Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
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
I have a Front end vibration when I hit the brakes.
Put4 new tires on the car yesterday, replaced all the rotors and brakes (front and rear) last week.
And still have the problem of very apparent vibration when I brake.
What else is there, wheel bearings?
jtcom@aol.com
So my question is, does the mechanic sound correct? I'd hate to go through all that just to discover the problem is something else. I can't say I'd be able to afford that kind of mistake as much as car trouble shooting can be hit or miss at times.
Any information would be greatly appreciated!
The key, though, is has the overheating been bad enough that the heads are warped and may no longer seal properly, even after new gaskets are installed?
-mike
-mike
Also check the front and rear main seals of the engine for leaks.
At 159k miles the head gaskets owe you nothing, so maybe they will never fail, who knows?
Basically if the engine was driven while overheating a lot, you have a boat anchor.
There are a lot of things beside just slapping it in....
1) Wiring harness- You will have to rewire a good protion of the wiring harness to accomodate the WRX ECU the wiring harness usually runs about $2-4k to have someone do it in the car, $2k outside the car.
2) Motor itself- make sure you get one out of a running car or else it'll be a headache forever. Seen this a few times where we didn't see the car it came out of running.
3) Other items- Front crossmember, sway bar, power steering lines, etc. etc. This stuff usually adds up to about $2-3k worth of "misc" items.
All in all if you have someone install a turbo motor, expect to pay about $8-10k for the work with the parts. Even then the car will likely not be 100%.
-mike
What do you think? And, if it's wheel bearings, how urgent is it that I fix the problem quickly? I ask because I will be replacing the car in the spring. And, finally, any guess on the cost of replacing a wheel bearing?
Thank you very much for any and all advice about this.
JRP
Change 'em. Think of all the added friction, if they don't fail they will at least be costing you in gas mileage.
Is this true???:
"The 4 speed automatic transmission, had a feature where the transmission could be instructed to ignore 1st gear from a standing stop to assist driving on traction limited situations, such as ice and snow. The system was activated by moving the gearshift from the "D" position down to "2nd". The car would then start in 2nd gear, and not 1st. The transmission also splits the delivered torque 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. Once the car stopped, the transmission would start back in 2nd and not 1st, until the system was upshifted to 4th."
I tried this recently on my '01 and could almost "hear" all the wheels pushing me forward.
Thanks for any insight!
Good way to start in Snow.
Actually, an SoA rep was on these boards for a while, and she polled us to find out how many people knew about that feature. Most owners did not know, so they ran a publicity campaign to inform more owners.
Definitely true.
Can someone help me with resetting the trip computer? The manual simply talks about resetting the trip button. I don't see anything but the one button that changes the reading from temp to mpg to ave mpg, etc.
I tried pushing the trip reset button by the speedo but that didn't do anything. Anyone's help would be appreciated.
-mike
Generally I do think you're likely to get 100k trouble-free miles from most Subarus. At least free from major troubles.
Long time member, but been a long time since I've last posted.
Looking to ditch my 05 CR-V (FWD). Since moving to PA, the roads are not exactly like they were from my previous address.
When comparing the Outback 2.5i Special Edition vs. Forester 2.5X Premium, I'm having a hard time seeing exactly what I'm getting in the Outback for ~$1400 more. I used to have a 05 Forester and I thought VERY highly of the Subaru make in general after my experience w/ that car.
Is there anything I'm not seeing mechanically? Is it a quality of drive issue? What say you pros? Break it down for me pls !
Jopopsy
PS Juice, I'm sure you're still here in one form or another. Hope all is well.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
It seemed rather weird, so I took out another car, and it did the same thing. My 2003 and 1996 Legacies did not do it on the same incline.
Anyone know if this quirk is new to the 2009s?
Aside from that, I would have to run through the features list of the vehicles, but mechanically, I do not think they vary too terribly much.
Take a look at the cars101.com site for a comprehensive run down of features for both models.
Here is the story:
My girlfriend purchased a 2004 Subaru Legacy 2 years ago. At 80k the entire engine had to be overhauled due to a fatly connecting rod slowly destroying everything from the connecting rod on down the line (pistons and crank shaft included). Prior to the rebuild, I had noticed that the head gasket was leaking and had to have that replaced as well. Fortunately, all this work was done under an extended warrantee. All in all, this work would have cost $2000-PLUS had it not been for the warrantee. After further research, come to find out this issue was not an isolated issue (Just Google Subaru 2.5 liter engine problems )
My advice for new Subaru owners – get the extended (**100K plus**) warrantee – YOU WILL NEED IT.
As for me, my love affair with the rugged AWD Subaru brand is not what it used to be. I will (albeit reluctantly) stick with my Hondas and Toyotas and continue the family tradition of consistently driving them past 200k without major engine overhauls.
I've track driven at least 6 subarus STARTING at 100k miles and put on on 10-20k miles AT REDLINE on track with stock drivelines.
So your arguement doesn't hold weight IMO. The head gaskets are a known issue, they changed the gasket material to fix this issue.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
Still, I'd pick the Forester again.
We had a 98 Forester, an 02 Legacy, and an 09 Forester.
My wife and I may argue over which Forester we liked best, but the Legacy would definitely fall in 3rd place. Distant 3rd.
-mike
The harness plugs right in, no hassles, and that double-DIN sized unit fits where the regular radio and single CD add-on would go, so the size is perfect.
I put one in a 2002 Legacy. I put a 2nd one in a 1998 Forester.
There is one hard-to-reach bolt, you'll need a long phillips screw driver with a magnetic tip.
But the harness fits so it is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.
Not as easy with AWD but it can be done.