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Comments
Boy if we are going to have such harsh winters here like we had this winter then I guess I'm going to have to buy a set of winter rims/tires.
My wheels took a beating this winter . But while cleaning my rims I found that soft scrub is great for getting the inside of the rims spotless.I also noticed that its time for front brakes .I feel it is a little soon to need front brakes . I have 24k miles on the outback now .I'm thinking that I may try to do the job myself .
mike k
Today, while running errands, I put the key in and started, but there was a lot of resistance when I turned it clockwise to Start, and the key didn't kick back from the Start position. The engine starts but when I depress the clutch pedal there is the whirring sound of the starter going with the engine running.
When I turn the key counter-clockwise, it moves easily into the accessories position but now it won't move into the Off position at all no matter what I do. Of course, the engine is off.
I've tried jiggling the steering wheel but it's locked tight. My wheels are straight.
Of course this had to happen on a Sat night at 5:30 pm and all the shops closing up.
I'm getting it towed to the dealership, but does anyone have any folk remedies that I could try tomorrow? Would disconnecting the battery help in this case, and could I do that safely with the key in the accessory position? Or is major surgery required - ignition core?
Thanks!
David
David
I doubt there is any home remedy you can try to fix this yourself. If you have a garage, you can safely leave the car in 'accessory' position with all accessories off to avoid draining the battery. Otherwise, there probably is an ignition fuse you can pull, but I'd rather not have you worry about that. You can safely pull the negative battery cable as well, but you'll lose radio presets, as well as making the ECU forget it's learned habits from you.
Do you have an extended warranty? It looks like yours may be out of factory warranty at this point. Not sure how much a new key cylinder runs.
Be careful if you do get it towed. Flatbed it only!!!
-Brian
Also noticed that the OEM Firestones are wearing rather evenly. However, I doubt they'll make it through another winter, as the wear bar indicators are not showing yet, but are getting closer. Will probably have to spring for tires in the fall.
Mike - what kind of wax are you using on your rims? I used Turtle Wax Finish 2000 and it seems to hold up very well on the rims.
-Brian
#7 of 1112 Wheel Bearing Problem by cpcp Jun 20, 2002 (11:49 am)
99' Forester 41,500 miles, straight hiway miles(no off-road). Front wheel bearing has to be replaced. I'm the third forester owner in a facility off 200 people that this has happened to (all between 40,000 and 50,000 miles). Calling various dealers in North East show that this problem is very common (left rear replaced most often)and expensive. Some dealerships do not put Forester bearings back on the rear---they use Legacy bearings which they feel are more robust. Front Legacy bearings are unfortunately not compatible. Some of the Parts Department people feel it is a seal problem. In any event this is a Subaru problem and should not be a Customer problem. Bearings should not fail this early (if ever). There is either a supplier problem (bad parts), a design problem, or an installation problem. In any event it is wide spread. This cost should not be passed on to the Customer. The cost should be adsorbed by Subaru.
Time to wash all the pollen off our cars, too!
-juice
Subaru went with a different bearing design for the 2003 Forester. For earlier models, indeed, get the part numbers from a Legacy.
Also, try a wholesaler to buy the parts, they are usually a lot less. Try parts@libertysubaru.com or subaruparts.com for those. Then have a local, trusted mechanic install it. I bet you spend half.
FWIW, the front wheel bearing for our 626 cost $820 or so, IIRC. $600 is relatively cheap for a dealer repair, at least per my experience.
-juice
Removal of wheel
Unbolt and move aside brake caliper
A few nuts holding brake rotor/bearing on
Pound out old race with hammer and drift
Clean.
Pound in new race
Pack new bearing with grease.
Reassemble.
That price seems tantamount to something technical like a valve job, clutch replacement, or the like.
IdahoDoug
It's not the track. It's the back of the seat, inside the material.
I use vinylex on the interior and out side rubber. and I use turtle wax tire wax on the tires .
So is it normal to have to get new front pads at 24k miles . It seems a little soon to me .
Mike k
Craig
Yesterday I made a round trip of about 240 miles in my 03 Forester. On the way out I ran with the cruise control on for a good part of the way and set to about 70 mph. The tach was mostly around 3000 rpm.
On the way back, I ran the car somewhat harder - prolonged stints at 80 mph and up a couple of very long grades that had the engine at about 5000 rpm (no more than that) for several minutes at a time.
I checked the oil this morning (I had last checked it Thursday - same parking spot, same incline etc...., so the bias angle on the dip stick was the same) and found I burned a pint of oil. Seems like a lot to me..... I'm 2000 miles into this oil change and thus far the car has never burned any oil - the engine has 8200 miles on it.
BTW, while it was sucking down the oil it did give me mileage of 25.5 to the gallon.
Is this oil consumption normal when the engine is pushed like this?
Thanks for any comments.
Larry
It may not be worth asking, but... when you checked your oil level after your trip, did you wait a couple of minutes for the oil to drain back into the sump? If not, you would have gotten a false low-oil reading.
On one hand, 1/2 quart per 2000 miles isn't something to be alarmed about but on the other, it is kind of unusual for a new engine.
Spirited driving can sometimes increase oil consumption a bit, FWIW.
Keep an eye on the oil level and see if it is a recurring thing. The best course of action given the newness of the engine would be to have the dealer document it and take a look.
Ken
Ken - Its not 1/2 quart per 2k that worries me. It's the 1/2 quart per 240 miles that makes me wonder.
Larry
-mike
-mike
Phil
masan: you must have two layers of foam padding rubbing against each other. One idea would be to insert a sheet of wax paper inbetween them. I saw a WRX at the NY Auto Show, someone had undone the bottom of the front passenger seat. I had zippers that went up the sides, so doing that would be easy on a WRX. Not sure about your Subie though.
I think most manufacturers' rule of thumb is one quart per 1000 miles is the max "normal" consumption. 240 miles is short for that kind of consumption IMO.
Crawl under the car. Look at the oil filter, the gaskets, the bottom area near the front seals. Do you see any signs of a leak?
Tom: please clarify, is it a 2001 Legacy? That's a Phase II engine, I didn't think they were succeptible to piston slap.
-juice
Jack on a breaker bar, wow that was tight. I'll do mine at 60k so thanks for sharing the experience.
-juice
Tom: Can you describe the noise a little more in detail (characteristics, how long it lasts, etc.)? Like juice wrote, Phase II engines are less prone to piston slap, although I don't think any vehicle is 100% free from it ever happening. Some Impreza owners had a loose timing belt tensioner that was causing a slap noise too.
Ken
-mike
Greg
Every since I got the car, about 14 months ago now, it often does a small backfire or pop, sometimes quite loud, usually as I let out the clutch after shifting, or if I've been coasting (in gear) then hit the gas.
I reported it to my dealer, and originally they said that it was just the engine breaking it, then after taking it in for my 7000 Mile service, and I still complained, they said this is normal for manual Subarus. After taking it in for my most recent service, they said that Subaru had a computer mod that was supposed to help the problem, but so far was only available on the forester/impreza.
Although I realise this problem is not critical, this is my first new car, and I'm finding very annoying. Especially now that the weathers getting nicer, and I like to drive with the window down.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had similar problems (seeing as my dealer says it is common), and if they where able to resolve them.
Thanks
Andrew
Could try the oil route.
Disconnect the negative battery terminal. Then step on the brake pedal until the brake light fades out, killing residual power. Reconnect the battery, start her up until idle.
She'll run a little rich until the ECU leans it out again, hopefully sans back fire. Worth a try.
-juice
-Brian
Disconnecting the battery won't cause the security system to "forget" my keyless entry remotes? I assume the information is stored in some sort of non-volatile memory.
Andrew
-juice
The alarm system stores your keyless remote codes in some form of non-volatile memory and won't be affected by a battery disconnect.
However, the alarm goes off by default when you reconnect that battery so have the keyfob ready in your hand. I stuff a towel in the alarm horn to retain my hearing.
Ken
Jim
1. Gold - Perform everything recommended in the service manual; fluids are drained and replaced. Priced at $346 with tax.
2. Platinum - Perform everything recommended in the service manual; fluids are FLUSHED and replaced. Priced at $600 with tax.
What do you think? Is the added benefit of flushing the coolant, tranny, diffys, and transfer case worth the extra $254? I like the thought of completely replacing the fluid through a flush, but that's a pretty steep price.
BTW, I mentioned that my clutch was chattering, and the service advisor said they would take care of it under warranty no problem.
-Ty
-Colin
-juice
Someone had made a comment about not going ahead with the parking rod recall because they didn't someone taking apart their brand new transmission.
Cheers Pat.
I wouldn't worry about it, I'd do the recall. Think of it this way - you get fresh ATF free in the deal.
-juice
Took 4 quarts for the tranny, IIRC, so even with synthetic gear oil that was $28 plus maybe an hour of my labor.
For the diffy, it was one quart, or $7, plus 20 minutes labor. I did also buy an oil pump for under $10, but I've used it on other cars too.
-juice
In the gold all fluids are drained and replaced.
In the platinum all fluids are flushed (BS.) the only fluid that would be flushed would be an Auto tranny,so basically the dealer is laughing all the way to the bank when anyone opts for the platinum even those with an auto tranny.
The extra cost to the dealer is the extra amount of tranny fluid for the full flush, and that hardly costs the dealer anywhere close to $254.
Cheers Pat.
;-)
-Colin
I can't believe I had the dealer do the 30k maintenance...back when I was unemployed! (It does help to be mentally prepared when you work on a car and I probably wasn't then.)
Jim