Subaru Forester 2003 - no power, CEL
(Sorry - this may be a re-post)
Wife was driving home from working, and coming up hill there was no power. 60MPH max, and car was surging/hesitating. Did not recall if temp gauge was high. Essentially, car was not drivable past 50MPH.
I checked the coolant level once she came home, and the car appeared to be hot (temp gauge was high once I turned on ignition). Coolant was a bit low, so added some. Temperature came down fine.
I test drove the car and certainly it seems that on either high acceleration or trying to go past 50 mph causes the car to surge, RPM rev is inconsistent, and there is a general loss of power noticed. Sometimes the CEL will blink, but stops blinking and goes solid after a few seconds.
I will try to get a scanner to pull the code, but any ideas on possibilities? Thanks....
Wife was driving home from working, and coming up hill there was no power. 60MPH max, and car was surging/hesitating. Did not recall if temp gauge was high. Essentially, car was not drivable past 50MPH.
I checked the coolant level once she came home, and the car appeared to be hot (temp gauge was high once I turned on ignition). Coolant was a bit low, so added some. Temperature came down fine.
I test drove the car and certainly it seems that on either high acceleration or trying to go past 50 mph causes the car to surge, RPM rev is inconsistent, and there is a general loss of power noticed. Sometimes the CEL will blink, but stops blinking and goes solid after a few seconds.
I will try to get a scanner to pull the code, but any ideas on possibilities? Thanks....
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I can kind of replicate with heavy acceleration on startup and the surging happens sooner than at freeway speeds.
I have a compression gauge now (borrowed) and will check the compression as I also change the spark plugs and wires (probably needed anyway - thought I had last put in long-life platinum plugs on last change). For some reason, seems to run better right now (yesterday/today) so maybe something loose also.
Spark plugs
Then wires
Then the ignition coil
If it's not that then it's probably fuel related.
If it has not been replaced, you might also consider replacing the fuel filter for good measure. It is easy to access and inexpensive to buy.
Hopefully the replaced wires will clear up the problem.
I would also have him check the basics first: transmission oil level (yes - sounds strange), ensure the air filter is properly enclosed with no gaps or openings, spark plug inserted correctly. If you search on google you will find info on the codes.
Also, have him look at the spark plugs themselves - is there any indication of a problem?
If the fault is on one cyclinder, can he change the wires from one to another, or swap the coil to see if the problem moves? I can't remember if there was a separate coil per cyl. or not.
And, finally, of course, a compression test could be in order to validate that the head is ok.
Call 800-SUBARU3, tell them what happened.
For 99-02 owners they had a campaign where they would add some stop leak and if you let them they extended the warranty to 7/100.
You didn't do that but you were never offered the choice, plus you're only at 55k.
Yours may be under the 5/60k powertrain warranty either way, but go ahead and call and open up a case with them.
It seems unlikely that is the case, however, since the radiator for the A/C system is in front of the engine radiator and thereby protects it from frontal impacts.
A couple of possibilties: (?) - An inferior grade of coolant has been used. Or, the mechanics where I have my vehicle being serviced punctured the radiator when they removed it? I really don't want to believe either of those things.
I don't know where the "hole" is. But, I will ask them to hold on to all of the parts.
If it's at the top of the radiator, you wouldn't see liquid leaking, but rather vapor from the coolant, which would boil if it's not sealed.
You probably would have noticed the steam, unless it leaked out slow and steady.
Keep in mind that until the coolant gets hot enough, the leak may not be noticed. Until the T-stat opens the radiator isn't really doing anything anyway.
Even with that - when/how does one know that something this catastrophic is so out of whack? If I'm doing maintenance when it's recommended - how else would I know?
I don't think you did anything wrong, not at all. Sounds like you maintained it on schedule.
The only early warning you would have would be the temp gauge (or idiot light on newer models without a gauge) and by then you'd already be overheating.
All I can say is maybe look for a mechanic who is a better listener. Sounds like you saw early warning signs on those brakes and they didn't do anything. They at least should have documented your complaint.
You have to remember that if a hole developed in the radiator (we still do not know why!), the car could go from normal operation to overheating in very short order. There may be very little if any warning, especially when being operated at highway speeds or high RPMs. If the coolant loses pressure, it will boil rapidly. Without water contact to the engine components, localized overheating (the worst kind!) can happen within a few seconds causing all sorts of problems.
This is unfortunate, but not necessarily or even likely due to neglect/negligence.
I hate to say this - and I've been saying it for years. I think being a woman alone makes me vulnerable when I walk in to have my car serviced. I've learned a lot about cars over the years. And, the fact is, I know my vehicle. I generally know when something isn't right. When I complained about the fuel tank door not opening, I was told "This happens on cars all the time". I've never owned a car where the fuel tank door doesn't open. They never did fix that either. I carry around a can opener in my glove compartment because when the temp goes to single digits and below, it simply doesn't open. And, in Cleveland, Ohio we get a lot of that.
Well - thanks for the input and putting up with my frustrations. Car is home and running well. I hope it stays that way!
That flat spring is held on by one small bolt, so I took it off and ever so slightly bent the spring with 2 pairs of pliers in the direction that provided more tension against the stop when the fuel door is closed. Worked perfectly and haven't had the problem since.
If the latch is letting go ok on your vehicle this could be your problem, as I have seen this happen on a couple other Foresters. I used to carry a wooden paint stirrer to open mine, not needed anymore.
Make sure the power steering fluid isn't low, and check it's condition as well. The most likely cause of the creaking may be a bad wheel bearing, though.
BTW - winter is coming. I have my can opener in the glove box to PRY open the fuel tank door (when temp goes into single digits) that they could never seem to fix. "Oh - this happens all the time in cars".....
The only worse story I ever heard was from Ford: the paint is chipping because of "acid rain".
I am so tired of getting screwed.