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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    Steve, in reply to post 6502: Ethanol, in a diluted form, is available in any liquor store. However, it won't dry your gas. 8~)

    Also, denatured alcohol is available at Home Depot in gallon cans.

    Jim
  • vetmatsvetmats Member Posts: 71
    I've had my 2000 Subaru Outback in to the dealer twice for the check engine light which turned out to be a a misfire on Cylinders #2 and #4 the first time, Cylinder #4 only the second time. And now my check engine light is on for a third time, only two days after the second trip to the dealer.

    alf2002,
    Did you check engine light ever stay off?

    I am considering taking my car to another dealer to see if another dealer can find the problem.

    Any suggestions?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Only does the rotation/tire balancing/fix flat if you buy the tires and get them installed by them. For non-costco tires you don't get those things. I do the same though for $10/tire you can't really beat them for mounting and balancing.

    -mike
  • ecnivcecnivc Member Posts: 2
    I was told exhaust gas was entering the coolant. An internal crack-no details given. SOA offered to pay half the cost of the short block. Personally, I think they should have paid for the block. The dealer helped also. The check engine light and A/T light came on. I shut the car off, looked under the hood, restarted it-NO LIGHTS. Drove it to the dealer and the rest is painful history.The car has 70,000 miles. I want to know how many people this has happen to. I also had the wheel bearing replaced at 65,000. Also out of warranty. I just bought an LLBean Outback also, and I'm nervous.
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    nope. The last 2 tire purchases where done through tirerack and installed by Costco. I have never been charged on either car for rotation, balancing and/or flats. Maybe its different at different stores?? The one thing that is a minus using this route is warranty coverage. Just not that easy to handle.

    Greg
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Could be at the discretion of each tire-manager. I know their policy states that it's not included, but the guys at my place are pretty cool so they'd probably do it for me if I asked.

    -mike
  • vetmatsvetmats Member Posts: 71
    I canceled my third trip to the dealer last Friday. I'm glad that I did because my check engine light went off today (Sunday). After looking back through the various posts I think that my problem was due to:

    A) moisture due to the winter
    B) letting the level in my gas tank get too low.
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    because we're just nice guys....and drive Subarus. :)
  • psgpsg Member Posts: 72
    gave their tire-managers that much discretion. Perhaps it is state or regional policy. I don't recall being told we would be able to get flats fixed for free at our Costco. We definitely have free rotation.

    I was very impressed with the system they had in place regarding wheel torque. One technician did the initial mounting and tightening with a torque wrench. The wrench was then left on the last wheel he tightened. A second technician then took the torque wrench and checked the torque of every lug on each wheel. The car was not released to me until both technicians had signed off on the work.

    Phil
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    Yeah, they do that here too. When I had the A2s installed, the tech did a nice job. However, when the manager came over to check the torque she jerked the torque wrench and not in a star pattern either. I looked at the tech and he just shrugged his shoulders. Maybe I've just gotten lucky so far with free flats. I need to have the A2s balanced and rotated, so I will see.

    Greg
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I also gave the guys a $20 tip the first time I went there and explained that I had 2 cars and would be coming in rather often to get tires mounted, also drop at least $10 tip on later trips :)

    -mike
  • wrathofwrathof Member Posts: 2
    Hi -
    I am hoping someone can shed light on the problem I am having with my 1998 Subaru Outback wagon. It has 96,500 miles. About two months ago, I replaced the transmission due to ongoing, intermittent slipping and revving at high rpm's. At about the same time, my car overheated. Since then, I have had three new thermostats, new water pump, new radiator... and have had the cooling system completely bled/flushed out several times, hoses and heating block cleaned, as well as a last ditch effort with "Blue Devil". The car has stranded me in several highly inconvenient and dangerous times/areas, hence many mechanics have looked under the hood. Each one is convinced they've fixed the problem, only to find me stranded on the road once again. My current mechanic is stumped. He thought it could be the head gasket, but can't find sufficient evidence. Has anyone had a similar problem , or does anyone have advice??
  • idahodougidahodoug Member Posts: 537
    Why do you thing it's overheating? Are you basing this on the guage, or does the engine stop running?

    What do you mean by stranded? Stopped running, or you stopped it due to a temp needle approaching red?

    Basically you've replaced everything impacting engine cooling but the fan and its drive system. If everything was installed properly, that's all there is left.

    The reason I asked about the guage, etc is that I hope this entire cooling system thing is not simply a faulty guage showing hot. A good mechanic would have installed an aftermarket heat gauge for $100 on a chronic heating problem vehicle rather than charge 5 times that tossing radiators, water pumps, etc at it. What say ye?

    IdahoDoug
  • celica115celica115 Member Posts: 169
    Do you know what is the normal temp that show up on the heat guage?

    Luk
  • timo43timo43 Member Posts: 23
    Question: I am used to standard shifts, but just got a 2003 Forester automatic. Half the people I talk to say do not downshift to second gear and use the braking influence of the engine, as brakes are a lot less expensive to replace than transmissions. The other half say a heavy Forester puts too much demand on the brakes on a hill, and I should use second gear. The manual says to use a low gear. What is the best technique for going down hills?
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    It really comes down to a judgement call for you in the end. If you are going to be constantly on the brakes for a long time downhill (say more than several hundred feet), then it probably is wiser to downshift and allow engine braking to help you. What you want to avoid is a dangerous situation where your brakes have faded from heat build up to the point where you can't stop.

    For a short stretch or occaisional "taps" of the brake, it's probably better to leave the transmission alone.

    Ken
  • beachfishbeachfish Member Posts: 97
    The only time I'd bother to downshift an automatic would be going up or down a very, very, very steep hill with a bad surface such as wet leaves, mud, dirt, sand or loose rocks. And then I'd use first gear to obtain all the help I could get. Otherwise, I'm on the brakes. And pump the brakes, don't ride them and let them heat up.

    Back to the battery problem briefly. Chatting with the architect next door, he reminded me that his Camry had once had a daily dead battery problem. After umpteen trips to the mechanic it turned out to be a bad relay for rear window defroster.

    John
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    For that battery issue, if the dealer has tested the alternator, check the alternator belt tension, and the battery itself, then it likely is your driving habits.

    A battery will hold a charge for a certain time, but it is designed to be used regularly. If you must, just start it once a week and let it idle in the driveway. Let it warm up, and give it a couple of minutes after that. This also cleans your motor oil, and circulates it in your engine to keep everything lubricated nicely.

    If you leave a car for extended periods you should winterize it, so I don't think it's unreasonable for the dealer to suggest a trickle charger.

    Just my opinion.

    By the way, I would consider a new battery. I replaced mine, which had 260 CCAs, with a $40 battery from Wal Mart that has 535 CCAs. She starts better now. It's a cheap investment and might solve your problem completely.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, Costco told me they'd only rotate the tires for free if I bought the tires there.

    I'd rather do it myself anyway, just to ensure the proper torque settings. So I buy tires wholesale and have them mount them the first time, then I recheck the torque and rotate them myself from then on.

    Haven't had a flat in 18 years, knock on wood.

    Wow, Loosh, oil leak come and gone while I was away.

    Jim: I forget exactly, but they charged us a ridiculous amount to fix that axle boot. $600 or so? The grease leaked and shorted out a $220 oxygen sensor, too. Mazda parts are brutally expensive if you go to a dealer.

    For $200, go ahead and do it, that's cheap.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Another thought - I believe the alternator shares a belt with the power steering. Does your steering seem heavy or uneven? If so, it's the belt or the tension causing both problems.

    -juice
  • cploegcploeg Member Posts: 6
    I went to pick up my Legacy from the dealer after they called and said "The only problem is that you don't drive it enough." After letting my husband drive off, the repair manager came and told me that they couldn't start my car. Dead battery. Ironic, huh?

    Anyway, they gave me a nice loaner and have had my car for the last week. Still nothing they can determine that is wrong. They assume it was dead when I came to pick it up because perhaps someone unplugged the charger. Hmmmmm, not a very satisfying explanation.

    Anyway, thanks for all the comments. Yes, I already have had the battery replaced. The second battery seems very underpowered. The car always seems to hesitate before starting, and often needs to crank several times. I did not have this problem with the first battery; it started or it didn't.

    Subaru has also put a meter on the car several times and said that the battery drainage is within expected specs (10 something), which is why they do not think it is an after-market problem. They have tested the alternator and the electrical system. Everything checks out.

    The service guy also said they have one other customer with the same problem ("short-charging"). He didn't say if this is a local customer, or someone in the database. He also said that other low-mileage customers have not had the same problem with their Foresters.

    I generally drive my car 50-100 miles a week, but it may sit for 3-4 days between trips. But this is a small town and those are mostly in-town miles. Let's face it, at this time of year, there just aren't too many places one CAN drive in Alaska.

    Wish me luck. Tomorrow I go to speak with the service manager and then I plan to escalate this. I really don't want to be plugging my car in every night . . .

    Cheryl
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    I don't think they check if you purchased the tires from them, they asume you did, unless you actually tell them you didn't. If you have a brand and model totally foreign to them they might notice otherwise they just do it! At NTB they did free rotations for me for 2 years on several of my cars till finally one day someone actually checked and found out the tires I was rotating weren't the ones I had purchased from them several years previously, or even the same car! But since I was a "repeat" customer in the computer they just kept doing things for free!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Here they ask for the reciept, also to get my tires rotated here would take like 2+hrs, at home it will take 15 min :)

    -mike
  • mchinmchin Member Posts: 22
    I brought a 03 Impreza. My wife drives it and puts the car in the garage. It has been in the garage for the weekend. It's been cold here in the NE. She tried to start it but did not start until the fourth crank. Strange for a new car not to start up. Has anyone come across this?
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Cheryl: Thanks for the update. It must be frustrating, but at least it appears the dealers are trying. What kind of battery was the second one? Did they test the new battery to see if it was good to begin with? Perhaps it's something as simple as a bad run on the OE battery. Keep us posted.

    mchin: The original equipment battery is fairly weak to begin with (low CCAs). Combine that with cold weather and you'll notice the starter needs to work hard to get the engine started. The best solution is to invest in $60-70 and buy an aftermarket battery with a higher CCA rating. The other less practical thing you can do is to keep the battery warmer either by heating your garage or by using a battery warmer.

    Ken
  • outbikeoutbike Member Posts: 6
    Hello all -

    Long time since my last post. Just got 6"+ of snow here in Tennessee. The Subaru performed as advertised. The AWD and Michelin X-ones proved to be a great combination . . .

    Anyhow, I seemed to be plagued with engine-oil leaks. I just replaced both head-cover gaskets at 98K. I had to replace my rear engine and crank seal at 73K. I crawled under my car yesterday and discovered oil seeping from the underside of the timing belt cover. Last time I saw this it meant that the crank seal was bad (only 25K ago). Could it be one of the cam seals? Any thoughts? Anyone else seem to spring oil leaks as frequently as I do? With the exception of these leaks and a starter motor - the car has been great . . .

    Thanks for any advice!

    -Outbike I
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I agree 100%, mike.

    -juice
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    are you refering to my post a while back while you were on vacation? If so, thanks for the reply. Yes, $200 WOULD have been good, but I just dropped the car off an hour ago, and realized that that was just the parts price, and it's really closer to $400 with labor, which still sounds reasonable given what you've said. Oh, and they agreed to clean up the ABS sensor that got gunked up from the grease when the boot failed. It's the clutch and throw-out bearing that are really going to add up.

    Jim
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yep, that's still much cheaper than mine, and it was only to replace the boot - the axle, bearing, CV, and all were OK.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No, you get the record for oil leaks. Most I've heard before on a single car was just in one place.

    For that cold battery, try turning on the radio for just 10 seconds or so before you start it up. I've heard this can help warm up the battery so it's prepared to start more easily. Don't quote me on it, I have no idea the mechanical explanantion behind the idea, just sharing it.

    -juice
  • wrathofwrathof Member Posts: 2
    In response to previous questions...
    I noticed the heating gauge more or less suddenly shoot up on several occasions after slowing down at a toll, or coming off of the highway and then pulled off the road.
    On two other occasions, I stopped for gas, and subsequently had an overheating engine, complete with steaming radiator fluid, antifreeze all over ground, and overflowing reservoir.
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    FWIW, your vehicle is behaving exactly as mine did when I had a bad head gasket. The dealer did finally detect hydrocarbons in the coolant. When they tore it down they commented that they could barely see a streak on the gasket. The leak must not have been that bad yet, just enough to make it overheat occasionally when coming to a stop after driving for a while on the freeway.

    If you can have the coolant "sniffed" right after an overheating episode I suspect they will find hydrocarbons. Mine was subtle enough that it took two attempts to detect it. Fortunately mine was still under the powertrain warranty.

    Good luck.
  • joybelljoybell Member Posts: 275
    What is under that plastic lower body cladding on the Forester X? Is there steel under it or does it replace the steel that would normally be used in that location. I am concerned because I had a Chaser that had some cladding over the wheel wells and the rust got under there to the point where the cladding got loose. By the time I noticed it there was nothing I could do to save it by touching up rust spots!
  • joybelljoybell Member Posts: 275
    ..about the rust on the wheel wells. I meant that ALL the steel had rusted away under the cladding before I noticed that there was a problem!
  • capesidcapesid Member Posts: 2
    I have had to replace head gaskets twice on a 2000 Outback Wagon. First time at 27k on the clock and the second at 38K less than a year later. Of course both were covered by the warranty. Has anyone else had this problem and what did Subaru do for you, if anything? Is my problem unusual? Thanks.
  • pavery99pavery99 Member Posts: 10
    My 2001 Outback had an overheating problem at 21k miles, 500 miles from home - repair by dealer took 10 days. They told me that any kind of overheating usually results in head gasket and often cylinder head replacements ($3k bill!). My problem was supposedly caused by a radiator cap failure. So far Subaru has not reimbursed us for travel expenses.
  • hsubhsub Member Posts: 6
    I've had the Dunlop Sport A2s on our 2000 Outback for over a week now. They're definitely great in the snow (which we've had a lot of the last 2 weeks).

    Thanks to Paisan, fibber2, bat and the others for the advice.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Speaking for the 'crew', you are welcome! Glad we could help.

    Steve
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Glad we could help!

    -mike
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    the air pressure in my A2s. They were at 32 PSI at 10F. Bumped them up to 35. Big difference - a little harsher, but much better handling. Weeee. Thinking about putting a set on my Sienna (I know, it's only a minivan) :)

    Greg
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    No prob. It's nice to know my input could help someone here, as I have been helped in the past.

    Mark
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    nothing is "wrong" with a sporty minivan, but obviously the overall "sportiness" is going to be seriously limited by the minivan chassis.

    it's not like ordering a double quarter-pounder with supersize fries and a diet coke, no.

    -Colin
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I bought a cool pair of sunglasses to offset the image. Actually, being a Sienna it has the typical Toyota suspension (soft) so the tires should help. But the powertrain, oh the powertrain, is silk.

    Greg
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    While I like our MPV (picture in my profile), I prefer to drive my Outback. Not that I get to drive the van much anyways. ;-)

    -Brian
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Is "tan" a sporty minivan color? ;-)

    Ken
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
  • lfdallfdal Member Posts: 679
    Cheryl, hope they've finally solved your problem, but it got me curious about the CCA (cold cranking amps) capacity of my 03 Forester, since I can't find it anywhere on the battery.

    Contacted SOA and their rep got back to me with a number of 356 CCA. Definitely anemic for just the metro-Boston area while we're having this long duration cold snap. Would have to think its rougher in Alaska. I notice my Forester drags a bit for the first 3 or 4 cranks in the morning then is fine the rest of the day. I would be worried if I had to leave it for a week in this weather.
    To another comment re: WalMart batteries, I just replaced the one in my-ex's car this week and it had 650 CCA for 39.95 after the core exchange. The Ford Motocraft battery lasted 5.5 years and wasn't entirely gone when I replaced it. Seems like Subaru could put in a beefier battery. Of course they do sell those battery warmer kits .....

    The one in my wife's 03 Outback looks to be the same per the owner's manuals. In the owner's manuals they specify Amp Hours which is great if you are running with a fully charged battery at 80 deg F. Not really applicable to frigid weather like this.

    Lastly a plug for the e-mail response for SOA. The person who must handle the e-mails for this area, John Mergen (since every response I've gotten from SOA has his name on it) has been really great.

    Another 0.02.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Colin - like many vehicle, you can get a wide variety of ride/handling qualities by suspension tuning (factory packages / aftermarket) and tire/wheel choices. Driving a minivan does not have to be a penalty box decision. No, it will never be a sports car, but you can make them 'more sporty'. And like Greg said, cool shades do help!!

    Ken - sorry, but tan does not qualify. ;-) Our three were Forest Green, a medium Grey, and Fire Engine Red.

    Steve
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    When we shopped for a mini-van, we definitely wanted something with some color to it. Tan just wouldn't do. We settled on a dark blue. ;) I also like the white.

    FWIW, our MPV has 17" OEM wheels.

    I'll stop now since I'm way off topic

    -Brian
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