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~Colin
If no power loss, then I'm probably wrong unless your exhaust system has shifted and is now too close to the floorboards (or perhaps a heat shield has fallen off?) and I guess next thing I'd check for is a sticking heater valve. If you feel no heat coming out of the vents with the heater off, then I'd check for engine overheating with a numerical heat gauge or radiator thermometer. Your gauge could be wrong.
Are you losing coolant? Look there first, that would be a "have it towed to your mechanic" type of problem - the dreaded head gasket leak.
-juice
I had a complete radiator heating/cooling service done last October, with radiator pressure tested, flushed, hose, belt tensioner replaced, etc. Just had timing belt and water pump replaced a couple weeks ago.
OK, that sounds normal. As it gets hot, the coolant expands in the radiator, and some of it travels to the overflow tank. Then it comes back when it cools. Perfectly normal.
-juice
P0420 Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)
Year/Make/Model: 2001 Subaru Forester
Mileage: 117,500 mostly highway miles
Fix for problem: nothing yet.
_________________________
Hi, all. Need your advice on the above codes that have showed up on my Subie, according to the free diagnostic Advanced Auto Parts ran for me this morning. Here's the relevant background:
For a few weeks now, i've noticed the Check Engine light come on --steady, never blinking--most noticeably after filling up my tank with gas. It'll stay on for several days and then when I fill up again or soon after, it will disappear for 30 miles or so. It usually clears on its own after 10 or so startups. But it's frustrating as hell and I don't know if I have a reason to worry or not. by the way, I don't smell anything unusual at all (someone on this forum with a P0420 reported a smell of rotten eggs). And I've noticed no performance reduction at all. Still averaging 27mpg!
When I fill up with gas I try to make sure I screw the gas cap all the way on till it clicks 3 times. Admittedly I do top off, and I've read on this forum that that's not a good idea. I'll make that change immediately. My fluid levels are all okay, I checked that to rule out anything else (oil, washer, radiator).
My questions to you:
1. What does it tell you that these 2 codes appear together?
2. What would you do next if you were me?
Thanks very much for reading this far.
Dan
P1443 is probably due to topping off, but if that doesn't solve it you should get a new gas cap. Some have had luck with various aftermarket ones, like a Stant locking cap for example, or you couldn't go wrong buying a new one from a dealer. Rarely does the evaporative canister itself go bad, but that is an outside shot. Try the cap first of course, since it's cheap.
P0420 is usually a sign that the catalyst is wearing out or that you have an exhaust leak. Both are possible at your mileage, and I'd check for the exhaust leak yourself-- you will be able to hear a strange puffing noise down there if you have the car idling and listen beneath it. (Of course, use normal cautions when working under a car, such as blocking the wheels and jacking it appropriately with a jackstand if you need clearance.) There is a second oxygen sensor whose function is to generate this code and it doesn't typically affect driveability but it is annoying seeing that orange malfunction indicator light. If you don't find an exhaust leak, I'd price out a new catalyst and second oxygen sensor, then consider doing both. It should be cheaper than the primary o2 sensor because it is less sophisticated.
~Colin
~c
According to my shop manual, P1443 (evaporative emission control system vent control function problem) deals mainly with the drain valve & filter attached to the canister, and associated hoses that route collected fuel between the collection canister, the filler tube, injector rails and the fuel tank.
To begin with, I would stop fueling as soon as the pump kicks out. There are pickup points & returns on the filler tube itself, and you don't want liquid fuel sitting up against them. A small valving problem there could be flooding the canister, drain valve & filter. Maybe it will dry out and recover, maybe it is now damaged. Only time will tell.
Steve
You can check the canister to see if any of the hoses are loose or leaking. It's a sealed system so any leak with trigger a check-engine light.
Here's a photo of mine, when I was installing the hitch. On a Forester, it's on the passenger side rear, just in front of that tow hook.
-juice
I have a 2001 Outback base wagon with about79,000 miles on it .. recently the ABS light came on and then would go off at times ...
I began to notice that the ABS light would come on when the lights were on, but when I turned the lights off, the ABS light would eventually go out. IF I turn the lights on, the ABS light comes on shortly afterward ..
since this started, we have replaced the battery ... it still does this ..
I also have since noticed, that when I drive with just DRL's, and put the brakes on, that the dash lights all 'dim' when I apply the brakes, and brighten again when I release the brakes. I never noticed this before, but then I usually just left the headlights on at all times.
OK, it's been awhile since I've read this thread so if any of this is explained earlier I'm sorry ..
Brenda
Also check both ends of the cables to be sure they are not loose.
The symptoms suggest high resistance in either + or- common connections to the battery/ground.
I hear the noises when the clutch is engaged or not engaged. On turns I hear it more prominent?
Does this sound like a CV Boot issue?
So, the knocking and banging is getting worse and I'm taking it in to be diagnosed- what would you guess this is.
-juice
I suspect the wheel bearings, actually. Have them inspected soon.
-juice
One of the guys in this building occasionally drives his son's (either '00 or '01) OBW in, and told me he had pretty much what you describe. One day he suddenly lost power and had to have it towed. It turned out to be an intermittant alternator issue - probably with the built-in voltage regulator not adjusting output to changing loads.
Steve
Thanks for the replies .. (makes me feel like a 'less dumb blonde' where it comes to my car!)
Brenda
1998 Subaru Forester, 108,000 mileage.
Recently had upper radiator hose replaced due to crack.
Then soon after had coolant system issue - gauge reading hot. Mechanic said faulty water pump, had it replaced, as well as timing belt & thermostat.
Gauge continued to spike high, and coolant was disappearing. He added water, then added that Subaru conditioner for any leaks. Said to just let engine cool down and then add water to radiator if the gauge went high again.
Tried a longer trip and it spiked, first just on uphills, then all the time. Opened hood, engine actually looks & feels fine, but added water to radiator. Reserve tank was full. Also - heater inside blowing cold air, no heat.
Got on the road again and it spiked again. Stopped and started several times along down the highway. Everytime opened the hood, tho, the engine seems fine - not hot!
Finally try adding coolant into radiator, not water, and gauge spikes initially, then very soon reads fine and stays fine the whole way home, hills and all. And heater now working, etc.
Get home and open hood - engine seems fine, but reserve tank totally empty!!
What is going on???
Cheers!
Paul
(who hasn't forgotten this place, but kid's baseball is presently ruling my life!)
I removed the battery on my 98 outback in order to get at plugs # 2 and 4. when I was done and re installed the battery, the alarm went off. Any idea how i can deactivate the alarm immediately after hooking the battery back up? I did have one window open. I removed the keys from the ignition and tried connecting the battery again but the alarm goes off again.
Any help much appreciated.
The conditioner (basically leak-stop) is only recommended as a fix for the low pressure seepage (cooling jacket to external) typically found on the newer SOHC engines ('99/'00-present). It is not typically effective against the high pressure internal leakage found on the older DOHC design, and is not recommended for this purpose. If it worked for you, understand that it is probably only temporary, and the overheating is likely to return in short order.
Steve
-juice
-juice
My question, do those of you that follow this board think I should purchase it? I know its a gamble, and it paid off on my '91 Legacy back then (constant replacement of CV joints every 15k miles).
My only concern is the head gasket issue of the past. My car 'was not' recalled as part of that initiative, but, still worry.
What do you guys think?
:confuse:
Do dealers make money on extended warranties (big picture, not individual)? You bet.
Would you normally "lose" money on the average by buying a warranty? You bet.
So the bottom line is, can you afford to fix the car on your own if it fails? This is statiscally the best choice. If you can't afford it, then buy the warranty. Either decision shouldn't create worry for you. This only relates to the car. If you have other issues (can't afford downtime, etc.) then the warranty may be for you.
John
-juice
The lack of warranty protection on the gaskets almost argues more in favor of the purchase. But 03s have not been problematic, they had the new gasket material in them.
Let me ask this - do you plan on keeping the car? If you really like it, the warranty would help you keep it for several more years, and that's cheaper than buying a new car by far. The cost of the warranty is probably about the same as 3-4 months' worth of car payments.
When you look at it that way, it makes sense. I have a 7/100 Gold on our 2002 Legacy.
-juice
Please excuse the newbie post by myself, a mechanically-ignorant Subie owner. Next week I will be taking my '99 Outback wgn (105k) across the country from CT to CA. Thge trip will be broken into about 4 or 5 legs over 4 weeks with between 3 and 10 days rest at each stop.
My question concerns any pre-trip maintenance you experts could recommend. The car runs well (has done six 1,000 mile roadtrips in the last 14 months without a problem) though has been minimally maintained. I am thinking that flushing and topping up the transmission and brake fluids would be a good idea, and after reading these posts, replacing the timing belt. Thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated, and could anyone provide some ball park $ figures for this maintenance?
Thanks!
Rahul
TIRE PRESSURE is important, too.
What do you all in the forum think about replacing the water pump at the same time as the timing belt?
Bob
But on some cars it's not a big deal to do the pump at any time, so that's why I asked.
Bob
Bob
Cheers!
Paul
-juice
so does anyone know a good repair shop in CT?
If the '99 Subie had timing belt changes at 60k I wouldn't replace it at 105k. If it has never been changed, it's time.
If you are doing fluid changes as recommended in the owner's manual, then just continue with the routine maintenance. If not, I'd change tranny, diffy, coolant, engine oil, and brake fluid.
Jim
raybear is an active member here on Edmunds.
-juice
I have a hard time believing that any car company would do something so idiotic. Can you confirm this?
John
Steve
We aren't talking about a serpentine belt that does everything. I do know that there are at least a couple accessory belts underneath that require tensioning, apart from the timing belt.
Learn something new everyday. I am actually glad that things aren't done my way all the time, but it usually surprises me when they aren't.
John
1. upright
2. by no more than X force (I think it was 66n-m for some reason)
3. no faster than Y amount of time (again from memory, something like 3 min)
otherwise, you blow the internal seal and it's toast.
here's a pic from my SUPER OLD imagestation album-- number 11:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4292183933
(not going to bother with tags, because I know imagestation won't let me hotlink/embed unless I pay $$$)
haha, just read the notes under the pic. it's not torque, it's force, but yes it's 66 something or other.
~Colin
IIRC the 2003 2.5l engine is a bit different? I swear there are at least 2 accessory belts, and the timing belt isn't even visible. Now my curiousity is really peaked and I am going out at lunch with a big crescent wrench (j/k) to see what is up.
John