4eyes

It's now 70k miles on lpg and all is well. Recently replaced the spark plug well seals and valve cover gaskets and checked valve clearances while in there, and they were all within spec, no signs of any valve seat recession. Happy days.

Timing belt and pulleys are less than £200 for the parts, and not difficult if you can handle a spanner. (Mr Subaru on YouTube is a great resource) A garage will probably charge 3 or 4 hrs labour on top. Water pump can wait till second belt change, they're pretty robust, but add say £50 and an hour's labour for that.

I've got a 2011 petrol CVT which I've had no issues with.Headlights are hid in the UK, not the old style h7 bulbs they had in the states that tend to blow every 5 mins! The CVT fluid is supposed to be lifetime fluid (if you don't tow), but I did a drain and fill which is a bit of a faff. At 80k + check the timing belt has been done, (2013 on had chains I think) and spark plugs should have been done. Loads of videos on YouTube showing main maintenance items. Happy hunting, they're great cars!

Hi Hanys. I replaced the housing on my 2011 for the same reason. Good news is it's an easy job, bad news is a new housing is about £350 from a dealer! That doesn't include glass, cover etc. The glass is fiddly but a flat screwdriver will remove it by prying from underneath, after you move the bottom out as far as it will go, then just unplug the heater. The motor is not available separately unfortunately. If you break the glass, that's another £85. Ask me how I know!

Enjoy! Once you've gone jap, you'll never go back 😁

Ola Daniel. The Subaru diesels are chain driven, so no belt to worry about. I think the initial issues with the engines were dealt with by 2015. I have a 2.5 petrol which I converted to lpg, it's cheaper to run than the diesel! There was a YouTube video from Spain comparing diesel/lpg outbacks, might be worth a watch? Good luck with your purchase.

The cruise control is disabled, and the icon will flash due to the check engine light. This is standard, it does not mean there is a fault with the cruise control. Maybe try a different code reader/garage?

It's not a difficult job, but there is a procedure to follow. The fluid level has to be checked at a certain temperature, between 35 and 45 deg c I think. In reality, as long as you put back in the same amount as drains out, the exact temperature isn't essential, especially if you drain the fluid "cold". I drained and refilled 5.5 litres. There are a couple of YouTube videos too.

The dealer should be able to perform a "drain and fill", which will replace about 5 litres of the fluid. I did this myself on my 2011 petrol, following the procedure from an online service manual. It's not difficult, just a bit of a faff. You do need an obd dongle called obd link lx to read the CVT fluid temperature though. Subaru outback.org has a DIY guide too. I think yours might be a second generation CVT and slightly different to mine, with different spec fluid. My spec was ns2, and there's plenty of it about, I used mannol, but make sure it's for CVT s with metal belts.

My system is all Romano. I had conflicting advice about flashlube but my installer (mint lpg Wales) fits it for free with Romano kit. It might not do any good, but I suppose it doesn't do any harm. Lpg was the best motoring decision I've ever made, saved me a fortune!

Just to update, it's nearly 3 years and 35000 miles since I converted to LPG, and have saved almost £4000 in fuel in that time. Both car and lpg system have been pretty much flawless in that time too. Still all good.😊

Yes you are correct. 71 ltr tank in spare space (55 ltr usable), mine is a 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder CVT.

Ok it's 2 years since the conversion, done 30 k miles on lpg and the car is running like a Swiss watch. Just had the 2 year service ( last of the free ones) on the lpg system and all good. Car is doing the cost equivalent of 44 mpg around town (21 mpg actual) and 60 mpg ( 28 mpg actual) on a run. LPG is still 54p / litre. Cheaper, cleaner and quieter than diesel! Wish I'd bought a 3.6r now.....

I had a similar problem on my 2011. Fuse no 6 in the driver's footwell is for the mirrors AND the heated seats. ( It don't say so in manual)To stop it growling I had to remove the plug from the back of the control switch. You can then put the fuse back and your heated seats should be fine.( But the mirrors won't work) The mirror motors are not available apparently. I'm still trying to find a mirror from a breaker but they want £250+😱

I had a similar problem on my 2011.My mirror motor would not turn off. Fuse no 6 in the driver's footwell is for the mirrors AND the heated seats. ( It don't say so in manual)To stop it growling I had to remove the plug from the back of the control switch. You can then put the fuse back and your heated seats should be fine.( But the mirrors won't work) The mirror motors are not available apparently. I'm still trying to find a mirror from a breaker but they want £250+😱

Well, 18 months down the road, done about 18k miles with no problems. Car running perfectly and conversion has already paid for itself! Car is doing 21 mpg around town, and about 32 mpg on a run. LPG at 54 ppl , compared to 110 ppl for unleaded. Best decision I've ever made!

It's a red flashing alarm or immobiliser bulb also in my 2011 Outback.

Managed to get a similar style forester wheel, same size etc for £50 on eBay, so sorted now

Hi, does anyone know if some wear parts such as steering, anti roll bushes etc are the same for outbacks built before and after the model change in 2009? There seems to be lots for models up to 2009 but few listed for the last (4th) gen. Thanks

Hi jake. I drove my 2.5 petrol gen 4 all the way back from Inverness to south wales, and thought I'd gone deaf it was so quiet! I drove a few diesel versions and they were a bit noisier but not by much. Coming from a defender I bet anything would seem quiet!

Ok thanks guys

Fnaar fnaar. Confused as in being told yes they will fit and no they won't, can't seem to get a definitive answer either way.

Ok now I'm really confused!!!

Just had a msg from eBay seller that says offset on that wheel is et 55, so they are different?

Ok cheers dave