Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

ballistic

With a auto tran--when I catch a Long traffic light--I go to N.just seems to me--to have a car trying to go fwd while in D is Dumb-so, I go to N. Friend says DO NOT......Comments.???

My opinion: You're causing more wear and tear by making the transmission shift out of and back into gear than by just letting it stay in gear. I would follow your friend's advice.

kurier44

99 Outback Sport with 99 RS front and rear disc brakes. Recent new pads and rotors. Have annoying continual "scratching" sound which is only audible when window/s are down. More noticeable when driving next to a high curb or building. No affect on performance.

fibber2

Mary,

When the seats are in the forward facing position, the tether attaches in the cargo area and is helpful to keep it from rocking forward in the event of a quick stop. I am not really sure how you would use it in the rear facing position, or if it would really be of any benefit.

And I am totally sold on the use of latch lower anchors. The fit is so much more secure, and easier to adjust than using the belt (especially if you don't have ratcheting retractors and have to use those "H" clips). Granted, it can be hard to get my big hands in to clip them down, but once done, they are great to have.

Steve

vetmats

I've been using Eagle One's Wax-As-U-Dry to wax my '03 Outback. But I've decided that the wax does not last long enough.

Can anyone recommend a good car wax to use?
I would like to find a wax that does not leave the white dust particles behind.

Also, any tips on appling it?

Thanks,
vetmats

Karen_S

Take a stroll over to Subaru Crew: Care & Maintenance. You'll find lots of info from the Crew OCD crowd about the best wax and care routines.

vetmats

I've been using Eagle One's Wax-As-U-Dry to wax my '03 Outback. But I've decided that the wax does not last long enough.

Can anyone recommend a good car wax to use?
I would like to find a wax that does not leave the white dust particles behind.

Also, any tips on appling it?

Thanks,
vetmats

andmoon

Child seat anchors,
I think the lower anchors can be used with the child seat facing in either direction but for rear facing, the top tether isn't used.
If you have a reclining child seat, the top tether has to be at different lengths depending the the recline angle. PITA
The outside top anchors in the impreza is on the floor making child seat plus cargo a headache.

Vetmats,
I washed, pre-waxed, glazed and then hard waxed my wagon with maguires and since then I used the wax as you dry everytime I wash it. It's working fine for me. On areas where I have to rub a lot to remove bugs and tar and around and in the gas filler (NJ full serve only...good when cold but bad when the attendant doesn't really care how much of the gas he leaves dripping down the side)
I apply some 'real' wax.
I sweat it twice a year right before and after salt season abd cruise the rest of the year.
Don

toboggan

My '65 MkIII was traded in on a '68 Triumph TR250 (still have the hubcaps). Discovered the speedometer was overly optimistic. Had to gauge speed by the tach and what gear that was engaged.

First gear while slowly rolling forward: Always double clutch/blip the engine. Snick, slides right in. If the light will be red for a few minutes, put the gearbox in neutral. Then "pop" the lever towards reverse (just "touch" the resistence), then slides right into 1st.

I've been driving stick shifts for 50+ years, cars, trucks, and other stuff. Had to start the '61 Healey in 1st gear when on a rally on a gravel road the hydraulic line got sliced. Learned to upshift through the gears by matching engine and gear box speed. Never fried a clutch. Automatics are fine, but I like to downshift when I want to (or upshift).

My manual shift cars have ranged from a Jaguar MkVII sedan, through a bug-eyed Sprite, MkI & MkIII AH 3000's, Triumph TR250, Ford van, Capri V6(German Ford), Mazda GLC (had 4 at the same time), Nissan Stanza, Mazda 626 5 door and currently the '98 OBW Ltd 30yr edition (68,000+ miles).

Plus I've (in the past) rebuilt engines and gearboxes, both cars and toys.

MNSteve

MNSteve

ateixeira

Let's not gang up on Elissa, folks, her intentions are good. I'm not surprised a tech would advise you to be overly cautious with the gear box.

kurier44: my guess? Wheel bearing. Is the noise speed dependent?

-juice

c_hunter

Klasse is the best I have used, and very easy to apply:

http://www.concoursdirect.com/

I normally use the all-in-one cleaner wax, followed by the sealant glaze.

Craig

hmyers

My 1999 Legacy Outback has 88000 kilometers (about 45000 miles) and the transmission is a big problem. It's automatic and when i put the car into drive, it doesn't engage until i give it a lot of gas. then of course when it finally does engage, it jerks fairly violently. it will even shift out of gear and into neutral when i'm coasting to a stop at a light or something. it's getting fairly dangerous. these problems started happening the day after i took it in for a routine maintenance. is this a common subaru problem? any suggestions?

thanks,
heather

lfdal

Heather - What kind of "routine" maintenance? There's not a lot of stuff the dealer could mess up that would cause that problem. If on the other hand you said they serviced the transmission it wouldn't be much of a stretch from A -> B.

If you put it in drive and leave your foot on the brake, will it eventually shift w/o revving the engine?

Larry

paisan

Sounds like low fluid. I'd have it flushed and filled.

-mike

troop2shos

Shifting to neutral in an AT for an extended stop (stress extended) will help keep the ATF temp. down from internal slippage & help save the torque converter. Power braking & rocking the vehicle from R to N, of course, really heats the fluid up.
I'm more concerned with heat than any minor clutch pack wear from shifting into a gear at idle.

paisan

Put on a B&M ATF cooler and call it a day. I race my Impreza L and never cooked my fluid yet.

-mike

hammerhead

Hi Mary,
Without seeing the car seat (there's too many of 'em out there!), I can't tell you how to proceed. I'd suggest checking with your local city or county Health Department, or some local 'safe kids coalition' if one exists. The agencies here have a really good car seat referral program, as does one local Dodge dealership here. I might also suggest checking with your local police and/or fire department - they may have someone 'in-house' that can help or point you the right direction.

Cheers!
Paul

troop2shos

Heheh...I'm past the stage of wanting to roll out w/ a tranny on my chest or bend over an engine all day long - unlesss it's absolutely necessary Yeah, you learn real quick how to start & drive clutchless owning a British car. I don't recall tinkering on the Mk VII saloon - only a neighbors '59 MK IX.
With all of my British cars including my '70 Rover 3500s, I usually read the tach & not the speedo (unless you averaged the needle swing . I've driven & worked on the 250 / TR-5 - don't you wish you still had the Mk III today? Actually, I much preferred my 3A over my 4A (had more character & liked the hand crank) & any of the 6 cyl TR's - preferred those old tractor engines. My 1275cc modified Spridget (Mini S head ported & relieved capable of very strong 7500 rpm pulls) was very competitively auto-x'd. Downshifts to 1st were rpm matched with a single clutch & a very quick hard blip by ear - only done at high rpm when required (just easier for me to do quickly). Fortunately, I never missed a shift - knew the car very well. My fiance insisted I trade my 3A & Spridget at the time for a more "family" oriented vehicle just prior to our marriage - so I bought a new '71 510 2dr that I raced (only 2002 tii's were better by a couple of tenths) - taught her how to "shift" later. My dad had tried to teach her in my 3A while at work (to my horror) & ground off 7 teeth in 1st...errr. Today, my wife doesn't like to shift (gave up trying to teach her how to match gears much less use 2 feet for 3 pedals simultaneously) so I run an auto in my XT - "in case she ever needs to drive it". So if I must need a quick downshift response in my AT's, I simply blip the thottle during the drive gear exchange...unless my ex-neighbor comes by in his MR2 wanting my opinion on his mods in a test drive... .
I won't go into my sob ('75 Saab 99 EMS).

hmyers

Hey Larry,
the routine maintenance was just oil/filter change so i HIGHLY doubt that that and the transmission problem are related. i'll try doing the brake thing tonight and let you know how it goes.

thanks
heather

jay_24

Agree with Paul on checking with local police/sheriff office on car seat installation.

Just this last weekend we attended a safety fair and the local police had a car seat check. We learned lots of little tips and the officer even demonstrated installation of the seat.

We thought we had everthing installed correct and were very close. We still learned a ton. Officer was great with kids and convinced my 7yr old that booster seats are cool and needed.

Tip #1: 6 year old car seat is too old. Plastic deteriorates on its own with time. Stress cracks develope too.

Tip #2: grab the car seat and wiggle it. If the carseat moves more than an inch without the car moving its too loose. You should be able to make the car shake too!

--Jay

ballistic

First gear while slowly rolling forward: Always double clutch/blip the engine. Snick, slides right in.

I don't get it.

This, of course, is what we all did in the pre-synchromesh era. Why, exactly, was synchromesh invented if not to eliminate the double-clutch tapdance? Any well-designed all-synchro manual transmission should no longer require this pre-1970 song-and-dance routine.

I've been driving mostly MT since the '50s, some with non-synchro low, most fully synchronized. I have never double-clutched when changing into any synchronized gear since then, and I've never had a transmission (or clutch) fail since I outgrew my teen overexuberance decades ago.

subaru_team

There is great information on the NHTSA website (NHTSA.GOV). There are so many seats. They can also refer you to local clinics and many local State Police have been given training to help with proper installation. It's virtually impossible to "check" it via e-mail. Also, your dealer can probably take a look at it to see if it is installed properly.....Sorry I can't help more.

Patti

subaru_team

like Mike said, maybe a trans. service will be a cost effective way to improve the situation. The condition of trans. fluid is really important to the operation of the trans. (from what I have heard/learned).

Patti

troop2shos

Before you have your AT serviced on your Outback, I'd have it scanned for any codes, i.e. VSS (variable speed sensor), etc. or a line pressure check - you wouldn't want to spend the $$$'s for the fluid exchange if a converter, teardown or reman unit is req'd. You could be fortunate enough that it's either low on fluid or only a fluid changeout is needed, but it also sounds like a possible torque converter, pump, worn clutch packs, or a myriad of other problems based on the limited info provided.
I would be very, very selective on who you use for the diagnostics & any subsequent repair, if warranted.

dules

We are getting it checked on Thursday, staying close to home till then.

Thanks again!

Mary

smittynyc

Forgive me in advance for what's probably a dumb question: how hard and fast are the recommended milestones for mileage-based service(s)?

The reason I ask is that my family's about to head out on a road trip that'll in and of itself put about 1200 miles on our new Forester. Throw in the day trips we'll make here and there, and we'll be real close to 3000 when we return, maybe even a little higher.

If I show up for my free 3000-mile service with 3100 miles, am I putting the car's health in jeopardy? (So far, knock on wood,everything's great: vital signs are perfect, the engine seems to have broken in nicely, with good, easily accessible torque sweet spots, etc.) Will my dealer disown me?

Thanks, all.

jfl

Karen,

Actually it's "Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior and Exterior Surfaces". 8~)

vetmats - it's not required to be OCD to read the posts in this section. (But you'll feel less guilty reading it after you've pampered your car.) 8~o

Jim

ateixeira

heather: I hope not, but that Jiffy place has been known to drain the gear oil instead of the engine oil by mistake.

3100 miles is fine, it's just a guideline. You don't want to go twice a long, but a little less or a little more should be fine.

-juice

kevin111

I am assuming the 3000 mile service is the oil change. If not, I appologise for the post.

Juice - Subaru recommends 7500 mile intervals on oil changes for my Impressa, and Consumer Reports stated a while back that newer cars (under 75K miles) recommend 5000-7500 mile intervals on oil changes, and anything more frequently was unnessary.

I do 5000 miles on my car (use synthetic) only because I can keep it at pace with my tire rotation.

Considering how it has been reported that Subaru engines do not wear on oil like other engines from other manufacturers (GM), wouldn't 7500 miles between oil changes be fine?

p0926

Actually Subaru recommends the initial service be at 3k and then it goes to the 7,5k interval.

-Frank P

ateixeira

What Frank said. )

-juice

kevin111

I assumed the post dealt with oil changes in general, and forgot about the initial 3000 mile one. My bad.

subaru_team

been eliminated in the 2005 MY vehicles with the exception being the turbo models. That being said, our recommendations are the "minimum". It's actually information that is used in competitive studies, so company's are reluctant to recommend more servicing. But - in my history at Subaru, I've noticed that the OCD crew that is really on top of maintaining their cars are the folks that write to us with incredibly high mileage without problems. But, the minimum should suffice with the exception of "severe" conditions.

Patti

paisan

Before anyone breaks down a tranny, they are going to require a flush/drain-fill on it. I thought for sure there was something batty with my AT on my Trooper where it would slip and shudder. Spent $450 for a filter and fluid change, and it's been good ever since.

-mike

toboggan

Yes, I really wish I still had the MkIII!!! They're currently going for $25,000 to $60,000. But with 2 youngn's, new house (built 1947) there wasn't a lot of extra cash to park the Healey in the garage and use a "runner." Plus the wife had her own car that I maintained.

Was down in Texas several weeks ago and saw 3 Healey's (red) on the road followed by one on a trailer and a Spridget on another trailer. What a caravan! Tried to follow but lost them about 30 miles down the road 'cause I was a little slow getting the OBW turned around. Ah, well.

I let my son do all the dirty work now. He's got air tools and all the goodies.

MNSteve

toboggan

Force of habit to double clutch & blip the engine. On occasion I haven't and the gearbox balks about 1/2 the time. It feels like I'm beating the syncros. Maybe I should try it now since I put Amsoil in the gearbox.

But I don't do as much heel/toeing. Just when I feel spirited and want to dive into a corner/turn to beat a light <grin>.

MNSteve

troop2shos

A rapid single clutch or by double clucthing with matched engine rpms to transmission revs in a given gear will help prolong the life of your syncros - especially in the lower gears - far less stress on them & fewer balks regardless of vehicle speed. I even match to 1st rolling to a stop (should I perceive the need) though I don't necessarily release the clutch.

ateixeira

FWIW, I think there was a TSB for worn synchros on early Foresters, they'd pop out of gear while driving in first. Can't hurt to baby them a bit.

-juice

once_for_all

good point, perhaps that is what Elissa's subie dealer was refering to. Elissa, we didn't mean to scare you away. BTW, thanks for the '05 Forester links those were great.

John

andmoon

This is a question to the gear heads in the know.

Isn't it better for the syncros (less use of them) to shift into first before the wheels stop turning? When the car isn't moving the wheel end of the trans isn't moving but the engine side is (oversimplified version here)...requiring the use of the syncros to match speeds.

ballistic

No. With the clutch disengaged (as it would be during a shift), the engine side won't be rotating, either (or not much, mainly just minor residual shaft momentum plus whatever friction occurs through the bearing between the flywheel and the mainshaft.

jfl

OK guys ...enough with the tranny problems. My 2000 Legacy has been in the shop, awaiting parts, for the past week for popping out of fifth gear. I'm going through withdrawl.

No Subie, no manual tranny, no CD player!

Jim

fibber2

also had the popping out of 1st gear at about 30k miles, and the dealer replaced the 1st gear synchro. I have driven with him, and he is pretty respectful of the car. Bottom line - be gentle when going back into first, as it looks like it might be a potential weak point of an otherwise fine drivetrain.

Steve

edunnett

Ok, have I earned a little respect back for my passing along of the dealers recommendations of being kind to the first gear synchro??? That's all I was suggesting and got flamed. ;-)

samiam_68

... we love you :-) We're just an argumentative bunch ;-)

ballistic

You misunderstood. No one flamed you. My response, in particular, was directed entirely at the nameless Subaru technician who fed you such incredible misinformation. Since the archaic shifting technique he claimed must be used is indistinguishable from how one would shift a 50-year-old unsynchronized transmission, he should be called upon to explain why he thinks Subaru (like every other transmission builder) went to the trouble and expense to design synchronizers into its gearboxes. Or, he should explain why he actually believes that Subaru's engineers are (according to him) incompetent to design 1st-gear synchronizers that are sufficiently robust to actually be actually be used for their designed purpose.

Synchronizers have one and only one purpose: To permit gears to engage when they are moving at dissimilar speeds. If the 1st gear can be engaged only when the gears are not moving at all - stationary - then synchromesh is redundant.

stevek

It was fine until I changed the tranny fluid and put in Mobil syntetic. Now I have to wait a half second or so after a depressing the clutch before I can put it in gear, otherwise it will grind. And yes I did put in the correct weight oil.

once_for_all

thanks for the scoop, I was going to put synthetic in at 30 k, but this is more than once that I have heard of it being too slippery for the synchros to work properly.

John

once_for_all

i agree, they were flaming you. I also agree that we are an argumentative bunch. You get no arguments from me on these points lol (lots of love),

John

ballistic

p0926

Had others been directing their harsh criticism at Elissa and not the mechanic then I'd agree but that wasn't the case. Besides, by and large the crew is a very polite bunch and if you think that qualified as "flaming" then you've clearly not visited other sites (which will remain nameless).

-Frank P