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Comments
The question is: why does the plastic tray have an opening for the drain hole but doesn't have an access opening to the oil filter? You always change the filer when changing oil, right? It doesn't make sense. I guess that's why they have the sliding panel on the newer Foresters because they caught their error!
Thanks again, Brian!
---haly
My '00 Outback has the sliding panel as well. Sure, it would be easier with that whole thing out of the way, but even with just the panel tray slid out, there is ample room to reach the filter and access the drain bolt.
Any more questions - just ask. There's plenty of help here in the Crew!
-Brian
Everyone here is so terrific! wow! I can't believe how helpful you guys are! What a place!
---haly
To tighten the plug, put a new crush washer on and then tighten until the washer crushes and you feel a jump in resistance. That's the right time to stop.
To tighten the filter, I spin it until the filter contacts the mount, then use a sharpie to make a mark somewhere on the filter. Use that mark to eyeball the final 2/3-3/4 turn.
If you need a cheap funnel for adding oil to the engine, you can cut the bottom off an empty oil bottle and flip it over.
Oh yeah, wear old clothes!
Craig
I would hope so juice. This is a Subaru Certified Dealer!
Well... I started the thread with the Forester, and I was only referring to the Forester 2.5, though I would love to see an H-6 in that vehicle as well as the Outback!
Bob D.
BT
Yeah Juice, those are a lot of miles! I've logged something like 1.8 million total all cars!!
Run over by a semi once and hit by a kid doing 75 in his mother's van (probably 45-50 mph by the time he skidded into me). But the biggest toll was stress and eventually 2 heart attacks and having to retire early.
Bob
Fumoto valve. Makes draining the oil a cinch! I'm so glad I got one. (Doesn't help with the filter change though.)
Jim
But that's ambiguous, Bob. The XT is also a "Forester 2.5", and it is newer than 1999. It does not, however, have a clearance engine. The usual and clear way to distinguish among the various 2.5 models is to add descriptors such as "NA" (naturally aspirated) or model designators such as X and XS, versus XT.
We dropped a car off a jack earlier this year at the track and proceeded to loose the oil cause when we pulled the jack out from under the car it caught the fumoto valve and bango...
-mike
hi again, Craig!: Thanks for the tips!! Yes, I definitely learned to wear old clothes! Even being a helper this week-end, I ended up covered with oil!! If I ever end up doing it myself, I'm probably going to be cleaning myself as I go along.
Another question: As I've been reading through the various posts, I see that some people find it acceptable to use the crush washer more than once. And others insist that it be used only one time. What do you do and why? I'm tempted to use it at least a couple of times just because I'm budget minded but I can see the argument of using it only once too ...I mean, if it's already "crushed" then it has already performed its intended fuction and should be thrown out. Any feedback on this? (~sheesh~ I'm really gettin' into this stuff! lol)
---haly
My mom had a early 90's Legacy and she loved it until it was totaled with over 150k miles. She does like this car but I'm not sure at this point if it can be salvaged so to speak do to this piston slap issue. The mechanic said that her engine was rebuilt and the SOA rep said that it was replaced which troubles me. I have also read that there is a replacement piston with a longer skirt that is available but I have no idea if these were installed on her engine.
I guess my question is what can be done to resolve this without have to go to court? The oil is mobil1, valves have been adjusted, short block replaced, and as of three days ago still makes this noise. She has retained a lawyer but as we all know no one will win. I plan on taking it to a friends shop so that we can look to see if the VIN numbers match. Any idea where I might find the numbers? I'll post a follow up when I know more.
Sorry to be so long winded but I'm grasping for straws so that my mom doesn't have to go to court.
Crush washers are about 69 cents. Although I don't think re-using them will cause any problems, you might as well get a new one and do it by the book.
Finally, the first time I ever changed oil, I did it on a just-driven car....ouch! Take a cold engine, drive around the block to heat the oil just a tad, then change. Your hands will thank you.
Jon
So, the lesson learned from paisan is: Don't jack up your car near the oil pan if a fumoto is installed. ;-)
Yes, it will stick a little into the oilpan. I used three of the blue fumoto washers with mine so it doesn't protrude as far. A small amount will remain in the oil pan, but it's not enough to do any harm. I know because I've had my oil analyzed. :-)
-Dennis
I use a funnel but Brian's foil idea sounds even better.
-juice
With the problems you're experiencing with your 04 Forester, perhaps you're in one of those "dead zones" for the signal. I know that even here in Sacramento, when it's foggy out the remotes in my cars are far less effective.
Brian
Norb
I still love my Forester, but my faith is being tested. How can a $20K automobile have so many design flaws in dead simple, long proven systems? Clutch!? Manual transmission!?! Wheel bearings!?!? -- George
Mark: see if you can speak to the dealer service manager about the pistons, ask if those were replaced. It's a good question that should be answered before you proceed.
Norb: easy fix - just put it on the half defrost/half footwell setting. We were discussing this in the Outback thread and someone actually tested this theory, and it worked!
George: two gears at once? Play in the forks? That mechanic is smoking some nice stuff.
But seriously, I've never seen that, really the whole tranny is very reliable overall. The bearings are not a problem with the 2003 and later design, so yours will not be affected.
The clutch has improved, does yours have a problem? Subaru has been good about replacing them if you do, but it's less common now.
You're in a topic called "Subaru Problems", I'm not sure what you expected but that's exactly what we discuss. Look at the Problems threads for any car, any brand, you'll see a lot worse that this: engine fires, stalling and stranded passengers, etc.
-juice
So my comment was geared (pardon the pun) towards the mechanic who seemed to imply it happened all the time to Subies. It doesn't.
The only tranny issues I've seen are WRX owners that modified their 2002s up to 300hp and went on to sheer the teeth off their tranny gears. Not Subaru's fault at all - it is designed to handle 227hp reliably, not 300.
For 2003 Subaru added a force-limiting valve to the clutch, which meant you couldn't dump the clutch at high revs and fry the trans, but it also cut complaints about tranny failures almost cold turkey.
Did you get the revised clutch? Just curious.
-juice
My front one works to charge my cell phone, but not to charge my laptop. Perhaps there is a limit on the amps? Dunno, but the plug in the rear works fine for my laptop, so the manual must be right.
-juice
-Dan-
The '99 is probably no longer under warranty, but talk to the dealer, Subaru might help out.
Or get an ACT clutch for $3-400 or so, those can handle more torque from the get-go.
-juice
Dennis: Yeah! I know! But I think people on both boards are now getting tired of me. After all, I've been almost hogging both boards for the last few days. So, I think it's time that I now lay low.
Okay guys, I guess I better slow it down and stop hogging the board with my posts because others have questions too! Thanks again to everybody who has taken the time to answer my questions and give me advice! The "crew" is really something! ...it's really been a startling experience to see so many people who are willing to help and share advice. You guys are great!!!!!!!!!
---haly
Craig
Hope everyone has a good turkey day. Anyone goin' on a road trip? I'm staying put, for once.
-juice
Crush washer - always a new one. Don't mess around with oil.
Haly -like your "idea" of having a wire to hold the drain plug so it doesn't fall into the pan. Always have to go fishing around for it. Are you listening Subaru?
Greg
I like the idea of a tether, too. The gas cap has one, why not the oil plug?
Right now I use a funnel. The plug is too big to fall through, but it also slows the flow of oil, and it's still messy.
-juice
Some of the other sites have instructions on how to clip a wire behind the stereo so you can manually control whether the A/C is on while in defrost mode. There is a switch that automatically turns the A/C on when the knob is rotated to defrost.
I believe I saw instructions out on scoobymods.com
Take care,
Paul
some posts on this issue led me to believe that AC doesn't engage below freezing mark. So this becomes less of an issue.
Still waiting for real confirmation of the fact, though.
K
On the low compression issue with your car, are you the original owner? And has it had a new timing belt? Just curious about a data point.
IdahoDoug
I'd suspect there's an inline fuse for the lighter socket as is typical for liability/safety. It may have blown when the compressor began seizing and drawing WAY more amps. This is a pain to replace, as it's usually somewhere in the first foot or so of wiring behind the socket itself and requires some disassembly. But if everything else on the fuse (in fuse box) this shares works, then that's the likely culprit. Why would the inline fuse blow before the fuse box? I've always thought this was a poor design but it's common due to liability.
Love the wire on the oil pan bolt idea. I've had to frantically fish mine away from the drain pan hole before it overflowed as well.....
IdahoDoug
The answers are No and NO.
I bought it at auction over a year ago.
I have not changed the belt and am beginning to doubt the woman that owned it before me did.
It has no owner's manual so I've been hunting for a Haynes manual for it. I found one (that included all the makes of foreign SUVs and was a bit hefty) at the Lansing, MI B&N, so assumed it would be available out here in the PA-NJ area - NOT! I should have grabbed it!
In the mean time, major health problems (2 heart attacks - another issue that should be discussed more, but not here - cholesterol 130, no family history, don't smoke and weigh the same as in HS, clot in a totally clear artery, so cholesterol is meaningless) have prevented me from doing much of anything so a dealer has it now to find the culprit. It will cost a few bucks, but I hear Subaru dealers in this area are pretty consistent about properly diagnosing and rectifying problems
Your intuition may very well be right, I hope so! When I drove it to a local garage to do the spark, fuel, compression thing, I had to keep the RPMs above 2800 for it to operate reasonably smoothly.
Taking it to the dealer, yesterday, it ran smoothly at 1600 RPM and above! It seemed to be getting better??? If the valves were burned or bent, compression would only get worse.
I'll keep you guys posted on the dealer's findings.
Bob D.
You are correct on that issue. I've had it happen twice, so it does happen. The latest was a BMW 516 when the shift linkage broke, thankfully in Germany, just coming back from France (it was rented in Germany and I could get service from AVIS).
Prior to that, my wife managed to get my '58 Chevy jammed between 1st and 2nd, but there was play in the forks. I've had many foreign and domestic stick shifters (including a Chrysler factory stick!! - one of two ever made for the public) after that and never had it happen here in the US of A. This is my first Suby, so we will see!
Bob D.
Thanks!
Patti
Thanks for any help.
-Dave
-Dan-
-Dennis
Cuddles the Bear
-juice
-juice
Who told you that? Many prewar Chryslers were sold with sticks. Also, quite a few 1956 Chrysler 300B models were purchased with a factory 3-speed manual; I drove one. There also was a very expensive optional 4-speed full-synchro floorshift manual (using a Pont-a-Mousson transmission imported from France) on 300-series cars during the '59-63 timeframe. Moving to later models, my Chrysler LeBaron had a factory 4-speed floorshift, and there were thousands of them sold with that option. You can buy several new Chrysler models today with stick shifts.
Overall, I'm guessing there have probably been at least 10,000 Chrysler automobiles (probably more) sold just since the mid-50s with manual transmissions.