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Comments
Owen
How successful is Subaru in resolving stuff like this? I can't imagine this isn't some kind of global problem based on the postings here. There have to be hundreds of others out there with this problem who never find this site...
I'll be sure to follow up on this.
David
You are welcome! Let us know how this plays out.
Steve
I am thinking of purchasing a 2005 OB Wagon (VDC), but one concern I have is that I have heard it may be difficult to place a child seat (both rear and forward facing) in the center-back position, even though I have heard that this is generally the safest position for a seat to be located. The OB Wagon seems to have latch positions on the two sides, but not in the middle, and the manual apparently advises against putting a child seat in the middle. Does anyone here have experience with using the middle position for a child seat (when only one child seat is needed), and does the seat fit properly and adjust easily?
Thanks.
Steve
Yes my car will restart immediately after it stalls. Usually, I will put in into neutral, restart it, and then go right back into drive and continue driving. What is valve treatment exactly. How would the deposits be cleared up?
'99 with 81k miles? I dunno, I paid extra for a Subaru Gold warranty, I doubt Subaru will just pay for yours. If so then why sell an extended warranty at all?
Call 800-SUBARU3 and see if they'll help out, at least, maybe cover part of it. While we see a few tranny issues/failures I would not call it common.
Stalling: could be fuel pump, sure. They say "spark or fuel". I'd check the plug wires if you have not already.
-juice
I tried both and ended up going with the passenger side outbound position because:
- The child seat secured better in the outbound position due to the seat contour (as Steve mentioned)
- It's easier getting my two year old up and down from her seat at curb side
- The center position partially blocked my rear view
- There's a bit more room for rear passengers with the child seat in the outbound position.
- Even in the outbound position, the child seat is still a good distance from the side door due to semi-bucket configuration.
Ken
I have owned my 97 Legacy Outback for 3 years now and just replaced the dead battery myself. Now the parking lights are flashing and I can hear/feel a ticking coming from a box labelled Subaru Keyless Entry under the drivers side dash. I never received any key-fobs with this car and never even knew it had keyless entry!!
I did find one web site that described a procedure to reset the system after a battery change that referred to a push button under the dash near the drivers left knee. I can't find this button anywhere and I have unscrewed panels and had half the loom hanging down looking for it.
If I don't have the key-fobs or the push button, is there another way I can reset the keyless entry box? All advice is welcome as right now I am leaving the new battery disconnected while parked so it doesnt drain.
Regards,
Nick.
Thanks.
When I was under my Forester installing my hitch I saw the canister up close.
Basically it's a fuel vapor recovery system, so that canister will store the fumes so they don't escape and pollute the air.
If you overfill, or even if a full service gas jockey on the NJ turnpike did for you, fuel could fill up that canister and trigger the check-engine light.
Don't top off, and remind full service people not to do so, also.
-juice
My '98 OB has a consistent (not rough) low idle of 3500-4000rpm. Both valve covers leak oil. Could this be the cause? My garage (not Subaru authorized) has tried unsuccesfully three times to fix the leaks by replacing the valve cover gaskets. I had assumed that this was a simple gasket change. Why might it be difficult? I have checked and cleaned PCV valve & throttle body\plate, checked solenoid valve OK, all vacuum hoses seem to be in good condition and the manifold gaskets seem to be OK. One thing I did notice was a milky covering on the inside of the PCV valve hose. Is that normal? Coolant is normal color.
-Keith
If the engine has ever overheated, the surfaces may not be true (i.e. flat). So they may have to be machined. Then the gaskets will mate up and seal it better.
-juice
Have you tried resetting the ECU? Also, is the throttle linkage properly adjusted?
I think the milky covering on the inside of the hose might be an oil by-product?
Larry
Milky covering on PCV could be some water vapor being introduced through a bad vacuum hose, or a lot of quick trips, where the engine does not really heat up enough to burn off the water vapor in the engine. Rob M.
The valve cover leaks shouldn't have anything to do with the idle problem. Those darned valve covers are so sensitive to oil levels, heat, etc. I have found that adding gasket sealant to the gaskets when replacing them helps to resist leaks. I have one valve cover that has made it *nearly* two years at this point with no leaks.... and that includes a pair of overheating situations.... The other one leaks again, but 1/4 quart per fill up (300 miles) is a heck of a lot better than before when I lost about 3 quarts per fill up. Much of that was lost through the cam seals though. Did you have those replaced at the same time as the valve covers?
Anyway that's that problem fixed. Onto another! I have power steering fluid puddling onto the engine block directly below the power steering pump and reservoir. It's not much but noticable - the fluid level is fine after a month since topping. My question is what seals do we have here. I'm guessing there's one between the reservoir and pump and one in the pump itself. Could I easily DIY these gasket replacements or is it possible that I need a new pump altogether? If I just empty and remove the reservoir and then reseal that would I still need to bleed the system?
Thanks,
Keith
But, if it might be oil, then check around the oil pressure sending unit on the top of the engine (just to the right of the power steering pump and slightly to the left of the alternator). The leak may be coming from there.
Regarding the valve covers.... where is the leak? Is it at the rear of the covers or the front? If it is at the rear (meaning that the front of the covers are dry/free of oil residue), then it is the valve covers, but if the whole lower surface of the valve cover is covered with residue, it might very well be the cam seals. I would guess that 80% or better of my oil leak (when I lost ~3 quarts per 300 miles) was due to cam seal failure. VERY easy replacement when the valve covers are off. In my opinion, these engines are terribly sensitive to being even slightly overfilled with oil - more so than any other car I have ever experienced. If the oil was overfilled, something almost surely failed. Try re-torquing. If it doesn't help, then I would start making a list and pick a good time when you can fly through a laundry list while you've got the whole thing torn apart.
I swear, one of these days I will really get photos posted of my engine-removing adventure. Really.
Please read #4729. And Please let me know if you have any suggestions for my problem. Also, you made a statement about someone having a coolant leakage, that was troll like, I didn't find their complaint to read, what they were talking about.
Funny after my last visit to the dealer and this was for my yearly state inspection, I had to have a front end alignment, and they told me the smell was "normal" I have not received my questionnaire, I wonder if they some how put a hold on it knowing I would complain about the "normal" service. Which a 1 hour visit turned into little over 3, with no satisfactory results.
I didn't read into too many of the other's headgasket problems, where do I look to see if my car falls under that problem?
Thanks
Also with respect to the wiring, is there one that fits into a factory plug on the factory harness that doesn't require cutting or splicing? The Subaru factory one only lists the Outback.
I basically need to tow a U-Haul trailer from time to time to pick up furniture, home maintenance supplies, etc..
In a way, it's better if you do. They add a conditioner in the coolant for free and you get an 8/100 warranty.
Our '02 is too late, so no warranty. Fortunately I have a Subaru Gold warranty anyway.
You have an '04 so not covered.
Just re-read your post, you report a coolant smell. Hmm.
Some new cars are delivered with the coolant reservoir overfilled, they leak out as the car reaches peak temps, something that does not occur before delivery because the cars aren't on for long enough.
That overflow protection is normal, but it should stop after a few days of use, particularly after you take a long trip.
You can also "burp" the system. There is a screw on the top of the radiator, on my Forester it is a black plastic screw. This lets the air bubbles bleed out to make sure there is no air in the system. It was neat, you could see the bubbles come out as the coolant slowly expanded, once they were gone I just closed the screw.
Not sure if yours is the same but maybe investigate that option?
-juice
Hope you have already resolved nusiance.
In case you're still having the annoyance, that elusive reset button is behind (vacinity) of the hood-release lever.
Working off my memory of my '98 OB, if you get under the dash, look around the bracket for the hood-release, you should see an inconspicous "pill" like button about 1/4" dia. That button is recessed in a tablet like mount. Depress the button to reset.
-Dave
The real problem, IIRC, was that in addition to the signal wires, you needed a fresh +12v supply capable of driving all of the trailer lights (something like 10 amps) as the interface unit also acts as a buffer. It draws almost nothing from the cars lights - just a signal that something is happening, and creates a fresh drive on the 4 pin plug using the new +12v supply. If you simply 'tap' directly into the taillights without this, you might load them down. Plus, you would have to change the trailer to match the separate turn signals not mated to the brake lights.
Steve
the link you provided is not active. Could you send the article/powerpoint file to
dryjacks@yahoo.com
thanks.
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I have a question, and just wanting to see if I can find an explanation. I bought a 05 Legacy sedan, Atlantic Blue, on May 4. I noticed that there are whorls, about 3, one on each of the right doors, and another on the driver's door. Nothing huge, but from an angle, looks like a ding - and not. This normal?
Also, wound up with tree sap and used a cotton wash cloth and a bit of water, and wound up with scratches...nothing deep...but is the paint really that delicate?
Thanks for any insights!
Rich
The paint job on your new car should be perfect. I'd bring up any cosmetic issues with the dealer ASAP. If I recall correctly, our vehicles are shipped from the factory with plastic sheets on parts of the chassis to protect the paint. The dealer, as part of the PDI process, removes the film and details your car.
Regarding the tree sap, did you wash the car (or the local area) prior to wiping? If not, the dirt on the paint acts as an abrasive and will scratch the clear coat, Subaru or not. Also, believe it or not, cotton cloths are not as gentle as they seem to be.
The best thing to do to remove tree sap is to:
1) Make sure the area around the tree sap is clean. Either wash the area with a wool mit and car shampoo or, if not too dirty, spray with quick detailer and wipe with microfiber cloth.
2) Use a dab of wax/cleaner on a microfiber towel and gently work it into the tree sap. The chemicals in the cleaner should dissolve the tree sap away.
It's good to keep a bottle of any quick detailing spray in the car with a clean microfiber cloth.
Ken
Rich
Steve
Although the dealer prepped the car, I still found adhesive and industrial grime on the roof and hood after washing the car over the weekend. I used a Clay Magic clay bar, followed by Mother's reflections tech wax. It was amazing what the clay bar picked up off the body of a brand new car. The surface is now smooth as glass, and shines like a mirror.
As for the scratches, all clear coats scratch. It just shows more on the darker colors. I found a couple on the rear deck. And FWIW, the front passenger door came pre-dinged from the factory. I'm glad to have the first one done with already! Rob M.
Warning: Do not program your remotes with other Subarus in the vicinity as you may be unknowingly programming someone else's remote for your vechicle!
1. Disarm the security system (if your vehicle is so equipped).
2. Open the driver's door and sit in the driver's seat.
3. Close the driver's door.
4. Place the ignition key in the ignition switch and cycle the switch from "LOCK" to "ON" ten times within 15 seconds. Be sure to stop at the "LOCK" position. (leave the key in the ignition) The horn will sound once to indicate that you are in transmitter programming mode.
5. You must finish the next steps within 45 seconds of the horn honking.
A. Open the driver's door.
B. Close the driver's door.
C. Press and release any button on the transmitter. The horn will sound two times to indicate that the transmitter has been programmed.
The control unit can remember up to 4 transmitter codes, so your lost unit is still active and could potentially be used by a bad guy. Wipe it out by programming the new one and the remaining original two times each to reassign all 4 program slots. You can do this all in one step by repeating items "A, B & C" in quick succession.
Exit Program Mode: After programming your remote, remove the key from the ignition switch. The horn will sound three times to indicate the system is now out of programming mode. Check that your remotes work properly at this time.
Steve
approx 2,500 miles and was bought new 3-4 months ago.)
-73, 000 miles (initially reported to dealer at 68,000 that transmission was slipping going into drive but dealer could not find anything)
-Dealer (who I've been quite pleased with) now states that the pressure is low in transmission fluid and the tranmission needs to be rebuilt / replaced-(.
- Per folks on this list I called 800-Subaru3 are reported this problem. My impression was that Subaru was often paying for half the replacement in cases like this
-Customer rep seemed helpful and indicated I would get decision in 2 business days.
-Customer rep has failed to call back in 7 business days even though I've called back each day to get a status. I'm always told the rep will get back to me but it hasn't happened
Any one else had this situation with Subaru customer support? Perhaps they are seeing so many of these they are doing something about it? hopefully they are not just blowing me off!
I have had the bulb replaced under warranty at 3 months and 6 months for the left and right respectively. The service rep told me that these types of halogen light bulbs need replacing often. I have never had bulbs go anywhere near this quickly on any other car that I have owned.
You may have a bad "camshaft angle sensor". They are known to die after a while on that vintage legacy.. mine did, and I had those exact symptoms. It intermittently wouldn't turn over upon starting, no rhyme or reason.
Costs about $150 to replace.
Give it a try, it's a cheap fix.
It's conceivable that the bulbs were mishandled (ie. fingerprints) on installation or that they are a bad batch. Those probably are the more likely causes than something being amiss with your electrical system.
Since the dealer is replacing them, you do have a paper trail. But if you are concerned, give 1-800-SUBARU3 a call and have them create a case. It might be something worth following up on.
Ken
I had a Mazda which ate halogen bulbs for about 12 years until I was forced to replace the alternator. After that it never blew a headlight bulb again.
Good luck,
Ron Mackenzie
Ontario, Canada
Hope to have been of some help.