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Comments
I changed my oil, filter and air filter today, and fiddled with the air pressure in the tires. Rest of the fluids looked ok cold (well, I didn't look in the diffy filler hole). Now if I just had the energy left to wash off the dust from cruising in the desert last Sunday.
Looking at the service schedule, looks like I need to replace the fuel filter too - what's the deal with that. The schedule on the Edmunds Maintenance Guide says to replace it every 75,00 miles? Mysubaru.com doesn't agree :-) (mine's a 97 OB Ltd. w/ ~39,400 miles btw).
Steve, Host
-mike
You might have worn a little off the parking brake shoes, but since they are not the same as the actual rear brakes, the actual brake shoes and drums are fine.
We all make dumb mistakes like that, and I know the feeling! But, I think you're OK on this one. Might be worth a check to verify that the parking brake holds on a hill, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.
Craig
Dave
ohsubeguy
Steve
Please let us know what your dealer says. I don't think yours is really faulty, but I agree the programmed logic is flawed. With its much greater low end torque, I would doubt that the H6 would act this way. I think it is a symptom of an overtaxed 4 cyl and ECM logic that is trying to overcompensate.
Steve
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291908425
3rd photo. You need to register but it's worth it, lots of folks here put images on that site.
-juice
I'd find it hard to believe they were not related.
-juice
"Service" brakes refers to the main braking system you use when you normally drive. This is operated by hydraulics (brake fluid) pressure acting on all 4 wheels - brake pedal connected to the master cylinder. This is to differentiate it from the 'emergency' or 'parking' brake system that is a mechanical cable link between the pullup handle (or mini pedal) and the rear brakes only.
If your car has drum brakes in the rear, they actually have two control mechanism. The hydraulics act on a small piston cylinder on the top that spreads the brake shoes against the drum. The parking brake then has a separate mechanical link that pushes the shoes out. So these one set of shoes do it all.
On an all disk brake car, the rear disk brakes have a miniature dedicated drum brake to act as a parking brake. Disk actuators (calipers) can only be operated hydraulically - there is no provision for a mechanical link.
Steve
Dave
Steve
Dave
-juice
Thanks,
Ed
The dealer provided the warranty. Should I still go to another dealer? When talking to the dealer, what should I ask to be done as far as diagnostic work? What I'm concerned about is the dealer coming back with a list of stuff that needs done when it might not require that.
ohsubeguy
I think I'm going to do the timing belt at 90k. It calls for an inspection at 90k, change at 105k. So me changing it at 90k is already early and preventative.
But, if you're concerned about the O-ring seal, you could change it "while you're at it" and rest easy about that.
I would pay extra to change the gear oil in the rear diffy (75w90) and have the ATF flushed completely. Those fluids are spent.
My Miata's rear diffy oil was clowdy and just plain nasty at 29k miles, though it was 8 years old, to be fair. Still, imagine 52k driving hard.
-juice
If you are still under 60k, and just did it early, I would consider changing dealers.
Either way call 800-SUBARU3 and explain the situation, open up a case number, so it's documented. That might help make the fix no-charge to you.
-juice
Ed
I could not talk my wife out of her Toys R Us bucks, for diapers. Maybe when the kids are potty trained.
-juice
However, there have been some posts recently from folks who are having problems with their remote key access, and I am now experiencing an intermittant problem with mine. I just replaced the batteries a few months ago, so there shouldn't be a problem. I have a hunch my problem relates to the remote itself. After being carried around in my pocket for five years, it has started to get a little battered and bruised, and looks like the seal near the key ring hole is coming apart. When the remote doesn't seem to want to unlock my Subie, I can sqeeze the remote together around that end and then the remote works. This weekend I'm going to pull the key remote apart and clean and hopefull re-seal it to see if that takes care of the problem. Otherwise, I'm going to have to check into getting a new key remote, and I haved no idea what that will entail. Anyone ever have to replace your key remote?
-Bob
Steve
Dave
If only it was easily replicated for the dealer...
Ken
Short of going on some amazingly extreme short-term weight loss program, does anyone have any suggestions for repair or replacement?
Ed
Dave
Dave
I can't get it in for a couple of weeks but I'll ask dealer service to check it out when I have them look at a couple of other things. I'll let you now what they say. I'll have to remember your post when I talk to them, it decribes the behavior very clearly.
J
Option B - try an upholstery shop. They could prolly patch yours, or you could re-do it entirely. Katskins leather is $900 or so installed, I'm sure fabric is half that, and that's for both seats.
-juice
I contacted 800-SUBARU3 and had a case opened up. 800-SUBARU3 is going to contact the dealer on Monday after the diagnostics have been run and then they are going to contact me and do a follow-up.
ohsubeguy
Anyone have any luck finding the correct Bosch wire sets at any of the local retail auto stores? The Bosch web site says that my 98 OB takes model #9026 which is not even listed or stocked at many of these stores (Autozone, Pep Boys). I checked the NGK site but they don't offer a reference chart for their wire sets.
Some online stores are showing a different Bosch # for the wires which is adding to my confusion.
One dealer that I called wanted $80 for a set, and he couldn't even tell me who manufactures them (I would suspect NGK though). Bosch wires go for ~58.
I kinda wanted something better that oem but not deal with Magnecore due to earlier discussions about their fit and service.
Any thoughts....
Thanks,
Alan
98 OBW Ltd
I would special order them, they take 10 days or so, but Pep Boys got my clutch slave cylinder rebuild kit exactly right for $10.72.
-juice
There is no glaring sign of needing to replace them but I am just about to turn 70k miles. Yes, I've been milking this service for the past 8000 miles or so.
Wish I had more free time to be an OCD'er. Work and parenthood.... you know the story.
Alan
98 OBW Ltd
Pre '04 WRX seats are pretty comfy even for my wide frame BTW. Haven't sat in an '04 yet except for an STi.
Ed
Dave
Thanks.
MNSteve
Steve, Host
Anyway, I was driving to and fro on errands this evening and out of the blue as I turned into a parking space the car began to make a fairly disturbing grinding noise, the sound was like the tire was really rubbing the wheel well though that wasn't it. This is the '98 Forester with 69k and the tranny whine at 70mph, not our new 03 with the independently-minded cruise control.
Once it started making the noise it made it on every turn after. It appears to be mainly turning left, (though I think most of the time I ended up in left turns for some reason.) It was worse the sharper the angle of the turn so much so that I ended up executing one reverse from a parking space with more numerous back and forths in order to avoid making to sharp a turn.
I did have bearing problems in the front a couple of years ago with this car at about 30k that were repaired. Unfortunately I cannot recall what that sounded like. And it was very wet out, I wonder if that's any sort of clue?
Any ideas, bearings, steering mechanism, bad karma? The list of things I need check out during my next service visit is getting longer.
J
I don't think it pays to do early maintenance on cars many people don't keep more than a few years anyway. Frequent oil changes and other earlier maintenance may be more important if you want the new car you bought to go 300,000 miles, otherwise forget it; it takes years for longer term oil changes to prove (if they even do) detrimental to the car. If you buy cars like I do at 60,000 to maybe 100,000 miles, forget it. Any damage has already been done. Just follow the standard maintenance schedule.
My Loyale has noisy rear struts, and not cheap to fix. I asked repair shop if it affected the function of the shock absorbing or otherwise affected the car's function. Answer no, at least not for a long time. So 50,000 miles later the struts are still in there and still a little noisy, but who cares, it's a 13-year old commuter car. The noisy struts (or is it shocks) still do their job.
I did go ahead and have a timing belt replaced 10,000 miles early because the shop had the engined opened up anyway for some other serious problems, and the belt was "right there". That's different. But otherwise, fix it when it's scheduled or otherwise broke. You can bet the manufacturer has built in some "play" in their recommended maintenance schedules.
- deVille70
Cheers Pat.
Belts should be inspected often, and long before they are due for schedule replacement, it might not be a bad idea to do it anyway. If the belt is cracking and there are ribs or teeth missing, it's probably a good idea to replace regardless of the age.
There is an EPA reg (not sure if it's LEV or a totally difference spec) that says you have to make it 100k miles without anything other than consumable changes --oil, coolant, etc-- and that's why timing belts and spark plugs are now "OK" to a bit north of 100k. I'm sure some work was done with timing belts to ensure this life, but to blindly assume without inspection that it's a guaranteed thing could be a costly mistake.
Timing belt swaps are not that expensive on a Subaru, because unlike most modern engines (with a transverse layout) they do not require partial removal of the engine from the chassis. It's a whole lot more expensive to rebuild a cylinder head, pistons, and if you're unlucky the whole engine.
SOHC timing belt changes can easily be done at home by an average hobbyist. DOHC... maybe a little more skilled than average.
I'm wandering. Sorry, the overall point is that things do not happen according to a tightly regimented schedule like the changing of the months on the calendar. There are a lot of moving parts, wear does vary with use, and since they're (mostly) man-made, stuff does happen.
Oil changes are a totally different subject. I'm talking about replacing mechanical parts...
-Colin
Steve, Host
In terms of cruise control. Have a manual, and use the cruise all the time. The Subi's cruise is great. Keeps the car at a steady speed unlike many American manufacturers in which it tends to differentiate by as much as 5 mph and even more when set!!!!
There were actually little tiny metal bits coming out of the pump, it was hard to tell exactly where they originated at first, since they were hitting the belt and getting flung everywhere. Fluid was at correct level, but the pump just died.
utahsteve
I wish mine worked half that well. The lock function seems to work from reasonable distances, but when I return, the unlock function is nearly useless. It typically doesn't work from any position anywhere around the car except practically touching it to the driver's window while repeatedly pressing the button. If I have to get that close, I might as well use the key in the lock!
jb