Subaru Outback VDC

turftoes1

My '02 VDC Has been a great car. Just finished a 2800 mile trip in 7 days and never a hiccup. However when adjusting the volume on the radio or CD player I get a "fuzzy" sound from the speakers. Anybody else had this annoying feedback and what was the fix? Thanks for your help.

ateixeira

Maybe some sort of interference? I'd let a dealer have a look-see.

-juice

edcoak2001

We had the same problem with ours. Typically, this sort of fuzzy sound is caused by dust/dirt in the contacts of the volume control (potentiometer). This is not a problem on a lot of the new digital head units out there, but I think the McIntosh still uses a potentiometer. The fix for this is a shot of "tuner cleaner" or something similar. But since the car is still under warranty, we took it to the dealer and they promptly ordered a replacement unit. You should probably do the same...

Craig from Seattle (OK, Kenmore...)

leea4

Subaru rep. drove car and couldn't figure out what was causing the vibration,tried shifting into N, even turned eng. off and still felt vibration. Went back to dealership,took a new VDC off lot, did the same thing (new VDC was worse than mine) Rep. said that he was going to talk to the factory and see if they had any ideas. I can't believe that if three VDC's off the same lot (another customer also) have the same problem that subaru isn't aware of the problem. Wheel bearings have been checked & all three cars have different tires. haven't heard back from subaru, been about three weeks.

paisan

Did they check the TP? Most of the time they come with almost 50psi at the factory so that if they sit on a lot for 4-6 months the tires don't get out of round.

-mike

leea4

I checked & rechecked the pressure, also I had the tires changed at time of purchase, because I did't want the Firestone.

subaru_team

Can you please call us and we can get a case started? I'd really like to make sure this gets some attention. Please call 1-800-SUBARU3. Please have your VIN and the dealer name. When the Representative starts the case, please ask them to let me know? I'm sorry for the problem, but something doesn't sound right. We'll jump on it - I promise.

Patti

subaru_team

The Rep. that got your call did let me know. The good news is that your case is involving one of our best Reps. and one of the better folks in the field. The Field Rep. is doing the right thing. Since this is something that is unusual, he wants to make sure he's not missing something that our technical group may think should be investigated. They do have your situation listed as a priority.

Thanks!

Patti

hunter001

That was a pretty quick and pro-active addressing of a customer's concern !! Great stuff.

Later...AH

theob

I saw this problem with our VDC a few months ago. I believe that Craig is correct in saying that the volume control is a potentiometer (variable resistor), but believe that the cause has more to do with oxidation of the contacts than with dirt. My fix was the same that I've used with stereos for years, quickly spin the knob back and forth several times to wear off the oxidation. Problem fixed for now.

The question remains: since it's difficult to match up the VDC/McI parts with off-the-shelf McI components, what is the likelyhood that they're actually Clarion components with McI labels?

Theo in cold and snowy Colorado

leea4

SUBARU TEAM REALY CAME THROUGH! REPLACED THE DRIVE SHAFT, PROBLEM SOLVED. ONE OF THE U JOINTS WAS DEFECTIVE. MANY THANKS TO PATTI & ALL OF THE TEAM. LOVE MY VDC AGAIN !!!!

ateixeira

Glad to hear. You may or may not know that caps means you are shouting, but then again you may be so happy that you are actually shouting. :-)

-juice

kens

Great news! Patti comes through again!

I'd be shouting with joy as well. :-)

Ken

leea4

I AM SHOUTING!!

ateixeira

LOL! I told you guys! :-)

-juice

happyh6

I am glad that you had your problem fixed. I am also having a slight vibration in the steering wheel as well as a slight hum at about 60 mph. I had to switch dealers in order for someone to take my problem seriously. Did you notice any slight hum along with your vibration?
Reagrds,
Paul

leea4

I also had what I called a rolling hum, it would cycle about once every two seconds. Good luck, if I can be of any more help, yell.

ateixeira

Wheel bearings? Just a guess.

-juice

petew3

haven't been here for a while & was reading Mike, Theo, and mike's discussion re: whether or not the vdc stereo is really McIntosh. Just an FYI- I did extensive research a few months back & even exchanged email with a couple of McIntosh engineers who worked on the system. They confirmed that the list of Mc components that I was able to track down as being the closest to the VDC (listed here in a post a few months ago) was in fact the correct list of "starting" components (minor mods were made) for the VDC system. The story about McIntosh engineers being involved in the tuning and setup is also apparently true. I don't have time to find the list I posted back then today but maybe you can find it by search if you are so inclined.

mikenk

Pete,here is the list that you had originally posted. I got the specs for these components and agree that they are logically the basis for the stereo.

head unit: MX406 - $930
Amp: MMC420M - $1129
speakers,: MS10, MSX487, MSX486: ~$700

What's important to me is that it appears that this was indeed a collaboration between McIntosh engineers and Subaru to design a great stereo system, regardless of components actually used. This is the way great companies design products through cooperative effort between suppliers and parent company. I hope that this is the way Subaru designs all their car subsystems. That would explain their consistently high reliability marks.

Mike

ateixeira

It sounds sweet. Wow, that's one pricey system!

-juice

smithda1

Sounds very sweat.

This is the best sounding stereo I (or anyone I have met)have ever owned.

I just hope that sound insulation works the other way. Otherwise alot of people are going to have to learn to like my music.

theob

Thanks guys for the info. I agree! It is the best stereo I've seen in a car. In fact it's the best stereo we own.
Theo in Colo.

theob

Has anyone else experienced this?

When starting out under light acceleration when the car is cold, it emits a noise most easily heard inside the cabin, and sounds like something metal is rubbing against something in the mid to back of the drivetrain. It's sort of a clatter sound. It seems to only happen when cold and when accelerating at low speeds. It is a disconcerting sound.
2001 VDC w/ 22k mi.

Theo in Colo.

ateixeira

Loose heat shield?

-juice

msuvet

I just had my heat shield repaired. By just, I mean today. I didn't know what it was until today when they checked it out.
My symptoms were a vibration/rattling that I heard mainly in reverse. The interesting thing is that my brakes didn't squeal in reverse after the vibration started. Maybe I found an inadvertent fix!

Christina

ateixeira

Cool, glad it's nice and quiet now.

-juice

bird19

Subaru's 2.5 L engine has been known to develop piston slap, as in my '98 Forester. (My piston slap didn't develop until around 25K)

I've been thinking of moving up to one of a L.L. Bean...but, are the 3.0 L engines also prone to developing piston slap?

Anyone experience or hear about this from anyone? Or, is it too soon in the vehicle's history?

oclvframe

Dave,

I have a 01 Bean. My odometer indicates just under 26k. No noticeable piston slap....engine just purrs!

-r

ateixeira

I've never heard of that on the new H6, at least not yet.

Saw a 2003 model at the NY Auto Show, and the good news is that the VDC with the Macintosh gets a standard 6 CD changer! That's nice because I believe it's kind of hard to upgrade the system with aftermarket parts.

Other models get a subwoofer in the cargo area like the VDC already has.

All Outbacks get chrome trim rings around the speedo and tach, which look nice, like my Miata has. The grille gets simpler, with less chrome, plus a new bumper looks better integrated.

Big news? The 2.5 GT gets VTD AWD and a shiftronic. I hope the H6 models get that tranny soon!

-juice

theob

I wonder if we'll be able to put the changer in the '01 models (retrofit).
Theo

ateixeira

I knew people would ask that. They didn't know for sure.

-juice

petew3

When I was researching the McIntosh,I believe one of the differences that the 01 VDC dash unit has from the comparable stock Mc unit is the lack of a fiber optic connection required for the 6- changer. Hope I'm wrong...it would be nice to add a 6 disk changer.

mikenk

Personally, I have never seen the need for a cd changer. I use my cd's primarily for my home system. When I go somewhere; I decide what I want to hear, grab them and use them one at a time, then return them to my home storage rack. On a long trip, I take 30 or so in a cd case. I have the cd changer on the WRX but never use it; it just doesn't seem to work for me.

How do y'all use your changers? Surely, you don't leave the same six in all the time; it seems that periodic change out would be a pain.

Just wondering what I am missing.
Mike

paisan

I have 6 cds with 20ish songs on each. That keeps me pretty busy.

-mike

ateixeira

I have a single CD in my Miata, and I'll admit it is distracting to stop and change it. I usually forget to before I drive off.

-juice

petew3

I end up listening to the same CD til I get sick of it cuz I'm used to a multidisk changer. My old 4Runner had a 12 disk changer. With two cartridges, one is in the changer & one ready for when I got tired of the twelve, which takes a while. When I got the VDC I was changing all the time & almost wrecked a couple of times. Subaru's lame line when I inquired was that they didn't want to put a changer in the back & McIntosh didn't make a 6 disk indash model. Having Mc remove the fiber optic connectivity for a changer effectively eliminated the possibility of adding the 6 disk stand alone changer (which Mc does make).

Juice - was that 03 changer indash or in the back. If it was indash, it means McIntosh has made a completely new model for it.

petew3

oops....sowwy bout that link in my last msg. it happened automatically (must be a board feature????).....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

ateixeira

No, I think the CD changer was not in-dash.

Funny because the Forester's is, for instance.

-juice

theob

Do we know for sure that the optical link was removed from the 01/02 VDC Mac? In the 01 manual it talks about controlling the changer from the Mac front panel, implying that there is a connector. That's what got me really going on the changer option in the first place.
Theo

petew4

when I asked SOA about the manual's seeming discrepancy, they said the manual was in error. I don't know for sure that the fiber optic connectivity was removed, but that is what both Mc and SOA told me.

ssminton

For all those with CD changer issues, get XM Satellite Radio. More music choices than you could could ever want (News and Variety stations are great too!) and easy to retrofit existing stereo. As someone who drives 35K miles/year, I purchased XM when it became available in the San Diego test market last fall. I would trade in my CD changer any day!

djstewart

Interesting news from Juice about some minor upgrades to the 2003 Outbacks, which will accompany the major rework on the Forester for '03. I'm kicking around the idea of a H-6 or VDC purchase (either 02 or 03 model) to replace my '98 model. My concern is taking the plunge on one of these models only to see a major redesign unveiled in '04. Anyone know for sure (or have a good guess) on when we might see a new Outback model introduced?

This may be covering old territory for some of you but I'd also appreciate knowing how power is split between the front and rear wheels on the H-6 models as compared to the VDC's rear drive bias of 55 rear/45 front. I've heard a number of different scenarios for H-6 ranging from full-time 50/50 to a more pronounced front-drive bias.

Putting aside the obvious VDC safety benefits and superior stereo system for a moment, does anyone consider the pure driving benefits of the rear drive bias VDC enough of a reason to purchase this model over the H-6?

Thanks for any input,

Don

hunter001

This may be covering old territory for some of you but I'd also appreciate knowing how power is split between the front and rear wheels on the H-6 models as compared to the VDC's rear drive bias of 55 rear/45 front. I've heard a number of different scenarios for H-6 ranging from full-time 50/50 to a more pronounced front-drive bias.

The non-VDC H6 would drive with 90% of the power going to the front wheels and a small dribble of power going to the rear wheels in non-slip conditions, which effectively means it drives like a Front-wheel-drive car in non-slip conditions. When slip is imminent, it can transfer upto 50% of the total power rearwards.

The VDC, in non-slip conditions, drives with 55% of the power to the rear wheels. When accelerating, 85% of the power is sent to the rear-wheels (as it should based on the "Physics" of the situation). It can reverse this power transference towards the front, when conditions demand that. This rearward torque bias - in non-slip conditions - (employed by its VTD-AWD -Variable torque distribution-AWD)is achieved by the torque-sensing Planetary gear center differential (which the other H6 lacks). Also, the VDC has 6-plate electro-mechanical transfer clutches, as opposed to the lighter-duty 4-plate clutches employed in the other H6.

Thus, the VDC has a much broader range of transferability, and also does the power/torque transference much faster than the other H6, in addition to the handling improvements through its rear-ward power/torque bias.

Hope this helps,

Later...AH

paisan

Here are the torque splits during std cruising:
VTD/VDC: 45/55
4EAT(~95-03): 80/20
MT: 50/50
4EAT(<95): 90/10

The above 4EAT 80/20 split is per Patti the SOA rep here on Edmunds.

-mike

snowbelter

I've had a VDC wagon for two months. Our other car is a '00 Outback Sedan. There're similar but different. The VDC has, for me, a better road "feel", and part of it may be slight suspension differences or just a wagon vs. a sedan as well as the 45/55 vs. 80/20 split. But if your're serious about music, then the McIntosh system is makes it an easy decision. But, its really a subjective decison. Spend some time driving both versions of the H6 and comparing both sound systems if that's important to you. The H6 versions offer a little extra power that I feel the lacks especially when you're carrying around two or three people. But its sure difficult to justify the price differencial between a 4 and the 6 versions when they all are so similar. Bottom line: I love the VDC and I'd buy it again.

rsholland

The Legacy and Outback are scheduled to be all-new for MY 2005. There are rumors, however, that in MY 2004, there may be a turbo Legacy offered.

Bob

keith_h

I have a 2002 VDC Wagon, with about 3500 miles on the clock. From new there has been a electrical whine from the stereo system, it is RPM dependent the frequency changes as the RPM do.

It also gets slightly louder as you use more power, so if the AC comes on, rear heater is on etc.

The dealer has replaced the glass with the embedded antenna to rule out any faults there but it made no change to the noise.

Anybody solve a similar problem or have any suggestions on how to track down the fault ?

Apart from this noise I love my VDC

Keith

edcoak2001

Keith,

I've heard no whine in our VDC. First thoughts are to have the dealer verify that the head unit and amp are grounded properly and that all connections are tight... Let us know if you do find out the cause.

ateixeira

Don: I've heard the face-lifted 2003 will appear in August. The 2005 redesign two years later.

-juice