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Comments
Of course there are problems here. There are 4 Subies currently in my family and none leak, every one is completely reliable.
At 5 years, check Consumer Reports again - Subaru is actually ahead of Honda. And their warranty is longer.
Toyota is still ahead of Subaru, but Subaru gives you roadside assistance and Toyota does not. Call it even.
We have Patti. They refuse to put someone in harm's way like that. We win.
-juice
I got the deflector to protect the front of the hood. Which it does quite nicely.
MNSteve
This is good anywhere the car is driven in North America.
I would expect the U.S. sold Toyota's would have the same program, but I guess maybe this is not the case.
As an aside, the Subie is a gem and has had great care (75,000 km.) with no problems. I really want an '05, but have to convince my wife that the old one has to go first.
Doug
Of course my source is now 2 years old and that might have changed since then, but I hadn't heard that.
-juice
- The car's chassis and body panels should always be used as the ground, since the tires isolate the car from any other potential ground. As a result, a proper car should be designed to create a Faraday cage.
If manufacturers just sticked with point to point connections, with the added amount of electronics being designed into the car, you have the potential for a dammaging arc. Aka, a more dangerous situation than grounding the car to the chassis.
In other words, manufacturers went from strictly point to point to grounding to the chassis and body pannels for safety reasons, not to be cheap.
Everything else you said, I agree with.
But this will be the last summer with the original Michelins as the wear bars are becoming more noticeable. Next year new tires. The Blizzaks only accumulated about 5,000 miles this winter as we didn't "go west" skiing.
MNSteve
I have no problem with the concept of grounding electrical components to the chassis. It does indeed decrease the likelihood of an ESD (electrostatic discharge) event from damaging an individual component by increasing the total capacitance of the system. You are less likely to destroy the radio, for instance, by touching a knob after sliding across a seat when everything is common.
The problem has become the total reliance on chassis grounding with modern electronics. Please realize that the concept of using the chassis as the electrical return path predates modern electronics by decades. When it was mostly just lighing using this, the worst that happened was that one headlight or taillight got dimmer, or your directional signals got slower. The latter was because the old 'clickers' use resistance heated bimetal strips to make & break a ckt, and was tuned for a specific voltage/current load.
Ideally, negative chassis grounding would be supplemented (not replaced) by better point to point ground wiring, much as the "single point ground" add on wiring does. So yes, I still believe that elimination of return wire had more to do with cost and convenience.
In the world of industrial equipment (SEMI Standards, for instance), it is advised that every chassis in a rack have a supplemental ground wire, and not just rely on attachment hardware between parts to tie it all together.
I was a little curious about your comment on Faraday cages. For those of you not following, a Faraday cage is an all metal enclosure that blocks electromagnetic fields, recreating a fields free region within - ie no induced voltages, or electrical noise. They exist around some electronic items, but to make one with your automobile, we would have to totally seal it, including elimination of all glass and plastic!
Hope this helps,
Steve
Somebody commented that upgraded H1's produced too much glare in bad weather. And indeed I found it a little bright when I got caught in a short but intense snow squall the other day. But there is an easy solution made possible by the daytime running lights feature. Just turn the stalk from 'headlights' to 'parking lights'. All dash and running lights stay on, but the headlight voltage is reduced slightly. The light output from the premium bulbs in DRL mode is pretty much a match for the stock bulbs in full on mode, cutting the reflected glare.
See, another good reason for having DRL....
Steve
Thanks
Ellen
Perhaps it's the type of roads you drive on, or your following distance to the cars ahead?
Dunno, but my wife has cracked a couple of windshields on her old 626 also, may just be bad luck.
-juice
The low angle of incidence of upright windshields, like the one on the Forester, trade reduced reflections on the glass for more direct road-debris impact on the glass. There probably is nothing defective with your glass. Steeper windshields are less prone to chipping, and are more durable on the highway, especially around construction, salting, and sanding.
I've lived with an upright windshield for 20 years, and I've had it replaced repeatedly as it gets broken or just too filed with chips for good visibility. Some shops insist that I had the windshield sand blasted, since it develops thousands of evenly distributed tiny chips. This is all from sand and stones tossed up on the highway.
I've tried polishes and sought a solution for years, but the best I can do is clean the windshield to keep the wipers from streaking dirt out of the chips when it begins to rain. I wouldn't have such a problem if I stayed off the highway, but that is not an option for me.
I wish I had better sugestions for you, but I have learned to wash my windshield regularly and to live with the chips and sometimes leaky windshield replacements. I may be on my last windshield, since shops have scratched the paint under the trim, causing rust and holes to develop in the hidden areas. I learned not to use glass polish on a pocked windshield.
-Zor
P.S. Does anyone know if the '04 Forester is galvanized around the windshield?
-juice
Greg
Thanks for your advice, I figured there was nothing that I could do about it but was going to ask anyway. Its frustrating but other than that I really love the car.
I think I totally missed the subject that you were talking about added grounding instead of one vs. the other. I appologise for this missinterpretation.
In regards to the Faraday cage, it was my misunderstanding of automobiles. For some reason, I thought there was one, must have been lack of sleep.
On the subject of Faraday cages, there is some interesting stuff going on here. An article in the trade publication Evaluation Engineering this month is on "Automotive EMC Immunity Specs". EMC is elecromagnetic compatibility. Basically the problem is electronic subsystems picking up stray signals and falsing. The increased use of wireless at ever higher frequencies in cars has the automakers scared. Imagine hitting 'send' on your new GSM phone, and having your 'fly by wire' throttle kick into high gear! On the flip side, think what adding a ton of metal around all electronic system to block fields will do to fuel economy.
Steve
BTW, if electrical noise is becomming a concern in automobiles, this IS a major problem!!! EVERYTHING in automobiles are becomming electrically motorized. I am surprised that one battery can start some of these cars, with all the gizmos they have (assuming there is a feature to first start the car to get the altinater going, then many of the other electrical components start up. That or a very powerful battery!).
But yes, I think this will become a very big issue in the future. It is part of the reason that I have spoken out on these boards against fly by wire throttle and brake systems. As an electrical engineer with a background in semiconductor failure analysis, it scares the hell out of me. It is part of the reason aircraft have layers of redundancy built into these systems.
Expect to also find an increased use of shielded cable between subsystems, and a renewed push towards higher operating voltages (42v is proposed) to avoid the higher currents that would otherwise be needed to deliver the required wattage.
http://www.evaluationengineering.com/archive/articles/0304/0304em- - - c.htm
Steve
Cheers Pat.
-juice
I called 1800-subaru3 and talked to the customer service rep. What I was told was that "some mechanics try replacing the short block, others have tried new pistons, some suggest going with synthetic oil and even some folks try higher octane gas, but because of the design of the piston, all these solutions fail. The piston slap will not hurt the engine. Our fleet of Subarus in New Jersey have the problem."
Quite frankly, I don't believe him. I guess I can just turn the car in in July and be done with it, but I do like the car. It is fun to drive, and very practical. I have thought of bargaining with them, as in, I will purchase this car at the end of the lease only if you fix the problem...." Is there anything else folks would suggest to get this taken care of?
People have tried the things the Rep. indicated but the noise will come back. It isn't a matter of choosing not to fix it - it's more that we know folks don't like it, but "fixing"it isn't permanent. Since it doesn't cause damage, they are not trying other ways to quiet it on cold start up.
I'll double check your case if you want to share the case number or your name. I'm sorry it's making you unhappy.
Patti
Patti
-Brian
-juice
I called to confirm a loaner car would be available tonight, and was told that they could not find my appt. Then again told me how it is "normal."
Well after a short conversation the service agent from the dealer then said all we can do is replace the engine. I said sure. I am now scheduled to take it into the dealership a week from today. They said it will take about a week and a half as Subaru will not ship the parts until they have my car in their shop. At least my piston slap should be getting fixed.
Be persistant if you want it fixed. The service rep after telling me it is "normal" then said that replacing the block should fix it although it is possible that is "could" return in the future.
They are going to replace the engine, and you said OK?
-Dave
Hope this info helps .
Mike k
http://www.tirereview.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=FADCAEA8B5- - 994C6A9415F2047491B148&nm=Archives&type=pub&mod=Publi- - cations%3A%3AArticles&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&am- p;am- p;tier=3&aid=82FA2C21DA67440FA76168FD9780EE81&dtxt=Octobe- - r+2003
Steve
PS: I tried it, and it doesn't take you all of the way there. Go to archives, October 2003 (has a WRX on the cover?), article is called "All Torqued Up"
Is there anything I can do to fix this short of having the hood repainted? It's so close to the edge, I'm afraid to try and sand it down for fear that the paint will flake off around to the top of the hood.
This car is only 3 years old! This shouldn't be happening.
That does seem strange, though, Subaru uses galvanized steel. Was the hood ever damaged?
Most newer Subies use aluminum hoods now, FWIW.
-juice
Call 800-SUBARU3 and ask them what they can do for you. Work with your dealer and customer service, but try to be very pleasant so they go the extra mile.
-juice (who used to work at a Help Desk)
This is a pretty rare problem in today's cars, and that includes Subaru. Unless the finish is aftermarket on the hood, all I can think of for a reason for the rust is either a manufacturing defect (seam didn't seal properly, galvanization didn't complete, contamination, or finish is thin) or an impact jarred the seam loose (accident or severe slamming of the hood).
There are two ways to deal with rust:
1. Replace the effected panel, or
2. Grind down the rust, apply a rust-prohibiting solution, and refinish with body filler, lots of sanding, primer, base coat, and clear coat.
If you decide to go the grinding route, then the sooner you have this done the better. Grinding requires removing metal until no rust spots remain, even the ones you can't see with the naked eye. Unless you're an experienced body shop guy, this is best left to the professionals with the right equipment, chemicals, training, experience, and supplies.
-Ty
-Dave
-Frank P.
This was a common and more serious problem with the Mazda6, lots of owners had "staining" on the door trim.
-juice
It's definitely rust. When I first noticed it, I thought it might just be a strange looking weld. When I looked really close, I saw that the paint had cracked off and there was rust underneath.
I'll have to check into a warranty fix- I hate to call SOA again right after dealing with my head gaskets...
-mike
They called at 3:30 saying the car was done. I left work and arrived at 4 - and then had to cool my heels for a full hour, because they weren't done after all! They were still trying to diagnose the steering pinion issue. They wound up ordering a new tie-rod end, which I'm 99.99% certain is not the cause of the thump-thump. They couldn't find any of the rattles, couldn't improve the 1-foot keyfob range (although they say every '04 Forester owner has the same complaint) and couldn't duplicate the throttle flutter.
In other words, they did the oil change and lubed the door hinges. Nothing else got corrected.
They were supposed to call me back in when the tie-rod end came in. That was two weeks ago, and I haven't heard a peep.
Not what I'd call an auspicious beginning.
Doing that helps improve dealers that are slacking off, which seems to be the case here.
-juice
-mike
Also, when everyone else that rides in the car comments about the number of rattles, not to mention the snap-crackle-pop dash, its very hard for me to understand why the dealer can't hear them - except - they can be time consuming to diagnose and will not generally make him (the dealer) much warranty money. Subaru (or any other manufacturer) won't I'm sure reimburse him the full amount of time if it takes him 4 hours to find a rattle but only 5 minutes to fix it.
Just my (very painful) observation.
Also, my key fobs work anywhere from 2 to 50 feet, depending upon the weather, time of day, phase of moon, and the astrological sign of the person parked next to me. In other words, wildly inconsistent.
Larry
My '98 is quiet, even though it's been hit before and has 61k miles now.
Honestly, go test drive a RAV4 or CR-V, particularly at higher speeds, and go see how much noisier they are in general.
-juice
I told them that the I-5 freeway 2 blocks from the dealership has stud-roughened surfaces that make the dash buzz loudly and continuously every time I pass that area. How they could not hear the rattle (if they drove on that nearby stretch, as I suggested) is incomprehensible. The thump-thump of the steering rack-and-pinion is plainly audible every time the steering wheel is turned in a quiet environment. The key fob remotes would not operate the door locks from more than 2 feet away while the XT was sitting in their own parking lot.
Other than maybe the throttle flutter, you'd have to NOT want to find any of these problems in order to completely miss them.
I offered when dropping the car off to take a service writer out for a ride; they didn't think it would be necessary. Then, after a full (and mostly wasted) day, they suggested that maybe that would be a good idea next time.
As I said - not an auspicious beginning.
Take a deep breath, go out for a jog, you gotta vent a little. Honestly, I worked in a Help Desk for 3+ years and the nicer customers got the best service, period. No exceptions.
-juice