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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Hi Crew,

    Long time, no talk. I've been working away on my doctoral dissertation, but that's almost done and I hope to return to the discussions as my life gets back to normal. I got married and bought a house too, so you get the idea . . .

    In the meantime, I have a question about tires on my 00 Outback that only the Subaru Crew can properly address. My drivers's side rear tire got sliced by a piece of metal (the firewall VIN tag from another car if you can believe it) while I was driving yesterday, and it's damaged well beyond repair. There is a cut from the sidewall around down to the base of the tire, and some steel cords are sticking out. I am still running the original Firestone Wilderness tires with about 21K miles on them, and the other three tires are in good shape with even wear.

    My question: knowing how the AWD system works, it would seem that I can't just replace this one tire, and it doesn't make sense to replace a pair either (as I might do in a 2WD car). I have a sinking feeling that I need to replace all four. Any comments or suggestions? Anybody know Subaru's recommendation in this situation?

    I really don't like the Firestone tires, so I won't be sorry to see them go, but I don't want to spend the $400 it would require to get 4 new tires either. I have also noticed that Firestone has either discontinued or renamed this model of tire, so I'm not sure if it's even an option to get a matching replacement.

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    Craig

    P.S. What kind of tires are on the new Outbacks?
  • hammersleyhammersley Member Posts: 684
    First, congrats on your marriage, as well as the home purchase & near-completion of your studies - the real fun is still ahead!

    IIRC, Subaru recommends no more than 1/4 inch difference in the measured circumference of any of the tires on the car. At 21k miles, there's a chance that a new, single tire (or pair) would be outside of that spec. You might consider salvaging at least one of the current tires as a full-size spare, if you don't already have one.

    Wish I could be more specific, and with better news, but here & now, that's the best I can do. Mike (paisan) & Juice will no doubt chime in within a day or two & either elaborate upon or refute my info with far more expertise than I have.

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I believe that a form of the Bridgestone Duelers are now OEM on the Outbacks.

    If I had that happen to our OB, I'd probably bite the bullet and get some new Michelins (or just use it as an excuse to get rid of the Wildernesses). The Firestones on our OB have been pretty good in dry and wet (rain), but I'm sure snow traction suffers. I've also heard good on some Dunlops, but I'm sure others will chime in with more suggestions.

    You may be lucky enough to find a used Wilderness at a junkyard or a tire store. That may just help buy some extra time to decide at least!

    -Brian
  • outback165outback165 Member Posts: 108
    Hey-

    I have an '01 which has the Wilderness, and I believe the '02s have the same. I feel the same way re the Firestone tires - not wild about them, but don't want to spend $400+ on new tires. (My car only has <12Kmiles. My sister's '96 OB came with (and she put on a second set of) Michelins. When my Firestones are spent, I am going to look into Michelin. Unfortunately I think you do need to change all 4 tires at this point - if you can. Hope that helps. Congrats on wedding and house.

    -OB165
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Craig,

    Some tire stores carry used tires. You may want to check around to see if they have any used Firestones that match your current treadwear. That probably would be the cheapest solution.

    Ken
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Craig,

    The replacement for the Firestone that came on my '02 OB's is the Bridgestone Potenza. Even though the brands are 'cousins', the tread pattern and govt rating are different between the two.

    Many tire stores that sell to the competition market have equipment to shave a tire. If you found a new OEM replacement, you could go that route to match diameters. But I would imagine that the overall cost of going to this much trouble would put you further ahead if you went to a volume discounter like BJ's / Sams / Costco.

    I was curious in Sams last week and saw BF Goodrich Comp/TA Touring in the requisite size (225/60-16), but I am not sure if these had the H or S speed rating. I think they were $77 plus M/B. I had them on a Camry wagon and they were pretty good in snow, decent on dry roads.

    Steve
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Basically, make sure that if you replace that single tire, that the circumferences are no more than 1/4" off from the used ones. I tried to do the same thing on my trooper (buy a used or replace with a used tire of similar wear) I had the same make, model, brand, size tire with equivilent wear on it. It caused problems with my AWD system on my trooper (lots of whine during street driving). I had thought it was a problem with the 4wd unit, didn't even think about it being the 1 tire I had changed. The dealer measured the diameters, and sure enough, that 4th tire was 1/4" different in size. As soon as they changed it with the spare, I had no more problems. So just a word to the wise, try to replace all 4 whenever you have to.

    -mike
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Juice,

    The most interesting car I have ever owned was a 1979 Datsun 810, two door sport coupe. Basically a Z-car with a more sedan-ish body. Forerunner of the Maxima, known for a time as 'BlueBird' in Japan.

    Fiancee` and I went to a Datsun dealer near Ft. Worth, TX in early 1980 to test drive the new 200sx model, when we spied a leftover car on a pedestal out front. She fell in love with the styling (although I thought it looked a bit odd), but I was overwhelmed by the engineering. L24 overhead cam 6 cyl with a version of Bosch L-jetronic port fuel injection (modernized version of the 240Z engine), semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension, reclining buckets with lumbar support, etc. All things virtually non-existent on American cars of the day.

    Drove it until '91 and retired with about 170,000 miles on the clock. Gave it up when the cost of replacing the two piece drive shaft (welded in u-joint cap bearings had turned to dust....) exceeded the value of the car. It was also pretty badly rusted from spending most of its life in NY.

    So what does this have to do with Subarus? Nothing, other than it was my first Japanese car, and began my love affair with their advanced technology and solid engineering.

    Steve
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You can take the LSDs out of subies and they bolt directly into the Nissan/Datsuns...

    -mike
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Guys,

    Thanks so much for all the feedback! I did tests yesterday and it did indeed chirp. I set it and then kicked the tires and it chirped. I hit the palm of my hand against winshield and it chirped. Also hit steering wheel and same. So I suppose it is working just fine. Again, thanks for all the feedback.

    For the people that use MOBIL1. How often do you change the oil and how often do you change the filter. With Dino I did it every 3K miles. I suspect I can go the recomended 7500 with the synthetic. But do I need to still change filter?? Thanks
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    $8 for a filter? Some of these markups are ridiculous. Darlene used to charge $4 with a crush washer and shipping thrown in for free! I imagine $5 is more common.

    But my Mazda dealer charged me something like $28 for a gas cap for the Miata. They have odd sizes so I could not find one at local auto supply stores (Pep Boys, Trak Auto, even NAPA). The woman in front of me in line paid almost $9 for her oil filter, too.

    Craig: you disappear for a while and your only excuse is you got a PhD? Marriage? A new house? That's it? ;-) Congrats on all three counts!

    My wife has BFG Comp T/A tires, but they are VR4s. Still, $77 per tire sounds pretty good. You could keep one of the three good ones if you wanted a full size spare, and buy a steel rim for it. Maybe a couple of tire swings for the kids you'll soon have? Sorry, just tryin' to help.

    -juice
  • luck11luck11 Member Posts: 425
    Changed my cabin filters on my 00 OB this weekend for the first time. The originals are about 1 yr old. Talk about disgusting!!! I took a picture. If someone can help, I will post a picture of the old and new side by side when I get the roll developed. Let me say this.....I will never purchase another vehicle that does filter the air into the cabin!!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's funny - after a year mine were barely dirty. Do you drive with your windows open most of the time?

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Thanks for your input guys! I did see the BFG Touring TA HR4 at Sam's for $78 each and it looks like a decent deal. They also have the Michelin X-1 (called the X-Radial Plus at Sam's) for $107 each, and those tires last forever. Either way, I can't bring myself to buy four new tires -- it would be the largest unscheduled expense for any car I've owned, and would certainly spoil the low-cost benefit I associate with owning a Subaru. But, I also don't want to invest in any more Firestone tires. I just don't like them, and it would mean a longer term commitment to the same tires when the remaining originals begin to wear out. So, it looks like 4 new tires is going to be the solution, unfortunately.

    I will definitely keep the three good Firestone tires, for use as spares and to give my garage that motor-head look. It's too bad the spare tire well in the OB isn't big enough to accomodate an inflated full size spare. I could barely get the deflated flat tire in there. Maybe roof-mount is the way to go, for the authentic safari look.

    I was trying to use this episode as an excuse to get a WRX or an LL Bean wagon, but my wife debunked that dream within seconds. Dang!

    Craig
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Cut tire = excuse for a WRX? Dude, you're pushing the envelope of the honeymoon period. Congrats on the PhD, house, and marriage. Glad you're still around.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What about having a full size spare deflated, and carrying a portable compressor? Some luxury cars come with deflated spares.

    Try measuring diameters. Mark the tires with chalk, and have your wife drive forward a few feet. Mark it again after one full revolution, then measure. Then visit a dealer and ask to test drive one with new tires. Compare the two, and see if the difference is more than 1/4". If the tires have not worn much, it may not be.

    To be accurate, you may want to measure 5 revolutions, and make sure you are going in a perfectly straight line.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    Congrats, Congrats, Congrats!

    When it comes to tires, I always take the safe road. You have a beautiful new wife to protect, although I understand your position (Honeymoon + New House + Degree = No $$$)
    I just installed four new Yokohama's on my Sienna. Total cost = $260. I ordered them from Tirerack and had them installed at Costco for $9/tire. Worked out great and I saved a bundle. You might want to check this route out.

    Good luck,
    Greg
  • luck11luck11 Member Posts: 425
    No. Too cold in winter. Summer is too hot (a/c). Granted, I built a new home in a new subdivision last year...so roads got somewhat dusty. The key is the road salt. After an icy winter day, roads are salted (combo salt/sand) to death. Then when the roads dry, you can see a white haze of road salt dust in the air. Hopefully the filters catch these particles since I have heard that road salts contain a certain amount of arsenic. Anyway, my photos will show the diff: bright white of the new vs. dark grey of the 1 yr olds.
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    Leaving the windows open will decrease the filter contamination since you are not drawing air through it. In my dirt road driving I keep the windows firmly up, the A/C on. The result is a clean interiour and a filthy filter.

    Ross
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    http://www.discounttiredirect.com/ had Nitto NT460 tires in size 215/60HR16 for $57 per last time I checked. They are 460AA rated and great for everything except snow.


    I run my HVAC just about all the time, so I'm a bit surprised.


    -juice

  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    If you take out the parts tray that covers the spare in the trunk you can get a full size spare in there.

    Bit,{user name origional bitman)has already gone this route in his GT wagon.

    Cheers Pat.
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I have got a good one,no brake squeaks,no pinging, no lifter rattle,and no piston slap, but I ramble.

    Was at the dealer for a C.E.L.rough idle knew it was probably a vacuam hose but I am still too bloody sore from the surgery to check it myself.

    Anyway the mechanic comes back from a test drive and asks have you done anything to this motor sir, alarm bells start to go off and I say no why? well he says that it runs better and pulls stronger than anything he has seen in along time.

    So we get a 2001 legacy l demo and take it for a run, sure enough the Titan would run rings around it, the Mechanic said every once in a long while you get one that has been put together like a swiss watch everything is in absolute sync. and it looks like I got one, this is definitely a keeper.

    I origionally test drove a legacy and when I drove it I was happy enough with how it ran after all, I went ahead and ordered the Titan, but I remember thinking when I got mine that it seemed to run much better than I remembered the demo. running.

    I put it down then to my imagination after all you tend to be biased towards your own car but now I have compared it to another one and it is one sweet running car.

    Cheers Pat.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I must have one of those, too. Sandy is a lot of fun to run around in. :-)

    Oops, of course mine isn't exactly stock, but the engine is.

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think you can cram a full size spare in the GT, since the overall wheel/tire diameter is smaller than the Outback. But the Outback's 225/60-16 tires definitely won't fit. I had a hard time cramming the flat tire in there, and had to extract it with the tire iron to get it back out!!

    Sam's won't warranty the Michelin X1 tires since they have a lower speed rating than the Outback OEM tires (T versus H). The BFG tires look OK, but there was a 4 hour wait for installation with no appointments. I may go back tomorrow.

    Since my local Sube dealer is down the road from Sam's, I stopped in and test drove a VDC. Boy, what a smooth ride. It was like butter compared to the somewhat rough/athletic feel of my 5-spd OB. I did not like the leather seats though -- too sticky for the humidity around here. I could probably overlook this if I was in position to buy one (more likely a Bean model). It's about impossible to find a high-end vehicle without leather these days.

    Craig
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I also had a good experience there getting tires mounted and balanced. They were nice enough to reverse mount my Kumho V700 Racing tires after I corded the outside shoulders. The manager of course had no idea why I wanted to mount bald tires on the rims. He said "Sir these tires have cords showing and there is absolutely no water evacuation. I shouldn't even be mounting them!" I explained what slicks were and then he understood. :)

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Craig: I don't think the suspension on yours is any different. Maybe it's the extra sound insulation on the VDC? Or softer seats? The only other difference I can think of is the tires are now Potenzas instead of Wilderness.

    Costco mounted the wife's tires when we bought them from Tire Rack. The only catch is they don't offer lifetime balance/rotation if you do not buy the actual tire there.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Leather seating is a very personal thing. While I know that many people love it, but my wife and I make a great effort to avoid it. Had one car with leather and found it too hard and cold in the winter, hot and sticky in the summer.

    Unfortunately, it makes it more difficult to buy an upper line model these days. When we were looking for a minivan a few years ago, we couldn't locate a Chrysler T&C without it. Ended up going one trim level down from our target on a Windstar to stay in cloth. Same on my new OB wagon. Wish mfgrs. would give more options. Oh well, could add seat cover, but who wants to do that????

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We have two cars with, one without. The cloth offers the most grip and comfort, IMO. The leather can be of benefit when cleaning baby spills, but it hasn't been a big issue for us.

    Both of our leather seats are not heated and that's unfortunate. Perforations would help on hot days, too, but then you lose the easy-to-clean ability.

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think the main thing that made the VDC feel smooth was the engine/transmission combo. The H6 seems quieter and smoother than the H4, probably just because you get more power at lower RPMs than the H4. I don't know. If the VDC does have more sound insulation, that would explain it too. I do think the suspension felt better than mine. The same dip in the dealer's lot that causes my OB front suspension to make "sproing" noises didn't elicit a peep from the VDC (and I took it kind of fast in the VDC, on purpose). There's also the grass-looks-greener factor of a new car, which I am a pathetic sucker for . . . .

    I just got back from Firestone, and decided to buy one Wilderness HT tire for around $100. Except for the "HT" designation, it looks identical to the OEM tires on my OB. Based on the tread depth, the new tire is barely 1/4" in diameter greater than the old one, so I figured it was OK. I know the new tire will wear down faster than the older ones in the near term, so that 1/4" will likely get smaller and smaller as the miles pile on.

    In the end, it was the $$ factor that steered me back to the Firestone tire, even though I don't like them (mostly for ride quality reasons; I have no specific reason to question their safety). The way I look at it, I saved $300 that can go towards a new LL Bean Outback, or a dining room set according to my wife. I am half thinking that I can get a Timberline Green LL Bean model (same color as my current OB), hair-dryer-off the LL Bean badges, and have it for 1-2 weeks before my wife would notice . . . How to pay for it would be another thing!!

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Let's see, was it 1/4" max difference in circumference or diameter? I forget.

    OK, 225/60R16 has a diameter of 26.63". Circumference would be Diameter * Pi = 26.63" * 3.14 = 83.62".

    Now, if diameter were 1/4" less, you would have 26.38". Circumference would be 26.38" * 3.14" = 82.82".

    I hope the 1/4" tolerance was for diameter. The circumference is off by 3/4".

    -juice
  • dan2001dan2001 Member Posts: 17
    I have a 2001 H6 with 6500 miles on it and I just noticed a low oil level on the dip stick. No drops on the floor. Anyone heard of reports of the H6 burning oil?

    Thanks, Dan
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    When was the last change? If it's still original, you're due for a change any way.

    -juice
  • smokeybaersmokeybaer Member Posts: 38
    H-6's are very particular that oil is checked with vehicle sitting level. Mine will show over or under full depending on whether it faces in or out of the driveway, which is just slightly sloped.

    Warren
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Actually the EJ series fours are pretty much the same. It's the horizontal layout (and resulting oil submerging what might be the "top" of other engine configurations), the oilpan shape and of course, dipstick location.

    Nice flat, level ground is key.

    -Colin
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My tire that was causing the problem on my trooper was 1/4" different in diameter, and you could hear the AWD unit whine slightly. The big thing that let me know was the indicator lights on the dash for the torque split. I believe the manuals state 1/4" *CIRCUMFERENCE* difference is the max.

    -mike
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Yes, you guys are correct, it's the circumference. I'll have to make some measurements this weekend. Where's Bitman when you need him? This sounds like it could turn into an OCD episode . . .

    Craig
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Hello Folks,

    I am wondering, the shim kit fixed the squealing of my brakes. Hurray! But does that mean that when I replace the pads I have to replace the shimms? I am not exactly sure what shimms are and how they go on etc. I always did my own brakes though.

    Also, anyone know if the shimm kit was applied to all 4 wheels or just the front?

    And finally, I am considering buying a Cabrio. Anyone know anything about them. I think it would be a great second car and great for the nice weather.......
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Hello Folks,

    I am wondering, the shim kit fixed the squealing of my brakes. Hurray! But does that mean that when I replace the pads I have to replace the shimms? I am not exactly sure what shimms are and how they go on etc. I always did my own brakes though.

    Also, anyone know if the shimm kit was applied to all 4 wheels or just the front?

    And finally, I am considering buying a used Cabrio (98). Anyone know anything about them. I think it would be a great second car and great for the nice weather.......
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I thought the shim kit went on the rear brakes? I bet they're a permanent fix.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    last night on the OB. Piece of cake. Four bolts off, four bolts on. They ask you to replace the bolts on the front of the diffy with new ones (supplied), but re-use the rear ones. Strange since they appear to be the same. The new ones are also 18mm vs 17mm for the old. Anyway, can be done in 20 minutes. Didn't even need to jack the car up. Love the clearance. Also, changed the oil to Mobil 1. She's very happy today. :)

    Greg
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Man, you're lucky. On Foresters you have to remove the exhaust from its hangers. It's a lot more work.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I took pictures! I now have pictures of the diffy protector installation, the hood deflector installation and, of course, my car. I will get them developed on a CD. Then what do I do? I want to start pulling my weight around here.

    Greg
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I can host them if it's just a few. I think sites like PageMill still offer free web hosting.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    With 1100 miles on the clock, I decided to do a first oil change on my H4 OB. Got the filter & crush washer from the dealer, dino 5w30 from Wally World.

    Interesting arrangement with the sliding cover in the lower engine shroud. I used a 4"x4"x2" detailers pan from Lowe's paint department under the filter (after loosening it) to catch the oil runoff. Didn't spill a drop......

    I was ready, however, to get out the impact wrench for the drain plug. Overtightened & painted in place. Started out with a 3/8" drive 17mm socket, graduated to a conventional length ratching 1/2" drive, then got out the 17" long SK breaker bar! With a deep grunt, it gave way with a real 'pop' sound. Put it back about half as tight.....

    Did someone mentioned a fast drain valve? Has anyone replaced the crush washer with the nylon style washers used on many other mfgrs drain plugs?

    Steve
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Here's an i-club link about the Fumoto valve:

    http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=87450&referrerid=767

    There are also a few people here on Edmunds that use it as well, IIRC.


    Dennis

  • wmiller4wmiller4 Member Posts: 97
    I was looking at the rear license plate on my OB
    and I noticed that it comes in contact with my paint.
    Does anyone know of a rubber backing I can
    install to the back of the plate to protect the
    finish under the plate?

    (I hope this doesn't qualify me for the OCD gang!)

    Thanks in advance!
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    William - Ya, you qualify. Putting a rubber backing on the paint side will help, but I opt for a pair of screws on the unused mounts - adjust height till the plate does not touch paint.

    -Dave
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Steve: your post brought back memories of my first oil change on the OB. Same deal -- the plug felt like it was welded into place. I had to slide the 58" crossbar from my Yakima rack over a wrench handle to get enough leverage. Crazy!

    William: I bought some round rubber grommets from a hardware store, and put them between the plate and the paint (threading the screws through the plate holes and grommets). Worked great.

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Just use a spacer of some sort. You can use washers, for example.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    When my OB was new I had a warped rotor. I am now convinced it was due to overtightened bolts. Maybe Subaru needs to buy some torque wrenches. ;) To their defense, the bolts I had to remove to install the diffy protector were only slightly (10 lbs?) overtightened.

    Greg
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