Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

armac13

My '01 Forester has always shifted quite smoothly, but after switching to synthetic ATF the shifts have become virtually imperceptible. Actually I've had the ATF changed twice (not flushed) so it is now about 75% synthetic. Might be worth a try.

Ross

nygreg

I don't have the rough shift when cold in my AT OB. I typically let it warm up a minute or so and only have it for a month now so maybe I haven't noticed it yet. Plan to eventually change to synth fluid anyway.

Greg

winwash

I guess it just depends on which tranny you get at the factory but it sure is a pain on an otherwise great car. The dealer mach also said it was normal. No problems at all in 31K other than the brake squeal,man that's tiring.

jay_24

I've noticed the rough shift as well with my OB. Like the rest of you its only when its cold. Its going to the shop tomarrow to check it out. The speedometer is also off a bit. (2.5mph) I used a GPS to test it. I'll have the dealer look at that too.

subaru_team

Good Morning.

I checked our records and I have not found that you have contacted us. If you are having problems with your Subaru or your dealer, please do what the Owners Manual suggest. Call us at 1-800-SUBARU3 and give us the opportunity to assist you.

Thanks!

Patti

subaru_team

While your dealer is in the best position to say whether something is "normal" or not, I know that we do have a set up in the TCM (transmission control module) that holds back the shift until the fluid is it optimum operating temperatures. If you need more information on this, I'd suggest confirming with the dealer that everything is within spec. and have them give you the details.

If you are not satisfied after reviewing it with your dealer, call us!

Thanks!

Patti

paisan

Depending on the outside temp, even my XT6 will not shift normally until warmed up. I wound up reading the owner's manual that included a description of why it is like that.

-mike

msubaru

for first 1000 miles on a new automatic outback does it matter how fast you drive as long as rpm's stay under 4000b

pattim3

I'll see what I can find out about the tranny and diff. fluids and I'll post later today.

Patti

pattim3

Good Morning! We actually tell dealers to write "customer states" or "customer says" on the RO's. We do this because we don't want someone "re-stating" what the concern is and make assumptions. When the tech. gets the car, they can go by the customers comments instead of someone "diagnosing" the vehicle when it is checked in.

Patti

p0926

msubaru- There's no restriction on speed, only engine RPMs. So yes, you can go as fast as you legally dare ;-)

-Frank P.

paisan

Don't keep the car at a constant RPM for extended periods of time.

-mike

yokohoma

Hello, Just read 2,000 post here and not once did I read anyone talk about a problem with rear wheel bearings on the Forester. I was able to find and talk to many other people with this problem. The dlr advised me that there is a bulletin out for this concern (specific to torque during installation/replacement). My Forester is a 98 I/38,700 miles on it. The dlr covered it as goodwill @ 37,000 miles about 4wk's ago. The *very* loud noise and vibration has come back now and he is going to replace it again as goodwill (that's my understanding at this time). I guess he is going to replace a few more parts also, I think even the NV joint. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem? I hope this can be resolved. bmw, it' great to know that so many people love their Subaru as much as me, or maybe more in *Frank's* case. Pushing the car out of the garage, although I must say that It has crossed my mind before

~Chad

erics6

Vince,

Wondering if the new knock sensor fixed your engine pinging problem? I'm waiting on a second drive by the district service rep. His computer wasn't working last time, so he didn't get the data on my pinging noise yet.

-Eric

pattim3

Good Morning -

I can't find your original post and my time is bit limited this morning, so I hope you find my answer here.

The transmission fluid and differential fluid information might not help much. The trans. fluid is an "SOA" fluid with an SOA part number. A dealer can sell it, but I'm not sure who the manufacturer is a factory fill of part number SOA868V9240

Diff fluid: gear oil is 80W-90 GL5 made by Idemitu oil company (Japanese Company).

Please remember, however, that it should be rare that these fluids need to be "topped off". If it is low, you should see a dealer because it may be indicative of a problem.

Thanks!

Patti

pattim3

You should call us to make sure the bearing is replaced right.

The bulletin you refer to relates to a reiteration of proper bearing installation. If the bearing is distorted, the hub should be replaced also because a new bearing will just end up doing the same thing. Also, if the bearing is not set right into the hub and if it is not installed properly (with enough grease, etc.) it will fail again.

If you call us at 1-800-SUBARU3, we can follow up with the dealer to see what is going on.

Sorry about the repeat problem.

Patti

yokohoma

Thanks Patty,

I guess I should do that. I do want to stress That I feel that the dlr and Subaru are being very good about this and are working to make repairs. I Will give SoA a call, this will allow me to say kudos to the dlr and to Subaru for such a great service and a great product. There's not a man-made thing that can't be fixed, that I know of anyway. I guess I just wanted to get some feedback from everyone. I'll post an update.

Keep up the *GREAT* customer service Patty! You make Cadillac's CS rep's look bad

~Chad

P.S. In my previous post I meant to say that they may be replacing the CV joint (something happened in spell chk).

subaru_team

When you call in, make sure to ask the Customer Service Rep. to keep me advised about your case. That way, I can keep an eye on it.

Patti

hypov

Patti,

Thanks for the information. It comes in very handy/good-to-know, especially "rare that these fluids need to be "topped off". If it is low, you should see a dealer because it may be indicative of a problem" (no, no problems - just good to know) :-)

p0926

Chad- There actually have been previous posts in one of these topics regarding problems with wheel bearings on Foresters. As Patti mentioned, the problem occurs when the bearings are improperly installed. Hopefully when you take it in this time the mechanic will do the repair right. The work should be at no cost since it's covered under the warranty. Good luck and keep us posted.

-Frank P.

lark6

If you've searched the boards - and I gather that you have since we've communicated offline - you know that I had posted about problems with the rear wheel bearings in my Forester. They have since been resolved successfully (at least I hope so). Patti and the other reps at SoA (Susan Hopf in particular) were very helpful in getting the issues resolved.

This level of attention and service has impressed me very favorably with Subaru and will be a strong factor to become a repeat owner when the time comes.

Good luck,
Ed

hypov

and the crew at CDS will pull through, just like our AWD on our Subarus.
Admittingly, weariness do linger awhile after the (any) fixes, but the smile factor usually puts it behind you.

kens

Welcome back, Patti. How was the move?

I just wanted to know if you got the re-send of the follow up on my case (#303042) sent to your SOA email address. I'd like to keep it open so I can revisit it at my 60K scheduled service.

Thanks!

Ken

p0926

Hey that's right! Thanks for the reminder Ken, Patti- Are you at least semi-settled back in yet? Did everything go okay? Your Edmund's fan club wants to know.

-Frank P.

ateixeira

The posts about the wheel bearing problems were in the Forester forum. That's why you didn't read about them here.

-juice

pattim3

We're finally home, safe and sound. My daughter is graduating from 6th grade this week. Made it home just in time.

I missed all of you - it was strange not being able to jump on to the computer to check in. I know this dissappointed some folks on some of the boards, but I'm tryin' to catch up.

Now - if only the contractor would finish up!

Thanks for your care and concern!

Patti

pattim3

Your case is still with us and I'm tracking it!

Patti

henne

well i wanted to spend some time with the repairs to my wifes outback sedans radio static/rear defroster issue before i said its fixed since it took multiple trips. it ended up being a little silver amplifier on the drivers side rear pillar behind the trim, it has the antenna and defrost circuits both in it. they changed it out and no more problems. thank you very much patti for getting involved.

also has anyone left off the plastic panel that you remove to get to the oil filter? it would be nice to not have deal with it. is it really needed?

thanks

robert

ateixeira

The engine bay will probably get pretty dirt with time, but a lot of other engines are like that. To me it's worth keeping that area relatively clean.

Welcome home, Patti.

-juice

evilizard

Well I just got back from my local subaru new owners orientation (something our local dealership does every month or two to orient new owners about the benefits of the service dept and answer car questions).

I was told this-
The ECM module in the H-6 (Bean and VDC) has a programming flaw that causes excessive check engine lights to come on.

There solution is to bring the car in, FEDEX the ECM to NJ for a programming adjustment and bring it back. Expected out of service time of 3-4 days. They provide a rental.

There was also a recall on a possibly faulty seat rail on the manual passangers seat.

Very informative.

evilizard

At the affore mention orientation I also learned this about my 96 OB.

The issue with it leaking lots-o-oil around 65K is caused by a seal that deteriorates. The rubber is just not up to the job. The replacement seal is made out of a higher temp rubber and therefore this should not be a recurring problem.

The way to diagnose this is to look under the front of the car. There are two little round posts, probably a bit over an inch in diameter. They have allen wrench recepticels in them if they are wet with oil (or if your getting lots of dripping) then your a good candidate for that problem.

I also found out that their might be a problem with the alternator under recall, extends all the way to the 98 models. They check the serial # to see if it is one that has issue or not..

yellowbikedon

Tom,

Due to the "Check Engine" light problem,I had my onboard computer removed, overnighted to SoA and ECM AND fuel sensors were "corrected". LL Bean wagon brought to Delray Subaru (Florida) on a Tuesday morning and was returned to me that Thursday afternoon with problem(s) corrected. I was offered a loaner but declined, having had the use of my wife's '97 5 speed Impreza.

I was greatly impressed with the speed and professional service extended by both Delray Subaru and SoA. It's a good feeling knowing the manufacturer DOES care.

Don

originalbitman

Robert - Are you talking about the full plastic pan or the smaller access cover for the oil filter? I only remove the access cover and that's simple since it has 3 clips that pop out for removal. I think some folks (perhaps on the Forester) find it necessary to remove the whole pan but I don't find it a problem on the Legacy.

bit

kameele

I asked for suggestions about tires for my Legacy a couple of weeks back and just got around to looking at the Tirerack site to see what they had to offer. All the prices look very good, even with shipping. The one that looked the most interesting was the Goodyear Aquatred 3. The reviews were extremely good, particularly for snow. How much can these reviews be trusted? Does anyone on this board have any experience w/ the Aquatreds?

Thanks,

Kevin

paisan

All the goodyears I've had have been poorer than expected performance, short life, and expensive price tag. So far I've been most impressed with my Yokohama AVSs.

-mike

locke2c

Sometimes I wildly differ from Paisan's point of view--pretty often actually --but I completely agree here. Goodyear tires as a whole are either inferior or at best roughly equal to competitors tires but at higher prices. At least Michelin gives you a great tire for the price you pay.

-Colin

paisan

Colin generally knows more of the technical things that happen in cars, compared to my limited knowledge (heck I just got my first MT car a few weeks ago, let alone know how to drive one!)

-mike

nygreg

I never cared for Michelin. Goodyears always seemed too sloppy for me with the exception of the Gators on my 96 Mustang GT 5spd.

Greg

nygreg

86 Mustang GT. Getting old!

originalbitman

I had one of those. Great fun. Miss it.

bit

nygreg

I miss it too. Talk about a bad case of OCD! White Mustang GT in sunny So. Cal. Sold it with 80K great miles on it to some kid who proceeded to trash it. I wanted to trash him. Driving that car in snow is very interesting.

Greg

hammersley

My advice would depend on what you're after in a tire... using Michelins as an example, they wear like iron, but may ride a little harder or be a little noisier than another flavor of tire. I really like Toyos - either the Z800 ultra or Spectrum series. They seem to have a good balance of ride comfort, long tread life, and performance. My travels are pretty much limited to the Northwest, and my tire dealer has stores plastered all over the place. A friend of mine hates 'em because they're not the best in snow. I switch to winter tires, so that's not an issue with me.

Good luck with your search. Hope we don't confuse you with too much information!

Cheers!
Paul

locke2c

Well I've only owned Michelin performance tires, but the folks over in Maint&Repair (topic, not this Subaru Crew folder) seem to love their all-seasons and light truck/SUV tires. Same for the tirerack's polls too. I have owned a number of Goodyear tires and bleh...

-Colin

cptplt

I've had Pirelli P500s on a 92 LS, it was definitely better than the Brigdestone RE92 but not by much. Have Michelin X Ones on a 92 L which are very good, almost as good as the XGT Pilot on my 98 GT.
If you live where there is snow, you need snowtires. The Blizzaks are great, better snow/ice traction than the Arctic Alpins though the latter run better on regular roads.

seamus3

i have gone with yokohama ever since i got my car two years ago. i put avid t4's on the stock rims. they handled well in the seattle rain. then i got yokohama parada's when i upgrade rims. both tire perform very well. i had michelin's and they were a rough ride.

my poor baby got hit, again. i had just parked my car on the street two houses down from mine and this lady backed her SUV out of her driveway and right into my sooby. the same place i just had fixed a month or two ago. i'm taking it in in two weeks, and i won't have my sooby for 8 days:(

seamus

lvicens

Hello,

I just bought my first subaru, a 1997 legacy L wagon 5-speed (also my first stick), and it seems that the clutch is in need of replacement. I called a local subaru dealer for an estimate and was told it'll be about $600 if the clutch needs to be replaced, or $1100 if the flywheel's done too. Does anyone know if there's an easy way to tell if the flywheel is ok or not? (By easy I mean without a lift or tools.) The reason I ask is because I got a warranty through warrantybynet, which covers the flywheel, but not the clutch, and it doesn't kick in for another 3 weeks and 500 miles. If I could determine right now that it's only a bad clutch, I'd get it taken care of right away, but if I'm going to need the flywheel replaced, I'd rather wait until my warranty kicks in.
Also, a couple of related questions: If I were to try to drive another 500 miles on a clutch and/or flywheel that are in pretty bad shape, am I risking additional damage beyond the chance that those parts which would have to be replaced soon anyway fail completely and force a tow to the repair shop? Also, do these type of repairs justify the higher cost of service by a dealer, or would I be best off looking for the cheapest rate at a local mechanic?

Thanks,
Luke

originalbitman

Still looking for a used alloy wheel for my GT. Jamie of subiegal.com turned me on to this site. Interesting all Soob junkyard:

http://aaronsauto.com

No GT rim though.

bit

vincer2

Saw some recent posts on the difficulty in draining off a small amount of overfilled engine oil. Last fall there were a few posts recommending an engine oil drain valve that replaces the drain plug. I bought one from www.fumotovalve.com. It cost around $24 and it really works great. I change my own oil and all you need to do is turn the lever 90 degrees to drain the oil. To stop the oil flow just push the lever in the opposite direction. As little or as much oil as desired can be easily drained. A wrench is no longer needed. Also, fishing a dropped drain plug from the hot and dirty oil drain pan is an event that will no longer occur.

The valve is made of brass and stainless steel and the valve lever has a safety lock so it won't inadvertently open.

Vince

ps - I don't have any affiliation with this company. I'm just a satisfied customer.

pattim3

The dealer would take measurements around the flywheel to check for wear. You might want to check with your extended service agreement to see if there is an exclusion for "cause and effect". In other words, if the worn clutch disc caused the flywheel to fail, it probably won't be covered anyway. Most agreements do not cover the failure of a covered component if it is caused by the failure of a non-covered component.

Patti

leo2633

I am about to rotate the Yokohama Geolander tires on my '01 Forester S for the first time. The owner's manual shows a same-side front to rear/rear to front pattern. I've always preferred to rotate my tires same-side front to rear, with rears crossed to the opposite side front. That pattern (every 5000 miles) along with regular checks on tire pressure, has always given me perfectly even tread wear and long tire life in the past. Has anyone on this forum been using a rotation pattern other than the one shown in the Subaru manual?

By the way, I addressed this question to Yokohama and they said either pattern was fine, but they deferred to the Subaru pattern (for liability reasons, I'm sure, in light of the Ford/Firestone debacle).

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

Len