High mileage H6 owners? Whats your secret?

[kawasakiguy37]

Looking for some advice from some high mileage outback H6 owners. Recently purchased an 06 LL bean 3.0 with 56K and I'd like to get this thing to 300 if possible

Also, hows the tranny holding up? Should I be worried about tranny/engine mounts and will I ever have to replace the timing chain?

[wilsonhp]

Mine is now past 220k miles and going strong. I'm planning to go at least 400k !

Give it all of the specified services. Major ones every 30K miles, and the in-between oil changes. Mine likes synthetic fluids, especially the tranny (Royal Purple). I run Mobil1 in the engine. Listen to it. It will talk to you when it needs something.

Don't abuse it. Simple stuff. Don't do just short trips. Keep it clean under the hood, so you can see if something is happening that might need attention. Easy on the accelerations when possible. In the summer, i regularly get 28+mpg. Driving style accounts for about 3 mpg of that 28.

The chain should never fail, but the guides are plastic. But if kept properly lubed with regularly changed oil, they should go a long long time. Mine uses no oil.

Tranny/engine mounts have never been a issue.

Finally replaced my second axle shaft about a month ago. The first was a year ago. Both fronts.

No magic. Just basic good care.

[jp1203]

Originally Posted by wilsonhp

Mine is now past 220k miles and going strong. I'm planning to go at least 400k !

Give it all of the specified services. Major ones every 30K miles, and the in-between oil changes. Mine likes synthetic fluids, especially the tranny (Royal Purple). I run Mobil1 in the engine. Listen to it. It will talk to you when it needs something.

Don't abuse it. Simple stuff. Don't do just short trips. Keep it clean under the hood, so you can see if something is happening that might need attention. Easy on the accelerations when possible. In the summer, i regularly get 28+mpg. Driving style accounts for about 3 mpg of that 28.

The chain should never fail, but the guides are plastic. But if kept properly lubed with regularly changed oil, they should go a long long time. Mine uses no oil.

Tranny/engine mounts have never been a issue.

Finally replaced my second axle shaft about a month ago. The first was a year ago. Both fronts.

No magic. Just basic good care.

I agree with everything that's been said here. No secrets, just normal maintenance. It will return the favor.

I only have 115k on my H6 and it's caused me no problems. I don't know how many there really are over 200k because at most they're 11 years old. Many of the oldest ones are probably just hitting that mark.

There's a guy on here with a Gen3 H6 pushing 400k miles. IIRC, I don't think it ever had any major issues...gives me hope that mine will last a long time yet. Maybe he'll chime in.

[grossgary]

there are two H6 specific tips:

1. change oil regularly. always true, but particularly so on this timing chain equipped joker.

2. change/check your serpentine idler and tensioner pulley bearings. they fail all the time. the bearings are $3 and take a matter of minutes to replace, it's an easy job. or cheat and get the DAYCO pulley for $10 at any autoparts store that works just fine, or buy the overpriced Subaru part.

and of course as with any vehicle change the transmission and differential fluids. truthfully it doesn't matter what fluids you use - just change them at some point.

i have two,one with 150,000. another just rolled 190,000 yesterday and i got it with 120,000.

not much to it, i plan on having mine for a long time. at 190,000 and i've never changed the diff or power steering fluids whoops. i'll be getting around to those shortly, they're on the list. i have checked the levels, those are fine.

[kawasakiguy37]

Any other preventive maintenance I could do on this car? Control arm bushings or anything like that ever an issue?

Ill look into the tensioner bearings soon

[jp1203]

Originally Posted by grossgary

there are two H6 specific tips:

1. change oil regularly. always true, but particularly so on this timing chain equipped joker.

2. change/check your serpentine idler and tensioner pulley bearings. they fail all the time. the bearings are $3 and take a matter of minutes to replace, it's an easy job. or cheat and get the DAYCO pulley for $10 at any autoparts store that works just fine, or buy the overpriced Subaru part.

and of course as with any vehicle change the transmission and differential fluids. truthfully it doesn't matter what fluids you use - just change them at some point.

i have two,one with 150,000. another just rolled 190,000 yesterday and i got it with 120,000.

not much to it, i plan on having mine for a long time. at 190,000 and i've never changed the diff or power steering fluids whoops. i'll be getting around to those shortly, they're on the list. i have checked the levels, those are fine.

Gary--at those mileages have you ever touched the timing chain/guides/tensioners? Just curious...lots of people seem to be positive that at least the guides/tensioners need maintenance at some point, but I've had other timing chain engines with well over 200k on them without any issues. Haven't even thought about the chain on mine yet.

Originally Posted by kawasakiguy37

Any other preventive maintenance I could do on this car? Control arm bushings or anything like that ever an issue?

Ill look into the tensioner bearings soon

The tensioner bearing thing *might* not be an issue at all in a 2006. IIRC, it was supposed to have been corrected by MY2004. I could be wrong, though.

[grossgary]

Originally Posted by jp1203

Gary--at those mileages have you ever touched the timing chain/guides/tensioners?

no. i wouldn't consider them maintenance items - just a low failure rate item that you might need to address if you start hearing noises. it is definitely rare to just have one 'let loose', if i've heard of that it was one time.

Originally Posted by jp1203

.lots of people seem to be positive that at least the guides/tensioners need maintenance at some point

that's what gets posted online and talked about. the people hitting 200,000 miles without a glitch are not talking or posting on line. it's a bit skewed and hard to accurately assess, i would not call guides/tensioners common issues...yes it does happen and i believe is more prevalent on like 01's....or something like that.

i bought one of mine at 125,000 miles and it had timing chain noise under hard acceleration. it was also wrecked and salvaged title, i rebuilt it. i have done nothing to the motor and it now has 190,000 miles. i've thought about doing the guides/tensioners but then again i've made it this far and as busy as I am it might just have to stay that way or break before i get into it! maybe this summer...

[jp1203]

Originally Posted by grossgary

no. i wouldn't consider them maintenance items - just a low failure rate item that you might need to address if you start hearing noises. it is definitely rare to just have one 'let loose', if i've heard of that it was one time.

that's what gets posted online and talked about. the people hitting 200,000 miles without a glitch are not talking or posting on line. it's a bit skewed and hard to accurately assess, i would not call guides/tensioners common issues...yes it does happen and i believe is more prevalent on like 01's....or something like that.

i bought one of mine at 125,000 miles and it had timing chain noise under hard acceleration. it was also wrecked and salvaged title, i rebuilt it. i have done nothing to the motor and it now has 190,000 miles. i've thought about doing the guides/tensioners but then again i've made it this far and as busy as I am it might just have to stay that way or break before i get into it! maybe this summer...

Thanks for the reply! I guess I won't plan on messing with mine unless I start hearing noises. My thinking has always been that Subaru has no maintenance intervals on it for a reason--plus the other vehicles that I or friends/relatives have had with over 200k and no timing chain issues.


In regard to the OP: All in all I'm very glad I went with the H6 over the H4. Even putting the extra power aside (which is the main reason I bought it), it is a much better engine. I don't think you'll regret it!

[1 Lucky Texan]

yeah, even with 3-4-5 quirks - our 03 H6 is a pleasure to own and drive.

[LenitaUllrich]

Mine is now past 220k miles and going strong.