ok I will. Thanks. Yes something is odd and price is so awful, 1500 dollars.

For an older car I would be more inclined to have a driveshaft shop look at fixing the old one. Shafts can be repaired, straightened and re-balanced with new U joints for less than that. An independent mechanic may be more inclined to consider this kind of approach than a chain transmission shop…

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I hate it (pet peeve) when somebody throws out acronyms without defining them. I’m left to guess!
“men in LGBT”
Lamborghini Gallardo Bicolore GT?

Joke, you say?
Sing it!

:musical_note: When you swim in the sea,
and an eel bites your knee,
that’s a Moray!
:notes:

CSA
:palm_tree::sunglasses::palm_tree:

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If you can find a local shop that specializes in 4wd drive trains, some of those guys can build custom drive shafts, repair drive shafts, etc.

Thanks. Mine is AWD.

I’m going to try several shops for bids. I have lots of time before I have to get this done and it’s the rear shaft. Looking online it might be something less.

We will see. Thanks.

Peggy

Yes but I will take what you say about a rebuild and think on that. Thanks

Hats off to Spider Robinson

Good effort! You put the most here in creative jokery or jockery. Good one about using men in LGBT as models of cars. Might need to explain the moray one to me further. Enjoy.