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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    I like the analogy! I guess I better move on then. So to break in the engine which brand should I use? I don't know which brands are dino and which are synthetic......Am I behind or what? I use to like working on cars more than I do now I think. Still enjoy it but less time to do it. Tell me brand and weights to use on the new OB's. Thanks. I ordered a cargo basket from Darlene 3 weeks ago. I think she is still waiting for it. How long is it going to take???? MAN!
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    I think I just understood your analogy completely. Dino=dinosaur. So there is only two kinds synthetic and dino. Got it. Who makes best synthetic? I know costco sells castrol syntec. What weight and viscocity should I use?
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Anibal, Qsubaru are in financial trouble and Darlene is unable to fill new orders so you may never get any of the things you have ordered.
    Cheers Pat.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    If you've been happy with Castrol, just stick with that and get the Syntec. There's also Mobil1, Amsoil, Redline, etc. The 5W30 is the "preferred" oil in the owner's manual for normal driving. It'll give you the best gas mileage. The 10W30 will be a little better for hotter climates. Although, with synthetic you're better protected anyway.
    Dennis
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ok folks, I need some help here. What are the symptoms of a dead timing belt? I think I blew mine on the XT6 yesterday. Everything was going fine til I did some heavy acceleration up near red-line on it off the line. Then the CE light popped on and the car died. When I stopped, it would crank but not turn over. It has 74K miles on it and the timing belt was supposed to be replaced @ 60K so I'm assuming it was that because there was no loud noise, no smoke, no fluids etc. Thanks for the help.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Sorry to hear the news. At first glance, it does sound like the timing belt. However, whatever the problem... it sounds expensive. :(

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    How much do these go for nowadays? I'm figuring on $400-$500ish? Or is it more like $1K?

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    It's not only the cost of the timing belt and labor. When a timing belt snaps, especially, if it occurred at high rpm, as you stated, often other items get damaged too. It's NOT a good thing to have happen. Worst case scenario, you could need a new engine. Let's keep our fingers crossed, and hope that's not the case.

    Could it be something electrical, such as the ignition, or fuel injection?

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Do you know if when the timing belt goes, the engine will crank but not start? The car cranks away but will not start. Also I checked on http://www.gates.com/pdf/tbelt.pdf and it says that the 2.7l H6 is not an interference engine, which is lucky I suppose. It's sitting at my local shop, so monday or tuesday I'll know what the damage is...


    -mike

  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    the news Mike. Yes, the engine will crank normally with a broken belt in a noninterference engine. It should be like the standard "mystery starting problem". Plenty of spark, plenty of gas, no start! The repair cost shouldn't be any (or at least not much) more that the maintenance replacement that was missed at 60K. The only way I can think it might be more is if they have to fish around the innards for pieces of broken belt. :-) Good luck. BTW, with an interference engine you probably would not be able to crank as you would have bent valves and or a hole in one or more pistons, etc.

    Ross
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Thanks, that's good to hear, hopefully that is the problem. I'm 14K over due for the belt, so I'm planning on doing that + oil pump + water pump while they are in there. Thanks for the "good" news.

    -mike
  • bassistbassist Member Posts: 15
    Anyone have advice or similar experience here
    Last week my '01 Forester went to the dealer for a bad fuel injector (was running on only 3 cylinders for a while). They replaced the fuel injector, but less
    than a week later I'm having almost the same problem (very rough idle and very weak acceleration in any gear). Ironically, the check engine light never lit up!! Ever since I had the car the dang CEL lights up every few days when the car was running fine. Maybe it was just detecting the symptoms of the real problem that occurred later on.

    I have less than 3000 miles on the car and it's been back to the dealer about 5 times now for various things. I've never had so much problem with a brand new car.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I had not heard of the term interference engine before. I thought all engines with timing belts were subject to serious engine damage, if they snapped. If that's the problem, sounds like you're in luck. Let's hope so.

    I'm glad to see all Subarus with timing belts (except the SVX) are designed that way. Note, the new Outback H-6 has a timing chain, not a belt, so hopefully, that will never be a problem—assuming the engine has otherwise been properly maintained.

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Possibly a tank full of bad gas? Maybe there's some crude in there that keeps clogging the fuel system.

    Bob
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    some Subarus do have interference engines. If memory serves (and at my age one has to wonder), the 2.5l DOHC engine is one of them, but all SOHC engines are noninterference. Those of you with more knowledge, please correct if I'm in error.

    Ross
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Since we're on the topic, I thought I'd ask:

    The owner's manual for my 98 Forester calls for a timing belt replacement at a little over 100K miles. A local dealer has a timing belt replacement as part of their 60K mile service package. When I asked them on why so soon for a timing belt change, they told me that "that's what they recommend".

    Is there any need to get the belt replaced so soon? I'm a little skeptical.

    Ken
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    As far as I am aware the only interference subaru engine is the 2.5 all other engines are fine. Mike the engine will turn but the valves will not open or close the distributer will not turn hence no spark no spark no fire the only expense you should incur is what you would normally pay to have the timing belt replaced.
    Cheers Pat.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    According to Gates, the 2.5l engines are not interference... wonder if there are any other guides out there that could confirm or deny the gates claims.... The Gates guide only goes up to 1998, and the SOHC 2.5s didn't come into being til 98 in the impreza and 00 in the legacies... Go figure.

    -mike
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Subaru only calls for a timing check at 60,000 miles the dealer I think is just scamming if the timing belt needed replacing before 100,000 don;t you think Subaru would be pushing it Dealers will push a lot of stuff in order to boost their bottom line do not fall for it.
    Cheers Pat.
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    go to www.skillcentre.com then timing belts after you are in the site I think they list the engines for just about every manufacturer.
    Cheers Pat.
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Pat,

    What kind of financial trouble is Qsubaru in? I had called Darlene and she said that she had the woodgrain and that she was just waiting for the Cargo basket? She did say that she was going to call me when she got it with the tracking number and I have not heard anything since. So now what? Are they bankrupt? Should I call Darlene again? I think it has been 3 weeks since I ordered my stuff. It is somewhat annoying that I don't have it yet. Juice what is going on???
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Folks,

    On saturday I spent the day detailing my new OB. I used Klasse and that stuff is superb. The shine is incredible. My car is whit. I can imagine what it will do on the dark colors. It is also very easy to apply. It works great on the wheels. I am very impressed and recommend it. It is pricey but well worth it. Also the amount I used seems that this stuff will last for a while (years). And they say the shine lasts from 6-9 months and with the glaze up to 12 months. I don't mind only detailing my car twice a year.. It really works well.
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    Good morning! I'm baaacccckkkk. The trip was great.

    Paisan - your timing belt failure (which it sounds like it is) will not cause damage to other components in your XT. Repairs should be the same as having the belt changed at maintenance. The 2.5's can have a problem if the belt breaks, depending on the position of the valves when it fails. However, they also have a larger/heftier belt so that shouldn't be a problem (note: 60K maint. of the belt in older models, 100K+ for newer). The 6 cylinder does use a chain and it appears to be pretty sturdy, so I wouldn't anticipate a problem, UNLESS, there is an oil starvation issue. Maintenance is key to these vehicles.

    Patti
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    I would ask the dealer to take a fuel sample. The CEL will only go on if the issue is related to emissions, not necessarily if you have bad fuel.

    I agree that fuel might be the issue. If you arent' getting answers from your dealer, call us and we will get involved.

    Thanks.

    Patti
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well my mechanic rocks, at least so far he is already looking at it! So far the timing belt is in fact gone, so that is at least a good sign that that was in fact the problem! I was suprised they even had it in the repair bay yet!

    -mike
  • hutch7hutch7 Member Posts: 88
    Anyone have experience with changing Oil in the Tranny and front/rear diff oil. My '97 OB AT has 45K on it and the owners manual does not seem to have a real aggressive schedule for fluid changes. Any thoughts?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    paisan: we paid about $300-400 to change the belt on our Mazda. Add $150 or so to change the pumps (good idea). Glad that's all it is.

    Pat: I agree. Don't spend the entire break-in period doing 5 mile commutes. Vary your driving as much as possible - trips, errands, aggressive drives on your favorite road, etc. Just shift at 4000rpm and don't use cruise control.

    Bassist: that sucks. I would suspect the plugs, plug wires, fuel, fuel filter, ECM, etc. Have the dealer look at each until they get it fixed.

    Anibal: give Darlene a call to see if your orders were placed before the dealership's relationship with Subaru went south. The owner wasn't paying the bills, so Subaru cut them off, basically. Darlene may be unemployed soon, and we've lost our favorite supplier. :(

    Ken: Subaru says to "inspect" the belt at 60k, change no later than 105k. That dealership may figure it's easier to just change it early. Given how you drive (aggressively), and where you've been (all over the place, including off road), it may not be a bad idea to let the dealer do it early.

    -juice
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    Could we help Darlene somehow... any ideas? I'd volunteer to help to relocate her to the bay area, but afraid she won't like cost of living here (after TN). But having such a great wholesaler around here would be great.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    On a side note, I have to commend AAA+ they rocked. Towed my car on flatbed back from LI to Staten Island and showed up within 20 minutes, of course at the same time I had locked my keys in the car and they had to get another tow-truck to come with a kit to open my door, all in all, it took 30-35minutes to get my car up on the flatbed and they drove it all the way out to my house. Anyone who has AAA should definitely get the Plus option (I think you can get it after 2 or 3 years).

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Darlene doesn't want to move. She's hoping a comptent owner will take over (so am I).

    She may have to work for a different dealer, but there are no other Soob dealers close by. That would be our loss, trust me.

    paisan: thanks for the heads-up. We have AAA and I'll look into that. What else do you get, and for how much?

    -juice
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    In my area, everybody who had to call AAA for towing (regular or AAA+ membership), had to wait for them 3-4 h to show up, and that's with repeated calls to the 800-AAA-HELP line.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They worked for us once, big time. We were in the Poconos, far and away from civilization, and locked the keys inside. They saved us within an hour. Given how far we were, I was impressed.

    They respond very quickly in DC, too, and the guy even made me a spare key for the office!

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Gates is wrong, some of the 2.5L are interference. On the 2000+ 2.5L SOHC (10.0:1 CR) the valves will hit the piston, and on any DOHC model the valves will smack each other but not the piston.

    It's best not to break a timing belt on them. In case no one ever explained it to Bob, interference means that the valves can impact either themselves (DOHC only, since SOHC can't move the valves independently even if the timing belt is off) or the piston (either). Correct timing prevents this from happening in normal operation.

    Ken, the replacement at 60K is a bit overzealous. At 60K it's due for inspection though, and perhaps their experience has shown that a majority of them are showing enough wear to warrant replacement. It is really not that much labor to remove the fans and timing cover to inspect the belt.

    -Colin
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    I suspect that I will not get my order from Darlene. She said that she would call with a tracking number and she never did. Unless the phone was busy? I may just aske her to send the woodgrain and some oil filters! However I just called and she is not there. KATE5000 where in the Bay Area are you? I am here too. Where did you buy your Subie. Not many dealers here. It is never a good ideal to let timming belts break. However I was in hwy once doing 85mph on a VW rabbit and mine broke. Mechanic just put new belt and car was just fine. My friend did same thing with BMW and it cost him 1K. So I would prefer to be safe. Since you have to replace them anyway. Better sooner than later.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Call Darlene at 800-287-1281.

    Unless the dealer owner didn't pay the phone bill too, that is! :-(

    -juice
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I live in the East Bay, in a small town of Castro Valley up on the hills. I bought my latest Soob from Livermore dealer, and prior to that I bough a soob from Oakland downtown. I was not thrilled with those dealers. Most people feel good about Carlsen Volvo-Subaru on the Penninsula, but at the time I was shopping they were too expensive (> 3.5% over invoice).
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    I called and I get voice message! Where are we going to get our Subie parts now? Bummer, just when I though I was all set. Also, anyone out there know if there is a repair manual for the 01 models? I have plenty of time I suppose.

    It is interesting that before, most cars required timming belts to be changed before 100K. Now with all the extended warranties up until 100K, my OB says to replace them at 105K. Love that!
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Kate,

    I am in Walnut Creek. I did not realize there was a Subie Dealer in Oakland. I looked in the yellow pages online and nothing came up other than Redwood city and Vallejo I think. I bought mine here in W.C. It is a bit pricey but I liked the car. It turns out that the service guy is excellent. It is getting more difficult to make those pmts. Wife just lost her job!!!
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    AAA plus goes for $40 more than the regular fee. It does give you free towing up to 100 miles,as well as more coverage for lock out and gas service.

    As for timing belts, I had one go on my old Honda while on vacation in Virginia. They replaced it for $250-300 (I think). It did take two days, and the replacement was still on the car when I got rid of it with 122M miles for the OB.

    Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hey Juice it doesn't matter how long the warranty is, cause timing belt is considered "wear and tear" item on the car and wouldn't be covered under the warranty. AAA+ is like $60/year max I don't remember exactly it was either $45 or $60 but not sure of which. It gives you 100 miles towing for free instead of like 3 miles, probably some other bennies but the 100 miles of towing was a major one.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Anibal: I'm not sure where to go for parts. I need to do the oil soon, too...bummin'.

    Did I say something about the warranty? I'm confused now.

    -juice
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Juice,

    The warranty thing was for me. I mentioned that! I just spoke to Darlene and I feel bad for her. That is too bad. She does not know what will happen. I cancelled my order since the parts will not come in. I don't want to have an open lingering order. Darn! I hope things get better! Juice, we have to find another source it seems!
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I figured out, that CEL probably went on because of condensation, after my poor Forester was in a ody shop. I poured a can of STP waterremoval stuff in the tank, and voila! No more CEL.

    Drove my baby 300 mi over the weekend, to Bear Valley and back. What a joy! I still find the cushions on the front seats too short though.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hadn't even thought of that. It was parked for 6-8 weeks, so if the tank wasn't full...we should have suspected it.

    My other car is out of the body shop. They finally replaced the center cap for the wheel, and put in a new door trim piece they had broken.

    The interior was filthy, but they threw in a bottle of touch-up paint and I took off. I would not go back there, though.

    -juice

    PS Paisan: PiperCub from i Club shared some great customized XT6 twin-turbo on the autobahn stories, it was great!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I thought it was just urban ledgend though! I may be getting another XT6 (5 speed with center locking diffy) for $500. It needs a head gasket though.

    -mike
  • erics6erics6 Member Posts: 684
    Has anybody used the Kirkland brand tires from Costco? I was just looking at the 80k all season tires last weekend. The Michelin's were $124 and the Kirkland's were around $80 per tire. I'm curious who makes the tire for Costco. (I was in a hurry and didn't ask.)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    paisan: it was a lot of fun hearing those stories.

    He said it was super-quick off the line, easily outrunning the autobahn champ (Porsche 911s). Funny thing was, he could pass them easily, and it took them a while to catch up - only when he hit the rev limiter in 5th gear! Wow! The 911 is geared taller, so it has a higher top speed, and eventually catches up. Eventually.

    He told one story of how he passed a 911, and the owner was thrusting his body back and forth, as if that would help his car catch up. I could not stop laughing!

    How is the suspension on that other one? Already changed, or was it springs to begin with?

    -juice
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I found http://www.subaruparts.com over the weekend. I don't believe their prices are as low as Darlene's, nor do they offer free shipping. But, they appear to have everything, including the clothing. Anyone have any experiences with these guys? Or should we keep looking?


    -Brian
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Brian,

    I saw that too. I think with shipping I might as well just get stuff from local dealer. It is too bad!
  • tlbistlbis Member Posts: 25
    C&D synthetic oil link that speaks to what Colin, RoyAllen and Bluesubie were discussing last week.

    http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/columns/2000/November/200011_columns_bedard.xml
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