1800 Subaru Impreza GB S/W 1996 (Manual gb)

please excuse my dumbness but I'm a woman, and I think it's ok to be a woman dumb about cars! So, could you please help me. Q.1/ Do these cars have a 'petrol low' warning light as mine doesn't appear to have and I nearly got into a spot of bother. Also, Q.2/ Should the car sound like a tractor on start up? It sometimes takes a couple of starts to get going, just like an old car from the 60's but this car is no car from the 60's, I love it. Also, Q.3/ After using for 15 minutes on the open road I turn into a side road and in changing gears it kinda 'misses' when I go up thru the gears again. Is that unusual? Thank you in advance for all the answers :)

1.) yes....pretty much all cars should have a warning light when you are almost on empty

2.) it shouldnt sound like a "tractor." either the previous owner put an aftermarket exhaust on the car which would make it louder...but you might have a crack in a resonator or somewhere in your exhaust system. this is pretty common, especially on older cars. usually happens from you bottoming out over something like a speed bump pretty hard (very unlikley) or from rocks kicking up under the car.

3.)when you miss gears its because you need to learn how to shift. generally...you shouldnt need to downshift. there are a few instances where its good to downshift...but you shouldnt really need to. make sure if you DO decide to downshift, MAKE SURE you do it in order or else you could risk throwing a piston. i.e. dont go from 3rd at 5grand RPMS to 1st.

Thank you for your reply. I downshift as I slow down to about 35 ks, and when I accelerate in changing gears up again it sort of misses slightly. I could be using some 'old' descriptive words there lol.

you might be slippin the clutch a bit. what your describing is kind of vauge....i tried to go off what it sounded like you said but i guess im wrong.

also - you might be shifting too late. i dont know what your redline is...but see if shifting on time helps if you arent already.

nismo power's answers scare me....

The older Impreza may not have a low fuel light, if it has one, it will light up briefly when you start the car with all the other lights.

A car of that age may sound a little rougher on start up, this is an inherent property of the flat four, as the rings wear a little 'piston slop' can develop, this will only be evident on start up though before the oil has had time to circulate through the engine.

You have to be a little more specific when you say it 'misses gears'. If it's a manual transmission, it's you that's missing the gears, not the car. If you mean there's a little slippage, your clutch is worn.
The easy way to tell if your clutch is worn is listening when you shift, if the revs peak a little before the gear engages the clutch is slipping and is worn.

haha i tried :/. im so used to being around newer cars, i forgot about the problems of old ones :D.

:( now look here, my car is NOT OLD!!!!! (only the driver ;) Thank you for your replies and I'm sorry you have misunderstood me, I don't mean that the gears are slipping or anything only that the car shudders slightly when changing manually and excelerating into 3rd gear from 2nd gear. The car is not cold having driven on the open road for 15 minutes. There does not appear to be a fuel light.

I had a '98 which developed enough 'piston slop' to sound rougher when cold, I am pretty certain your '96 has a lot more reason to develop piston slop than my '98 did.

The gears won't slip, the clutch will, the clutch consists of friction plates which can slip when worn. If the car shudders slightly, it's either the clutch or an engine mount.

If our advice is not considered sound, take the car to a qualified mechanic to have it checked over. :shrug:

I would seriously doubt that the engine mounts could cause the kind of shuddering she's talking about without causing the problem all the way through the gear. For a '96 I would guess clutch, especially for a manual. Don't count the mounts out entirely, though.

Also, unless the mileage is very very low or the owner is very very knowledgeable and fastidious, a 1996 is getting on in years. It was probably manufactured in 1995, nine years ago. Getting a full decade out of a compact sedan without any major repairs is no small feat. Nine years of being driven normally will cause wear and tear.

I would have it inspected by someone you trust, and then expect to pay a bit to give your car a makeover. You probably should do a bunch of stuff to the car by now (some of which is pricey) to keep it running "like new."

I would seriously doubt that the engine mounts could cause the kind of shuddering she's talking about without causing the problem all the way through the gear. For a '96 I would guess clutch, especially for a manual. Don't count the mounts out entirely, though.

Also, unless the mileage is very very low or the owner is very very knowledgeable and fastidious, a 1996 is getting on in years. It was probably manufactured in 1995, nine years ago. Getting a full decade out of a compact sedan without any major repairs is no small feat. Nine years of being driven normally will cause wear and tear.

I would have it inspected by someone you trust, and then expect to pay a bit to give your car a makeover. You probably should do a bunch of stuff to the car by now (some of which is pricey) to keep it running "like new."


Thank you again for replying, I truly appreciate everyone's help :) The word 'pinking' comes to mind when I want to describe how the car sort of "misses' a beat when excelerating into the higher gears. Is that the right word, anyone?? I don't think it is a major prob as it is only momentary. I will definitely get a makeover for my car as soon as I can be without it for a whole day...I notice also that there is a smell of burning rubber which on hot days is most noticeable, sure hope that doesn't mean anything serious. A car is not old to me til it looks it from the outside lol. Sure hope this one dosen't date too quick! I plan to keep the oils done at a reputable garage. What do I ask them to do when I take it in or will they just know? It is a manual gb. Thanks.

oops LOL, I see I now have sabre on my buddy list, I thought I was going to get a cute picture when I went for the buddy, like that one you have, but next to my screen name. How do I get a lego one too? I want one! I want one!...

I found that picture on the web somewhere and added it as my avatar. Avatars have to be really small and simple pics. /hijack