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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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  • cin4cin4 Member Posts: 30
    Russ & Juice,

    Where did you get your touch-up paint? After less than 3 months, I already have a chip on the hood - probably from a rock. (And I have the deflector!) I sent an email to Darlene to see about buying some paint, but that was before I knew about her employment situation. If you know of another good source, I'd appreciate the info. I seem to remember years ago getting a little bottle with a Dodge I bought (talk about young & foolish!) and it was like a nail polish bottle. Is that how Subaru's is?

    Thanks,
    Cin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Cin,

    You should be able to buy touch-up paint from any dealer. Touch-up paint isn't too expensive -- something like $8 for a bottle. It's good to have a set around.

    Ken
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    You can get the touch up at any Subaru dealer just tell them the colour or better yet just drive to the dealer and the parts guy will know the colour.
    Cheers Pat.
  • pat88pat88 Member Posts: 40
    I just received a letter from Subaru that says that they have determined that some 2000 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback models with automatic transmission, Impreza 2.5 RS models with manual or automatic transmission and 2000/2001 Forester models with manual or automatic transmission may require replacement of the front oxygen (Air/Fuel Ratio) sensor.
    It is Service program WXW-80.

    It says for me to immediately contact my Subaru Dealer to replace the sensor at no cost to me.

    I seem to remember people having trouble with this sensor though I have been lucky not to have had any trouble with the sensor.

    Just thought you might like to hear about this...

    ~~~Pat
  • anibalbanibalb Member Posts: 193
    Hi folks,

    The Dealer replaced my woodgrain piece around the shifter today at no charge of course. But they gave my wife so much bull dropplings about the key. The 4.95 is the cutting charge for cutting the key. So the key itself cost 18 dollars. The service guy said they charge more than the other Bay Area Dealers because they use the new machine that makes the key specifically for your car. Basically the machine that uses the code. He said other dealers still use the old duplicating key machines. Now that has to be the biggest bunch of Bull Dropplings I have heard. It upsets me that they take advantage of people this way. Well, now I know to call Dealers and ask for the price before I go there for service.

    Patti, it is not the money for the key. It is the principle. And I really would like to complain to SOA for this. Absolutely, insane that this dealer can charge double for the same service another dealer can do. There should be a limit! If anyone has the customer care number for Subaru please post it. I will call! Thanks
  • originalbitmanoriginalbitman Member Posts: 920
    Along with some other useful imformation the number is on the Subaru web site at http://www.subaru.com/

    The link is at the bottom of the page but just in case you don't care to go there here it is:

    1-800-SUBARU3


    bit

  • seamus3seamus3 Member Posts: 98
    greetings form california we made into san francisco last night, that is good (myself and two of my friends are on a road trip to texas). i need an oil change, that's bad. my car was in the body shop for half this week and part of last, so i didn't have the chance to have it changed. does anyone here live in the bay area? i need to know a couple of good places to go for an oil change. thanks.
  • snizavesnizave Member Posts: 19
    My 92 is FWD. I love the car, which is kinda ironic because everyone seems to think it was this car that tried to be a mainstream car that was subaru's downfall in the early 90's. Oh well, I like it because it offers good reliability, is fun to drive, and I only paid $1800. How can you beat that? By the time I read your message about there being 2 CV boots on right transaxle too late, my car is already fixed. I think i'll just live with it as is.
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Most local Honda dealer use the newer code-based key cutters -- they're great! No more copies of keys that don't fit. Though the charge might be excessive, now that you've bought the key, you no longer have bargaining power. You are the consumer; a dealer can't force you to buy the key. You could have made 2 or 3 trips to Home Depot or a locksmith trying to get the key made properly. You paid a premium but the key worked right the first time (I assume); maybe that's worth a premium.

    Just curious, have you priced keys at other dealerships? When I buy from a dealer, I know I'll be paying a premium so I avoid them whenever possible for periodic maintenance (oil change) and out-of-warranty wear items (brakes, exhaust) -- just about everything but the Check Engine light.

    I hope this bad experience with an overpriced key doesn't sour your opinion of your Outback. Do you like your Outback's ride, fit, and finish?

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    I have reported your complaint. I'm sorry it turned out to be so negative for you, but we do track and report on customer experiences.

    Once again, my apologies.

    Patti
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    Good Morning! As an aside, the price you were charged was VERY reasonable. One thing to be wary about. To save money, some folks might recommend "resurfacing" the flywheel. Spend the bit extra and get a new one. There is not a lot of tolerance on the flywheel (unlike brake rotors and the process is similar)and it could really cause future problems.

    It's always good to take an occasional look at your CVJ/DOJ boots. Inspect them for any rips or openings. It is pretty inexpensive to replace them (note - Added Security - Subaru's extended service agreement is one of the only one's that cover the boots). If you do not replace them quickly, you can get sand (Juice??) or other debris in the joint and the cost goes up to replace both.

    Just my .02

    Patti
  • pattim3pattim3 Member Posts: 533
    My next "technical" training will be on transmissions. We get to tear down an auto and a 5 speed. I'll learn more about our clutch mechanisms there. But my family still won't let me overhaul the engine in our '90? I know it doesn't need it, but hey, girls just wanna have fun! (Juice - do you know the singer?)

    Patti
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    And I'm glad you are learning the AT, so when I get and SVX and it needs tranny work, I'll bring it down there for you to work on it ;) Seriously though, I was speaking with my aunt and uncle and it looks like next spring, they may sell me their SVX, yippie!

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Patti - Although SOA knows he was a shady character, the former service manager at my former dealer recommended a flywheel resurfacing.

    Before I got rolling on my clutch case, he told me I needed a new clutch and if my flywheel wasn't resurfaced soon I would need a new one at $800 (long sentence :)). I found out on my own that it's covered under the powertrain warranty.

    So if a dealer recommends flywheel resurfacing could the customer request a new one since it's covered under the Powertrain Warranty? Just for future reference and for others. My guess is a good service dept. would automatically install a new one under warranty anyway.

    Dennis
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    You are quite right. Some dealer technicians will also offer to cut the flywheel in the interest of "saving money". If they are not a "certified" Subaru tech., they may not be aware or our technical recommendations.

    Also, always check your warranty and maintenance booklet before you pay for a repair or bring it into a non-Subaru facility. You'd be surprised which components are powertrain and even emissions.

    Thanks!

    Patti
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Depending on what it looks like, a flywheel can certainly be resurfaced a few times before it needs replacement. Patti, I bet you will find this listed as an authorized warranty repair. It's completely normal in the manual transmission repair business, just like turning rotors for a brake shop.

    I doubt SOA would want to foot the bill for a new flywheel every time a clutch is replaced under warranty when $30 worth of light machining will do the job.

    -Colin
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Since not everyone that reads this may read the WRX forum, I think it's worth reposting. I was responding to someone who had their head gaskets replaced in their 97 Legacy 2.5GT and the dealership told them that Subaru head gasket failures are rare. Not true, in my opinion. Start repost...
    ________________
    Head gasket failures unfortunately are not unusual on a Subaru EJ series engine.

    Let me show you. (trying to make this understandable for all, sorry if it's overly simplistic for fellow gearheads out there)
    image
    (image copyright Cobb Tuning used with permission)

    That's the engine block. Look at the two cylinders in the middle, that's where the pistons are. See the void area around the cylinders? Coolant occupies that space.

    Now let's look at the SOHC cylinder head. (a 97 legacy GT is DOHC but the point I'm about to make is still valid, trust me)
    image
    the black things are the combustion chambers, dirty from carbon buildup. see the holes in the cylinder head around the combustion chamber? there are 5 large ones of various shapes around each combustion chamber. these holes match up with holes in the head gasket... but notice how different they are from the large void area in the block?

    what happens is that the head gasket is the barrier between the combustion gasses and the coolant passages. the head gasket is pretty thin, but at combustion pressures (especially at high RPM) it's enough to put a lot of stress on the head gasket. the way they usually fail is that the head gasket allows combustion gasses to move past it and into the block. this forces an air bubble into the block and coolant out. the coolant that remains can't circulate properly due to the air bubbles, and very soon the engine is overheating.

    My '99 Impreza 2.5RS is doing this very thing right now, and in the next few weeks I'm going to yank the engine to replace the head gaskets.

    Now why the block doesn't match up with the holes in the gasket and cylinder head? That would eliminate this problem, right? Well, it would also greatly reduce the volume of coolant that could be in the engine block, which require a bigger radiator and more coolant flow (i.e. high water pump pressure) to achieve similar results.

    -Colin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Seamus,

    Click the link below for some places:

    kens "Subaru Crew: Best Service Facilities" Mar 23, 2001 8:40am

    Ken
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    you mean to tell me that Subaru put a semi closed deck head gasket which covers up part of the open decked coolant passages on our EJ25s?!
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Thanks for the info and pics.
    Are the failures happening on stock or modified engines? Or both? Would it have anything to do with the engine not being able to handle extra power coming from aftermarket cams? I guess a few extra hp shouldn't matter though.
    Dennis
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Both. Seems like the problem was worse on the DOHC models, which did have different coolant passages in the head & head gasket... but it could be that the DOHC models simply have more miles on them.

    -Colin
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Actually, our warranty policy prohibits resurfacing the flywheel because it has such a limited tolerance. We found some folks that went to independent shops and had the flywheel resurfaced ended up with more serious tranny problems. If a dealer technician does resurface a flywheel in warranty instead of replacing it, we will not pay the claim and the dealer is instructed to contact the customer, get the car in and fix it right.

    We feel better about absorbing the extra cost for replacement than having issues down the road when the car is out of warranty.

    Thanks,
    Patti
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Huh, learn something new every day. I'm certain some folks with chattering clutches had the original flywheel resurfaced under warranty... I guess if SOA didn't pay for it, the dealer did. Oh well.

    -Colin
    (still planning to resurface his flywheel when installing his aftermarket clutch)
  • road__runnerroad__runner Member Posts: 16
    I have a 1990 Legacy AWD wagon.
    The clutch is a gonner.
    Do I have to have it flatbed towed ?

    Thanks
    Mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    unfortunately you need to flatbed it or dolly the axle that isn't attached to the tow truck.

    -mike
  • mikezakmikezak Member Posts: 95
    I took the plunge this week and purchased a 2001 Outback Wagon.

    While doing so, I was chatting with the various sales staff, ant they mentioned to me that so as to not void the warranty to ONLY use Subaru Perculator Oil Filters.

    I can not expect my neighborhood lube garage to have the Subaru brand filter, and franly I am a little embarrassed to bring in my own filter (ie; like bringing your own food to a resturant to have them cook). What do others do other folks do that have their oil changed at non-Subaru dealers???

    Also, I thought that to 'help' the Oil Change 'kids', what about the idea of spray painting the oil plug florescent orange. OK, sounds like I'm paranoid right? -- but I would rather be safe than sorry?

    You thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
  • tincup47tincup47 Member Posts: 1,508
    are the LAST people in most dealerships to know warranty requirements. (I know most of the sales pros on Edmunds are probably exceptions) Genuine parts are always recommended, but OEM equivalent parts will not void your warranty. (All name brand filters are OEM equivalent) But if you have any concern, buy some filters in advance and have the quicklube use them.
  • mikezakmikezak Member Posts: 95
    OK, since I just bought my 2001 Outback Wagon today -- I am scouring all the Web sites....

    Due to business travels I will not be able to pickup my vehicle until next week Friday (ugh). My questions are:

    1). Does the O2 Sensor Recall affect my new Outback (ie; is their a date of manufacture period which the 'bad' sensors were no longer being used in the build process?

    2). Can / should I ask for the replacement BEFORE I pickup my vehicle;...saves time and a trip back as the nearest Subaru dealer is 35+ miles away?

    3). Do I have to have a 'Recall card' or documentation to have the O2 sensor replaced?

    You thoughts....

    Thanks.
  • tincup47tincup47 Member Posts: 1,508
    If your vehicle was affected and not repaired, you could not pick it up. Once a recall is announced, any dealer stock involved must be repaired before the vehicle can be sold or delivered. This is a federal requirement.
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Holy smokes, Chuck, and I thought I was up late! (Well, it's 1:19am ET, late for me).

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I've seen tons of vehicles delivered after a recall has been issued. It may be federal law, but it is definitely not practice.

    -mike
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    would that be 1 large car or two small ones? (Sorry, couldn't resist - it's been a hard week.)

    Ross
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Funny Ross, although "tons" depends if I'm in the car or not!
    :)

    -mike
  • tincup47tincup47 Member Posts: 1,508
    We'll just have to agree to disagree on this, in my 20+ years in the auto business, I have never seen a recall affected car delivered to a customer until it was repaired.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    but hey local results may vary...

    -mike
  • mikezakmikezak Member Posts: 95
    Hi Gang!

    As you can see, I am anxiously awaiting my FIRST Subaru,(acutally my first non-BIG 3 Car) and am trying to learn everything I can.

    Reading through the Subaru Web Site, I unfortunately just found out the the cigarette
    lighter can not be used to power my cell phone on my 2001 Outback (I pickup the vehicle this week). This is somewhat disturbing as I travel for business alot, but I know this must be a common issue and someone must have bridged this before me...

    I have a US Celluar contract and Audiovox Car Phone. What solutions have been used, as well as where have people gotten their solution?

    My thanks in advance...

    Mike Zak
    Plover, WI
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Yep, it's been brought up before. I've used our cell phone charger in the front cig lighter outlet without a problem. Others have mentioned that they've also done this without incident.

    Recently, there was a fellow that was blowing that fuse repeatedly when he charged his cell using that outlet. Turned out it was the cord unit itself - he replaced it with the correct type for his phone and no more problems.

    I think some others may have even used a radar detector there too.

    So, you should be able to use your phone charger in your new Outback.

    -Brian
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I have hooked up my power inverter + radar detector + cell phone. On the inverter I plugged in 2 laptop computers and have had no problems at all.

    -mike
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    My wife uses the outlet in her Forester for her Nokia fairly often, and I use the outlet in my Forester for my Valentine 1 radar detector all the time. Neither of us has had a problem.

    Since different accessories and different brands have varying amounts of current draw, I would suggest that you try it and feel the area of the dash around the socket. If it feels more than barely warm you might want to then find a different solution.

    Regards,
    Frank
  • jackleungjackleung Member Posts: 79
    Brian,
    Are U talking about me? :) Yeah, it's turn out to be my cheap quality phone charger short the circuit and blow the fuse. For how many current U can draw from the outlet, U can guess by look at the fuse box connection in yr manul. For example, my Forester said that the Cig Lighter and power side mirror on a 20A fuse.

    Rgds,
    Jack
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Yep! I was too lazy to search back in the forum for who mentioned this. No problems since getting the correct charger?

    -Brian
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Brian, just use the search function. D'oh! ;)

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • theobtheob Member Posts: 148
    So how do you search all 1037 posts of this thread/group/board, i.e. Gen Maint. & Repair II? There's the board search that will find a discussion thread/group/board that contains that word, but most of them have 200-2k posts to try to wade through to find the one posting you're looking for.
    Enquiring minds...
    Theo
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Sorry for misleading you Theo, I was just kidding; there is no search function. In the olden days of the WELL software, though no search function existed, we could open each topic, List All, and use the browser's "find" (ctl-F in Internet Explorer); not perfect but better than nothing. Edmunds moved to WebX, which is configured to disallow listing all posts in a thread. (This may be due to software, hardware, configuration, or policy issues.)

    Edmunds is aware of this lack of search functionality. There's a thread under News & Views (don't know it's name) that discusses this and other WebX issues.

    Anyway, I was just joking around. Apologies for giving you false hopes.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I'm going to be picking up my Forester from the body shop today. I had some minor fender damage due to a spin out in the snow a month ago. Can't wait to get back into my 'ster.

    I've been driving an Isuzu Trooper for a week while my vehicle was being repaired. While it isn't my cup of tea, the overall driving experience has been pretty good. The Trooper has a pretty tight turning radius and accelerates fairly well for such a big vehicle. The high seating position was kind of fun. You actually look down on most vehicles on the road. The one major shock of driving this vehicle was the cost of filling up -- about $35 for a tank of gas!

    Ken
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It costs boatloads to fill up the tank. Also I just converted my shocks to 5 way adjustable gas shocks on my trooper and now it rides far better than the stock shocks. Also did rear springs as well, that gave it a 1-1.5" lift. So now I'm even higher! ;)

    -mike
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    I came across this from the source of all things OBD (Onboard Diagnostics), ye olde EPA. Nothing new.

    How Can The Dashboard Light Be Turned Off?

    After fixing the problem, the service technician will the turn off the dashboard light. There are also situations under which the vehicle's OBD system can turn off the dashboard light automatically if the conditions that caused a problem are no longer present. If the OBD system evaluates a component or system three consecutive times and no longer detects the initial problem, the dashboard light will turn off automatically. As a result, drivers may see the dashboard light turn on and then turn off. For example, if the gas cap is not properly tightened after refueling, the OBD system can detect the vapor leak that exists from the cap not being completely tightened. If the gas cap is subsequently tightened, the dashboard light should be extinguished within a few days. This is not an indication of a faulty OBD system. In this example, the OBD system has properly diagnosed the problem and accordingly alerted the driver by illuminating of the dashboard light.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I wish that in ODB3 they require more than a damn CE light. It should have a tiny LCD panel (like the ODO) that displays up to a 4 digit code that you can cross reference in the owner's manual that way you know if you need to be bent over at the dealer or not! :)

    -mike
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Better yet: use that LCD panel to actually display the friggin' error! If you've got a loose gas cap, it'll say LOOSE GAS CAP. etc., etc.

    If they're (the EPA) gonna make these systems so damn picky, they ought to make them more user friendly.

    Mr. Bear, your gas cap is loose. Please tighten.
    Mr. Bear, you'll need gas soon if you continue driving at 85 mph...

    -Brian
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