Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I'm curious if you ever happened to get any resolution on the ticking problem you described and attributed to the keyless entry. I have a recurring ticking problem as well that sounds similar (unlike others who describe ticking the same as "pinging" and related it to oil or whatever).
This ticking clicks 60 times, then stops for about ten seconds before resuming. The only way I seem to have been able to get it to stop (sometimes it will just stop on it's own, other times it will click and flash the parking lights for hours or until it's drained) is by fiddling with wires and what must be the keyless entry box you described. I've never found a button either. Thanks for any insights.
dsa
My understanding is that the plastic shields under the front engine area do break way to often.
Can't help you w/ the leak
-juice
Start out from a stop, hard acceleration. At about 10mph, the tunnel at the back of the front center console "rumbles" as if the driveshaft is shaking (about 4 cycles/sec).
This is an '01 Outback VDC, so it's H6/auto, so no clutch, unless you're referring to the center diff.
Is that a CV joint in the driveline right behind the driveline support? Would that be going bad?
Thanks for any input.
BTW, the car has been doing very well for 108K mi. The front sunroof shattered while driving down the road (no other vehicles in sight, the rear spoiler got crushed by backing into a garage door that wasn't completely open, and the hood protector disintegrated (warranty replacement), all in '01-'02.
skitheo
Ken
Please be sure to tell us the resolution to this story! I was hoping to receive a followup to the email you sent me (and I returned) last week, but alas, no news yet.
-Wes-
This is for the Endwrench article Larry referenced in post #5690
If it has been doing it quite some time, then the U-joint might be trashed, but it is a moot point really since the U-joint is removed with the driveshaft.
I did not remove the exhaust system to access mine - only the shields. It was just a pain having to work around it but, in retrospect, was probably one of the easiest repairs I have made on the car to date!
We have replaced 5, yes 5 headlights in 1 year! Subaru says we are driving with our lights on too much rather than "daytime driving lights" only. The lights are so strong they produce too much heat and it is burning out the bulbs. We tried driving with only "daylight" lights but another one just burnt out. My wife leaves before sunrise and returns after dark so this presents a problem of driving without the lights on!!! Has anyone else had this problem? ALSO: It is an automatic and when on cruise control downhill it is real jerky. Again Subaru has been no help, denies this is a problem and "never heard of this problem before". We had a 2002 and had no problem with lights or cruise control.
Call 800-SUBARU3. Offer to show receipts to prove you've changed the bulbs several times.
-juice
Ken
"I checked the spec book and there are different parts equipped on the different trim levels. Your vehicle is equipped with an Engine UnderCover Insulator:Side Type. I hope that this information helps ease any concerns you may have had regarding missing equipment."
And, assuming that "an Engine UnderCover Insulator" does translate to 'a splash guard,' I gather that means that the 2005 Outback 2.5i didn't come with a center underside splash guard. Does leave me wondering why other trim levels apparently would need it, though...
Ken
Just catching up, and I know that this is now a week old, but thought I should comment.
The spec on tire size uniformity is, I believe, 0.25" circumference, not diameter. With this spec, a tread depth difference of 4/32 will exceed this by a considerable margin (over 3x...).
Now, the question is whether it will do damage or not. Do you really want to take this chance? As a '99 didn't use a limited slip rear diffy, the chance of further complications is reduced. I wouldn't even consider mixing in a full tread tire on a newer model. But still, as XWESX mentioned, he could feel the binding even on his late '90's vehicle. With center diffys running around $2k to repair, is it worth the risk? I would shave the new tire to match, and run this combo to minimize the total expense.
Steve
Could this be causing the problem?
Jim
Does the car have a remote starter installed?
Does removing and reinserting the key do anything?
So, I found that it happend MOST frequently on errands... after 30-45 minutes of sitting. Once in a great while it would happen on a cold start (after sitting all night or all day at work), but it was rare. I think that for this particular aspect of my problem, I had a part in the starter.... maybe the solenoid or some relay replaced. I probably have the paperwork on it, but I'll have to check as it was nearly 6 years ago. The biggest problem is that there wasn't so much as a *click* when turning the key, and the battery really did act dead. Jumping it would work every time (but why??)... except one (which was when I realized that it was NOT a battery problem).
Now that I think about it, a relay makes more sense than a solenoid. I will try to remember to dig through my maintenance paperwork and see if I can come up with anything.
What's more, why is it that my car has had sooo many of these problems??? Yeech. Maybe as an Aug 1995 build, it was an early one? I remember three months after I bought this car vowing to never buy another Subaru and to dump the thing on the first unsuspecting fool I could find. Then winter came and all was forgiven.
I tried some Hella bulbs but they only lasted a year. Ironically I put the OE ones back in and they still work today, 7 years of use, 8 years total age.
-juice
1. Yes,understand about "oils" on the hand. I have had service techs who know about that replace the bulbs. We have been very careful not to touch with "human hands".
2. Call Subaru: Absolutely worthless. They say they have never heard of this problem. It is all our fault for driving with the lights on during the day, due to heat generated from bulbs they burnout faster. (5 bulbs in 15 months?). So, going to subaru is not an option. I have found their customer service, compared to Nissan or Toyota is off the map!
-juice
FWIW, I have both original bulbs on my 05 LGT. I am over 14k miles, and drive with the headlights and fog lights on all the time. Rob M.
I have the origonal ones in my 05 OB - i, I suspect the problem is some sort of power surge.
>>> drive with the headlights and fog lights on all the time. Rob M.
Why? This just doesn't make any sense for you or the oncomming driver, unless it's foggy out. Throwing more light in the 'foreground' which the OB's fog lights do very well, just serve to constrict your pupils. So it may appear you are seeing better, you are only seeing things close better at the expense of seeing things further away.
Also throwing more light at oncomming drivers reduce their ability to see, which is not what you want when someone is apporaching you.
If you drive rural roads, you may try just the daytime running lights + parking lights (if legal), the DRL are far bright enough to use at night and don't throw as much light in the foreground at the headlights. You will find, though you are throwing less light, you will see further.
Thanks
Anticipating failure, I bought a back up pair of OEM halogen bulbs (Sylvania or Phillips I think) for about $5 each, but haven't needed them yet :-)
I would have to look at it in more detail in order to give you a definitive answer, but here is my first pass. Below the steering wheel is a lower trim panel that extends from the center console to the door. At the very bottom right hand corner (an inch from the center console) there is a single screw, and with the door open, there are two plastic screws. IIRC, there is also a plastic pop retainer somewhere in the middle that will make itself evident when you have removed the three screws.
With this panel removed, you have visual and 'hand' access to the rear of the instrument cluster. Someone else with experience needs to jump in here, but changing the bulbs shouldn't be too difficult from this point.
Steve
Jim
Same with tires. My experience with Bridgestone tires on several vehicles is that overall they transmit more road harshness and noise. Check Consumer Reports or TireRack, and look for something with an emphasis on comfort and quiet. You will probably give up some performance, but this might suit your needs better.
Take it to an automotive upholstery shop if you like the car and see what they can do for you. The better ones can tailor the seat to you and it's not very expensive.
You can buy the adhesive to stick the mirror back onto the windshield at almost any auto parts store, or almost any glass shop will move it for a fee.
Brian
I talked to the guy when I last replaced the windshield. The mount comes factory installed on the glass and isn't easy to detach. Glue to put a new one on is cheap and available at most any parts store...
I rotated the mirror 180. Notice the post connects closer to the top than the bottom of the mirror. This raised the mirror right to the roof line. Th little lever to flip the mirror for night time driving is pushed right to the roof and basically can't be used.
works for me on my 01 Outback
--jay
I talked to the guy when I last replaced the windshield. The mount comes factory installed on the glass and isn't easy to detach. Glue to put a new one on is cheap and available at most any parts store...
I rotated the mirror 180. Notice the post connects closer to the top than the bottom of the mirror. This raised the mirror right to the roof line. Th little lever to flip the mirror for night time driving is pushed right to the roof and basically can't be used.
works for me on my 01 Outback
--jay
My Outback wagon (2002) got an accident two month ago and fixed (body work, replace radiator). After repair, I found coolant level in the coolant tank was decreased and smelled coolant burning. I brought it back to bodyshop and he said leaking from the upper hose between radiator and engine. So, he fixed it and test drove it and then said no problem. But, it wasn't. Happen again. Brought back again. Blame hose again and install new hose. I was nervous so check coolant level everyday after that. And I found it decreases again!! (but much lesser than last time). Brought car back again. Now, he changed the story. The leaking is from engin e head gasket. He called my insurance company and, after inspection, the insurance told me it seems not related with the accident. So, they don't want pay. They also said that they contacted several Subaru dealerships to ask whether this could be happen without accident and some of dealers told them it could be happen between 60,000 and 80,000 M (my car has 60K). Is it true?
Now, they say it would be possible that head gasket blown-up could be caused by driving a car after accident (I drove back to my house (0.2 miles) and towed to bodyshop). But there was no sign of overheating when I drove my car back to home (no change of temperature gauge, no leaking of coolant on the scene of accident). Also, I drove my car around 500 miles after the first repair. So, my question is if head gasket was the problem in the accident, the car has no problem for driving of 500 miles after that? I heard that, if head gasket is leaking, oil and coolant can be mixed and get into inside of cylinder and make some symtoms and engine failure. But I have had no problem to drive my car. Coolant can be leaked to outside of engine?