Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

ateixeira

Icing on the cake. You could get 4 oil filters and a bottle of touch-up paint already.

I have almost every accessory in the catalog, it's hilarious. Too many to list, honest.

-juice

kayak15

I'm not an expert by any means, but I think it could be shutting off because the air in your gas tank is trying to escape as you fill the space with gas and cannot escape from the tank fast enough. The nozzle of the gas pump is filling the hole (and is pumping gas into a fixed amount of space) which restricts the air flow out causing a back pressure. This tricks the pump into thinking the tank is full and it shuts off. Try putting the nozzle in only 1/2 way and a bit of an angle when you first start pumping and once it gets going well push it in the rest of the way. Only putting it in part way leaves a bit of space around the nozzle for air to start moving out. I had the same think happen often with my Mazda and this solution worked well. If you listen, when you take the gas cap off and the amount of gas in the tank is low, you can hear the movement of air as the tank equalizes with the outside air. I think the cap is even marked with a caution. Anyway, give it a try. Someone out there probably can explain it better, but there is no reason to worry about your car.

Scott

kayak15

Thanks to Frank, Juice, and any others for your replies. I'll check the net.! As for the card.... I'm busy getting frequent flyer miles on my Alaska Air card. So far we've been to England/Scotland and Hawaii. I'd never heard of Subaru bucks before.

Again, thanks,
Scott

p0926

Scott- That might work but you're not addressing the root cause of the problem. When everything is working right, you actually want a tight seal between the pump and the tank. The back pressure from a full tank is how the pump knows to shut itself off. Not to mention that a good seal also reduces air polution. I agree with Sam that it sounds like the evap canister hose is blocked somehow. This hose normally allows the air that is being displaced by the fuel to escape but if it's blocked, the air will exit thru the filler tube, thereby fooling the pump into thinking the tank is full.

-Frank

pert

Does Subaru have torque specs for spark plugs.

hahahaha

Okay, I feel retarded for asking this one, but does anyone know in what direction the oil drain plug on a 2000 forester turns? I'm assuming to the left, but sometimes you never know. The plug is stuck on there pretty tight, so it's hard to tell which way it's supposed to go. I'd appreciate any help in this matter.

kayak15

You're most likely correct Frank. Like I said, I'm no expert!

Scott

mckeown

Re: Gasing up in NJ. If no one from another state has, The pumps are equipped with a rubber spring collar which SEALS to the top of your filler pipe to recover and not let to the atmosphere any fumes, so pulling a nozzle part way out will not work, the nozzle will only dispense IF the collar has pressure on it.
Also in NJ, we can't pump our own because the attendants are 'supposed' to be trained on how to deal with a fire, should one occur. (Good idea, but I have asked a few kids in stations and they haven't a clue...Not their fault directly).
As far as early shutoff, there was a Subaru problem in the 2000-01 cars (ALL SUBARUS), where the 'vent valve' was not opening all the way. When you insert the nozzle and open the small flap in the filler, it opens a valve which vents the tank fumes to the charcoal canister to be stored during fillup. After restart, the fumes are the passed to the engine to be burned. On some this valve was not opening, consequently the pump would shut off continually. There were stories of 30 minutes for fillups. If your still under warrenty, I would have Subaru check it out. Some mechanics may not evevn be aware it's there, unless they have dealt with it.

Oil drain plug if Std Right hand thread.....'leftie loosie.....rightie tightie'

Spark plug torque 20.6 Nm , 15 ft-lbs (manual also states without torque wrench, finger tight until gasket touches (hard to see that one), then 1/4 to 1/2 turn with a wrench)

ateixeira

Or as my wife says, "lefty loosey, righty tighty".

I think some plumbing is an exception to that rule, but I've never seen a bolt on my Subies that were not that way.

Try a 17mm socket with a long shaft driver.

-juice

rsay777

The hose on my propane tank is "lefty tighty, "righty loosey" Gets me every time. Bob L.

kavoom

>>Also in NJ, we can't pump our own because the attendants are 'supposed' to be trained on how to deal with a fire, should one occur. (Good idea, but I have asked a few kids in stations and they haven't a clue...Not their fault directly).<<

Sounds like job security to me...not that there's anything wrong with that... But I know how to run too.

Kavoom

crashton6

Follow the old addage lefty loosy/ righty tighty.

Chuck

msavad

i live in NJ - i was wondering what a fair price PREP FEE's should be. what is fair? i mostly want to find out that they aren't scamming me. it's hard to find this info online (as houses have prep fee's too...)

thanks

---Mike Savad

samiam_68

Between $75-$175 is probably fair. Anything above that and you're getting ripped off.

kavoom

Prep fees...

You can peel off the plastic protective coatings and give it a wash can't you??? That should be the first fees negotiated away... They might as well call it "free money" for us because you (as a customer) don't know any better.

Ranks right up there with document fees (they have to fill out all those papers anyway and why not get you to pay the Secretary's salary). If you could get someone to pay you for breathing wouldn't you? And when they give em up easily they can point out how big a favor they have done for you and then they are right where they wanted to be in the "real" negotiating process with you at a disadvantage thinking well, they have already given up that money... There is less of this nowadays, but it is still there. Remember the Saturn commercials saying you pay for what is on the sticker, no negotiating, no "hidden" fees etc. That was originally to counter this very strategy.

And at the end of a model year, they shouldn't even bring em up you would think...on the previous years left overs.

You will note some of the best deals you see on these boards never mention these fees.

Other
I am glad I got a 2004 Forester (2005's also) and like the looks over the 2006's. I prefer my straight "unpainted" plastic on the bottom and the gray back panel and side support panels. No dings of any sort yet in the parking lots (knocks on wood). I like the front end looks better also. Less "refined" and more scrappy looking.

My dealer noted they were unimpressed by the extra 8 horsepower in the 06 Foresters. They say they don't even notice it and were surprised because there was a 3 or 4 horsepower increase a few years ago that was distinctly noticeable.

fyi, (after market parts)
The LL Bean "self levelling" rear suspension is ALL in the struts (thanks to others informing me of this). You can buy them (not cheap I hear) if you tow a trailer. I am also hearing here that the "much vaunted" filter system is already pre-installed on Subies with no filter in the housing when not on the sticker and you can buy and install yourself...??? Subaru's have a "tow package" (wiring harness knockouts etc) pre-installed. Why don't they advertise it (in the U.S.) That saved me over a hundred bucks to the surprised hitch installers who had never done a Subaru. They said it was one of the easiest they had had to do and became interested in Subaru as a tow vehicle noting someone had obviously considered it for that purpose.

And why does Subaru NOT offer a manual transmission in the LL Bean when it is obviously oriented more than anything else toward towing. You lose towing capacity with the automatic transmission while you have items like self-levelling rear suspensions which are obviously towing oriented and standard on Australian versions of the Forester...along with two stage manual transmissions. They tow a lot and rated the Forester as the best towing vehicle (2004) over roughly comparable vehicles including bigger ones.

If I have misspoken anywhere here, please enlighten and/or correct me.

Kavoom<checks the balance in his checkbook...

kev_xt_owner

Yep, flammable gases get connections that are the reverse of the righty-tighty rule to remind you the gas is flammable and to prevent mixing two gases that might cause an explosion. So pretty much you can just remember the righty-tighty rule for bolts, etc.

Kevin

ll1

Hi all,
I'm contemplating taking our 05 Forester back to a particular 4x4 trail that is technically rated from 4 to a 7. Last time we went there were a few deep ruts where I gently scraped the front plastic protector beneath the engine block. There appeared to be no major damages from rocks, aside from a few small scrapes on the surface of the muffler.

Any suggestions to further protect the car? Does the rear differential plate protect enough? How is the front differential protected? Any suggestions on helpful modifications are appreciated. Obviously, bigger tires and raised suspension will be great...or renting a Wrangler but they're asking for $130/day!

ateixeira

I would get a front skid plate, ask paisan.

-juice

daniell

I have a 2002 Forester S, auto. On June 9th I had an oil change at the dealer, Subaru Beechmont in Cincinnati. Mileage was 37,800 miles. On July 9th at about 38,600 miles, when my wife drove the car (she usually drives it) I noticed blue smoke coming from the tailpipe. When she got back, I measured the oil level and in my garage it showed about 1" above the full level. For comparison purposes, my other car, a Civic, showed about 1/8" above full level. Took the car to the dealership, stated the problem, asked to have it documented, and the oil drained and refilled to the correct level. The service advisor and I measured the oil level. It showed slightly less than in my garage, but still way above the full level, and about 1/4" above "notch" on the dipstick that is above full. First he tried to convince me that the oil is high because the motor hasn't warmed enough and all of it is at the bottom of the pan (manual states that oil is highest when engine is warm, and it can be between full and the notch above full). Then he said that the oil level was fine, but as a courtesy they would change it for me. He seemed to believe that 5 quarts or so above normal would cause problems and could actually be considered overfill. So they change the oil and give me a piece of paper which looks basically like a regular oil change. Later I saw they didn't even mark the actual mileage on the the work order. Called a manager, and they agreed to re-write the work order to include the correct mileage and what caused the new oil change. The work order says basically "Customer states oil level is high. Tech checked and found no concern. Oil changed at customer's request". Translation: "the customer is crazy, but we'll indulge him". I asked the tech to actually write what we both saw, about 1/4" above the notch. I draw a diagram of what we saw with the oil level, he agreed with it, and he took it to the manager to sign it. Came back saying manager won't sign, that's all I am getting. Spoke to the manager, he said "they don't write quantities and numbers, only what the customer states", "there was no formal measurement in a pan", and "who knows now what you and the tech saw". Called SOA, they gave me a case number but stated that they can't force the dealership to do anything since it's privately own.

Now, maybe there was no damage to the engine, in spite of the blue smoke I saw. But the car has been driven over 800 miles with oil overfill, and the dealership completely refuses to accept any responsibility. All maintenance has been done by the book, at that dealer, Subaru Beechmont. I think anything above the notch is overfill and should be documented as such.

Since I might be looking at expensive repairs down the road (I agree that the risk is small, but the potential repair cost is high), caused by the dealer's negligence, should I pursue this further (BBB, Attorney General)?

Daniel

pert

Can someone tell me the proper torx for my differential drain plug.

Thanx in advance. Pert

mckeown

2004 Front on A/T 44Nnm / 32.5 FtLbs. Rear 49Nm / 36.2 FtLbs

ateixeira

Just document it all and call 800-SUBARU3 to register an official complaint, ask for a case number just in case.

And find another dealer!

-juice

pert

I was looking for the torx size to remove drain plug on my front diff. I tried a T60 but thats as big as i have and its bigger. Thanx Pert

mckeown

Sorry, Misunderstood TORX for Torque......T70 is the size

msavad

i was wondering if anyone could tell me if this quote is reasonable, or if it can be lower.

MSRP: $ 25,929.00
COST: $ 23,787.00

this is with a rebate of $500 - for a 2006 subaru forester, with auto, and premium. buying it in NJ. another place had it for $200 less, but so was their MSRP. one site showed it to be that much more as well, they stated it was an AD fee of some kind, and not everyone shows that kind of info.

so does anyone know if it can be lower than this? or do i have a good deal now? i'll try for the lower one anyway, but i'd just like to know. thanks.

---Mike Savad

tidester

To get a good idea of what others have paid have a look at Subaru Forester: Prices Paid & Buying Experience.

tidester, host

rsunico

I had planned to buy a Saab 92x or an Subie O/Back sport this week. But I checked w/ my insurance and since my MINI convertible is also brand new my insurance was more than I wanted to spend (2 new cars in the highest insurance state - NJ). I stumbled upon a 99 Forester L with ONLY 29k miles (clean CARFAX) @ a dealer in Stamford, CT. Paid 8,999 which is fair - it was clean with leather.

Question is.. they had an extended warranty (not the Subaru one) for 1,895. Sales Manager said he could write down that it would be refunded if not used (less 200 bucks processing fee). Is it worth it? I said no since its over 20% of the price I paid and the Forester is going to be the spare car and the bad weather car.

Smart move to decline? My 01 Forester was pretty reliable. What trouble spots would a 99 Forester have?

tidester

You may find this discussion informative: Extended Warranties

tidester, host

10years

After 2+ years and 38K miles of happy ownership I'm about ready to ditch the OEM Geolanders before the first hint of rain this year. Thanks to Tirerack I've just about decided to go with the BF Goodrich T/A T. Any comments about the T's performance and tread longevity would be appreciated. My only slight concern is the B temperature rating. 98% of the time this is not problem, but occasional roads trips from Reno to LA through the Mojave desert or down hot I-5 in the summer might give me pause. I'm not a excessive speeder but do trend to pass more than I am passed.

With the car now well broken in and using Mobil 1 at 5K intervals, along with tire rotations, I'm happy to report my MPG is in the upper 28's 80/20 highway-city. This compares to the mid 27's I was getting this time last year. No doubt this is optimal and will unboubtedly decrease with new tires and the advent of stink gas this fall.

We recently purchased an 05 EX CRV after our 98 Taurus was rear ended and totalled. Thought you all might be amused that the wife disregarded my initial suggestions about getting an Outback for a replacement because see didn't want a "station wagon" and a name that reminded her of the little house outback .

Have fun all.

cmuniz

I suggest you get the T/A H rated BF Goodrich tires. That's what I have and they have been great so far - about 3,000 miles. They are rated: Traction AA, Temperature A and Treadwear 440. I think they are the same price, or at least very close, to the T rated version.

ateixeira

I would not buy that one because an aftermarket warranty is not legally a warranty at all, it is in fact an insurance policy.

99s had some head gasket issues, but you can replace a head gasket for $400-600 so even if *both* fail you'd spend less than that warranty costs.

Besides that there were wheel bearing issues, rear only, that would run about $600 or less, each.

Worst case scenario, if all 4 failed you'd spend about the cost of the insurance policy, so I'd say no, it's not worth it.

-juice

once_for_all

do a search in the Forester, and Forester XT forum. There is actually a photo of one installed on an XT. It was an aluminum shield that completely covered the underside.

John

pert

Has anyone ever drove there Forester on Long Beach Island State Park in Jersey. On the beach that is. I have a chance to try it in a couple weeks. Air pressure? Pert

bluesubie

Yes, me.

Actually, it's Island Beach State Park in NJ. Not to be confused with Long Beach Island, NJ or Long Beach, Long Island, NY.

Air down to at least 15 psi's on the stock tires. I would probably go down to 12-13 on the rears to be safe (you can go lower on the rears because you don't have to worry about the engine underguard).

If it's dry and there are a lot of people on the beach that weekend, the sand will be deep but you should be fine. I would head all the way to the very last parking lot/4x4 entrance because the sand north of there is looser and deeper. I've never driven an auto there, but I used to drive my OBS there. I used to get stuck until I started airing down to under 15 psi's with that. With my 225/55/17's I only need to go down to 16-18.

Make sure you have your list of required items (shovel, tow strap, rod/reel for each person over 12, board for jacking, etc.). Keep it slow and steady. Also watch your speed on your way back to the air station. Cars dart out from the parking lots and you don't want to have to swerve when you're running low air pressures. Check out the Subaru Crew - pictures section. I think I have a couple of pics there.

If you see a silver FXT, with tinted windows and 17" wheels/tires that'll be me.

-Dennis

ateixeira

That's what I used. Wasn't getting full floatation but then again my tires are already wider than stock (225/60R16). Worked like a charm.

Funny thing was an F-250 that forgot to air down got stuck while I was there.

Drive smoothly, follow the tracks already established, and don't stop on soft sand.

-juice

harryt

My 2001 Forester L Owner's Manual shows a dipstick near the right side shock tower as the way to check the front diff. oil level on the automatic trans. model.
I cant find same.any advise please.

drwales

Hello All.

I have a 2003 XS Premium I've lurked here and on a couple of the other Subaru boards for a while now, but I had to join to rave about the new tires I got yesterday. Based on Consumer Reports, and the positive reviews here, I now have 4 new Falken Ziex 512's! I never would have said the OEM Geolanders were bad, especially after 45000 miles, but seriously, I feel as though I have a whole new car -- quieter, smoother ride, and definitely more responsive through highway ramp corners -- the limit of my handling demands thus far. I'll report later on any change in gas mileage -- I had only driven 50 miles on after a fill-up before the installation.

BOB

PS: I know 45k in 2 years is a lot, but relocating from MT to DC accounts for more than a few of those, plus we're a one-car family. The Forester replaced a 1985 Honda Accord with 195k miles, so I figure the trusty Forester will be around for a while yet.

once_for_all

Bob, welcome and thanks for the info. I have 37k on my '03 XS and will likely need to re-tire too in the next year.

I have never "disliked" the Yokos, and the cheap side of me says rotate the spare in and buy 3 new ones. But, 3 new Yokos are about the price of 4 new Falkens, and if there are all the additional benefits, I am leaning your direction too.

John

toasterpilot

As promised, here's my report.

My '01 L turned 110K on the trip from the Chicago area to Ft. Collins, CO. The average uphill mileage was 23.2 mpg. The return trip averaged 23.76 mpg. There were three people in the car and luggage.

The average outdoor daytime temp was over 100F so the AC was on continually.

The lowest recorded tanks of gas were burned at 22 mpg. One of these was used to drive from Nebraska into Wyoming and then Colorado (all uphill). The other was from a leg my wife drove and she likes to drive a little faster.

The best reading was 24.87 mpg.

I wish I could send you a picture of my Forester parked at +12,000 ft but I didn't drive it into the mountains. Instead, my daughter let me drive her brand new Outback. After mastering the Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park (and grateful to be in a Subaru the whole way) I advised her to get the skid plate.

BTW, is there any city in America with more Subies than Ft. Collins?

toasterpilot

Twice during my trip, the CE light went on and reset the next day. Since I am scrupulous about getting plenty of clicks from the gas cap, I am looking for some other reason for the light to go on. Is there something about cruising all day and filling up my tank twice a day that affects the CE?

I ignored the light--if there was a real problem, it wouldn't go off the next day. It didn't affect performance in any way that I could detect.

Maybe it has something to do with the type of gas pump.

ateixeira

Subaru has 6 % market share in CO, just 1/2 % in Florida, for comparison.

CEL: hard to say now that the codes have cleared. If you have an ODB2 scan tool it stores the codes. Also, some AutoZone stores will scan it for you for free (and of course try to sell you parts afterwards).

No biggie, probably a single misfire or a vacuum leak in the fuel vapor recovery system. Light would stay on if it persisted, blink if you had to stop.

-juice

once_for_all

just returned from there, the Subie could make a claim as the State "car". There are AWD Outbacks and Foresters everywhere. Even saw a Forester taxi in Anchorage.

John

ateixeira

I saw a chart by state, and Vermont, Alaska, Colorado, Mass, Washington, North Dakota - those were all up there at 6% or above market share.

When you consider that nation-wide it's just 1.1% or so, that's amazing.

-juice

once_for_all

especially probably 2/3rds of car sales are actually "pickups" and "SUVs". I suspect the Subaru might be 25% or more of true car sales. But I think they will be loosing market share as there are a lot more good AWD vehicles available now.

John

toasterpilot

Coming from a 1% state, and visiting a 6% state requires getting used to some new experiences. For example, when leaving a store or restaurant you can't just hop in the first Subaru that you see; you have to look around a bit.

When you handicap for all the pick-ups in Colorado and considering that there are more of the Subie-type people (named Dave?) in Ft. Collins than you might find in, say, Colorado Springs, I wouldn't be suprised at 10% for that part of the state. Naturally I'm inclined to attribute the phenomena to superior intelligence. I'm convinced that some day, when my car finally dies, its' spirit will go to Colorado or Alaska. Maybe the ghost of my smashed OB is already there.

It seemed, as well, that there was more local advertising by Subaru dealers than one would see in Chicago.

Thanks, Juice for confirming the lack of gravity to the CEL situation. I hadn't know about the flashing CEL, but I think I would stop the car if anything started to flash.

One more thing, since I was reminded of my old OB, I had taken the crossbars off the roof rack to better fit a luggage carrier and they were still off when the car was totalled. Is there anyone out there who could use a pair? I will give them free of charge to whoever has the best story.

stever

My Outback here in Boise was an Anchorage car. I drove a Tercel and minivans when I lived up there, but I had tons of friends driving Subies, and I'd always ride with them to go skiing. The first Subaru I ever saw was in the late 70's in Evergreen Colorado.

Steve, Host

subiedubiedu

Bought a 2005 last year and thought, based on all the hype, that I wouldn't need snow tires. Well, I was surprised to find the back end slipping even when going very slow around turns so I put 150lbs of birdseed back there which helped, but it probably isn't very good for the car. So, I'm wondering if any of you had similar problems and what snow tires you would recommend. I live in very snowy/cold and icy central New York. Thanks for any help!

bluesubie

If you upgrade to a better all-season tire, your snow driving will go much better. Of course, an a/s isn't a match for a winter tire. I'm running Michelin Pilot Sport A/S's in NJ. Although you probably see more snow in central NY.

If I were in the market for snows, I would consider the Nokian WR's. They're the only all season that gets the Severe Service Emblem that snow tires get.

-Dennis

rochcom

I had on several occasions the same symptom. Check engine light comes on for a while, eventually resets, then repeats many times. Eventually will come on and stay on. Possible cause: Blockage in EGR system. I had written about this previously in the maintenance forum. There is a valve that needs to be replaced. It is expensive and so is the labor. My dealer has taken to installing an $8 aftermarket filter to prevent the problem from recurring. I have been rather annoyed by this since it happened twice, cost me several hundred dollars, and resulted in not being able to have my Forester's required emission check until the system reset itself after repair (takes a specific driving cycle). On my old car, a Saab, the EGR valve was user replaceable without tools and cost less than $8.

subiedubiedu

Thanks for your reply, Dennis. I'll look into those. Yes, my city holds the record for the most snowfall in the country just about every winter. Lucky me! :-)