St.Jude's Road To Perdition - A 2003 Subaru Legacy // The End. TTFN!

[St.Jude]

Drove to work this morning which is all A roads, a bit twisty. Felt really good driving.

But I notice that if I turn right - just past 1/8th turn on the wheel, I hear a droning noise. I don't get the noise when the car is going straight or if I'm turning left. Just right. Feels/sounds almost like the tyre is rubbing on something.

[St.Jude]

I have discovered the joys of the Sigma alarm system!

Woke up and opened the car, car starts fine and I go to the Co-op on the way to work. Car locks, car unlocks when I get to it, I drive off. I get to work and stop the car and I go to lock the car - and the car doesn't lock. Alright, there's nothing worth nicking in it and it's in a locked compound so it's grand. I then go to go get lunch and the car won't start at all. Dead.

There is a little keypad for the alarm under the dashboard, so I ring the wife to tell me the code in the book (which I didn't put back in the car because reasons). And I'm fucking around trying to put the code in and the alarm goes off. Great. Long story slightly shorter - the battery in the key has died and won't lock or start the car. So right now I need to put the alarm PIN in and the only way I can get it to work is put the PIN in, start the car so the alarm goes off, turn the key off put the PIN code in again and the alarm goes off. Then I can start the car.

I went and bought 2x button batteries (one for each key as the guy said the other key battery had gone), fitted it to the key and still no good. But I think I need to reprogram the key, which involves the book which is at home.

But also found that the Sigma bumps it up to a category 1 alarm but I'm not sure how that corresponds to the insurance. If at all.

[Rust Collector]

I have a sigma alarm on my older legacy. The fobs have stopped working, but I seem to recall that there’s a 30 second window after reconnecting the battery where if I put the key in and turn it to the ‘on’ position then the car will start. I think this may be because I left the alarm disarmed when I laid the car up though, I can’t quite remember. I know that if I don’t start the car within that 30 second window, I have to take the battery lead off and try again.

[St.Jude]

23 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

I have a sigma alarm on my older legacy. The fobs have stopped working, but I seem to recall that there’s a 30 second window after reconnecting the battery where if I put the key in and turn it to the ‘on’ position then the car will start. I think this may be because I left the alarm disarmed when I laid the car up though, I can’t quite remember. I know that if I don’t start the car within that 30 second window, I have to take the battery lead off and try again.

I’ve got the PDF of the owners manual for it and it’s just put the PIN in, go to program the number of keys, then press the button on each key and it should be good.

[mintwth]

19 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

But I think I need to reprogram the key, which involves the book which is at home.

Might be worth a google.

Have a vague memory there's a fob resync process that involves sitting in the car, turning the ignition on and off, opening/closing the drivers door, locking/unlocking with the key buttons. Something like that anyway.

Might also have involved rubbing your belly while patting your head

[gadgetgricey]

On 14/03/2025 at 14:39, St.Jude said:

Smethwick. Home of Julie Andrew’s .........

Julie Andrews or Julie Walters?

[St.Jude]

44 minutes ago, gadgetgricey said:

Julie Andrews or Julie Walters?

All the Julies, Me Julie included. Brap.

[Rust Collector]

1 hour ago, St.Jude said:

I’ve got the PDF of the owners manual for it and it’s just put the PIN in, go to program the number of keys, then press the button on each key and it should be good.

I was thinking more just to get you moving if you were stuck in a car park waiting for a code - connecting the fobs back to it is definitely the correct ‘proper’ fix.

[WillCarter]

I've got a 3.0 one of these as my daily at the moment. Had a few niggles since I bought it and it drinks petrol like it's going out of style but my God what a car. Basically anonymous to virtually everyone but baits just about everything when you want it to and makes Porsche noises to boost. 

[St.Jude]

6 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

I was thinking more just to get you moving if you were stuck in a car park waiting for a code - connecting the fobs back to it is definitely the correct ‘proper’ fix.

Ah yeah I get it now.

I have the code it’s in the book. The wife was home and relayed it to me so I’m not going to be stuck 🙂

[St.Jude]

All fixed. Hardest thing was trying to get the screw off of the other key as it was a bit rounded off.

Instructions came with the car and it’s all good and very easy. Car now locks and starts etc without the need for the keypad.

[St.Jude]

Meant to write this the other day.

This is the first time I’ve bought the “same car” twice. Like I’ve had multiple Toyotas, Hondas, Peugeots, but I’ve never had the same model more than once.

Where I used to work a guy asked me if I wanted to buy his Subaru Legacy. And I immediately said no because I didn’t have the money it needed. He said he didn’t want the money because it was costing him money keeping it in the lock up. He didn’t care what I did with it but he thought he’d offer it to me. So I said yeah. I gave him a £35 bottle of whiskey for it.

No air con, nothing in the way of mod cons actually. Didn’t start or run right and had been dry stored for years. Checked it through and put it in for an MOT and I drove it. Same 2.0 litre engine as the current one.

Problem was the clutch was super heavy and it aggravated my Achilles in my ankle. An old boxing injury that I don’t think has healed right but it is what it is. Twice in 6 months it happened and I couldn’t drive it.

At the time I was heavy in to Paddy the Corolla. The wife put her foot down about it saying I can’t have two project cars at the same time, one had to go. Stuck it on Facebook for £500 and sold it to a lad in Derby. I did tell him the cam belt needed doing and the kit was in the boot. I don’t think he bothered and I think it’s been scrapped since.

My Legacy now though drives so much better than the original one. It feels like it has more power and handles nicer. But yeah, thought I’d mention this one.

Now I’m off on eBay looking for the obligatory Haynes manual!

[andy18s]

16 hours ago, WillCarter said:

I've got a 3.0 one of these as my daily at the moment. Had a few niggles since I bought it and it drinks petrol like it's going out of style but my God what a car. Basically anonymous to virtually everyone but baits just about everything when you want it to and makes Porsche noises to boost. 

We are 3 years in with a H6 and it's still a ball of fun when a local decides to tailgate through town,then open the taps when the inevitable dodgy attempt at an overtake comes ...

And having lpg fitted makes it cheaper to run than the previous 2.0 Legacy.

[djim]

13 hours ago, St.Jude said:

Haynes manual!

I've got the full 2004 Legacy service manual as PDFs if you are interested. I think it is US spec but I found it pretty useful for some things. PM me your email and I'll send it over if you like. 

[St.Jude]

4 minutes ago, djim said:

I've got the full 2004 Legacy service manual as PDFs if you are interested. I think it is US spec but I found it pretty useful for some things. PM me your email and I'll send it over if you like. 

Yeah, I just saw the prices of them so it’s a big “fuck that”.

I’ll message you now.

[jmsguzzi]

Sigma alarm is bringing back nightmares of my Outback, the actual button on both fobs broke so I couldn't disarm it, no problem just put the code in, the pad was broken, no problem just buy a new pad, the code in the book didn't work, can't reprogramme a new code without a working key!

In the end had to get an auto electrician out to bypass it 😵

[WillCarter]

On 18/03/2025 at 08:15, andy18s said:

We are 3 years in with a H6 and it's still a ball of fun when a local decides to tailgate through town,then open the taps when the inevitable dodgy attempt at an overtake comes ...

And having lpg fitted makes it cheaper to run than the previous 2.0 Legacy.

Yes, I've definitely partaken in this kind of shithousery. It's childish but also the whole point in having a fast car not many people take any notice of.

I really need to get mine to a Subaru specialist to go through it for me, it's had a grinding noise come from the front passenger side since I bought it that has baffled three or four mechanics so far and it would be nice to get it in generally fine fettle since I can't imagine there's many other options for the kind of money I bought mine for that offer the same smiles per mile and practicality in one package.

[St.Jude]

33 minutes ago, WillCarter said:

I really need to get mine to a Subaru specialist to go through it for me, it's had a grinding noise come from the front passenger side since I bought it that has baffled three or four mechanics so far and it would be nice to get it in generally fine fettle since I can't imagine there's many other options for the kind of money I bought mine for that offer the same smiles per mile and practicality in one package.

Does it happen all the time? Or only when you turn the wheel?

[GrumpiusMaximus]

On 17/03/2025 at 13:56, St.Jude said:

I have discovered the joys of the Sigma alarm system!

Woke up and opened the car, car starts fine and I go to the Co-op on the way to work. Car locks, car unlocks when I get to it, I drive off. I get to work and stop the car and I go to lock the car - and the car doesn't lock. Alright, there's nothing worth nicking in it and it's in a locked compound so it's grand. I then go to go get lunch and the car won't start at all. Dead.

There is a little keypad for the alarm under the dashboard, so I ring the wife to tell me the code in the book (which I didn't put back in the car because reasons). And I'm fucking around trying to put the code in and the alarm goes off. Great. Long story slightly shorter - the battery in the key has died and won't lock or start the car. So right now I need to put the alarm PIN in and the only way I can get it to work is put the PIN in, start the car so the alarm goes off, turn the key off put the PIN code in again and the alarm goes off. Then I can start the car.

I went and bought 2x button batteries (one for each key as the guy said the other key battery had gone), fitted it to the key and still no good. But I think I need to reprogram the key, which involves the book which is at home.

But also found that the Sigma bumps it up to a category 1 alarm but I'm not sure how that corresponds to the insurance. If at all.

@Datsuncog

[WillCarter]

5 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

Does it happen all the time? Or only when you turn the wheel?

It's most noticeable when turning the wheel to the right while it's under load, I.E. accelerating out of a roundabout or similar. However, there's no exact science to making it do it, sometimes it does it for a few seconds when you first drive it, some days it's really bad, other days you only notice it in specific situations.

[andy18s]

The front calipers do like to stick on the slider pins on these,as I'm guessing the wheel bearing has been investigated?

[St.Jude]

21 minutes ago, WillCarter said:

It's most noticeable when turning the wheel to the right while it's under load, I.E. accelerating out of a roundabout or similar. However, there's no exact science to making it do it, sometimes it does it for a few seconds when you first drive it, some days it's really bad, other days you only notice it in specific situations.

This one is doing the same thing really.

[St.Jude]

Spoke to my mate at work about it @WillCarter and he suggested it could be the CV boot, as if it’s been changed but with a universal one it could be oversized and cause that sound. Or an arch liner. Or a whee bearing.

[Datsuncog]

3 hours ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

@Datsuncog

Yeah, I don't think I'll ever stop screaming internally about the Forester's alarm saga...

Genuine best of luck to the OP!

If it's been kept down in the sunny south and has been blitzed with Waxoyl on the regular, then hopefully there's a chance this'll have a happier ending than my assorted shenanigans with the marque...

[Honey Badger]

5 hours ago, WillCarter said:

Yes, I've definitely partaken in this kind of shithousery. It's childish but also the whole point in having a fast car not many people take any notice of.

I really need to get mine to a Subaru specialist to go through it for me, it's had a grinding noise come from the front passenger side since I bought it that has baffled three or four mechanics so far and it would be nice to get it in generally fine fettle since I can't imagine there's many other options for the kind of money I bought mine for that offer the same smiles per mile and practicality in one package.

Newman and Reidy are the Subaru dealers in Earls barton, they have been quite helpful whenever they service and MOT my Honda Legend (I brought the Legend from them).

 

It seems like most of the Service team have been there for a while and seem to be a friendly bunch. They will probably pick the car up as well if you ask them. Rates seem comparable to the other garages I've used in Wellingborough.

[WillCarter]

5 hours ago, St.Jude said:

Spoke to my mate at work about it @WillCarter and he suggested it could be the CV boot, as if it’s been changed but with a universal one it could be oversized and cause that sound. Or an arch liner. Or a whee bearing.

It's had three different mechanics look at it, and I would assume they all went through anything obvious. The trouble is they can't get it to recreate the noise when it's static so it's hard to know exactly where it's coming from. It's even been suggested that it might be the exhaust heat shields as apparently these have a load of them underneath which are prone to coming loose and causing mystery noises and rattles.

 

1 hour ago, Honey Badger said:

Newman and Reidy are the Subaru dealers in Earls barton, they have been quite helpful whenever they service and MOT my Honda Legend (I brought the Legend from them).

 

It seems like most of the Service team have been there for a while and seem to be a friendly bunch. They will probably pick the car up as well if you ask them. Rates seem comparable to the other garages I've used in Wellingborough.

This is good to know. I had considered using them, but didn't know if they just dealt with the brand new stuff these days. They'll probably be getting a visit at some point then. Thank you mate.

[Lanciaman]

On 17/03/2025 at 08:08, St.Jude said:

Drove to work this morning which is all A roads, a bit twisty. Felt really good driving.

But I notice that if I turn right - just past 1/8th turn on the wheel, I hear a droning noise. I don't get the noise when the car is going straight or if I'm turning left. Just right. Feels/sounds almost like the tyre is rubbing on something.

Potential wheelbearing.  Outback and legacy tend to go through them and the usual jack up and trying to move the wheel in and out does not work.... 

[andy18s]

If it is the bearing then it's a piece of piss to do,I had to change 1 a few months after smacking into a huge pothole.

The bearing bolts into a recess in the hub,so depending on how much corrosion has got in between the two mounting faces it'll either drop out,or fight you all the way...

[St.Jude]

1 hour ago, andy18s said:

If it is the bearing then it's a piece of piss to do,I had to change 1 a few months after smacking into a huge pothole.

£35 for a bearing.

When you've been quoted £64 for a fucking thermostat this price feels like true champagne motoring on lemonade money.

[loserone]

12 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

£35 for a bearing.

That's good value, they were £130 when I did mine!