Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

dcm61

Yup, heavier and more idiots to avoid on the road. The traffic gets worse each day.

DaveM

dbrennan

Hello everyone,
This is my first post. I have a 1998 Subaru Outback and about a year ago started having problems with my keyless entry (lights flashing, doors wouldn't unlock or lock) and I finally figured out that the lights flashing problem could be solved by unlocking or locking the doors with the keyless entry and when the doors wouldn't lock or unlock with the keyless entry, I could fix it by starting the car. Now the keyless entry doesn't work at all (I've tried replacing the battery) and my car won't start if anything electrical is turned on (radio, wipers, heat, etc.) There is only a clicking sound when I try repeatedly to start the car until finally after maybe 20 or 30 tries, the engine turns over. I'm not sure if these two problems are related but it seems the engine problem started when the keyless entry failed to work. I seem to remember I could start the car if I took the key out of the ignition, clicked on the keyless entry, and tried again.
I'm interested in knowing if anyone else has experienced this problem. I'm taking my car into the local Subaru dealership next week but have no confidence in them (they have a bad reputation) and I'm hoping someone can help me figure this problem out before I take the car in so I can advise them what they should be concentrating on. The dealership thinks it's the starter contact and for the keyless remote problem, they'll need to spend hours going over all the electrical connections to find the problem.
Thanks very much for any help you might be able to offer,
Diane

hypov

How old is the car battery?

-Dave

dbrennan

Thank you for your response. The battery was replaced between one - two years ago, which is probably when the keyless entry problem started.

hammerhead

The bad: Alternator gave it up this morning. Wife had the car, and at least it died in the parking lot after she got to work/school. Luckily the battery was new to get her that far!

The good: Dealership has a free towing service. Service department says I can certainly have it back by the close of business today!

Of all days to have this happen... but at least it'll be back for the weekend. Failing that, it was gonna be Enterprise Rent-a-car!

Cheers!
Paul

Cheers!

xwesx

The dealership thinks it's the starter contact

Well, I hate to agree with a dealership that has a "bad reputation," but in this case I think it is a good place to start. On the '98, there is a bracket on the top of the starter upon which the negative terminal is connected. Try moving that bracket by hand to see if it is tight. I had the won't start / clicking problem at one point as well, and after isolating it to that bracket, no more problem since. I don't think it has anything to do with other devices being on or off, though the randomness of it may make it seem like altering those things makes a difference. Note that the connection between the cable and the bracket was tight, but the bracket-to-starter-to-engine connection was ever so slightly loose.

Good luck, Diane.

-Wes-

ateixeira

That was quick...

-juice

hammerhead

Proof will be in the pudding, Juice - I have to call 'em here in a bit to get a real ETA, but I will be similarly impressed if it happens.

Cheers!
Paul

catmandu

Thanks all--Went to dealership today---the correct torque is 32 ft. lbs. Thanks Mel

hammerhead

...was done by 3:45, including replacing the cracked drive belts as long as they were there.
The tech noted front boots were starting to crack, a little seepage from both valve cover gaskets, and brakes are at 30/20% F/R.

Bad timing for the car to croak (always is), but at least it's fixed!

Cheers!
Paul

sequinlan

I have a 2002 outback wagon that I bought used last year. I only have one keyless clicker and a couple spare keys. The driver's door lock is broken so that it does not work from the outside with a key. If I use a spare key without the clicker on the passenger door the security system goes off and I can't start engine. I dont want the security system. Can I disable it? Also if I fix the driver's side door lock and use the spare key will the alarm go off? Maybe I could fix the lock. Thanx, Sheila

hypov

If the scratches are fine, a coat of polish would take care of it.
I find that the synthetic polish that bonds will repair/take care of it over time.
If the scratch reveals some edges, I would use toothpaste to smooth it out then polish.

-Dave

scott_clarke

It is strange. It was definitely road water, as it was brownish and slushy (it happened on a mild Canadian winter day), and was only on the bottom of the CD. I think it had top have come from below. The moonroof problem, on the other hand, seems to have corrected itself. After things warmed up a bit, it just started working again. I'll be lubing it up this weekend, and getting it inspected next regular service, which is soon.

hondafriek

Check that both battery terminals are clean and tight, also check that the main battery to ground connection is also clean and making good contact.

Cheers Pat.

hypov

I was thinking, if it's a drain battery or some sort of break in the circuit at the battery, the marker lights will blink at intervals until reset after power is restored. But that has no effect on the ability to lock/unlock with the keyless entry or start the engine.

The problem maybe 2 parts. That is if you do have the factory alarm.
Do you also have the factory alarm?

I'm thinking, since the problem occur after a battery change, that during the change the Keyless and/or Security Module got a "System Shock" which caused it to operate out of order. The "System Shock" can also occur when the car is jump started.

The doors not locking or unlocking, I'm guessing a malfunction with the keyless module.
If you do indeed have the factory alarm, unable to start would be the security module malfunction in conjunction with the keyless module since you're hearing clicks but the engine won't turn over. The starter kill may have not been disengaged. IIRC, Starter Kill = clicking sound but won't start and Ignition Kill = no clicking sound.
Note: The Security Module operates in tendum with the Keyless Module.

Ok, enough of my long winded thoughts.
Try this.
Disconnect the battery. Then dispress the brake pedal to discharge whatever residual charge the car's circuitry may have. Wait a few minutes thereafter before reconnecting the battery. Hopefully, the Keyless Module and/or the Security Module would reset.

Note: When you reconnect the battery, the marker lights will blink at intervals. I'm not aware of the reset with the fobs, but I do know that there is a reset button located behind/rear of the hood release level. The button will be about 1/4 inch in diameter and light gray in color. Despressing that button will reset the Keyless Module [marker light stops blinking].

-Dave

maverick1017

you can put the system in to valet mode that will kill off the alarm. there should be a switch under the dash, make sure the ignition is on the 'acc' position, the indicator light for the alarm should turn solid when in valet mode. as for the door lock, unfortunatly you wouldn't be replacing one lock, you have to replace every lock in the car including the ignition and glove box unless someone can retool a new lock for you to match the original one, still going to be expensive and very few places do it for automotive locks. complete lock set costs I think $180 from Liberty Subaru in NJ, higher at other local dealers, its been a while since I had to replace all the lock on my 98 Forester so I can't be certain on the price. Labor to install would be another $200 - $300 minimum, most of it would be for the ignition, its a PITA to remove I can tell you from experience. Lowest dealer quote I received was $460 for part and labor, IIRC. There would also be a couple days wait for the part since most dealers don't stock complete lock sets.

Mike

rob_m

Bad timing for the alternator?

Mine went on a Sunday afternoon in the NH White Mountains. 4 hours from home. Got the car to the local Subie dealer on Monday, who couldn't possibly look at it until Tuesday. Rented a car and proceeded to drive home. Got home, and the dealer left a message saying the car would be ready on Thursday. Back to the mountains on Thursday.

The upside is that the scenery up there is fantastic. Also, the alternator was part of a recall, and SOA reimbursed for the alternator, and the rental car. Rob M.

paisan

Guys just a note. If you have a 10mm and 12mm wrench and a local pepboys you can have the alternator changed out in about 10 min tops. I had to do it when we were down at VIR in february on my legacy, took me about 5 minutes to get it out and in. It's literally the easiest item to change on the car.

-mike

fibber2

Sheila,

e-bay is a great place to pick up extra keyless transmitters cheap. Reprogramming instructions are in the owners manual, or available on-line. Then you would have the option of keeping the security system active, or putting it in valet mode to keep it quiet.

Mike's comments about the difficulty of getting someone to retool a new lock cylinder to match the existing set are probably valid (I have heard others say it before), but it just make no sense to me. It is not a difficult task - I have done it before, and I bet most mechanically inclined people could figure it out.

Now I have never had to work on a Subaru lock, but assuming they are structured like other I have seen:

First check that the keys have the same side grooves, and that your old key will go into the new lock cylinder. Assuming that it does, you will only have to match up the pins. Typical lock cylinders have a stamped steel cover that slides into the cast body. Under this cover are the tumbler pins, and springs. Simple units have 3, more elaborate ones have 4 or 5. The length of each pin matches the bumps on the key. A high bump will meet up with a short pin, low bump with a long pin. The net of all positions will be the same, and when they all fall into line at a set depth, the barrel will rotate.

Carefully remove the slide cover on the original one and remove the pins one at a time, noting the position and length of each. Do the same with the new one. If the pins from the old cylinder are in good condition, insert them into the new cylinder in the correct sequence. The old key should now work with the new lock! If any are damaged, look for a matching length among the new pins and substitute. At worst, you might have to select a slightly longer one and file it down to match. Clean and lightly lube all pins before switching them. Stuck pins that don't return to their neutral position is the main cause of lock failure. In fact, try just taking the old cylinder apart, clean and reassemble. You might just find that it can be saved!

In the event that the key blanks have different side grooves (unlikely on auto keys, but possible), you might be able to swap center barrels. There may be a snap ring at the end that will release the center portion, allowing the substitution.

In our next installment.... How to pick locks for fun and profit.... Just kidding!

Steve (who should be working on a powerpoint presentatin for work tomorrow, but is answering posts instead)

hammerhead

I know, Mike, it was just one of those days when everything else was going wrong at the same time. This week or the week before last, no problem - that's where the bad timing came in.

Now it feels like the clutch is on its way out... slipping a bit on hard acceleration. Pedal still feels OK, engages well before the top of the pedal travel, but still slipping. Could I still have sufficient thickness but glazed surfaces causing this?

Cheers!
Paul

skiguy2

so in the end ot was head gaskets that needed replacing..it was like trying to find cancer in a car but at least it seesm to be running okay since I got it back in Mid Feb--- FYI.. thanks for your input..,. it cost me 1890.00 then another 500 for the 150 000 tune up at 139..figured I get it done sooner than later...

fibber2

Glad to hear that it worked out for you!

pescare

Sorry for what I'm sure if a stupid question, but after hooking up the battery, I've now got both the dash and front turn signals flashing. Can anyone tell me what I need to do for this?

Thank you in advance for any help.

dcm61

Assuming you have keyless entry, just lock / unlock the doors using the remote.

DaveM

pescare

Thanks for the reply. I had searched and didn't find that, but sure enough, tried again and found the answer.

hammerhead

Now it feels like the clutch is on its way out... slipping a bit on hard acceleration. Pedal still feels OK, engages well before the top of the pedal travel, but still slipping. Could I still have sufficient thickness but glazed surfaces causing this?

Since I first posted that, I've called around to various dealers & independents... clutch replacement ranges from about $650 all the way up to 1K, with one shop quoting me over the phone, sight unseen, to the penny ($683.04).

Is a Subaru clutch different or specialized enough to be wary of trusting it to a 'we do 'em all' tranny or clutch shop, or is it pretty routine?

First move will be get it in & get it looked at - perhaps it just needs an adjustment, although the pedal behavior hasn't changed.

Cheers!
Paul

paisan

$650 is very good if it includes the clutch. I paid about $350 in labor to get mine done. Brought my own clutch and lightened flywheel. I would consider putting in a lightened flywheel if you ever plan to since the labor = $0 when doing clutch.

-mike

joel3

Recently I had a Class II trailer hitch put on my 97 Outback wagon by my Subaru dealer. This installation included the electrical wiring & adaptor for my boat trailer. Since the install the radio and clock (original equipment) lose their settings every time I turn the car off. The service people don't know what to think, and are suggesting a problem independent of their hitch & wiring work. Trying to avoid the inconvenience & expense of bringing the car back to them, so, is there a simple quick fix for this problem? Joel3

samiam_68

Check the clock / accessory / radio fuses.

jfl

Did the wiring plug into a harness already in the rear of the car or did they run wires from your dash?

Apparently, they re-connected an always live wire to the clock/radio to a line only live when the ignition is on.

Jim

todkerr

Hi folks.

I would like to take a crack at replacing my own fuel pump on my 94 Legacy wagon.

Are there any tricks, tips, warnings, instructions or other advise people can point me to?

Many thanks!

locke2c

get a haynes manual-- it's covered in there and they are decent (better than chilton's IMO).

high level:

- disconnect battery
- vent gas tank by removing cap
- get to tank through floor of trunk/hatch access panel
- pull out old fuel pump, replace new
- put back together
- reconn battery and fuel cap
- turn key to ignition and wait 10 seconds for pump to prime before trying to start

done!
~Colin

xwesx

Oh, and don't forget....... (taken straight out of Haynes manual)

GASOLINE IS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE!

:P

lilianka

Yes, it is a joke! The Subaru reps plus dealer are not willing to admit what I have been able to demonstrate to them : that the top vents blow frosty air in manual or auto mode with the dial set between 75-83 degrees F. (after about 30 min drive). This is especially irritating when traveling in wintertime in the snowy mountains (a blanket on my shoulders is a requirement whenever I travel to the snow). I wish Subaru were more supportive in solving the problem in my 2003 Subaru Forester.

xwesx

I won't even pretend to guess what all you've tried and or gone through with this problem. But, I can relate that the heater in my '96 OBW is rather testy....

When I have the heat working (it is either hot or cold, no graduation...) and my heat dial (it is actually a slider bar on the '96) is set to full hot, I try to leave it there permanently. If my wife has a practical moment and decides to "turn down the heat" by sliding the bar to the left (toward cold), the heat immediately ceases. That's not necessarily bad, except that moving the slider back to hot does not always mean that hot air resumes to blow. In fact, sometimes it works, sometimes it takes a few minutes, hours, days, weeks....... Not fun in winter.

I tend to over-react to these little things and chew out my wife every time she touches the controls. For some reason this makes me feel better, even if there is no heat for the next 3 months. But, I have also found that if I just move the lever back and forth for however long it takes, the heat will often times resume. I can hear the flap open and much-appreciated hot air immediately follows.

Have you EVER had any warm air flow from the vents? I am assuming here that you get NO heat and just not heat from one of the three vent sources (defrost, dash, floor).

hammerhead

Please don't think I'm daffy, but the clutch slipping has gone away. I can't explain it, but I got some info from service advisors that I could use some help in deciphering.

1) One service advisor said something about a 'speed sensor' that might affect clutch performance, but either he wasn't good explaining it, or I wasn't a good listener at the time. Any ideas?

2) Another said that 5th gear (where I first noticed the slipping) is not a 'load-bearing' gear. Inquiring minds want to know: huh?

Thanks, Crew... you teach me about Subies, and I'll clear up any mysteries about paramedicine.

:sick: <--- car needs a medic!

Cheers!
Paul

maryb3

I used just rubbing alcohol. But I have a question on something else, my new 2005 Subaur Impreza last night in the rain at midnight the panic alarm went off. Nothing touched the car. I don't have an alarm system only keyless entry with the panic alarm. I shut it off with the alarm. This morning my car door was open although I hit the lock to turn the alarm off, then to top it off, went to the store and without touching the remote my car sounded as if I had unlocked the doors, I locked the doors and proceeded into the store hearing my car constantly doing this. When I came out people were looking at my car and said to me, "strange, it's been doing that for a while and no one is near it". I'm leaving on vacation and it will be sitting in my driveway, I think if I leave it unlocked it is safe to say the alarm won't sound. Is this correct? What could this be? I'm having it checked when I get back.

joel3

Thanks for your advice people. I replaced a 15-amp fuse under the hood (#33) & that solved the problem. Sure beats spending the time & $ at the dealer. Joel3

annie4

Any opinions on a used 2002 Outback with 12,500 K, especially in terms of buying the Subaru Classic extended warranty vs. private ones (ie American or Century?) thanks, Annie. It is a small dealership and they seem to pay good attention, but who knows?

locke2c

Paul,

Let me preface this by saying that I can only interpret what you've written, and yes, there might've been some miscommunication between you and the service advisor.

That said, I am very familiar with clutches and know what is wrong with yours. Slipping in high gears is usually the fault of the pressure plate failing (it is also called a "clutch cover", you will see this on subaru dealership work orders). The clutch disc may also be worn / glazed, but usually that will just lead to minor chattering.

However, when replacing the pressure plate it is only sane to replace the disc and the takeout/throwout bearing as well, because it's all right there and it is considerable labor to get it torn down. The pressure plate is the most costly part as well-- at least with OEM parts. Some history on this: this is the normal way clutches fail. Subarus might fail sooner than a 2WD vehicle, because the pressure plate often is designed to give first when you dump the clutch or engage gears roughly. It's cheaper than gears.

I'm not saying you drove abusively or carelessly; it can and does happen to all cars eventually.

Finally, regarding what the service writer said... That's just silly if it is verbatim. There is no speed sensor that would affect clutch performance. The vehicle speed sensor IS in the transmission (usually near tailshaft), but it has absolutely nothing to do with the clutch. It does affect automatic transmission performance, so maybe that's what they were trying to correlate? And secondly, it takes more force to drive load through each higher gear. When a clutch starts slipping, it tends to be noticeable under light throttle only in 5th because it's the "hardest" gear for the engine to drive, but once you reach that point it should be very possible to use heavy throttle and cause the clutch to slip in lower gears as well.

Hope this helps-- bookmark it.

~Colin

paisan

Don't attempt this yourself. The 94 Legacy DOES NOT use the same connectors as the "newer" subarus. So unless you are doing a direct swap, you will have to do some wiring. I thought it would be easy to drop in a Walbro fuel pump from a WRX in my '94 Turbo, til we got it apart.....

-mike

hammerhead

Colin: Thanks for the words. It all makes sense, and your succinct explanation helped a bunch. I wondered about the AT/speed sensor thing myself.

I already had planned to do all the parts when the job happens - no sense in doing otherwise at this point. I haven't abused it at all, but I can't speak for the folks that had it for the 1st 53,000 miles before I bought it.

Cheers!
Paul

ateixeira

We call the climate control system HAL. Use Sam's tips, which should help.

2002 with 12.5k miles? I'd inspect closely to verify those extremely low miles. And keep in mind aftermarket "warranties" are not warranties at all, they are insurance policies with all kinds of loopholes. Their goal is short-term profit. Just look at how many have gone out of business (Warranty Gold for starters).

Get one from the manufacturer, they are a true warranty and the people selling it to you have a vested interest in making the consumer happy (so he buys another). Their goal is a repeat customer, long-term profit.

-juice

dharris1

My brake lights won't work. Have replaced bulbs, replaced Caliber, brake pads, and drive shafts. How do I check for electrical problem? Caliber had frozen, thought that was the reason, but w/ new caliber still not working.

Thanks

hammerhead

Might be a fuse (under the dash), or the switch on the pedal shaft itself might be bad. Check the fuse first, it's the easiest.

Cheers!
Paul

ateixeira

Good idea, I had a Datsun 210 once and the pedal switch broke, so the brake light always remained *on*. It was wild. Kept killing the battery so I didn't even know why.

-juice

akjtr

I've searche this board I know the answer is somewher BUT I can't seem to find it so, I'll post my own plea. I replaced a variety 1/2 axels on domestic and 1 vw cars, (mine and the kids). How much work is involved in replacing one of the front axels on my 98 legacy/outback? Should I do it or take it to the shop?

locke2c

it's easier than many cars because the shafts are equal length and not shrouded by the transmission or transfer case. as long as something isn't seized you should be perfectly fine.

~c

sschmid

My third brake light is always on when care is running. When I step on the brakes it does get brighter but it does not go off. Where do I look to solve this? I have a 97 Imprezza sedan.

sschmid

The manuel says it is under pressure and to have it done at the dealer (of course).
It is right on top and would like to do it myself. Can someone post the steps?
97 Imprezza 2.2lr sedan