Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

njswamplands

wrxfanboy

Just got done washing my car and I noticed tiny little rust looking spots near the badges on the trunk (04 Silver WRX), I tried rubbing with soft cloth and it seriously looks like the beginning or a major rust spot or spots I should say. I am really concerned about this. I know it has been very salty in Illinois this year but come on. Anyone else notice this and do you think this would be covered under warranty if it really is rust?

Thanks!!

rob_m

I have seen tiny rust spots in the paint in both my 92 Loyale (Light Blue) and 99 GT (Silver). This seems to happen in the lighter colors. These are New England cars, and never amounted to anything.

wrxfanboy

meakes me feel a bit better but I am still concerned. Hopefully it warms up a bit and I can get out there and really try to do some polishing.

articulate

Well, my Forester's back, and the mechanic insisted that the "diff" was the most likely culprit. He said that since the noise was pretty much constant, as opposed to increasing when a load was put on the bearings during turns, that the bearings were probably okay.

Unfortunately, this shop couldn't do service on the differential, so I guess I'll be heading to the dealer for a second (and probably pricier) diagnosis and subsequent repair.

Thanks for answering, Juice!

rangner

So you're saying the tire is beyond repair?

If not, I'd just patch it if possible--it's the cheaper solution.

Eric

ateixeira

Our Mazda 626 had the bearings go, we got a speed-dependent chunk-chunk-chunk sound.

-juice

zman3

FWIW, what I have found is that bearings tend to make noise when you let off the gas. They kind of howl or groan. Bad differentials I have experienced made noise under constant load/speed.

b10609

We had a similar problem on our 1985 Subaru Legacy and it turned out the antenna in the left door post was the villan. If yours has this feature, put it down completely the next time you're getting the noise, you'll soon know. - Waterloo

ateixeira

I get to use my favorite phrase again. )

My Forester's antennae is wrapped with a twisting wire, this is to create a periodic vortex shedding. Otherwise it would vibrate at a certain frequency and produce a noise.

-juice

b10609

Great stuff, my wife's 2003 Forester has the ideal factory solution, bury the ugly antenna in the rear glass. Now, if I could get my hands on the idiot that stole the Subaru logo on the grill. It was pried off with a screwdriver at a restaurant one night recently. Do we have a new trend ie Benz & BMW - maybe the Subie has risen in world status. No longer the earth shoe car. Dealer says he's ordered two for customers in the past year ! Readers comments welcomed. Waterloo

kevin111

Plenty of Hondas and a few Toyotas with missing logos on the front of their cars as well.

leo2633

Lots of Subies missing their rear logos (or more accurately, their rear "SUBARU" lettering), too. It's fashionable with some of the kiddies to "debadge" the rear. I guess sort of like baggie pants hanging half off their a**es.

Len

bat1161

Eric,

The tire has a hole approximately .75 to 1 inch in diameter on the side. I'm sure that means it can't be patched. What stinks is I bought these back in Aug of '02 and only put 24K miles on since. I have to see what type of "prorating" the place I bought then at will do.

On a side note, when the blow out did occur both Elm and myself felt nothing different on the car. I heard the rubber rubbing, but felt no loss of control. I guess a side benefit of AWD?

Mark

rangner

yeah that does sound a bit out of the scope of patching it.

good luck with it

Eric

atomic_robot

I took the "ODYSSEY" badge off the back of my Honda- looks nicer with just the logo in the middle.

Not sure yet if I'll do something similar with my Outback.

I think the old-school kustom guys used to call it "shaving"; removing all the badging and chrome.

ateixeira

With all these spare badges around, why steal more? Sheesh.

-juice

rsholland

used to call it "nosing & decking," the removal of all badges.

Bob

kevin111

It looks good, makes the car's rear look like a custom job (see - Fast and the Furious for examples).

Personally, I really do like the silver lettering. Especially against the black paint.

ballistic

It's fashionable with some of the kiddies to "debadge" the rear. I guess sort of like baggie pants hanging half off their a**es.

There's a practical reason for losing the lettering; that area becomes easier to wash.

I haven't done the de-badge bit yet, but if I ever do, my pants will remain securely belted around my waist.

ateixeira

My Miata had a dealer sticker on that the previous owner left on. I had been there for 8 years when I de-badged it. Sure enough, plenty of gunk around it.

Had to use a bug and tar remover to clean the area.

-juice

akasrp

I haven't done the de-badge bit yet, but if I ever do, my pants will remain securely belted around my waist.

-s(hudder-to-think)rp

p0926

atomic_robot

I ALWAYS remove the dealer bling (read: junk) from my vehicles.

ballistic

...or, on second thought, if Janet Jackson got all that press by flashing upper body, maybe I can do the same lowering my pants.

bat1161

I figured I can't patch them. As I need the tires for this weekend, I just ordered new tires from Tire Rack. Based on their recommendation I went with BFGoodrich Traction T/A H.
    I had contacted the shop where I bought my tires previously and they said because the tires have 24K on them, the prorate would not be much. Plus they tried talking me into Dunlop S40's since they don't carry the A2 in stock.
    The sales guy recommended the Tractions over the Dunlops, especially after I mentioned the Dunlops wore quickly and became a little noisier lately. They are shipping it to a local shop for installation, and I should have them tomorrow.
   I went with a better set of new tires because we've decided to wait a bit on the '05. Better safe than sorry. I'll let you know how they ride.

Mark

PS: Tire rack is a nice way to go for tires- no pressure on what model to go for, and they will ship directly to an installer they have used near your home.

akasrp

of a new and somewhat depraved Subaru Ad campaign:

Hold On To Your Pants!

-srp

bat1161

While I'm on a roll with posting, I have another issue that I had previously mentioned.

I seem to be having a short somewhere affecting the passenger low beam head lamp. In the past 2 months the bulb has burned out 3 times. Before I burn out a 4th, does anyone have any idea what to look for? As far as I can tell, all the wires are properly attached, and there are no naked wires.

TIA,

Mark

BTW Ken- I ordered those bulbs you suggested, and they sent an extra one! Thanks for the info again.

subaru_team

grabbing the pants or Lance or Martina?

leo2633

Good point about it making it easier to clean. And thank God for your belt!

Len

trick18

I have a 1999 forester with 70,000 miles. The check engine light came on and it will not go over 4000 rpm. I replaced the plugs, wires, and fuel filter with no improvement. I have heard there is head gasket problem. When I asked the dealer if there was a recall he said he has seen something on the internet but there was nothing official. I bought a subaru because I was sick of the American cars reliabilty, now I am having second thoughts. I emails subaru about the problem and they have yet to get back to me.

ateixeira

Well, they are extending coverage of the head gaskets to 8 years or 100k miles.

Most companies would say "tough luck" and tell you to pay for the repair yourself. Subaru is standing behind the product. You have no reason to feel any remorse, since you'll very likely be taken care of.

Our Mazda 626 had 5 major repairs in 7 years, Mazda covered *none* of them, it cost us $2500 out-of-pocket. No car is perfect, but it would have been nice to see Mazda do something, anything, to help us out. Nope.

Take it in, call 800-SUBARU3 to open up a case number so they can track it.

Be patient, in the end I'll bet you'll buy another Subie to replace it.

-juice

atomic_robot

So, now that the head gaskets have been replaced on my '01 OBW, what's the official word on future maintenance?

Will I still need to use the coolant additive when I do a flush & fill or are the new gaskets re-engineered to eliminate future problems?

I was so happy to have the car fixed that I never really thought to ask the dealer when I picked it up.

ateixeira

I think you will still use the additive. I believe Subaru includes it with each new car as a preventative.

-juice

maverick1017

okay, just out of curiousity, I suspect my 98 Forester has developed a HG leak cause I noticed an oily film in the coolant when I drained it a few weeks ago, its got over 106K on the od, am I basically SOL in terms of getting help with fixing it from SOA? It doesn't effect my decision on replacing the HGs either way but curiousity is getting the best of me, it would be nice if SOA can do something but I am not expecting it. It's been a fabulously (mostly) trouble free 106K miles(with the exception of two rear wheel bearing replacements) looking forward to another 100K!

Mike

once_for_all

put the sealer in and keep an eye on it. Your mileage is enough that you want other "reasons" to get in there in order to get some more bang for your cost.

Example: if you are needing to do the timing belt, adjust valves, maybe even a valve or ring job, etc. in addition to the HGs.

John

subaru_team

if you have a My.Subaru account. The VIN's will be loaded on there early next week - and you won't have to wait for the mailings that will be "phased in". The other benefit?? We're expecting high call volume once the letters go out, so you might have some unusual delays if you call us to check into your specific vehicle.

So - if you haven't already set up an account, you might want to do it now.

Even if your vehicle is not part of the campaign, I'd encourage you to pick up the conditioner at the parts counter of your dealership. It should be VERY inexpensive and it will help seepage/leakage and may save you on other repairs. You do have to re-add it when you flush the coolant, but for the money, it would be a bargain.

Patti

nygreg

since I'm about to hit 60K (that went quick!), I might as well drain and fill with the additive.

Greg

rthompson10

So I'm driving down the road and I heard something hit my windshield(Didn't see it). This morning I see a crack in the lower left corner, now about 6 inches long.

Of course I have the heater element in the windshield(OB)

Robert

kens

Mark -- Glad the bulb buying went well. Honestly, I don't know what's causing your bulbs to burn out so quickly on one side. Do you notice it's brighter, moving around or doing something different from the other side?

Robert -- Bummer. Those windshields are pricey to replace yourself. Does your insurance have a deductible for windsheilds?

Ken

fibber2

Shortlife bulbs are usually due to:
Overvoltage (the opposite of a short)
Excessive vibration
Contamination

If only one bulb is affected, I doubt you have a voltage regulation problem. As Ken suggested, is it loose or moving around more? Do you see any sign of moisture in the headlamp housing? Are you scrupulously clean in your handling of the replacements? Remember to never contact the quartz glass....

Steve

gevans1

Need advice from all you knowledgeable Subaru owners. I purchase a new Outback every three years. Had a 97 basic OB, the a 2000 Limited OB, and now have the LLB Outback purchased in Sept of 2002. It has 13,000 miles on it and will take it to the dealer this week for oil chance and tire rotation before taking off to Texas in two weeks. The service dept. said I should spend approx. $70 to drain the transmission sice it is required at 15K miles. I don't consider I drive under severe conditions, although it is a two mile pull up the mountain and I go down in low gear for the two miles. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks. Also enjoy reading the boards with the questions and the answers.

bluesubie

Robert - Plan to spend around $700. If you find a place for less that does a great job, let me know. :-)
Ken - No $0 deductible for glass in NJ. :-(

Glenn - An LL Bean is only auto, correct? I'm pretty sure the recommended Subaru interval is not 15,000 miles. I can't believe a dealer would even recommend every 15k. Maybe on a manual transmission.

-Dennis

[Deleted User]

You're probably already aware of this since you know about the "severe" schedule; Subaru's service schedule only specifies inspecting the fluid at 30,000 miles, and recommends replacing it at 15,000 miles for severe driving conditions (frequent short trips, extreme temps, mostly stop/go conditions, etc). If you don't drive in extreme conditions, don't worry about changing the fluid until 30,000 miles.

Your warranty will still be in effect if you change it at 30,000 versus 15,000. If the dealer tries to refute this, offer to call 1-800-SUBARU and speak with a Subaru of America representative directly about his/her claims.

Since you replace your vehicles so frequently, you will never see any benefit to changing the tranny fluid more often. Maybe the person who owns it at 200,000 miles, but that's not guaranteed.

Oh, one last thing, manual and automatic transmissions have the same service schedule.

-Ty

98redgrey

Is the AT on my '98 obs "naturally" stubborn in first gear in winter until the engine warms up?

The fluid looks clean and the level is good. Just wondering if the tranny is showing its age or is normal for the robustness of the torque converter. Is there AT fluid specific for colder climes (SAE) to take into account winter?

I pretty much baby my OBS in single digit weather until the engine gets up to normal operating temperature.

thanks. Jon

Just a side note-it seems every other ad on TV is a car ad. But what I like about Subaru is that their adds actually show the cars being "Driven" and not a stupid storyline that tells nothing about the car. (Lance on the bike doesn't count though-it's analogous to the car).

outback_97

Patti:

Is Subaru recommending the use of the new coolant additive for Phase 1 2.5l DOHC engines (like my '97) to help prevent the *internal* head gasket failure which the Ph.1 engine is known to experience? Or is it only intended to limit external coolant leaks? Sorry if this has been answered before.

utahsteve

subaru_team

This conditioner is really meant for external coolant "seepage" vs. internal leaks (where you would see it coming out the exhaust). From what I understand, they haven't gathered enough data on its impact on internal leaks - but my impression is that it won't help those types of issues. It can't hurt to add it anyway. For a couple of bucks, it may save some money in the long run. I've heard different things about the effectiveness of the conditioner for leaks vs. seepage. Anytime you have an internal leak, it should get checked out and fixed quickly because you could end up with major engine damage if you drive it that way. For "seepage", you wouldn't experience a drastic failure/melt down if you get to it quickly. I hope this answers your question.

Are you having a problem with an internal leak? Has the dealer checked it out for you? Let us know if you need help.

Patti

mollyk

I have a 2002 Legacy and have had to replace tires at 22,000 miles and have some tire problems again at 40,000. I have been told by the service dept at the dealership that this is a common problem with the Legacy L - it goes though tires quickly. I also had to have brakes replaced at 30,000 mi under warranty and was told I was lucky they lasted that long and that the brakes usually need replacing Every 15,000 miles or so. I was shocked. I have heard of others getting the very same message. I am ready to get rid of this car. I was told that it is only the Legacy L that has brake problems.
I am debating getting a new Forester instead, but now I am reading about similar problems with the Forester. What is the real story on the Subaru brakes? I would love to buy another Subaru, but I don't want to make the same mistake twice. Please Help!

once_for_all

where have you been hearing of Forester brake problems? I don't think it is here, because you can check the last year plus and the Forester has no such issues.

15k here on my '03 XS, just rotated my tires and they are like new. Pads like new too. Master cylinder still at "maximum".

John

jfl

My original RE92 tires went 40K miles before being replaced by RE92 wheels and tires from a WRX for another 40k miles. the original brake pads went over 65k miles. The rear pads were worn but the front pads still had quite a bit of lining remaining. YMMV of course.

Jim
2000 Legacy L