u/Yodzilla

Went to change the oil in a 2017 Subaru Outback which has only been serviced at Jiffy Lubes and local shops and was greeted with this mess. It’s supposed to be 14mm but it’s not even a hexagon any more, nor are the sides even straight. I can get a six pointed socket head on there but any sort of torque just sees it sliding right off. Am I off to buy a bolt extractor set now or is there something else I should try?

I know this is a common issue with these cars but damn I had no idea how bad it was until I encountered it myself.

- Mint Sublime Grackle
- Mint Eternal Phoenix
- Legacy Steve Rico Cobra Strike Clutch
- Legacy Legend Outlaw

The Grackle and Phoenix look to be at most field tested and the Outlaw is in perfect shape. I just think they’re neat.

I’m no HVAC tech but I know the basics of how these systems work and I’m absolutely stumped. I’m in SC and it’s been solidly Spring weather, high 70s and low 80s max most days. We still very much need the AC for humidity control though so it’s been running usually set at 72-74. Everything has been fine until Tuesday when cold air just stopped coming out of the vents.

- the condenser was cleaned about a month ago. We haven’t had any rain in a good three months so I thought maybe pollen buildup was breaking something. I cleaned the fins again to double check to no avail.

- the compressor fan is spinning just fine when the system is supposed to be working. Spinning it by hand is smooth. The capacitor looks fine (I don’t have a tool to test it) but the fact that the fan starts no problem seems to indicate that’s not the issue.

- there has never been any sign of ice buildup outside or anything leaking.

- the evaporator and blower are in the attic and are part of one unit with the furnace. This also seems to be kicking on just fine. There’s no sign of water in the catch pan.

- all filters were changed a month ago. Filters for this unit are all in the returns, two 20x14” in the main areas of the upstairs and downstairs and one 14x14” in the master bedroom. I checked them again and was getting negative pressure.

- there’s also one more 12x12” return in the second floor that has never seemed to do anything. I’m not sure why it’s there but I figured I’d mention it.

- thermostats are both ecobee models and seem to be communicating with the system fine. They also don’t report/know that anything is wrong.

When the system runs a LITTLE bit of air is coming out of the vents but not much and it’s not cold. Nothing sounds out of the ordinary as far as I can tell. And yes I should call an HVAC guy and I did but he just bailed on me so I’m taking to the internet while I try to get another one. It’s supposed to get warm this weekend so I’d rather not deal with an 85° sleeping situation. The entire system was installed with the house which is about six years old now, I’m the second owner.

If anyone has any ideas for what else I should check I’m all ears and very appreciative.

Cardiac Arrest due out on Memorial Day, Bologna Area 51 (and it's multicolored sibling) out now! Get 'em while they're floppy!

Champion Metal Flake is one of my favorite plastics and I already love Star so wouldn’t Star Metal Flake be amazing?? Well, no, the reason you can even see what makes metal flake plastic special is because Champion is translucent. Star is completely opaque so none of that comes through. There’s a few barely visible flakes on the surface and maybe a slight shimmer but you need to be two inches away from it to even tell.

In hindsight it makes perfect sense. Still feels and throws great! Just nothing special visually.