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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    There is a lot of stuff in that tranny case, much of it directed by inputs from the engine ECU. It could be something as simple as a valve body problem (removable from the bottom of the case). Personally, I would much prefer to let them try and fix it rather than replaced it, assuming that it has been otherwise a good unit and well cared for. Rebuilts carry their own baggage, plus the risks involved on other components (like CV joint removal, etc.)

    Steve
  • junkherjunkher Member Posts: 27
    Are you certain is is coming from (within) the exhaust and not an external noise on the pipe? I HAVE heard a chirp on exhaust before and the dealer could not find it. I finally located it myself. It turned out to be a heat shield with a loose weld. It vibrates down the pipe and sounds as if it is coming from the exhaust itself. If you are an owner of ramps and are not afraid to crawl under, pay close attention to the shield on or by the catalitic converter. It rubs metal to metal and will produce a chirp as it rubs, especially under a load when the pipes move around a bit. Power brake slightly and see if you can re-produce the noise. If you can, take it back and tell 'em to fix it......

    Have fun!
    Lance
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I think I'll have a go at doing brake pads myself on the OB this weekend. Anyone care to walk me through this real quick? I imagine it isn't too hard.....
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Ding! You have mail....

    Steve
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    unbolt the caliper, usually only 1 bolt needs to come out.

    uncap the brake resivoir

    yank the pads

    clamp with a c-clamp the piston (with an old pad between the piston and c-clamp) back into the caliper

    insert new pads and shims and anti-squeel grease

    swing down the caliper and rebolt.

    Note: make sure not to overflow the brake reservoir cause it'll make a mess of the engine bay.

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    thanks guys!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Take some pics if you can. I'll host 'em. I've never done a brake job, if you can believe that.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    what mike describes is actually the minimum required. it does save you the trouble of bleeding the brakes, but sometimes more maintenance is needed (or at least, a good idea).

    to do the extra stuff, remove all caliper bolts and disconnect the brake line. clean the caliper with brakekleen or similar solvent. clean the guide pins particularly well and DO NOT lubricate them in any way unless the vehicle's service manual explicitly indicates it.

    remove the piston(s) from the caliper and inspect the seals. if any are weathered or melted, replace them. thoroughly clean the piston and bore with solvent. reassemble and press the piston fully in place-- you won't need a clamp since there is no fluid in the caliper.

    while you have the caliper off, measure the rotor's thickness and replace if below service limit. I just did pads all around and front rotors on a friend's 325 last week-- her front rotors were over 1/8" below minimum thickness. to replace the rotor, remove any fastening bolts (usually just one or two-- mostly they are held in place by the wheel studs and caliper) and then tap the rotor with a mallet until it comes free. replace, refasten.

    reassemble the caliper, attach brake line, install pads. do them all then bleed the brakes.

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    paint the calipers red = 5 hp
    paint the calipers yellow = 10 hp

    Remember, yellow = fast, stickers = fast. Do 'em in yellow and add a sticker and you're talking 15-20hp easy! ;-)

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Last night I went out to start my car, but it was totally dead. I used a portable jump-start to get started and ran it for a while. At first I couldn't figure out what happened; I noticed the parking lights were still on, even though I had the headlights off. I started to call Mike (Paisan) when I remembered Subaru has that parking light switch on the steering column. I had taken the car to a car wash on Sunday morning and then just left the car at home the rest of the day. The lights were on for 36 hours or so, and totally drained the battery.
          My question is: should I replace the battery, or not worry about it? The battery is 3 years old (original)- how long do batteries last?
    Also, how often should I change batteries for the alarm key fob?

    Thanks again Mike.

    Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It might be worth the $50-$75 to replace the battery. If you want we could do it over at my place one evening. It's pretty quick and easy.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Mark - I got about 4 years out of my battery. Considering I paid something like $40 for a replacement with higher CCA ratings from Wal Mart, I would change yours now. Why wait until you get stranded? It's so cheap, plus the higher amp ratings means it starts easier in the cold.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep Colin's answer is the more indepth version. Mine was the pad replacement in-itself. Quick and dirty method I suppose :)

    -mike
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Thanks guys. I am leaning towards replacing it now, to avoid the situation Juice mentioned. I'll see which one I get- how is Sears Die Hard rated?

    One other thing I just thought of: by having the battery be "dead" for so long, does that mean I reset the ECU? If so, does that make a difference?

    Mark
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread/t-22.html

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yes, it reset my ECU. No biggie, poor mileage for the first tank, that's about it.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Good link, Ken. And Mike... it's definitely DIRTY either way! :) especially these stock BMW pads, holy cow do they dust like crazy.

    -Colin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Yeah, what is it with European makes and their super dusty pads! I haven't seen a BMW, Benz, Audi and VW without dirty front rims.

    Ken
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I dunno if I can get all that done on my own without having seen it done first, especially bleeding the lines. I don't think I even have the tools for that. Then again, I suppose it is time to learn and get them. I do have to have the car back on all 4 wheels at some point during the day!
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    loosh,

    it should be fine to do just as Mike has suggested this time and then do the full service that I spoke of next time.

    -Colin
  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    Using the Motive power bleeder makes it a simple task of bleeding/flushing brake lines by yourself.

    Oddly enough my bleed valves were of different sizes between the front and rear calipers. Fronts were metric whereas the backs were much smaller and US.

    Alan 98 OBW Ltd
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    ...."bleed tool" you speak of? Leeches? :) What kind of money we talkin'? I am thinking of springing for the tools to do this regularly....
  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    Check it out at motiveproducts.com. I wound up getting it at apexperformance.net for 49.95 total.

    It resembles a pump up garden sprayer with a pressure guage on the tank and at the end of the outlet hose is a fitting that mounts on top of the Master Cylinder. Fill it with some good brake fluid, pump it up to ~15 psi and bleed at each corner till you see the new fluid coming out and no air bubbles.

    I also used the ATE Super Blue brake fluid which is a rich blue color making it easy to know when all the old fluid is out. They have a Gold version too for when you want to swap out the Blue.

    Alan 98 OBW Ltd (no leeches, just ticks at cold startup ;)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Do you need one if you have someone to pump the brake pedal? Is it overkill, or does it make the job a lot easier regardless?

    Just curious.

    -juice
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    what do you guys think re. the fact, that J.D. Pewers rated Subaru as one of the worst car manufacturers - qualitywise I mean?
  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    This is much easier especially for flushing out all the fluid which should be done periodically.

    Doing it the traditional way and have someone pumping the brake pedal while you open and close the bleed valve takes a bit of coordination between you and the pedal pumper. For instance, he/she has to keep pressure on the pedal until you close the bleed valve. If the pedal is released while the valve is open, then there is a chance of air being sucked into the caliper/brake line. That would defeat the purpose.

    With the bleeder, you pressurize the tank, open up the bleed valve, and sit back and watch it flow into a suitible clear jar. It should only take a few minutes per wheel before you see all new fluid, there really isn't too much in the entire system.

    To expedite the process, prior to hooking up the bleeder, use a clean turkey baster device to suck out as much out of the MC and then top off with new fluid.

    I plan on flushing both cars every two years and I kinda like gadgets like this.

    Alan 98 OBW Ltd
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    here's a much cheaper way:
    http://www.speedbleeder.com/

    -Colin
  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    Two cars = 8 bleed screws @ $7 per = $56 before shipping.

    Neat idea though. I wonder how they would hold up with all the heat. That spring inside is a failure risk in my opinion.

    Alan
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    easier, then? ;-)

    in your defense, that's the cheapest pressurized bleeder I've ever seen. the ones in Griot's and some race catalogs I get around generally in the $200-250 range.

    -Colin
  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    Wow, those are costly. They must have something extra to them to warrant that price.

    With the Speedbleeder you would also have to monitor the fluid level in the MC and top off periodically during the process.

    The Powerbleeder fills the MC as you bleed and maintains the same level in the MC. All the work is done under the hood or at the wheels. No need to get in and out of the car and track in engine/brake grime.

    I think I've earned my commission by now. Please take my comments as just trying to offer good advice about a product that I am impressed with. I enjoy lending my friends a hand when I can.

    Alan
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    The old tried-and-true bleeder tool is a combination of a clean jar or glass and a two-foot length of plain old clear neoprene tubing (the same stuff used in aquarium aeration, just get it in a pet store). Make sure it's of the correct inside diameter so that one end can be pressed onto the bleeder valves of your wheel cylinders. Costs about a buck.
  • hgutsteinhgutstein Member Posts: 65
    If this is even true (consumers reports would argue otherwise) that Subaru probably did not pay off JD Powers well enough.
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    Also see:

    www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread/t-181.html

    and ..../t-84,html

    both are articles on changing brake pads.

    There are also several build your own pressure bleeder articles on the web.

    Jim
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    what device measures rotor thickness? Something tells me the household ruler and tape measure isn't the thing.... :-)

    Kirsten is actually excited to give this a go....she is even talking about clearing out our rental garage to make space for a generator and small compressor :eek:
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    It's true that Subaru rated somewhat below average in the latest JD Power's Initial Quality Survey (1st 90 days). A disappointing showing to be sure but CR's long-term reliability ratings are far more meaningful. After all, which would you rather have, a door buzz that you notice on the drive home or the transmission needing to be replaced 60k?

    -Frank P.
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    A micrometer is used to measure rotor thickness. Looks kind of like a precision c-clamp.

    If you have an auto shop / auto parts store nearby (Pep Boys, Autozone, etc.), I'm sure they would measure them for you.

    DaveM
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I usually eyeball it.

    On my Escort I could barely see the thing, so then I knew it was time for new pads! Yikes! It wasn't squeeling yet though.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    JDP has a more significant durability study, it measures 5 year old models. My concern is what I'll have to pay for, so I look at long-term reliability, i.e. post-warranty.

    -juice
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    juice:

    Was the Escort equipped with the "squeelers"? Some manufacturers saved 25 cents per car by not designing that feature in.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    As expected, the attempt to just tighted the head bolts on my friends (John) '99 OBW did not work. It still leaked, so the damage to the gasket was beyond a simple fix. Problem is that George (the local shop owner) reports that the revised P/N gasket set is on back order. He was told that there has been a bit of a run on the things lately (surprise, surprise...), and that it could take a while to get.

    To make matters worse, while we were talking, another co-worker, Ed, approached us. Seems his in-laws in Virginia ('98 OBW w/80+k miles) just went thru the same problem.

    It is starting to get tough listening to the disparaging remarks about Subaru in this office.

    Steve
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    So I went to the dealer today to get the pads, and was told I had to have the build date AND the VIN to ensure I got the right ones. well of course I didn't have that info for the OB so he said he couldn't help me. Sounds like someone just wanted to go on break to me....
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    It's my understanding that they changed the style of front pads many times on the Outbacks so the parts guy was at minimum being cautious and saving you from tearing it apart then finding out you have the wrong pads.

    As an aside, only tear apart one side at a time. That way you always have the other side to look at if you forget how it's suppose to look. Or only one side to put back together if you have the wrong parts.

    DaveM
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    yea it turns out there are a bunch of part numbers. So I just ordered a set of Hawks for the Outback and a set of Carbotech Bobcats for the GT from Teague's :-)) Figured since Colin won't let me buy bigger rotors, I might as well buy better pads!
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    just came in the mail (along with a spankin' new dollar bill). I was expecting to be able to tell them how great my '03 XS is, but their specific interests were why I chose the Forester vs several specific vehicles (Cruiser, etc.)and which others I had test drove and researched. They did ask how I liked my SOA shopping experience.

    Best of all, I was able to tell them how useful Edmunds is---IMO, the best of the consumer auto resources on the internet.

    John
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dunno, blane. I don't recall hearing them squeel, so maybe not. And they were totally spent.

    Colin won't let me

    Now *that* was hilarious.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They do several studies. Sounds like that one is trying to measure the dealer/shopping experience. APEAL, maybe?

    Forester has won their APEAL study a couple of times. That's more significant than the IQ, IMO, because I'd rather *enjoy* my car than have one that is perfect but not actually like it (i.e. boring).

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I like Hawk HP and HPS pads. Good stuff. :-)

    Regarding the 98 and 99 head gasket issues... I'm very sorry to say that there's no way I'd own a 96-99 2.5L DOHC. They have major head gasket issues and I'm not sure that multiple revisions of them have helped. (dig around on nasioc, repeated failures even for people using the latest.)

    -Colin
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    one M3 service visit is worth at least 3 headgasket changes :)Now hush, I'm in denial since I can't afford to replace the car for another 3-4 years!
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Hey, if it happens to you I can talk you through a maddening DIY job! :-) Done three headgaskets myself, not really keen to get dirty again but talk is cheap. ;-)

    -Colin
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    knocking on wood of course, but the GT is at 65k and the OB at 56K, no probs so far....
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