Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

once_for_all

just a SWAG, but hey....

Fuel pump going bad. Works ok at rpm, nothing at low rpm. Plugged fuel filter or plugged suction line in tank would be the reverse.

Then, you get into compression issues.

John

fauffant

Does anyone how to clear a blinking check engine light? It blinks all the time. Is there something that needs to be checked or is there a reset button? Any help will be appreciated!! Thanks!

hammerhead

Generally, a steady burning CEL indicates a problem occurred, take it to the dealer soon for analysis & possible repair as needed. However, a flashing CEL means "Houston, we have a problem", implying a more immediate need, and a genuine risk of doing further harm if driven further.

I'd park it immediately. Call for service on Tuesday.

Cheers!
Paul

ubersu

I just purchased a 99 outback and dig it with out a doubt. however, here is the "but", a couple of issues have popped up. 1st...CEL came on.... but after some research it seems an o2 sensor is the likely problem. (at least a check on the scope and that sensor is where i will start) especially since the car is running like a champ. 2nd......My temp gauge just started to freak out. up and down up and down up and down while doing standard highway driving. The car never lost power in acceleration, no funny noises, and did not run any differently. Could the CEL and temp thing be related? I think that is probably a "DUH STUPID" question, but whatever. I do know that i need to change the oil and flush the coolant system. the oil is nasty, and the coolant system, simply because I would like to start fresh especially in the muggy Tennessee summers. Soooo whats the suggestions on the gauge. I love my car and want it to purrrr with happiness. thanks
ubersu

ubersu

went to autozone and they did their little system check and confirmed the o2 sensor but suggested a good fuel system cleaner first. But I am still in the dark about the Temp guage. It is hard to tell if the car is actually running hot but I would lean towards the not hot side of things. Temp gauge climbs and falls... stays up for a bit and then falls to normal regardless of acceleration or speed. What is the deal!!?? i do not want to break my car.

peace
ubersu

ateixeira

They come with 3 years of roadside assistance, so call them and see if they'll tow it to a dealer.

-juice

anatoly

I have the exact same car with same problems that started with previous owner. He had O2 senor replaced, he never told me about the temp. problem, but it must've been there already. I didn't take it on the highway before I bought it. I was driving it daily from home to work and back for 2 weeks, before I took it on a highway and the problem appeared. Then I found that driving for 25 min or more (no matter highway or city) causes same problem.
Check your coolant overflow tank, after you've been driving for 25 min, if it has air bubbles coming in and if you have a black residue on the walls. I suspect it is the same problem I had - leaky head gasket. Sorry man.

cereed

We just started to have this problem with our 2000 outback with 72k miles-goes in reverse fine but engine revs when put into drive or other forward gears. The local dealer wants to put in a new transmission but I have seen several posts here suggesting flushing the transmission---any feedback as to whether or not that worked.

anatoly

Why don't you put a new transmission? It should be at no cost to you since it has 5y/100000 miles warranty on it, as I recall. Call 1800SUBARU3 to verify (you'll need VIN handy).

lfdal

I'm pretty sure its 5yrs / 60000 Miles, at least is now. - Don't know for sure what model year the 5/60 started.

Larry

crashton6

I'm sure Larry has it right. My 2000 Forester had the 5yr / 60,000 mile warranty.

Chuck

anatoly

I'd check with 1800SUBARU3 anyway. It is pretty close and they may still pick up the expense it doesn't hurt to ask. It is rediculous to have transmission fail on subaru under 100K.

1putt

Try changing your fuel filter happned to me also with my forester!
-Gino

ubersu

thanks for the heads up but so far soo good. I called my local dealer and he made a few suggestions. one being to double check the coolant level . so i did toped it off and all has been well. the source of the problem i will hope lies in an toasted radiator cap. i noticed a little more than normal anount of moisture, which should be none, under and around cap completely isolated from any other coolant from overflow resovior. so i will run with that. and thus far has been successful. thanks again for the heads up. and as for the CEL not so worried about o2 sensor. can be replaced. oh and as for residue in overflow tank nothing out of the ordinary.
peace and thanks

ateixeira

We lost a lot of power on our 626, it was pathetic, and a throttle body service at the dealer fixed it nicely. Wasn't cheap but the Mazda dealer tended to overcharge us.

-juice

winstonsgirl

Help! I drive a 2003 Subaru Forester w/about 60k miles. On a fairly regular basis - but not always - there is a squealing from the front of the car when I drive between 10 and 20 mph. The squealing stops when I apply the brakes and/or turn. When I take it in, the service department can't "duplicate" the noise. I've been in twice and hear the same thing - bring it in when you hear it. (Always when the service department is closed for some reason!) Any thoughts?? I'm TOTALLY frustrated. :confuse:

once_for_all

Try changing your fuel filter happned to me also with my forester!

Might be worth a try, but wouldn't the high end power be even worse than the low end if the filter was plugged?

John

ateixeira

Lube the sway bars first, because that's easy. Get some spray lithium grease and make sure you get the end links.

Then inspect the boots, CV and axle, for wear. Maybe repack the grease.

-juice

willie_warthog

From my online searching, it appears that warped rotors happen fairly often on 2000-2002 Outbacks. Mine started warping at about 36k. My questions are: How long does turning the rotors solve the problem? Should I just go ahead and replace the rotors? And if so, is there an after-market rotor that would last longer and solve the problem? TIA

ateixeira

You can usually turn them only once. After that, you replace them. So expect to go about as far as you've gone until now.

-juice

asa

We have an '04 Forester 2.5X and I'll not need to access the spark plugs for quite some time, but I can't help but noticing that it will be a BEAR to remove them because theres very little room to work on the side of the block. Are there any tips y'all can offer? Are special custom tools required?

I was watching Dream Car Garage and they suggested that putting anti-seize on long-life plugs in an aluminum block is wise. Makes sense. Thanks. Asa

mrdave03

Hi.. Just wondering if the problem with the check engine light and flashing cruise light has been fixed? My 04 outback has started doing the same thing.. dealer is unsure of the problem.

once_for_all

not as daunting as it looks.

Nothing special needed on passenger side.

Driver side, two bolts on top of windshield container, get an old coat hanger and make a hook out of it to suspend it from the hood.

Use a standard spark plug socket, then a 3/8" swivel, then a 3" extension.

That will get them all out without a problem.

The only issue is the reinstall, it can be tricky to pull out the sparkplug socket, it wants to stay connected to the spark plug. I used several wraps of electrical tape to keep it connected to the swivel.

HTH. It is less than a 1 hour job.

John

asa

Thnks John. I'll print out your post and keep it; I have the required tools. Asa

jfl

Asa,

Look up "subaru plug changing" on Yahoo. Scooby has hints and photos.

Jim

crashton6

You might want to get a short piece of rubber fuel line. I stick the new plugs in it & then use the hose to start the new plugs in the heads. It really makes the process a lot easier. Oh yes don't forget to put a little antiseize on the plug threads.

Chuck

jfl

Even more important than the antiseize is a bit of dielectric grease on the plug boots if you are planning to do the next plug change yourself! Removing the boots might be the most dificult part of the process.

Jim

crashton6

Good call Jim. I totally forgot what a royal pain getting those boots off the first time was. Dielectric grease is your friend.

Chuck

subarudds

My 05 Outback has been in for service five times for the problem with the check engine and flashing cruise lights. The last attempt appeared to be the cure, but yesterday the lights returned after three weeks of normal operation. Subaru does not seem to know how to fix the problem, let me know if you have any luck.

rubysuby

My 03 ForesterX is at the dealers' right now. I do not trust this dealer. Thier sales people have bold faced lied to me in the past more than once and yesterday tried to sell me a car while I was dropping mine off.

The air conditioning fan (not climate control) stopped working Saturday. It produces cold air but doesn't blow it out the vents. There is no fan action so the motor is dead or the dial that turns on the fan is not working correctly or....

They called me about 45 minutes ago to say they checked all of the obvious stuff (fuses, relays) and now need to take apart the console. Fine but I have an aftermarket stereo and if the installation of it is the problem I'll need to pay 110.00 for the diagnosis.

If I have them do the repair should the diagnosis cost become a part of that since the 110.00 is already for the labor of taking apart the console (fixing it) and putting it back together?

I did the head install (2 years ago) so there is no one to fault but me if that is the problem.

ateixeira

without opening it up.

I installed stereos in my Forester and the wife's Legacy and I do recall working in the area with a lot of wires. Luckily no symptoms on ours.

Call 800-SUBARU3 if they give you a hard time. Let SoA work it out with the dealer under warranty.

-juice

rubysuby

What a relief! The air conditioning not working is caused by a bad harness before the fan. It wasn't grounded correctly from the factory and went bad. He said it is over $1000. just for the part but it is a warranty repair. I am going to get a rental this afternoon. The part will be here Thursday.

I thought I did an excellent job on the head unit install. I was quite careful. Turns out I was!

Thank you for the reply and phone number ateixeira.

jahellen

After doing a little research I found out that rear headrests were NOT standard equipment on my '96 Outback. Does anybody out there have any information on where I could get hold of a pair? Note that I do have a pair of factory-installed brackets on the back seat. (I've had the car so long that my kids' heads are sticking up over the top of the seats!)

samiam_68

Maybe a junkyard? Trying to match fabric will be hard though.

xwesx

You have the brackets on the rear seat?! I am envious, as my '96 OBW does not. I would much prefer to have headrests back there, as are on every MY after '96.

If the front headrest posts match the rears, it should be fairly easy to find a set on E-Bay, from Subaru, or any second-hand parts supplier. I cannot find any Subaru parts MY95 and later, as some outfit out of Seattle contracts with all the places in Alaska (Fairbanks, anyway, but I was told it was throughout Alaska) to buy totalled Subaru and have the parts shipped out to them. Other places in the country might be different.

If they are not the same as the fronts, then I would think that comfort would be the main consideration, so other M.Y. headrests (like ''97-'99) would work just fine, even if they didn't have the same upholstering.

jahellen

>>>so other M.Y. headrests (like ''97-'99) would work just fine, even if they didn't have the same upholstering.

Nope. I recently took my Outback in to a dealer, who attempted to order the parts. There apparently weren't any for the '96 MY, so they ordered the current model of headrests. However, there are no holes in the rear seat for the headrest posts, just some (probably) heavy-duty plastic brackets that look like they would hold headrests.

xwesx

Oh, oh, oh!

Actually, those plastic brackets are not for headrests.....

They are for supporting the seatbacks when the rear seat is folded down to increase the cargo area. If you lift up the back seats' bottom cushion (there is a strap located just to the right side (relative to your position if you were sitting in the driver's seat) of the plastic seatbelt organizer in the center of the back cushion - if you do not see it, reach your hand down between the back and bottom cushions in that area and fish around... it is there! Pull on the strap and it will lift the seat up.) and place it in the vertical position, you will see two plastic hooks about 50% the way "down" the bottom side of the cushion framing. If you then fold the back cushions down (lift up the knob on each side of the top of the back cushions and pull the cushion forward), the heavy-duty plastic bracket should slip perfectly into the hook on the bottom cushion's frame. Load 'er up and you're on your way.

Curious thought about whether they would double as headrest supports, but my guess is that they will not. I think the '97-'99 models had stud-style headrests like on the front seat, and you had to remove those from the seat before folding the seat down (when doing the cargo conversion), but then starting with the '00 models they integrated them so that the headrests folded back over the seat back to get out of the way when converting it, and then just protruded up into the cargo space. I could be wrong - I've never actually tinkered with a '97 or newer - just caught glimpses in passing.

I think that unless you fashion some sort of a headrest with straps and lace it around the seat back, your children will probably just have to make due without the headrests on the '96. I have a baby miror I used for my son when he was in the rear-facing position in the back seat, and that's the way it connected to the top of the seatback. It worked very well and attached via velcro straps that wrapped the seatback from top to bottom and connected on the back side.

hondafriek

Why not just go to the junkyard and buy the seatback from a 97 or later, if the upholstery does not match it is easy to swap the covers from your own seatback to the new one. This way you will have proper headrests iof this is what you want.

Cheers Pat.

mary14

My clutch went out completely at only 60K on my 2001 Forester. Does this seem right? It will have to be replaced at a cost of $1100. I'm very upset about this. I've had other "issues" with this car and am thinking of trading it in for a Toyota Highlander next month. I was so excited when I first bought my Forester. I wish I could still trust it, but I don't want to be left stranded in the middle of nowhere if the clutch goes out again or some other issue comes up. I've just never had so many problems with a car, especially one that I bought brand new.

bbb9

Drove the car a bunch this morning. Parked it in the garage, and 30 minutes later
it would not start. Basically, turn the key and nothing-- no starter noise-- nothing.
Battery seems to be ok as the door open indicator and the clock illuminates (though
it looks like the clock keeps resetting to "1:00".

Saw some of the other posts and tried:

* shifting out of park and through the gears. I can't budget the gear shift out of park
and the brake feels like there's no power.

* tried the backup key and that didn't make a difference.

* I've tried locking and unlocking the car (guessing the anti theft device might be
the problem) and that didn't help.

I noticed something now that I hadn't noticed before (dunno if it was always this
way or...) but if I have the door adjar (and see the door open indicator light on
the dash) and then press the brake, the door indicator light goes off.....

Ideas/suggestions?

Thanks

bbb9

One other item... after trying to start the car a number of times the
security light started to blink every 5-10 seconds. i was locking and
unlocking the doors (via the door lock switch) and then the security
light started blinking very fast (like once per second). I then heard
periodic "clicking" sounds near the fuse box.... popped off the fuse box and
none of the fuses looked obviously bad (though what do I know).

After a minute of this clicking, the car horn started blaring in security mode.
Did this for about 10 seconds and then stopped (not sure if it was something
I was doing or something internal to the car...)

jfl

If it's the original battery, I'd remove it and take it to a shop to be tested.

That happened to me (backed it out of the garage...three minutes later, it wouldn't start.) It turned out to be the battery. Five years is about when I'd expect OEM batteries to fail.

Jim

samiam_68

Your battery is probably dead beyond recharging. Time for a new one.

bbb9

Thanks for the responses so far.

I don't understand how it would be a dead battery.... the car doesn't even attempt
to crank and the intertior lights, dash indicators and horn are working (and
seem to have their normal luminiation/volume...) the security system is working.

Is there a way to reset the security system?

Thanks again.

xwesx

The battery probably isn't dead, per se, but the voltage is too low to engage the solenoid in the starter. Other items, like interior lights, are able to run on much lower voltage. The anomolies you recounted earlier sound consistent with a low (very low) battery. I think you'd find that if you switched your headlights on with the car in the "on" position, it would die pretty quick.

If you want to isolate the problem, have someone give you a jump. If it starts, it is a battery/alternator problem. If you disconnect from the other vehicle and you continue to run without problems, it is the battery. If not, then it is probably the alternator and you'll need to replace it and the battery.

I'm betting on the battery as the culprit.

-Wes-

petzl

Recently bought a 97 legacy outback from an unscrupulous dealer in atlanta whom i won't name but it is spelled A R Motorsports. Anyway, 3 weeks later it is overheating and surprise surprise it has a blown headgasket. After checking out the lemon laws i figured i was going to have to eat the repair myself. I began the work that weekend but was stopped just after removing the intake manifold. I covered the engine with plastic but, when I opened the hood to complete the job today, i found standing water in one of the intake ports on the head. when I got the head off i found rust on the lower part of the cylinder near the top of the piston travel. Apparently water had gotten in and pooled up causing a rust spot about an inch long and a little over a half an inch wide.It apparently etched in the metal. The question is, does this mean a rebuild or new engine? i will be able to afford a new engine in about 6 mos but not right now. what are the odds of engine restorer keeping if from smoking like a chimney and burning up the cat converter before then?

donaw

my 97 outback sport has 98,000 miles. bought it used 30,000 miles ago and no problems till last week. out of the blue, started the car after it had been parked for 3 hours (on level ground, 84 degree day), and it was misfiring and the check engine light came on. turned it off, checked the oil and to make sure the plugs were seated, restarted it and drove it home. No compression at low speeds, idle dropping at stop lights so I had to give it gas to keep it alive. the next morning it ran fine, but i brought it to my local mechanic to see what he could make of it. He was able to get it on the machine once it was acting up and got code P1507, which is "idle air control celanoid valve", but that doesn't make sense to him. it would only act up once while he had it. all other times it ran fine. So i picked it up and it did it again (no, I am not jinxed), but after running it for a few minutes and then turing it off, it ran just fine. anybody heard of this happening before?

locke2c

the IAC can most definitely cause the problems you're having. replace it.

it is a solenoid attached to the intake manifold and if it is faulty you will have very poor idle and low-rpm performance.

~Colin

laygear

For any Aussie readers out there. I contacted 1stsubaruparts.com in Washington State for a new power steering pump. The salesperson was very helpful emailing me the pump diagram to ensure a correct match. I ordered and received the new p/s pump and also a rebuild kit. Two dealers in Australia told me it was a non-repairable pump and a new pump in Australia would be AUD 1,146 dollars. I bought a repair kit for USD 22 and a new pump for USD 237. If you have the time to wait for shipping I would strongly recommend 1stsubaruparts.com. Thanks for everyones help on the forum. Jon

jfl

Jon,

Glad to read it all worked out!

Jim