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Comments
I lube my sway bars also, usually when I rotate the tires.
-juice
Steve
Steve
The gas tank is under the rear passenger seat. You'll hear the gas slushing around in there on a quiet morning or evening. More so with a partial tank.
-Dave
Brian
If my factory warranty had not just expired last month (I've got 40K on it, but the car's only 20 months old) they would repaint the car, no questions asked. Out of the factory warranty (but under the extended warranty) they have to have a factory rep come in to authorize the work, but they didn't sound too concerned that it wouldn't get fixed.
I was quite surprised, actually, that they were so forthcoming about the problem -- it's the opposite of how they have handled every other transaction at this dealership [see my clutch rants].
Anyway, I hope to have the car repainted soon. Thanks to all here who offered their advice on "crazing"!
Brian
Hutch mentioned something about a clutch fix, also at about that time, for his WRX, which his dealer was working on for him.
This would solve the most common complaint about Subies. Hope it's true.
-juice
Steve
-mike
-juice
I'm not asking Subaru to fix 40K miles of stone chips and surface scratches, but when the paint cracks (and eventually flakes off) it's not a result of exposure to the elements...it's a direct result of an improperly manufacturing process. Since it's a known problem with these cars, it makes sense to me that they should cover the fix under warranty.
They should be contacting me in the next couple of weeks when the factory rep comes in town, but they sounded confident that being less than 2 years old, they would repaint the car.
B
Chips/scratches are entirely different than the cracking you describe.
-juice
I'd have the pads scuffed. Or do it the easy way, find a wide open space, reverse quickly and stomp on the brakes. That should remove any glazing on the surface.
Also make sure the wheel lugs are torqued properly (70 lb-ft is fine), so the rotors don't warp.
You should have some surface rust, but after you've applied the brakes once or twice, that should go away.
-juice
However, while driving home, the nasty check engine light came on. I checked my manual and it says it can be caused by a problem or potential problem in the vehicle emissions system. (What exactly is that?) Or, it can be the result of a gas tank that was not fully clicked and closed after refueling. In which case the light can stay on for several driving trips.
Since I am quite a distance from my Subaru dealer, I took it to a service station for my scheduled oil change and they suggested it was just a faulty sensor. The car sounds the same but I am obviously concerned. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me?
If I take it to the dealer, I will basically have to drive out of town and sit with it for the day as I have no other transportation available to me.
subie1, Are the brakes sqealing in drive and/or reverse? Last january or so Subaru came out with a shim kit to fix brake noise when you are in reverse. It was common for many subies. Worked great on my 2001. Noise happened when backing out of the driveway every morning.
--jay
I am not having paint failure, but was annoyed from day one about the painting process. The Timberline green paint on the RR flank is speckled with Titanium (lower body color). The spots are under the clear coat, so short of a major body shop adventure, there is little that can be done about it.
Steve
YetAnotherDave
bit
A blinking CEL means there is a real problem. If you get that, park it and call a tow truck.
The my.subaru.com web site is great. It even allows me to document the service I do myself, so when I sell it, I have computerized records.
-juice
On a cold engine, disconnect the negative battery terminal, wait 20 minutes, then reconnect. Start up and let it idle til warm, then drive off.
The only side effect is your first tank will return poor mileage. It'll run rich until it learns your driving style and leans out the fuel mix.
-juice
Cheers!
Paul
I was wondering if anyone knew what it would take to upgrade my 2000 Outback wiper control to that of a 2002? I'm interested in the adjustable delay for the windshield as well as the fact that now they added intermittent wiper for the back window. Could you just replace the wiper control or is there more under the hood that would need replacing?
Thanks
I want to express my appreciation for all those contributors (especially "Juice") for sharing their wisdom and generous outreach for help. This site was invaluable in my decision to buy MY 2000 Outback Limited wagon.
My friend just bought a 2003 Outback Wagon. She is 5'2" and must have seat fully forward in order to reach the gas/brake pedals.
She is very concerned with the min. distance she should be from steering wheel in the event the airbag deploys (internet posted is 10"; is that correct?).
She contacted the dealership purchased from and the service manager was quite abrupt and rude to her bringing her to tears, and not listening to her problem. The service manager even insinuated that she was yelling at him (so others in the office would hear him say it such that they would attest to it) but she NEVER raised her voice, and was very polite, etc. She got the feeling that the service manager knew exactly what she was talking about and said she was " handicapped and didn't know what she was talking about".
< She had researched and found on the internet that the newer Outback wagons were not suitable for SHORT people because they need to be right against steering wheel thus a safety hazard if airbag deployed. In addition, she has back problems and due to a slight bulge in the middle console nearest gas pedal, her right leg is slanted such that after long trips (1 hr +) she has extreme back pains. She has owned a '90 Loyale wagon since new and never had this problem on long trips. Likewise with rental cars prior to buying this new vehicle.
The dealership would not help her, despite the fact that she WAS a customer of this dealership for more than 12 years, doing all recommended service and spending 1000's of dollars in repairs on her '90 Suabru Loyale. They said the NEW car needed to be handicapped modified. She is reluctant to do this possibly spending $1000 or more, so she asked them to "buy back" the car and she would take the substantial loss in value - depreciation. They never got back to her. She summizes that if they bought the car back they would be admitting guilt and the fact that they knew about this problem but never told her.
Now, she either has to
a.) Find an appropriate company in the Boston/north shore area to retrofit the gas and brake pedals (they must be bonded/insured?), or
b.) trade car in for a NON-SUBARU product. She insists on having a WHITE car for safety reasons, and the Forrester does not come in white. She also needs a wagon.
If anyone in the community knows of a bonded/insured company that can quote retrofitting the vehicle for bringing brake and gas pedal closer to seat, please e-mail me at bchap5280@aol.com. If a SUBARU representative can contact me with some help, that would be great.
(I too am a Subaru Outback owner, purchased my car from the same dealership, and will NOT take my car back to this dealer for service in protest of their rudeness and insensitivity to my friend).
Very sorry for this long post, however it has been an extremely upsetting ordeal for my friend after spending $25K on a new car. Thank you all.
Regards,
Brad
(i) how far away from the wheel is your friend? if it's more than 10", don't worry about it. if less, it's time to do something.
(ii) what's the dealership supposed to do? they already suggested a solution: modify the car. whether you call it a handicap or a feature, your friend's legs are short, she doesn't fit in the car. so we modify the car. the service manager should suggest a shop or offer to have his shop do the work, but she'll have to pay for it. there's nothing wrong with the car.
(iii) "admitting guilt"? what is the dealership guilty of? the car is fine, as far as we know. pedal extenders should help (try http://www.pedalextenders.com/airbag.html). If all else fails, get permission from NHTSA to have an airbag off switch installed... just a formality, and you'll have to search high and low to find a shop willing to do the work, but it's doable.. of course you lose the safety effect of the air bag.
(iv) part of the reluctance from the service manager comes from a natural and rational fear of law suits.
(v) your friend does NOT want to sell this car with a few hundred miles on it... subarus hold their value very well, but she'll still lose at least $4k if she does this, maybe much more. the manager doesn't want to be the first to offer her $18k on a car she just paid $24k out-the-door for...
(vi) why didn't she do research on this before she bought the car??? it's her responsibility to find a car that fits, not the dealership's.
(vii) as far as the uncomfortable right leg: she should use the cruise as much as possible, see if that helps. often, we find out features we like/dislike only after we've owned the car for awhile; this is such a case... but she should really try to keep it (see above).
(viii) if all else fails... find a private buyerk that'll give her max $$ and the buyer max value. Near Boston, that should be a cinch.
Good luck, and let us know!
-Mathias
East Lansing, MI
Brad: you can probably find pedal extenders at your local parts store. And yes, Virgina, you can certainly get a white Forester. Aspen White is offered on the X and XS Premium (the latter monotone white, as a matter of fact).
-juice
I appreciate your help. Second, I must clarify and comment on the response from steine13 (you might want to carefully read my post again and you'll see why).
(i) She IS less than 10" from steering wheel, hence the reason for my inquiry
(ii) the dealership did not recommend a place to modify the car but chose to be rude and condescending to her.
(iii)The dealership would be admitting guilt in that they KNEW about this issue, knew she was short, and did not forewarn her when buying the car. Incidentily, I went with her and made the purchase for her.
(vi) I have a 2000 OB Limited Wagon and she rides in it frequently. She DID do some research. However, apparently not enough based on what she found AFTER buying the car with regards to this issue. The area around the gas pedal IS different from my car but not noticeable. She (and I) did do a test drive, but not for an hour or more which is when the discomfort occurs.
Thanks
Brad
Brad: Your friend is gonna get slapped by the airbag if it detonates in a crash no matter how far away - it's the nature of the beast. However, as long as the shoulder/lap belt is in place, and she' not "crowding" the steering wheel, I'd worry a lot less about it. I've treated lots of folks for airbag vs. face arguments, and the worst I've seen is a nosebleed, or occasionally a facial cut from eyeglasses. Way better than the alternative.
I remember learning in Driver's Ed many many years ago, that if you can grab the top of the steering wheel with both hands with your elbows locked, you're at the proper distance from the wheel. Whether that's comfortable or not is a different matter.
Cheers!
Paul
After about 2000 miles the breaks would pulsate.
I was in the middle of a 4000 mile trip at the time (Massachusetts to New Orleans and return) so I couldn't return to service center...independent, not Subaru. I will bring it in on Wednesday hopefully to get this resolved.
Has anyone had similar problems?
Also replaced original tires at the same time with Bridgestone Potenzas(Firestones had at least another 5-6k left on them but thought it was a good idea in view of long trip and winter almost upon us).
Had the tires balanced and rebalanced but I am still getting a vibration at high speeds.
Check lug nut torque, though. Make sure the shop uses a torque wrench or a torque stick, and set it to no more than 70 lb-ft.
Actually, that could explain both problems.
-juice
Don't know if anyone answered your wiring harness question several months ago (geeze, was that July?).
On my '98 OB the trailer wiring connector was behind the left side panel in the cargo area. It was a black flat connector.
Hope this helps.
Steve (Twin Cities, MN)
Don't drive long on new tires like this. The brake pulses occur at the same spot on the tire each pulse and create uneven wear that will permanently cause the tires to vibrate. Sounds like you have a vibration as well, but it is unrelated as it happened immediately after they were installed, yes?
So, get new rotors put on, and I also recommend Subaru parts there. You've already bought non Subaru pads or I'd have suggested Subaru parts there as well. Good luck.
IdahoDoug
Mark
That price sounds a little high for the 30k. For the 60k, which is a bit more comprehensive, it's reasonable. Depends on what they're doing.
-juice
The rotors will last until you have a hard enough stop to get them hot enough to warp. If this never happens, you'll merrily continue to use them for the foreseeable future. When the rotors are new, it takes a LOT of heat to warp them. As they get thinner from normal wear (or dramatically thinner from cutting/turning) they are less able to handle the heat without warping.
You see, brakes are very simple. They merely turn the forward momentum of your 3500lb car into heat. Just like when you slide across the carpet (don't ask) and feel the heat of a carpet burn. Your carcass' forward momentum is turning into heat.
The heat goes into the rotors, and subsequently is dissipated into the air and surrounding components. As this happens, there are briefly different temperatures in the rotor. Thick metal is structurally strong and can handle more heat without distorting. Thin metal like a pizza pan will distort easily. That's why when you toss a hot pizza pan in the sink, it will bow and twist when a bit of water is run on it. The exact thing happens to a thin rotor that's getting heated, and results in the wobbling / shaking steering wheel.
-Mathias
East Lansing,MI (20F this morning-arghhh!)
Rear rotors are 10mm, wear limit 8.5mm.
All data from MY 2000 Service manual.
Jim