Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

xwesx

Seat-of-the-pants guess? I would say it is a differential. The other option is a CV joint.... but it is odd that the sound has not occurred more consistently if either of these were the problem.

subearu

not even any instrument warning lights when the key was 'on'? how about headlights when the ignition is 'on'?

bad ground or bad ignition switch? aftermarket alarm does something with the ignition switch though, right?

-Brian

asa

Our 2004 Forester 2.5X (non-turbo) 5-Speed has often had a very light, intermittent engine knock at 40mph at around 2100 RPM with a light throttle. Three Subaru dealers have done the shoulder-shrug "can't-replicate" on the service report.

The Check Engine Light illuminated for the very first time late today, so my wife drove to the dealer for a diagnosis. The computer threw a P0139 - Rear Oxygen Sensor Circuit Slow Response. The dealer reset the CEL lamp and told my wife to "keep an eye on it".

What exactly does this error mean?

Could it be the key to the intermittent pinging solution we've been seeking for 1-1/2 years?

Thanks for any advice.

Asa

subearu

sure sounds like the alarm is futzing with things. hopefully you'll be able to get it into valet mode until you can get it back to the alarm dealer.

-Brian

bluesubie

Thanks Brian.

I posted on nabisco and someone there said that since I can't get into valet mode with the keypad, the switch is probably disconnected or bad. I guess this is a good argument for having AAA because now I can't get to the alarm dealer. Hopefully I can use my wife's AAA.

-Dennis

subearu

that certainly would make it hard to start. good test of how it'd work in a situation where a would-be-thief tries to disable the alarm I guess.

hopefully the alarm fixing doesn't cost anything and that nothing but the alarm module is at fault.

-Brian

cmuniz

This problem is consistent with a failed CV joint. They normally don't fail this early, but if they were defective to begin with or if the rubber boots are cracked or not sealed properly it could happen. Normally one fails first so that it makes that noise only when you turn hard in one direction if I remember correctly. Since yours make the noise in bith directions it might also be the power steering pump. These are educated guesses since I'm not a mechanic. Good luck.

bluesubie

And of course SoA decides to upgrade the factory alarm the model year after I get my XT!

-Dennis

fibber2

Oma,

Assuming they have a clue as to what they are doing, they should have made some attempt to remove the mud (if there was any) before balancing the wheels. Otherwise, you have a totally unbalanced and variable system. If they did that, and rotated the tires (front to back), the feeling you experience in the steering wheel should have changed. If not, then something might have been damaged suspension wise when you hit the deep hole. Usually simple alignment problems don't cause what you describe, but if say a bushing retainer was damaged and there is free play, it could act up at speed.

Steve

fibber2

Intermittent problems will trigger a CEL. If the problem does not reoccur, the light will typically go out in 3-4 drive cycles (from fully cool back to normal temp). The light shouldn't reset any faster than that.

Your observation that the light was off when cold, and came on at about a mile accompanied by a slight hesitation might be significant. Initially the car is operating in 'open loop'. When the temp gauge reaches just short of normal (about a mile??), OBD switches to closed loop, and now uses the O2 sensor to regulate the mixture. The O2 sensor might be iffy, and messed up the mixture during this transition, causing the hesitation and triggering the light. If it doesn't happen again for a while, the light will go out on the 4th startup, but the code along with the conditions at the time are all stored. I get this too occasionally on my '02 OBW.

Steve

fibber2

Asa,

OBD2 uses two oxygen sensors, one before and one after the cat con. The front one does the active job of sampling and reporting for the purpose of regulating fuel/air mixture. That sensor could potentially play a roll in pinging, but not the rear. The rear one is really just a monitor of how efficient the cat is at using up all the available oxygen in the 'burning' of leftover hydrocarbons. If it comes on again, it could be a low efficiency cat, or as the code suggested, a slow to respond (warm up) sensor. Cat is covered for 80k miles, but the sensor only to 3yr/36m.

Steve

sera

im not very car literate. im not good at remembering names of things, but i need to rant and i need help so here goes...

i recently acquired a subaru forester 98. for the most part a great car... a few months ago i heard squeaking/rubbing and thinking it was a bad belt discovered my crank pulley had separated (i hope that makes sense. the stock model has rubber separating the outside where belts connect and the inside where it bolts on.) scary to drive on :surprise: we (my boyfriend, Ben... the one who fixes things) decide to go with an aftermarket part seeing as it is the same price but better. this being a new vehicle for Ben to work on consults the local Subaru dealer trying to find the 'proper' tools for the job. we were told it was a reverse thread... several times!!! ...it was not ...we broke tools trying to remove it... made new tools to try again and what do you know? we snapped the bolt... if only i had switched my insurance to storage sooner... the wonderful guys at the dealership wanted no responsiblilty claiming what they say on the phone can't be held against them.. especially because we took the liberty of doing the work ourselfs.. bastards :mad:

but he got it out! ...if you can believe it he super glued a wooden doweling rod to the end and just twisted out the broken threads (with the old part still on the threads didn't bottom out and came out fine)

now were not sure how to get the new part in (as the motor still moves.) just picked up the new bolt (had to get it through the dealership because when they didnt have it in and i asked for the specs to find it elsewhere i got put on hold and than told they dont know and couldnt find the specs!!! are they serious???) *sigh* so anyway... im sure there is some little simple thing to do to stop the turning and make this be a happy ending.

please help- sera

fibber2

Sorry to hear about your problems. Bad info makes any job that much more frustrating. It looks like Subaru uses conventional thread direction for the crank bolt (someone who has done a subi timing belt please comment...), but I do seem to remember finding reversed threads on previous cars.

The front pully also serves as a harmonic dampener for the crank, which is part of the reason for the rubber isolation between the dampener section and the pulley. Only once have I had that interface fail (an old Nissan), and that had reverse threads, IIRC.

If your Forester is a manual, you have it made. Put it in 5th, and the crankshaft should be locked in place. If it is an automatic, it gets more tricky. Subaru has a special service tool that slips into the holes found on some crank pulleys to hold everything still. Alternatives include removing the starter and wedging something in place to hold the flex plate (flywheel) teeth.

It is also a good idea to change the front oil seal while you are there.

Steve

rph5g

Hello. Enjoyed your post! At the ready, I have beer, poison ivy, and a new fuel filter to install on my 01 Forester. I thought that I would give it a whirl last night. I loosened the clamps on the lines going in / out of the old filter. It turns out that the lines are still way tight on the old filter's fitting. I leaned on them a bit, but I didn't want to break anything. I figured that I would seek some advice before I risked my ride to work.

Any tips on loosening , removing, and then replacing the fuel lines on the filter fittings? Thanks.

Randy

fibber2

Randy,

I have used slip joint pliers. Most have a pipe grip just past the nose region that is perfect for this application. Wrap the fuel line in two-three layers of cloth or paper towel, and clamp light/moderately with the pliers. Rotate maybe 1/16 of a turn to break the 'weld' between the rubber and steel. It should then just slip right off.

Steve

ateixeira

Yes, I believe it's any vehicle you are in, even if it's not yours.

Take it down the block and let her make the call.

-juice

lfdal

Despite my best efforts, when I changed the fuel filter for the 2nd time in our 03 OBW I caused a surface tear in the hose going from the output side of the filter to the manifold.

Not the end of the world, but what happened next was interesting.....

I went to the dealer to get a similar length of fuel line, he measured it and "no charged" it for me since I buy all of my maintenance parts through him.

Anyway, I installed the hose and everything was fine. For about a week. Then I looked under the hood to add some w/w fluid and noticed that the new hose was noticeably swollen. As in really swollen. I think the hose was SAE 7 rated. I bought a hose rated for high pressure fuel injected cars (SAE 9?) from PepBoys. Swapped them out and its been fine ever since.

I may have the SAE numbers wrong, but do remember the hose I bought from PepBoys was a different, and I think higher, SAE number.

Wouldn't have been pretty if the other hose had ruptured.

Larry

ateixeira

Glad you caught that before something bad happened.

-juice

xwesx

If auto tranny...... I may be bad here, but I used a vice grip that features a chain. I took a length of heater hose, sliced it the lengh of it, and placed the hose around the crank pulley to protect it from marring. Then I wrapped the vice grip's chain around the pulley and locked that sucker in tight as a drum. My friend held the vice grip, and I torqued the bolt down to spec. I've had the pulley off three times thus far, and it has been a breeze each time... definitely not reverse-threaded. I find a Haynes manual far more helpful than a service department..... Removing the pulley is far simpler than reinstalling. Without providing any restraint to engine movement, extremely quick arm action typically breaks the lock on the bolt.

Good luck!

-Wes-

sera

thanks guys for your solutions... were going to work on it this weekend and ill tell you how it goes.

as for finding a book... i have not. i searched Haynes website and it seems they dont have one for the 98 forrester.. i know theres other books but once again the only place i can find them would be ordering through my 'favorite' dealership. they have one thats split up into three different books and are super spendy to get them... which sucks... anyone who knows where i can track one down PLEASE tell me... ive had books for all my other cars and it has helped lots.

thanks again- sarah

asa

Thanks for the information Steve; looks like it's not the answer to our pinging problem. My wife thought that the Subaru mechanic *might* have written down another code, but she couldn't recall it. Oh well, we still have another 9,000 miles of warrranty to see what's up if the CEL illuminates again.

Asa

fibber2

You are most welcome! Sarah: give e-bay a try. I got the full service manual on CD that way.

Steve

bluesubie

LOL!

The alarm company guy charged me $30 to come out to my house and temporarily bypass some things to get it running. I'm taking it in to them tomorrow.

-Dennis

subarufus

Hey Subaru Crew!
I'm an old lurker who's been away from the boards awhile, but thought I might come back to see if anyone could help me out. I have a new son in the back of my '04 Forrester XT who needs daddy to fix the windows, they're too bright!
I'm looking for a reputable window tinter in the DC area, someone who will work to get all those little bubbles out of the tint. I'm hoping to get this done sometime in the next month, before it gets too hot. Anyone out there got any suggestions? Juice? Bob?
--Subarufus (aka locus)

passady

I have a 2001 2.5RS and when I'm rolling (clutch in or just in neutral) I hear a squeek. Sometimes it will continue in reverse briefly. And I have noticed it one time turning a 35 mph corner. It will happen with the clutch in or out, as long as i'm just rolling. It goes away when I apply brakes, before come to a complete stop.

Any ideas what this could be?

laygear

I have a Sept 2000 Outback 2.5L with 80,000 miles. It has been regularly serviced by the same dealer, regular services plus water pump plus CV boot. After a recent service my father-in-law noticed the accessory drive belt very tight so we took it back to the dealer. They said it had to be very tight to work properly. Three months later the power steering pump failed and the dealer wants 1,200 dollars to replace it. I called around and discovered the pump supplier says that a drive belt too tight will cause the pump to fail. Is there a service bulletin from Subaru addressing this? I don't think I should pay 1,200 dollars to replace a pump which a dealer mistake may have caused to fail. What will fail next? Alternator? Water pump again? A/C compressor?

fibber2

Unfortunately, "too tight" is a very nebulous term. If it has not been fooled with, you might get an independent shop to check the deflection (relates to tension), and armed with a number, call Subaru (1-800-subaru3) and see if they will help.

$1200 is rather excessive.... I would figure that a rebuilt pump should be available in the $250 range. If it dumped metal shavings into the system, it might need much more work, but a simple pump swap shouldn't be more than $400 or so, I would think.

Steve

solowalker

I own a 2000 Forester S with AT. It has 83,000 miles...

I got under the car today and noticed I could turn the rear drive shaft close to an inch back and forth....There is no clang or clunk or any performance problem although I am starting to notice a speed sensitive low "whine" from the rear of the car after about 25 MPH +.

Am I ready for new U joints?

Also, with the whine, is that indicative of wheel bearing wear?

Other than that, the car has run flawlessly for 5 years. There are no seal leaks or other telltale indications of any other problems..

If anybody has had any other experience like this I'd appreciate any info as to cause and future approx. repair cost...

I am thinking about trading for a new '06 Forester XT if repairs look high..

Thanx

laygear

Steve,

Thanks for advice. I drove car straight home and has remained parked since. I read an earlier posting that suggested belt tension caused alternator failure and so I suspected too high belt tension may be the case also, but didn't know who to call for a specification. I was also told that the power steering pump from my model onwards was a different non-rebuildable design which is much more expensive. Dealer said pump cost is 1,030 dollars without labour. Is there an aftermarket pump? Foil sticker on pump reads "UNISIA JECS" "25214005" and "34430AE032"

Jon

jfl

Jon,

1stsubaruparts.com - p/s pump for 2000 Outback: List $329.95; their price: $237.56.

You may want to call a couple of other dealers for comparative pricing.

Jim

biglou

My 2000 Legacy AWD passed everything but the parking brake part of the state inspection.The little adjustment under the console is as far down as it can go no threads left. Any thoughts on adjusting elsewhere or is it new brakes time?

fibber2

Lou (?),

The adjuster on the parking brake handle is really for fine trim use only. The real adjuster is a manually adjusted star gear located within each rear parking brake drum.

Your car has rear disk brakes for the main service brake. Buried within the center hub (lug nut region) is a secondary miniature drum brake like on cars of old. They used a star nut on a threaded shaft to set the spread of the shoes, but also had an autoadjuster which worked when you drove in reverse. With this unit, you must go in and turn the star gear with a screwdriver thru a small rubber cap covered hole in the backing plate. The tricky part, at least for me, is to 'feel' when you have the shoes to just about touch the drum, but not drag too badly.

If you have taken up most of the slack in the cable with the handle adjuster, you will have to first loosen this up in order to set the shoes.

Steve

bat1161

Question for those who may know. Is the heat shield underneath the car necessary? I'm not talking about the cover beneath the engine, as I have a skid plate on there, but something I am assuming is further back. The reason I ask is I have had this part welded by my dealer a few times when it gets loose causing a rattle. The problem is that with the wonderful NYC streets, after hitting a pothole or two, the weld beaks loose again, and I have the rattle back. It is starting to get really annoying, so much so I am thinking of just removing it permanently. Will this cause any harm, or should I get it welded again?

Mark

kens

Mark,

A lot of owners end up removing the heat shields because of what you describe. I believe the only thing you need to worry about is parking over dry grass or leaves.

Ken

ateixeira

I think you have to worry about .... your zip code! Time to move if the streets are truly that bad. :P

Tint: I used New Again in Silver Spring, MD, close to the Metro stop. Back then it was $170 for SolarGard tint film (not metallic).

Everyone swore it would fade to purple but 8 years later it still looks good. I did have one single window peel slightly in the corner but it may have been my fault - not enough time left for it to dry. We had also done our 626 and that was flawless, though we gave it something like 2 weeks to dry!

-juice

bluesubie

In that case he would have to rule out living in Long Island, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, Manhattan, Westchester, Central and Northern NJ, Eastern PA, etc. etc.

-Dennis

ateixeira

Don't move to DC! Our pot holes make my Miata's CD player skip!

-juice

paisan

Good seeing you sat, should have gotten the AZP Security system So far we haven't had any issues yet on them. Hee heee.

-mike

chet5

have a '98 Impreza Outback wagon which intermittently makes a loud scraping noise during right hand turns. Been doing this for about 6 mos but never during the 3 trips to the garage. Have about 80k miles. Runs & handles well. But this noise sounds serious. Its coming from the rear end. Mechanic sees no obvious problems. ideas?

ateixeira

Rear wheel bearing. I'd be willing to bet lunch on it.

There was a TSB, I believe they substitute Legacy bearings, which are more robust. People that got those did not have repeat failures.

-juice

bat1161

Don't tell my wife - she wants to go South where it is warm. I prefer the NY area - everything happens here; including potholes that swallow cars .

Juice- as for DC - my brother wouldn't mind. I'd be able to keep an eye on his daughter who's going to George Washington.

As for the shield, I am on city streets 99% of the time, so I guess I will climb underneath this weekend and remove them.

Mark

ateixeira

I can see GW from my window right now.

What does she look like? )

-juice

bat1161

Skinny with long hair and glasses:-).

ateixeira

She's reading a book on a park bench. Well behaved.

-juice

paisan

If you want to swing by on saturday to the shop you are more than welcome to if we aren't too tied up I can give you a hand pulling them off, at the least you can borrow a jack and jack stands.

-mike

bat1161

Mike-

Appreciate it, but I have to see how the day goes. I have to be in Brooklyn by 11am for a function. I'll keep it in mind, though.

Mark

zellaidella

I have a 2003 Outback Limited which I bought last fall and finally had the opportunity to use the AC for a prolonged period of time. After driving for about an hour I took an exit off the highway and cold water sloshed over my right foot (which scared the heck out of me!). When I assured myself I was OK I looked on the passenger side floor and saw that it was soaked with water. I have heard that the hole that is supposed to take the water away from the AC may be blocked but I can't find the hole. Any suggestions?

chris2

I've had the same problem with my Forester 2001. On the passenger side of the car is an A/C drain. You have to lift the car and unclog the drain. It's pretty easy to find if your car is high enough. After you find it you can blow the dirt with air pressure or do it mechanically. If you'll have problem to find the drain the mechanic shouldn't charge you more than $10-$20.
Good luck, Chris.

subarudds

I bought a 2005 Outback 2.5i Limited in March, and have have continued problems with the check engine light coming on along with a flashing Cruise light on the dash. This problem is intermittent and the cruise control does not function while it occurs. The car has been into Subaru four times already, and still has not been fixed. They seem to have no idea what is causing the problem. This would appear to qualify as a lemon in the state of Illinois. Any one have any experience with this? Thanks, Kevin

ateixeira

Call 800-SUBARU3 and ask them to open up a case. They can send a regional rep out to help out the dealer, who is clearly struggling with finding a fix. Though at least it seems like they are trying?

Good luck, please keep us posted.

-juice