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Comments
Over the top hole is not good. A few millimeters is within the margin of error and won't hurt anything, but if it is 10 or more (~1/2"), yes, it could cause serious oil leak issues down the road. They will start slow and grow progressively worse over time.
That little FB20 takes 5.3 quarts of oil (w/ filter change).
BTW, the FB25 takes 5.5 quarts.
NOT...!
VC implementations are reactive, only couple torque AFTER of period of wheelspin/slip(***). At least thats the way they worked prior to ABS, VDC, etc, becoming standard equipment.
With the DCCD system and any of these safety features, ABS, CDC, etc, activate the DCCD coupling can be INSTANTLY opened.
So I suspect, like the '01 F/awd Lexus RX300, before stability control, etc, become standard the VC actually worked, after....NOT.
***Since TC will almost always activate the instant wheelspin/slip is detected there will be little or no opportunity for the VC to ever "stiffen".
i know the MPG indicator (below the speedometer) indicates current mileage above/below the current trip average, however, what do the tick marks represent? 1 mpg each?
thanks!
I just filled up for the first time. 10 gallons. 310 miles.
Computer showed 33.3 mpg.
The tank wasn't 100% full when I picked it up. Something like 2 bars down.
I think there was 4 bars still showing on the gas gauge when I filled up.
I tend never to empty a tank to get the warning light. the warning light comes on with 2.6 gallons left. I wonder what that means for the bars displayed on the gauge. I also notice I could "top-off" much more than my old subaru. Yes, not a good thing to do but I just wanted to see how much more goes in once the pump shuts off. I didn't actuall watch gallons, but it was about another dollars worth or so.
Once I had numerious miles (100+??) the gause started to reflect more realistic numbers and went up to 330 or something. After my fill-up, its at 450 or something like that.
--jay
The dealer told me, and at the same time gave me the VIN #. After that, I got a message saying it would be ready this week instead of next, and I got a call last night from the finance manager to set up an appointment. So my April 9th date turned into April 4th!!
picture and article about them: Wheel Weights
of course, i haven't looked to see how far back the drain plug is yet. if i can reach it by hand, there is maybe no need to jack the car up since the oil filter is so convenient in this car!
bottom line: it was much tougher than i thought!
background: i realized after ordering my car that i really wanted the homelink functionality. my dealer was willing to sell me the mirror "at cost" ($162) for self install, which was very good compared to online pricing. the dealer wanted, however $267 for it installed (which is supposedly discounted off of the retail cost of $330 or so installed).
the instructions* i read on the web (from the Subaru technical site) looked very clear and my only concern was understanding how to take the old mirror off and not cracking the map light cover when prying it off.
* see http://techinfo.subaru.com/proxy/66206/pdf/066206-h501sfj100.pdf
well, my fears for those items were unfounded, but i ran into three issues (two big ones, IMHO) that i hope i can share with you folks should someone else attempt this on their own:
1. the harness that is supposed to be contained within the map light/BT mic assembly does not exist as indicated in the instructions. i spent 20-30 minutes inspecting it with a fined tooth comb (while it hung from the headliner) and unwrapping foam coverings to find nothing. i felt around the edge of the headliner for the longest time, and somehow by a miracle felt something. after fiddling with what i felt, i could pull it close to the opening (within 1") so that i could see with my headlamp that it was probably the connector i wanted but i needed to pull back the foam wrap. it's hard to explain: but this was difficult because there was no slack...i couldn't freely get my hand in there so i had to use two fingers to peel back the foam wrap and it took me a lot of finger gymnastics to plug the harness that came with this mirror into this plug.
2. the next part was brutal: on the same instruction step, the next job is to fish/feed the harness through the headliner out to where the headliner meets the windshield (hereafter, interface). this took me probably 1 hour of trial, error, fear of tearing my headliner, cutting up my hand, and much consternation. there were several moments when i was ready to throw in the towel and just pay the dealer the extra $110 or so bucks to complete the job for me. yes, i was that frustrated by it all. maybe the dealers/subbie installers have a special "feed/fish" tool, but i struggled with a chop stick, metal skewer, screwdrivers, and a number of other things i had, and nothing worked. even when i finally got it to the point where i could stick my finger at the interface and feel the connector hitting my finger, there was no way i could grab it out of fear of tearing the headliner which is supposed to be snug at this interface. finally, i had the idea to wrap a plant wrap (think: very long version of a supermarket twistie tie) on the connector and hope that i could get that to the interface for my fingers to grasp and then gently pry the headliner down enough to pull the connector through but yanking gently on the plant tie. in the end, that worked. i was sweating bullets the whole time wondering if was going to tear the headliner of my brand new car.
3. finally, the last bit of consternation relates to #1. the wiring harness is just barely long enough to go from the existing harness (the hidden one in #1) to the mirror itself, i don't know if i have 2.5in slack as suggested by the instructions, but i gave it only what i had. thankfully, i can see that i have enough slack such that the mirror can be moved without straining the wire.
my wife asked me afterward: was it worth it? honestly, my gut reaction was no. that was too much grief to save the money i did although i guess if i did it again, i now have more experience and could get it done quicker and without as much frustration (although that fishing/feeding step is a pain, regardless, i would still fear damaging the headliner if i were to help someone else install theirs. it should be noted that my motivation for the self install was sealed on the day i picked up my car. i planned on a self-install not only to save myself money, but also to save a trip to the dealer to install the mirror since they didn't have anyone available to install it for me the day i picked up the car. if they could have installed it before i picked up the car, i might have just paid them the money for the convenience of it all. in hindsight, that is definitely the case.
i'm sure the port installers have their ways of doing this in 10 minutes since they probably do so many, but for the neophyte, it's doable, but it's not nearly as easy as the instructions make it out to be (maybe it's easier on a forester or legacy), especially since the instructions aren't 100% accurate.
total install time: just under 2 hrs including getting tools ready, going through issues above, programming the homelink and compass (compass calibrated itself during commute this morning). if it weren't for the first two items noted above, it would have been a 20 minute job start to finish. but i think it was at least an hour and a half battling the harness and its connection to the vehicle's wiring/harness.
final thoughts:
- i really think it's a bit cheap and unsightly how they try to hide the wire with this little guide thing that comes with the mirror and then, even with that, the wire "peels out" at the last minute and still needs to plug into the mirror and expose some wire. i checked my wife's prius and it does the same thing, but one would think they could build the wire plug into the mount itself for a cleaner looking install.
- it works: i've never had a self dimming mirror before, but i'm looking forward to that feature in the days ahead (i bought it primarily for the homelink functionality)
- it appears you can turn off the compass, but you need to do it on each drive (lame, if you ask me). i'd rather leave the compass off most of the time rather than have those red letters always there, but i guess i'll get used to it because i don't want to have to get in the habit of turning it off each time i drive.
Otherwise I'll use ramps.
i'm not very familiar with suctioning out oil from the dipstick...
i probably should invest in ramps if i can't jack this car and either sell or give my jack away since i can't really use it with my wife's prius either. i've never used ramps and been a bit dubious of them "staying put" when i drive onto them, but i guess it's a matter of how heavy they are and how carefully i drive up them?
Remove the access door, slide catch pan under, flip the lever to drain.
By the way, you forgot option 3:
1. Ramps
2. Jack Stands
3. Pre-lifted XV model
For the ramps, I've found the Blitz brand plastic molded sets to be very easy to drive up. They have large stops on the end of the ramp to prevent accidentally rolling too far forward. Just a gentle acceleration will get up the ramp, and you'll feel a "thunk" as the wheels roll onto the top platform. After that it's just a matter of blocking the back wheels for extra security and then getting to work.
The Impreza does have a long front overhang and low bumper, which just cleared the Blitz ramps, so I'd be cautious the first time with a different brand to insure the clearance is correct.
You can reach the plug without lifting the vehicle, but clearance will be tight for a pan.
As for suctioning, that's even easier. Pull out the oil dipstick, insert the suction hose, and pump the suction base (electric or manual pump). The question is whether or not the hose can fully insert to the bottom of the pan. With my van's 3.8 V6 motor getting the tube fully inserted to the bottom is difficult, but with most other cars it's no problem.
Odie
So far I'm only getting 26MPG, with 80 miles driven after I reset trip A.
I'm hoping the MPG would improved over time. I live in sunny california, so I can't blame the low MPG on cold weather.
The 15% ethenol, is that a seasonal thing, or are they mixing in 15% ethenol all year round?
That is the only issue I have come across when using ramps. Generally, for oil changes I will use ramps. For more involved work, I will use jack stands for two reasons: 1., I can remove the tires to allow more work room., and 2., the car simply feels more secure on the stands (no suspension movement, tires to roll, etc).
As far as the ramps staying in place, that's never an issue with a Subaru - given the AWD. With RWD cars (when driving the front end onto the ramps), they will sometimes push the ramps rather than roll up them. Since the front tires are drive tires, they literally climb the ramp and, therefore, the ramps do not tend to slide.
if you don't mind: can you give me some perspective on your photo on where the oil pan cutout is? is the drain plug facing front or back? is it centered or to the left or right of the car? i have fairly low profile pan which i just manage to make work with my wife's prius (although i basically have to let the drain plug fall into the pan and then retrieve it later), so i'm guess i can here, too.
but of course, i need to give these ramps and perhaps the suction method a bit of research and consideration.
thanks!
i didn't even notice the recent mix of ethanol. is that true of all gas formulations/brands? in fact, i recall seeing something in the manual of making sure the car wasn't exceeding 10-15% ethanol (can't remember the amount specified)
i've been a long time chevron guy and will probably stick with that initially...(i have no clue what the dealer put in)
23.7 mpg
Avg speed 16 mph
Range remaining 200 miles
Remaining fuel - half tank according to gauge
If I have 200 miles on it plus 200 miles range left minus the 15 miles on it when I picked it up, and use 12.7 gallons of gas from full to "empty", I should be in the neighborhood of 30 mpg. Just wishing.
I expect the mileage to be better on the second tank of gas. It feels peppy and I like the sound of the engine when you get on it.
As an aside, my 2 year/24 month maintenance warranty is scheduled by Subaru at 3000, 7500, 15,000, and 22,500 miles. Subaru uses a synthetic motor oil.
I just got an email from Livormore Subaru, saying that they would beat any written offer from any dealer by $300 for cars they have on the lot.
So there's a good chance that someone can beat my price soon.
I'm a little bummed about the low MPG, but I heard from other forum that there are some tricks to bring the MPG up.
1) for freeway driving, go into manual mode and up shift to '6' to keep the CVT locked in top gear
2) don't light foot the gas, always make brisk, but not harsh acceleration to accelerate to the cruising speed quickly, and then easy off gas immediately to get RPM to drop. Idea is to accelerate at the most optimal RPM(3-4k)
I'm going to try these techniques and see if I get some improvements.
It seems that others have already tried driving full manual mode and saw no improvement on MPG, so I won't be trying that either.
I don't know what kind of gas Subaru put into my first tank. Hopefully, not 15% ethanol...those are bad for MPG.
time will tell. i haven't tried the manual 6 speed trick on the highway but have actually used the paddle shifters a little to give me some higher rpms in town.
try to watch the ECO gauge a little and let us know if that helps tailor your driving a little. i had been driving my wife's prius a bit while waiting for my impreza to arrive so maybe i've changed habits that are suited to better mileage on a CVT....(i drove a 5 spd honda civic prior to the impreza)
I really hope mine will improve like yours.
BTW, do you live in a cold area? Could the weather be what's helping your mpg? or do you think it's really the break-in that made the improvement?
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Turf-Oil-Extractor-OIL01/dp/B000GU0MMU
There's a lot of options out there, but the one above is a model commonly carried at Yamaha stores for WaveRunner oil changes, and that was my primary reason for buying it in the first place (they can't be drained). After using it for the Yamaha WaveRunners, I started using it to make fluid changes in my cars easier.
What I like about the HT Moto is that the suction tube is metal reinforced so it doesn't collapse under pressure or kink during insertion.
Here's a picture to help provide some reference:
limited clearance
The pan is dead-center under the drain plug and 4.5" tall. The lowest point of the vehicle at the point, a bottom cover, is 6" from the ground. The drain plug is roughly 25" from the front of the bumper and recessed inside that cutout, making access a little challenging without raising the front end. The drain plug is about 30" from the outside of the driver's wheel, which is roughly center of the vehicle.
I'll give it a look this weekend.
Thanks, Jason
Can you elaborate on how you drive, what kind of traffic, and has that pattern been steady for the first few tanks?
Also what are the restrictions for driving during the break-in period, and how long does that last? Am getting a Premium, to be delivered within the next week. I have a lead foot syndrome upto speed limit, am worried about causing damage to the powertrain.
No real complaints: but only had car for four days.
do you know what the other "hatch door" is for closer to the bumper, almost centered on the car? i almost thought that was it, but when i opened it up and felt around, i didn't feel anything like a drain plug.
you're right: i think i would want to get ramps or a jack at least for one oil change so i have a better idea what's underneath there. afterwards, i think i could pretty confidently unscrew the drain plug and fit a pan under there (i didn't try shoving my pan under there, so i'd of course check first.
I haven't yet opened that door so I'm not totally positive. Perhaps for draining the radiator? Typically those drain locations on the radiator lower corner, so the access door would be oriented to one side of the car or another, but I suppose it's possible. I'll have to take a look later.
Both have plenty of space for four 6-foot adults without adjusting front seats.
They handle differently, though, so your wife should drive each to gain an understanding of where her preferences are and how each matches up. Personally I prefer lightweight tossable cars, so the Impreza is better match. I could afford much more car, but economics were just one consideration, and I'm one of those that appreciates the trend towards high quality small cars like the Impreza.