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Comments
I am a NY'er born and raised... where people understand the expression "drive on the right, pass on the left". Maine even has signs with this motto posted on their freeways. Here on the West Coast, while it varies by state, I think the motto is something like "drive in the middle, go slow on the left, do whatever-the-hell-you-please on the right and feel free to weave in and out if it suites you. watch out for motorcycles sharing lanes on both sides of you" As for tailgaters? I don't know, I'm too busy watching out for the motorcycles on left and right in my lane with me to notice what's happening BEHIND me. -elissa
Greg
What is the deal with the left lane being the slowest and the right lane being the fastest???? That, and the middle lanes do not have a clue.
MNSteve - Geeze, is it ever going to warm up!
Wow, Larry, I have Gold Plus and didn't know that. I'll take it, though! LOL
Maybe that does cover things like the clutch and brake discs (still probably not the pads)?
-juice
BTW - I really want to put the HAL fix in this weekend. Been so busy doing jobs around the house plus cooking the dog food for the next seven months my last few weekends have been a blur.....
Be friendly with the dealer staff, ask for the service team leader's name and greet him or her each time you go.
I used to hate going to dealers, now I chat with them. The salesman will bring up the newest Subaru for me to test drive while I wait. I actually enjoy going now, oddly enough.
-juice
http://www.subaru.com/servlet/StateLocatorServlet
You should notice some dealers in your state have the "Stellar Performer" symbol near their name. Or go to the current issue of Drive and see the Stellar Performer list (better, since they bold those dealers with repeat excellent customer satisfaction):
http://www.drive.subaru.com/Spr04_StellarPerformers.htm
I notice that my dealer, Carlsen Subaru, whose sales and service has far exceeded my expectations shows up on this list as a repeat performer. Whereas the next closest dealer which has pissed me off more than once, Ron Price Subaru, is not on the list at all.
Perhaps you should find a new dealer if yours doesn't honor the warranty?
Steve
Just think Elissa, if you were driving a 1971 AMC Pacer, there would be no room for a motorcycle and you in the same lane.
John
Larry - good luck with the HAL fix.
-juice
I don't think much of this list. And my evaluation of the "Stellar" dealership is based on three separate incidents and all departments (sales, service, and parts), so it is not based on just one bad experience.
Oh, what the heck, I'm naming names:
"Stellar Performer" - Matt Slap, Newark DE
Not on the list: Castle, New Castle DE
--K9Leader, Newark DE
On the steering rack, again, seal leaks usually progress over time. I would just keep an eye on it.
Steve
I have reviewed other Subaru forums and see that clutch problems were endemic on late-90's Foresters. We they still a problem on 2002 models? If so, my Forester is going to be for sale soon and I will suggest the my son gets rid of his new Outback too.
From reading other posting, I note that Subaru of America monitors this forum. If they do, I would certainly appreciate having a quick response to my inquiries.
Thanks
My guess is they might offer to help out a little with that $800 bill.
My 1998 Forester has 62k miles on its original clutch, heck I'm still on my original brake pads, even my spark plugs! These are not generally expensive-to-maintain vehicles. I've spent exactly zero out of pocket beyond normal service.
-juice
43K and needing a new clutch! Wow. My first Subaru was an '84 GL - it had it's original clutch replaced at 185K. Yes, that's a 1-8-5 and 3-zeros. It was only a two wheel drive though. After having some transmission related problems on my '01 manual transmission Forester, hearing about the clutch and flywheel issues with many others, and hearing a service tech at the dealer comment that he "would recommend automatic tranny subarus due to the weight of the vehicle and the strain on the tranny... " I decided while I still like the brand, I'd go with an automatic next time around (hence my new '04 AT F-XT).
You might try to investigate if some other component (that IS covered in your power train warranty) could have been at fault in the failing of the clutch. Perhaps, your wife's car suffered some flywheel issues that caused the clutch to work too hard? Then that should be warranty and comp'd IMO. If they won't cover it, you should consider getting the work done elsewhere and save yourself $400. Then get an AT next time around.
Driving Tips in a Manual Trans Subaru
When I brought my MT Forester to the dealer for a new first gear at 35K miles, the drivetrain specialist took me out for a demo ride and gave me some very valuable tips on preserving my transmission, I'll pass them along to you:
1) Never ever ever NEVER should you down-shift to first while the wheels are turning. Never. Even if you are rolling at 2mph up to a stop sign. Put it in neutral, come to a stop, then put it in first. It's annoying but you'll get to keep your first gear and your clutch longer. I know people SAY they don't downshift into first, but watch yourself next time you come to stop sign. I bet you shift down while the wheels are still rolling.
2) Take the car out of gear when stopped at a light - you'll wear the clutch bearings out otherwise.
3) No need to cycle through the gears while coming to stop sign. Just brake, neutral, stop and 1st gear.
4) Learn to double-clutch for all down-shifting, up-shifting too if you are so inclined. There are some very helpful web-sites that will teach you how to double-clutch. The premise is that you assist the clutch by rev'ing the engine to the same speed as the gear you're shifting into so that the transition is smoother and easier on the car. The job of a clutch is essentially that - to act as a "slip-plate" if you will between the engine and transmission gearing. It made a huge difference in how smoothly I down-shifted and added to the fun-factor of driving a manual. You might want to practice the technique while driving someone else's car. ;-) Don't worry about the whole 'heel-toe' technique if you come across it - it usually requires a modification to do in a subie with rubberized foot pedals.
5) Up-shift between 3000 and 3600 RPM.
Hope that all helps! - Elissa
-Frank P
-Frank P
Patti
Please call in and start a case. We can check to see if it was a worn disc or if there was more to it. Some drivers rest their foot (albeit lightly) on the clutch and that can contribute to wear and that may be what the dealer was implying. I want to give them the benefit of thinking they wouldn't have accused your wife. Did they actually say that??
Patti
Patti
Popping into neutral for long stops will extend the life of the TOB.
Lightly tapping 2nd gear syncro before shifting to 1st or reverse from neutral will stop the laygear shaft from rotating & allow easier access to either gear without force or grinding (reverse & non-syncro gears).
I never had premature driveline failures - even from my old fragile 50's & 60's British sports cars or other manual equipped vehicles downshifted at or near redline frequently, by ear.
Also, I never had a problem with heel & toeing with rubber, tar, etc., on the pedals...
If you learn to heel & toe properly (my preference is the heel on the brake - pedal placement dependent), you will find that you won't need to use the handbrake to start on an incline as an added benefit.
MNSteve
All shifts into first will have the clutch fully depressed, thus it should not matter one way or another if the clutch stays in and the vehicle is either rolling or stopped. If the suggestion is that it is easier on the first gear synchronizer, perhaps there is some merit, but rolling or stopped has no affect on clutch wear if the clutch stays depressed. The fact is, the clutch is touching neither the pressure plate nor flywheel in either situation, thus no affect.
John
Unfortunately, my 2000 Legacy came down with the popping out of gear problem and is in the shop. 8~(
Jim
If any new-car service manager or technician told me this about my new vehicle, I would tell him that he would never see me or my car again. Any modern syncromesh transmission that actually requires this cumbersome procedure merely to deliver reasonable clutch or transmission life is by definition inadequate for its purpose.
I would never attempt to slam into 1st gear while moving 15 or 20 mph except in an emergency - but for a dealership representative to say that a synchronized 1st gear cannot ever be gently engaged while rolling at 2 to 4 mph is incredible. When I reluctantly sold my '79 Mazda RX-7 after 10 years and 200,000 brisk miles, the original clutch and gearbox were still operating as new, and I never avoided engaging 1st at low speeds.
That is exactly what the synchromesh is designed to permit. Otherwise, it has absolutely no purpose.
As for everyone else's arguments about downshifting to first, I'm not saying you should or shouldn't... just telling you what a Subaru-trained drivetrain expert passed along to me. The implication was that the AWD systems are very laborious for the synchros, etc to deal with particularly when downshifting to first. I downshifted to first for 185K problem-free miles on my first front-wheel drive subie before replacing the clutch and for 110K problem-free miles on my front wheel drive civic before selling it in excellent condition. I'm just suggesting we might want to use caution when doing this on an AWD subaru, especially considering the history of Manual Transmission issues.
Tell you what, I'll pose the question to click and clack and let y'all know what they say! :-) Fair 'nuff? -Elissa
Thanks!
Patti
Never ever ever NEVER should you down-shift to first while the wheels are turning. Never. Even if you are rolling at 2mph up to a stop sign.
Yeah, if you have a car without a syncro first gear (which means something of 1960's vintage or earlier)...
Bob
Okay I'm no expert but I fail to see why AWD would make a difference.
I'm just suggesting we might want to use caution when doing this on an AWD subaru, especially considering the history of Manual Transmission issues.
Huh? A few reports of chattering/shuddering in first generation Foresters and suddenly the entire model line is suspect? Okay so you had a problem with your Forester but I don't think that's typical. Oh yeah, there have also been a number of reports of burned out clutches in WRXs but I suspect many (if not most) of those were due to dumping the clutch at high rpm ;-)
-Frank P
PS Elissa, I'm not trying to pick on you. Just think we need to keep things in perspective.
Bob
Ahhh... the good old days....
Cheers!
Paul
What drives me crazy is that this "advice" was supposedly voiced by a Subaru technician. If so, this technician is desperately in need of remedial gearbox training.
I searched the forums but could not find the answers to my questions. I'm hoping someone here can help.
We have an 03 Forester XS, and a 5 month old who's just moving into a Britax Marathon car seat (rear facing). We tried to install it in the center position today using the LATCH anchors from the inside of each of the outboard positions, but I didn't feel comfortable with doing this. Do we have to use an official "pair"?
So we moved it to behind the passenger seat, where I don't like the baby to be because it's safer in the center.
DH really wants to use the LATCH not the belt (from the cargo area ceiling).
If we are successful in getting it into the rear center, (rear facing), how do we tether it? At the floor level near the console the tethers would interfere with the front seat motion (both sides).
Right now we have it tethered to the outside of the passenger seat (where it meets the floor) and angled back as far as possible, and, oddly, we have lots more room than we did with the infant seat, which leads me to believe we've done something wrong...?
Sorry this is so jumbled. My brain, these days, is jumbled - sleep deprivation!
Thanks for any and all advice!
Best,
Mary
My $0.02.
Jim