Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

fibber2

Yes, it is under pressure, but the volume of fuel that will spill is fairly small (one to two ounces). The pump compresses the fuel slightly, and when the pressure releases it will expand and spray a little bit. Do it on a cold engine, out of direct sunlight. Put a cup underneath, and wrap the connection in a rag. I wear rubber gloves and goggles just in case.

Steve

ateixeira

It spills a tiny bit, not a big deal.

They'll use any excuse they can to say "bring your service dollars to us". Of course.

-juice

locke2c

1. open gas cap
2. disconnect battery
3. disconnect fuel line leading to and from filter. insert golf tees or somehow plug them.
4. replace filter.
5. reconnect everything.
6. turn key to ON and let fuel pump prime for 3~5 sec before starting car.
7. win!

~Colin

ateixeira

Slightly modified version:

0. Prepare supplies. Primarily make sure you have beer. Screw drivers might also help.
1. forgot to open gas cap this time (I've done 3 already). DOH!
2. battery? forgot that all 3 times.
3. release clamp holding fuel filter in place to create slack
4. disconnect fuel lines one at a time, move then to the new filter immediately one by one so you don't lose the order
5. curse while a little bit of fuel spills on your ungloved hands
6. clamp the new filter down
7. take the old fuel pump, gas spilling out, and shake the gas out on the poison ivy you've been trying to kill
8. prime the fuel pump
9. drink your beer
10. do not drink the gasoline. It's nasty. Unless it's Sunoco, that stuff tastes decent.

-juice

xwesx

LOL. That's closer to the way I do it. Less the beer, but I might have a soda instead.....

xwesx

I found this to be extremely easy. I also happened to have the engine out of the car at the time, so I was able to do all the work from the top and not have to climb underneath, but the axle's connection to the transfer case is very accessible from either way. All told, it was about 45 minutes of work and required a couple wrenches, 2 lb mallet, small (1/8") punch with 2" pin shaft (to drive out old pin and line up the axle for the new pin). I think that was it. a pair of large needlenose pliers might come in handy too. The most difficult part, believe it or not, was just getting the new pin into the darned hole..... then I noticed that the pin hole on the axle was tapered on one end to compress it and I was trying to insert it from the trailing end..... oops.

matt1970

We just got a 2005 Forester about a month ago. We love it, but I noticed a soft "clunking" noise from the back when I apply the brakes going about 45 mph. It's my first Subaru so I was wondering if this is normal and part of the brake/awd system or if there is something wrong.

once_for_all

that's not normal.

But, check first for something loose in the many compartments in the back. Open them all up. A loose jack for example could easily be going clunk.

John

manamal

I have a *new* '05 forester. I checked the oil when new, and it was fine. After 600 miles, I checked the oil, and it was down 3/4 of a quart. Is this typical, or might I have a problem. I should also note that the car often smells of burning oil, but I figure that might be because the car is new.

ateixeira

Also check if there are pebbles wedged in the brake system somewhere. If the noise persists, I'd ask the dealer to inspect the wheel bearings and the differential oil level.

manamal: industry standard is up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is "normal". Ideally you burn no oil at all. Make sure you measure the oil level in a consistent manner, i.e. a level surface with a warm engine that is turned off.

-juice

lfdal

If you smell burning oil, you might want to look around the valve cover gaskets or at least under the car and see if you've got a minor leak. A bad seal from the factory is rare on any car, but can happen. I've had 3 new Subaru's and never smelled any burning oil.

They allow a quart per 1000 miles as being acceptable, but I've never agreed that a decent engine, especially new, should consume oil at that rate.

lfdal

I know this isn't peculiar to Subaru's but I've seen some pretty clever ideas posted on this board. I just changed over from winter blades to summer blades and the blades are very squeaky. The windshield is clean, and the wiper blades are as well. Is there any special cleaner I can use to quiet them down?

Or - how about Rain-X ? Will that coat the windshield enough to make the blades glide over them vs drag?

TIA

Larry

ateixeira

Might make that problem worse.

Just don't use the product where the blades sit. What happens is that it's so slippery, the rubber wiper does not flip over on to the other side.

I would also not use it at the top of the arc, i.e. where the wiper turns back.

-juice

xwesx

I do not fully agree with that assessment, juice. While the slickness could interfere with the blade flipping, if this was a current problem then the blades would be chattering rather than sqeaking. The rubber on the blades is soft enough and clean enough that they flip quite well (I would imagine).

I think the squeaking issue more has to do with too much friction. I would recommend a full coating of Rain-X. I just installed new blades a few weeks ago and had a squeaking "problem" for a couple of days. After I gave the car a good mud dousing on the way home one day and dirtied up the blades a little, no more squeak (less friction). I haven't put on Rain-X yet this spring, but it should have the same effect on the blades as a little dust. Heck, even putting some fine dirt on a shop towel and "dusting" the blades, then rinsing them off (not scrubbing), might solve the squeak issue at least temporarily.

If you are timid to try the Rain-X, I will report back after this weekend when I have applied a coat. I rarely use the wipers after I have a good coat of Rain-X on, but I will make special exception just to test for chatter problems.

lfdal

Thanks, I'll be glad to hear about the results. The timing is especially appropriate since I'll be getting a new windshield Monday morning.....

ateixeira

Try it on the passenger side only. Then if you like it apply on the driver's side.

I use it everywhere and can tolerate the occasional chatter, no biggie. Water flows off quickly and it tends to stay cleaner in general.

I need a fresh coat now, though.

-juice

xwesx

Larry..... I apologize. I did not get to Rain-X the windshield this weekend. I usually do it last during my "Spring cleaning" of the car, but this weekend was a bust. I managed to apply Armor-All to the dash and front doors, but never even made it to vacuuming. Oddly, my wife feels that "we accomplished a lot" this weekend. Doesn't that figure? :mad:

Hey, does anyone have suggestions on a "quick fix" to reapply the lower seal on the doors to the door? They were originally attached with these plastic studs that have long since ripped loose from the rubber. However, other than these smal tears, the seals are in great shape. I would rather just adhere them to the door with something (removable preferred for the long term).... I am open to ideas!

lfdal

No problem - I think I'll just give it a whirl when I get the car back with the new windshield in it. At the worst I'll just strip it off and try something else.

Regarding (re)attaching the rubber strips - if there's a body shop nearby they use a black caulking (I forget the name) that can be used for reattaching all kinds of neat stuff. If you can't find (or don't have) a friendly body shop nearby, you can try some black butyl (sp?) caulking that is used to re-seal gutters and what not - but it comes off hard and requires a lot of cleaning to fully remove (turpentine, paint thinner, etc). Also, the stuff that glass places use to install windshields with isn't bad either.

If you can get buy with it, try some painters latex caulk - that won't be as long lasting, but cleans up lots easier.

HTH
Larry

kens

Some oil consumption on a brand new vehicle is not out of the ordinary. Your piston rings could still be seating and not trapping oil very efficiently. Usually it will stabilize after the first oil change or so.

However, 3/4 of a quart in 600 miles is on the high side. Subaru dipsticks are notoriously difficult to read. Try the following to see if you can get consistent readings using the hot or cold method:

- Wait 5-10 minutes after shutting off the engine and measure the oil -- where is the oil level relative to the notch above the "H" mark?
- Let the Forester sit overnight and measure the oil before starting the engine.

Sometimes oil dripping down the dipstick tube will mar your readings. Check both sides of the dipstick to see if you can see a clear oil mark. If not, try again -- you can usually get a decent reading after a few tries.

In any event, bring it to the dealer's attention and have them document your concerns just in case it does turn out to be a problem.

Ken

snowbird

I just drove my 05 Outback VDC 1,500 miles from Florida back to Toronto, Canada. The car drove very well indeed.
But when I got home, I found a letter from Subaru Canada recommending me to bring in my car to a dealer to have the Sport mode software re programmed for better/safer performance. This I did this morning, but afterwards, I noticed that the engine began to mildly stutter when idle. I immediately took it back to the dealer. The service manager noticed the "stuttering" but as yet could not find out the cause of the problem, let alone the solution. They are keeping my car and have given me a loaner in the meantime.
Has anyone experienced this problem before? Any advice, anyone? Thanks. Snowbird

subout

Hi,
I have a 2005 outback wagon. When I have the current mpg (miles per gallon) display on & take my foot of the accelerator it jumps to 99.9 mpg. I know this is to good to be true. When i put my foot back on the gas it resumes to correct mph numbers.Is this normal? Thanks

paisan

Yes. Those MPG readings essentially work off how hard you are on the gas at any given time. So on light to no acceleration, you will have infinite milage, under heavy acceleration you will drop down low. They are a cute gimmick though.

-mike

ateixeira

It depends on throttle position.

Notice that as you get up to speed, the number dips. As you slow down and coast, the number surges. But it will average out.

I bet going up hill at full throttle yields less than 10mpg!

-juice

subout

Hi,
I have a 2005 Outback wagon VDC model. When I move my shifter from park into drive & drive for a couple of yards I hear a noise for a second, then it disappears for the rest of the drive. It sounds like a plastic splash shield rubbing kind of noise for a second. It sounds like from the middle or back of car. It only happens when going from park into drive & only when driving. The salesman told me it's the VDC engaging. Does this sound correct? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

paisan

I get that on my VDC in my Nissan Armada. Other VDC owners and Armada owners also notice it. It's the ABS system testing itself.

-mike

saedave

My VDC sport mode was reprogrammed with no adverse effects some time ago. Have you changed gas stations or grade of gasoline? (could be water in fuel)

snowbird

Thank you for your very helpful input. If the dealer still cannot fix the problem by tomorrow (engine stutter when idle), I will take my car back and try it out for a few more days to see if the problem will go away. Yes, on my way back (1,500 miles), I stopped and refuelled at different gas stations, but alway with high grade, octane 92+ and never experienced the problem. Mystery! Will update. Snowbird

subout

Hi,
Have a question on my 2005 outback wagon. I use Climate Control only with manual settings (Not on Auto function) When I set temp. to 68 F on a sunny afternoon I get beautiful AC. The same manual setting at temp 68 F on a cool morning will blow out very hot heat. Even though AC button is set. Is this normal?
Thanks all to have solved my questions in the past.........

kens

That sounds strange indeed. Perhaps the ECU being reset after the reflash process has something to do with it. The good news is that the dealer acknowledges the problem so keep on them until they figure it out.

BTW, the reprogramming basically causes the transmission to upshift when you near the rev limiter in manual mode, correct? I wonder why they're only changing the H6 models.

Ken

saedave

'I wonder why they're only changing the H6 models.'

I suspect the H6 is the only engine able to over rev to a danger point; max horsepower is possibly attained quite close to that rpm.

snowbird

No news yet. Car has been with dealer for 3 days now. He gave me a loaner. He tells me today that he will try to replace the oxygen sensor and see if that might work. Strange for a car barely broken in to have this kind of problem. This is a good time to practise patience! Snowbird

ateixeira

I hope they gave you something decent. Be patient, though, don't rush them or the fix might not be permanent.

-juice

vetmats

That is normal. The climate control will try to reach the temperature that you have set, regardless of whether or not the A/C is on. (This is a good thing. Ex: The quickest way to defog your windows is to turn on the A/C and turn the temperature as high as possible)

vetmats

snowbird

I got a 05 Forester for a loaner. Not bad. Helps me being patient. Snowbird

ateixeira

Nice, I thought you were going to say Neon or something.

Definitely don't rush them, enjoy the extra long test drive, plus you're not adding miles to your car.

-juice

snowbird

Not so cool after all! Just heard from the dealer. Apparently, the problem was traced to a "bent" valve in the engine which resulted in loss of compression. He estimated at least "a few weeks" before the repairs are completed. How could this have happened, I wonder? I have been very careful with the car- gradual breaking-in and scheduled services. Plus, I am not an aggressive driver. Naturally, I am disappointed (even with a Forester for a loaner and the work being done under warranty) and don't know what to do. Reliability and a sturdy engine were the big draws for my Subaru purchase. Now, I am not so sure. Snowbird

ateixeira

Wow, that's pretty rare. But actually it can happen from something as simple as rain getting into your intake. Water doesn't compress, so if it makes its way into the cylinder you could end up damaging a valve.

We used to have some fun runs in the Pine Barrens and once this Isuzu Trooper took in some water and it bent a piston rod! :sick:

Shouldn't happen in normal driving, but did you drive in an extreme downpour lately? Or over puddles?

-juice

snowbird

But that's not supposed to happen, though. (No, I did not drive in heavy rains as far back as I can remember). The Subie is generally regarded as one of the best cars to be in when in foul weather and I still believe that to be true. Anyway, I have now written to the CEO of Subaru Canada about the matter and hope to hear from him soon. Thanks for everyone's input. Will update. Snowbird

jeebs

Hey guys...just this evening I noticed that when I use my turn signals the headlights on my Forester go out..has anyone had this happen? Please help!

fibber2

Sounds to me like the combination switch in the steering column has a short. That one stalk on the column controls the headlights, highbeams, and turn signals. Try wiggling it to see if you can pin it down.

I will have to look in my '02 OB service manual and see if I can get you anything else to try, and maybe a repair/replace procedure.

Steve

anach

Hi,
We have a 2001 Legacy GT wagon. It has been a great car. Yesterday when I first got in the car the power seat would not go forwards, only up, down and back . After going back it did go forward. Today it will not move forwards OR backwards. It still moves up and down. It is stuck in far back position and I am 5 feet tall. Hope you can help!

jeebs

Thanks Steve..it does seem to respond to the "wiggling"...let me know ! Jeebs

fibber2

Jeebs,

That sounds great - like we are really on to something here. Now assuming that all Subi's of this vintage are created equal in the steering wheel department, the procedure looks blessedly simple:

1) Remove the lower dash panel (a screw or two near the console, and at the door, plus a few clips to finess out as you gently pull).
2) Remove the column shroud (upper and lower pieces held together by 1-2 screws, and probably a hidden clip).
3) The lighting combination switch is on the left side, held in by two screws, with a large and a small electrical connector.

But before you order one (and I am willing to bet we are talking $150 or more), you should probably check this out thoroughly. Remove the covers, and check for loose connectors, frayed wiring, etc., and make darn sure that wiggling the switch parts, and nothing else, really makes this happen!

Best of luck,

Steve

asa

That's good advice to jeebs and he might try a jumper wire or two to temporarily take select switches out of the circuit. My old Honda did this exact same thing as jeeb's Subie when almost new and I quickly traced it to a cold solder joint on the stalk wire leads. Fixed it with $.01 of solder.

jeebs

Thanks Steve and Asa..I appreciate the tips...I'll give it a try and let you guys know how it went..Thanks again! Jeebs

samiam_68

Sounds like the power seat switch is bad. You can either replace the switch, or if you or someone you know is handy, take the switch out, take it apart, and clean and lubricate all contact points with petroleum jelly. Subaru electrical switches are cheaply made, and contact points get corroded easily. I've had similar problems on my '96 Legacy power window switches, took them apart, cleaned and lubricated them, and the problems never returned.

jakecrause

I just bought a 1995 Subaru Impreza Wagon with a Manual Transmission. It's got 68,300 Miles and is a great little car....except.

Whenever I am going slow and turn into a parking spot, or any other slow tight turn, the car will come to a stop as if the brakes were applied and remain applied. If I straighten the wheels and move forward, after a few feet, the wheels free up and it drives with no friction.

If I am on loose gravel or pavement with loose gravel on it, it almost acts as if it's a straight axel and one tire breaks loose in the tight turn.

Is this a problem with the AWD? The Differential?

Thanks in advance.

Jake

samiam_68

You may try changing the transmission and differential fluids - if that doesn't help, then it's something mechanical.

jakecrause

Mechanical how exactly? Thanks.

Jake

fibber2

Your transmission contains a conventional gear box, along with both a center differential, and a front differential. And out back, between the rear wheels, is another differential. The front and rear are 'open' type, the center is probably a fixed split 50%/50% front-to-rear.

When the wheels are pointed forward, all 4 tires rotate in unison. But when you turn the wheel, each tire travels thru a different arc, and thus rotate at different rates. The differential(s) job is to apply drive torque to all 4 corners, yet allow each to rotate at these different speeds. When it binds up, you get the condition that you describe. On drive pavement, one or more wheel will skid or hop, on gravel, they slide without turning fast enough. With careful observation, you might be able to tell which diff has the problem. If you are lucky, fresh fluids will wash out the crud that is causing this. If the components are fried, you could be in for expensive mechanical repairs to free stuck parts, or a total replacement.

Steve