Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
This discussion has been closed.
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
What you have noticed is residue from the protective covers that were placed over the nozzles. The dealer usually peels off the covers prior to display or sale. Take a little spray of WD-40 on a rag these will disappear. I even found some other areas on the car where this had occured (near the roof rack) and thought as you did that I had a scratched or damaged vehicle.
-Donn
Bob
-mike
I was happy - until they both burned out in less than a year. $28 for the pair, and then you gotta keep changing them all the time, for a little extra light? Didn't seem worth it to me.
If you get them, just get a spare or two, and carry them with you.
-juice
However, there are halgoen bulbs that are brighter than typical ones. They're not painted blue either. Juice mentioned Hella. I use Philps Vision Plus.
I think the Hellas were not constructed very well since my friend's also went out after a year. I've been using my Philips for two years now and they've been great.
Ken
Thanks for the tip. The WD40 took those marks off just like you said it would.
Paul
I purchased them from autolamps-online or something to that extent. These aren't sold in the US so you need to buy them through European suppliers.
The improvement over stock was very noticeable. I have comparison pictures somewhere. I can email them to you or, if I can get around to it, I can post them somewhere. The Philips bulb was designed for e-code headlights and require a sharp beam cutoff to achieve the best results. Luckily the Forester has a very sharp beam pattern for DOT headlights so they work well together.
To be super-technical, I don't think these have been DOT approved. They are of stock wattage and are the standard bulb size (H4) so they pose no problem from a compatibility issue.
Ken
- Hutch
Ever since Photopoint went down, it's been a hassle posting pics.
Ken
So, both Ken and Hutch have had long-lasting results with those bulbs? Mabye those are worth considering, then. I gave up on the one-year-of-life Hellas.
-juice
Yeah, you and another friend of mine both had their Hellas go out after a year. I switched over to the Philips after a few months (okay, I was a into lighting at the time) so I don't have the same experience. I do recall Susquehana Motor Sports mentioning that they removed one line of Hella bulbs because the quality had gone down. They weren't the H4+30, but who knows, maybe it affected more than just one model.
Ken
although experienced with audio in general, i'm rather new to car audio. i've just acquired boston acoustics rx47 coaxials for the rear doors of my '02s+, installation was a breeze. however, the tweeter unit is not clearing the factory grille, which appears to curve inward ever so slightly. the grille is now pressing on the tweeter unit (not the dome, but rather a fixed unit, thankfully!) and the grille is bulging out on one side.
what are my options here? the boston grilles aren't large enough to cover the area that the factory grilles covered.
anyone?
tia,
dean naramore
cincinnati, ohio
'02s+
You could always try gently heating the factory grilles and curving them outward to accommodate the tweeters. I'd use hot water or maybe a blow dryer. I'd think about picking up a spare pair of factory grilles just in case. In the alternative, you could cut out the insides of the factory grilles and insert your own mesh, available from most any stereo store. Do the same for the fronts and get a custom look all around.
Good luck,
Ed
PS: BTW, why am I not surprised that a guy with the screen name mst3kguy would buy a For(r)ester? ;-)
I don't remember exactly, but weren't the speakers mounted on a plastic tray? Perhaps you may be able to mount the speakers without the tray to get around the clearance issue. I'd try and play around with that before messing with the cover since you'll always see the cover.
Ken
Am new to this list, but have been reading over these many posts for the last hour.
I have owned 2 Foresters, the first being a 99S, which was a nice ride. We chose to trade this one in for the 2000 S, mainly for the limited slip rear end. We do alot of winter travel in the snow, in hilly conditions, and after owning other SUV's with LSD, this was a concern.
I've upgraded the wheels to 17", which have the 225x55x17 tires............this baby corners considerably better than before!
Also tossed their 'upgraded' stereo with a real one........Kenwood deck, with 12 stack CD player, Rockford Amps and top of the line speaker replacements...........total of 800 watts of sheer pleasure, while waiting in traffic!!.....my waiting is no big deal any longer.....
My only complaint,and to me its major enough to sell and trade this car for a Toyota 4Runner Limited, if I can't get it fixed, once and for all.
It's the squeeky real hatch...everytime we take it on somewhat rough roads, and 'flex' the body just a little bit, such as you would going over bumps and turning at the same time, this has produced a permanent squeek, which is totally irritating....have taken it to the dealers several times,and they have 'adjusted' the hatch, but this is a temporary fix at best.
Have also greased all the fittings, and the ends of the rubber stops, this has helped, but the damn squeek is still there!!!........gggeeezzz, it's irritating!!.......and we can't run around with the stereo blasting all the time, to drown out that squeek...........anybody else have this problem??......I told my neighbor about this, she recently bought an 02 S model, and it wasn't until I asked her about a squeeek, that she realized she DID have one!!!
About the headlight bulb replacement, I've always used the PIAA H-4 replacement bulbs, ultra white, in 80-115 watt.......these are bright!!!, and you will need to readjust your headlamps a tad downwards to utilize the increased brightness, and to avoid getting high beamed by oncoming traffic....
Any help with the squeek would be greatly appreciated.........hope it's before I trade the SUBE in for a 4Runner.........!
As for the squeaks in the hatch, there are two little spring-loaded bumpers on either side of the hatch opening. Try cleaning them out by spraying with WD-40 followed by some compressed air. Grit tends to get in them, causing the squeak.
Good luck,
Ed
PS: Ken - sorry I got the speakers backwards - it's been awhile.
<<PS: BTW, why am I not surprised that a guy with the screen name mst3kguy would buy a For(r)ester? ;-)>>
d'oh! i'm surprised people even understand the name these days...
dean
cincinnati, ohio
'02s+
I know noises can be very annoying. It might be worth the time to get some dealer attention on it.
Thanks!
Patti
All: Dr. Forrester was an evil scientist on the show, who forced the human host and his robot companions to watch bad movies.
Ed
What type of grease did you use? WD40 displaces water and just about everything else, but it would dry up soon and could make an area squeek even worse. So it's good for an area that is supposed to be cleaned, but not for an area that needs lubrication. WD40 also should not be used around rubber or plastic, since it is petroleum-based.
I would try to find a very thick lithium grease, that will stay on. They make spray bottles, but for the hatch I would use the thicker stuff in the tube.
I remember Mystery Science Theater 2000, guess they changed the name later, eh? Funny stuff. I once watched their marathon on Turkey Day.
-juice
Just a wild idea, but could the source be something other than the rear hatch -- like swaybar bushings or something?
Ken
Perhaps we can create a ground-swell of support that will overwhelm all opposition and poor Regis can get the car he do desperately wants...and should have!
Pretty funny. :-)
-juice
Regis could buy a fleet of Foresters and still not make a dent in his wallet. He's mentioned what he drives, but it escapes me at the moment, maybe a Jaguar. I know he's had plenty of car problems over the years. He tells great stories about getting flat tires and being totally clueless.
Ross
IIRC that's what I was describing, the cleaning process. I typically use spray lithium lube for lubrication of hinges.
Now I'm curious: My driver's side interior door handle has begun creaking. Seeing as it's plastic, what would you lubricate it with?
Ed
I'd stay with a non-petroleum based lube since the parts are plastic. Lithium grease is about the only thing that comes to mind.
I'd try dabbing some on the areas where plastic meets plastic.
Ken
Bob
Reg?? I know he loved the WRX when it came out, too.
Hmmmm
Patti
-juice
Saw both vehicles as good choices and good values.I chose the Forester over the CRV based in part on content not available on the CR-V, and in part because I liked the Subaru dealer better. (I didn't think I'd ever say that a dealer would make a difference, but it did).
Dealer is Heuberger Subaru (they also do VW and Saab) in Colorado Springs, CO. Salesman is Gary Clark; knowledgable, professional and no b.s. Heburger supports a number of organizations here that I also support. That ultimately helped tip the balance to the Forester. Employees there actually seem to enjoy their work, and they have a coffee bar with free coffee, latte, etc. (not a big deal in the decision, but nice nevertheless).
My S is Sedona Red. Packaged with some options that I probably wouldn't have ordered, such as the brush deflecter, but it was the only S Premium with 5 speed, and I got a good deal on it. Had that one not been there I would have waited for the '03 and paid a little more.
Now if I can avoid hailstorms and the dreaded Check Engine Light I'll have it made.
-juice
With the arrival of our first born about a month away we are starting to look for a car seat. Have any members had positive or negative experiences with car seats in the Forester. One of the things I am particularly interested in is installation and fit issues involving seats that lock into a leave-in base thingy.
Thanks,
Jon
-juice
mike
Congratulations and welcome to the club!
Ken
Ed
Go Terps!
-juice
I'm glad you choose a Subaru.
Patti
I hope this helps.
Patti
Have a great holiday!
Patti
This list also indicates colors. The red is now a Cayenne Red.
I wonder what the rear bumper cover is? It's optional for all Foresters. I hope they don't mean the rear bumper step pad. That's has been standard before; I hope they didn't make it an option.
Bob
www.carseatdata.org
I don't like the Britax infant seat myself, it's a loser in that it doesn't have the convenience of the detachable base. A young baby is never happy about having been asleep in the car and then being physically removed from the seat!
However, later on for your baby, it's hard to beat a Britax Advantage or Roundabout (convertible seat, both rear and forward facing). They are expensive but well worth it.
ISOFIX/LATCH is ultimately the way to go, but manufacturers have been slow with LATCH seats. E.g. Britax has a forward-facing (only) toddler seat but they don't have more in the U.S. yet (e.g. there's no convertible).
I think a properly installed non-LATCH seat is as safe as a LATCH seat; LATCH is meant to partially address the huge percentage of seats that are not properly installed. There are various programs where a certified child safety technician can inspect your seat installation.
Congratulations on the upcoming baby! It's an experience like none other (our 'baby' is 18 months old now).