Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

ateixeira

I've towed a few times with my Forester, it felt fine. Just leave plenty of space and take your time. FWIW they're rated to tow 3960 lbs in the UK bone stock, even the old 2.0l powertrains.

Stefanie - score! Thanks for reporting back to us.

7+ years old, falling apart, sounds familiar. We sold a 626 at that age, 5 problems in about 18 months or so and we bailed out. Sell. You got a Friday 5pm build, the bad apple in the batch, or even a neglected used car. Who knows? But I'd get rid of it.

-juice

cptplt

thanks for the info!
maybe I will have to use Nokians or something all year round but the Tribecas tire size is really unusual

mike_p

Steve,

Thanks for the advice...getting one shipped to me now, under $17.00 including shipping. Saw them new for $60.00, so much thanks for the savings.

Mike

kdshapiro

I have a 2005 XT. The coolant reservoir drops about an inch or two every week. When the engine is cold I add coolant to bring the level up the cold max. There are no puddles or drippings on the floor.

This somehow doesn't seem right to me. At the next service I will mention it to the service advisor, but I was hoping someone could provide some clues before I bring it in.

ateixeira

Could be eliminating air pockets slowly, but it should stop after a while. Make sure the service advisor makes a note of it, maybe even call 800-SUBARU3 to register a "customer says" complaint just to be safe.

-juice

pratsam

This is extremely interesting. I have recently experienced the same symptoms as Stella with my 2001 Outback, except that my check engine light did not come on. Aamco ran a complete diagnostic test and came up with nothing. Just prior to these problems, I had my CD player and tuner replaced at Best Buy. My car is at the repair shop now, and I will suggest that my mechanic check the ground and other wiring on the tuner. I'll let you know what happens.

fibber2

Mike,

Excellent! Glad to be able to help.

Now for the important part. If there is any chance that your remote could be found and traced back to you, you need to delete its codes. Otherwise you become an easy target for theft. IIRC, the system can support up to 4 remotes. So if you program your new one three times (plus your remaining unit), that should use up all 4 spots, effectively deleting the lost unit. Not sure if I have this quite right or are explaining it well, but there should be instruction about this in your owners manual.

Steve

mazda6s

Hmmm, make sure to get it on record as a warranty complaint. I had the same problem (not on a Subaru) and didn't complain about it. After the car was out of warranty the problem got worse, and when I took it in it needed an intake manifold gasket. The engine was sucking the coolant and burning it, that's why no drip and no puddle. Since I never complained about it when the car was in warranty I had no evidence that it was defective while in warranty so I had to pay the whole repair myself.

kdshapiro

It's shortly due for the second service so I will put it on record. Either it's being sucked into the engine, or there's a pinhole leak in the radiator. I'd rather have the latter than the former.

c_hunter

Is there any odor of coolant anywhere?? After you drive it hard for instance??

Sometimes, there is a small leak on a coolant hose where it attaches to the turbo, which can be fixed by gently tightening or repositioning the hose clamp. But you normally smeel that one, or see some coolant being vaporized when you pop the hood.

If coolant is getting into the combustion chamber, you should be able to get a whiff of it in the exhaust (be careful obviously). In addition, you might want to look at the oil (look under the cap, and on the dipstick) and see if it has a creamy appearance -- that's a sign of coolant getting into the oil.

My OB XT often gives off a whiff of coolant smell from the engine area when I shut it down after a hard drive, but I have never noticed coolant loss or seen any problems. I half suspect there is a minor "path" allowing the smell of hot coolant to escape. Could be in the reservoir or the hose going into the reservoir.

CRaig

mlh3

My car needs a new Catalytic Converter and the price to replace it with the dealer is pretty high. Could someone recommend a mechanic North of Boston that is familiar with Subaru's? Or would it be best to get this work done with the dealer? Also both front axles DOJ Boots are dry-rotting, is this a major repair? The car has 124k miles and I want to keep it for a lot longer!

ateixeira

Try here:

http://www.fsautoparts.com/

-juice

captkirk1

My wagon is blowing the fuse-ignition,ecc,engine. Sometimes its clicks before it will start and the gauges don't work. When I replace the fuse it blow's right away again. Any input is highly appreciated. Thanks

c_hunter

You can get "split" repair boots to replace the old ones, they go over the axle/joint and then knit together with small screws and/or glue. These are actually quite good. If you go the other route of replacing with a regular boot, I hear it's about the same cost as replacing the axles/joints, since the same amount of work has to be done. In cases where the boots start to deteriorate at high mileage, the CarTalk guys have recommended replacing the axles/joints with rebuilt ones, which come with new boots. I guess you can price out the various options. If it was me, I would slap on repair boots at home as long as the cost was compelling.

Craig

ateixeira

We had to change the boot on our 626, it was pretty expensive. I wish I had gotten a split boot kit and done it myself.

The grease subsequently shorted out the O2 sensor and blew that up, so it cost us a pretty penny in the long run.

-juice

kdshapiro

"My OB XT often gives off a whiff of coolant smell from the engine area when I shut it down after a hard drive, but I have never noticed coolant loss or seen any problems"

Thanks for the reply. I have not noticed any change in the oil appearance. But I do believe I "smell" coolant. There is no obvious steam cloud indicating a leak. The exhaust smells like "exhaust".

Per your suggestion, I'll check the hoses and clamps. Could be the reservoir has a slight crack although I doubt it.

KD

superbondo

i used split boot 10 years ago on my civic wagon, didn't have any luck, the thing kept splitting at the seam, are the new split boots any better?

i am looking at a 1993 impreza wagon with 120k miles, is it wise to put on a pair of rebuilt axle for about $300, does this car have a lot of life left? thanks

ateixeira

I wouldn't mess with them if they're OK to begin with.

We observed wheel bearing issues with '98-'02 models but the ones that failed were covered under warranty.

-juice

c_hunter

Last time I used a split boot was back in 1987 or so. It lasted many years past that. The kit I used had 5-6 small nuts and bolts holding the seam together.

Craig

superbondo

the one i used had bolts only for the ends but glue on the seam that tore fast, are they still selling these split boots at all? can't find them anywhere

fasnarkus

what kind of wheel bearing issues?

I have a 02 WRX that I went off the road with. Ever since, it has a wheel vibration that comes and goes. The dealership looked at it and gave up without really trying all that hard.

I'm grasping at straws and wheel bearings is one possible straw (though the dealership assures me I would hear it if it were the bearings).

xwesx

Price I found on OEM Cat Converters was ~400 for the part. I replaced both the axles on my OBW several years ago, but the CV joints had gone bad due to split-open boots; I think those were each ~$200 for the part. I did one myself and the other, since it was a mid-winter repair, was performed by a dealer. That one ran me about $350 total.

Just FYI, for what its worth.

ateixeira

You would hear it, I agree with the dealer about that.

Our 626 went "chunk chunk chunk..." and it was speed dependent.

-juice

tcocking

On my 96 Outback wagon I disconnected the battery for a repair and now the remote fob doesn't work. I know that I need to press the "Code Alarm Programming Button" under the dash to the left of the steering column. Problem is...I can't find it! Spent 2 hours looking. The dealer told me that it was connected to the remote receiver by a brown and a brown with white striped wire. No such wires coming off of the receiver and no button either. Help!

-Tim

matthewm

I have a 2003 Outback with 29,000 miles. The brakes have been pulsating, so I had my mechanic investigate. He told me that the pads and rotors need to be replaced, front and rear. Cost: $692. Should this still be covered under the warranty? My warranty expires in November. Thanks!

Matt

c_hunter

You're in the 3/36 B2B warranty, so check on that for sure. At minimum, I would expect the rotors to be covered (either getting them resurfaced or replaced). That pads, however, would be a wear item. 29K is kind of early for needing pads, so I have a hard time believing they're worn out if you drive normally. I would just visit the dealer, complain about the pulsing, and see what they do. It has been fairly common for Outbacks to get rotors serviced under warranty. Both my 00 and 02 Outback needed it at one point (fronts only). In both cases, they resurfaced the rotors at no cost and I did not have another problem.

Craig

fstevensne

I posted about this a few days ago (sunroof moves down as it should when you want to open it, but won't move towards the back of the car), and didn't get any suggestions. Well, I went to the dealership yesterday, and they said that the sunroof is all "bound up", and they would need to replace the whole thing. With labor, over $1100! I'm going to find get a second opinion somewhere else before I decide what to do. Since it's stuck closed, rather than open, I could leave it this way for a while.

I think it knew I was considering trading it/selling it this summer, and it taking revenge. I am now regretting my decision to keep it for another year. (Besides the annoyance of having an expensive repair, I just have that new car craving.)

Faye

c_hunter

You could trade it in -- I doubt the dealer will test the moonroof when evaluating the trade. Let them worry about it. I am sure they'll find a way to warranty or write it off if the repair is on their dime.

Craig

hondafriek

I understand the auto trans holds almost 10 Qts.of fluid but that is total capacity, what I would like to know is roughly the amount to just do a drain and fill, mindful of course that a goodly amount is gonna remain in the torque converter.

Since I only have about 22K miles on the odo.I am probably nuts to consider a fluid change anyway, but I think in the interests of peace of mind I will.

BTW> I am sure some will disagree with me but I don't believe in the changes based on a time interval if the milage is not on the car. My point is how the hell are the fluids going to degrade if the vehicle is hardly driven. I could see a case for this if the car has only city driving but my milage believe or not is 90% highway.
Cheers Pat.

rob_m

This should be covered under warrantee.

I just had the front brakes done on my 03 Outback wagon with 20k. The caliper slides rusted, and I was getting an excessive amount of brake dust on the rims - like totally black in 100 miles.

Dealer turned the rotors, replaced the pads and brake slides at no cost. Rob M.

ateixeira

You'd be surprised. My Miata had just 26k miles when I went to change the rear diffy fluid (75w90 gear oil), and when I drained it the stuff looked like melted chocolate. It was more than just spent, it was history.

-juice

ateixeira

Trade it in on a rainy day.

-juice

subearu

I guess I'd feel wrong recommending you trade it in and not mention the moonroof. I'd hope the appraisor would try it out, but it's quite likely they won't. What happens if they do find out it is broken and you don't get a good trade-in price? You should prepare for that to happen, it's still possible they'll find it.

If only the moonroof is in need of repair and there is nothing else wrong with your Forester, just repair it and enjoy the Forester. Of course, if the new car itch is really biting you that bad, it'll be hard to do that.

-Brian

hypov

Here you go Pat

hypov, "Subaru Crew: Care & Maintenance" #7768, 9 Aug 2003 2:52 pm

-Dave

c_hunter

I agree with you for the most part, Pat. About the only fluid I know of that might have an expiration is the brake fluid, since it can absorb moisture. But if the system is properly sealed, it's just a hydraulic system and should go a long time. In fact, the only issue with any of the fluids is if they get exposed to moisture or contaminants from other than normal operation. If everything is working the way it should, then operating time/cycles is the only thing that matters.

Craig

hondafriek

Thanks Dave, I knew I could count on somebody here for that info.

Cheers Pat.

hypov

Glad to be of some help

-Dave

204meca

...on my Forester went just as described on several sites. The only difficulty was that the bolt was really torqued on. My 1st try with a 12 point 17mm socket resulted in both the socket & the bolt getting somewhat deformed -- thought I was going to have to take it to the local wrench with my tail between my legs :sick: However, after getting a 6 pt socket & adding an 18" pipe (aka breaker bar) it came loose. :P

I have been using Motorcraft or Chevron Supreme 5W-20 semi synthetic (factory recommendation on Fords, Hondas, Toyotas the past 4-5 years) in my last few cars as the temps here almost never reach 90 F. I decided I would stick with that for the Subie also, maybe get another mile or two out of the semi-precious gas.

I thought I would need a new drain plug and picked one up at the local Subie dealer for $5.50 :mad: That really surprised me as an Audi plug (with washer only costs $2.50! I also found it interesting that the position of the drain plug prevents complete drainage -- I am guessing 1-3 ounces of oil remain in the pan.

c_hunter

I don't know -- I would stick with 30 weight myself.

Even though some Hondas use 20 weight, Honda recomends 30 weight for the engine in my S2K, and I have seen several stern warnings not to use 20 weight in that engine. When they say 30 they mean 30, and I'm thinking it's the same for Subaru. They have been specing 30 weight for many years. If they were able to use 20 weight they would certainly recommend it, since it would result in better gas mileage and you know they are always after that. The fact that they don't recommend 20 weight makes me think they have a good reason. It's really not good to second guess on things like this.

You can play games with the W rating on a multi-viscosity oil (ie, 5W-30 and 10W-30 can be chosen depending on the winter temps) but playing with the nominal viscosity (30) is a different story. That's going to be the viscosity the engine sees when the oil heats up to operating temperature, and that's what really counts (probably more than your ambient temp highs). In a warm engine, 20 weight is going to be a lot thinner than 30 weight and have very different lubricating properties.

Craig

greenbelt74

Steve - thanks for the additional detail. Not only did the install go smoothly, it took less than 10 minutes. This is a great resource!

mnf

When I had my 30,000 done they had this on the sheet I had noticed no issues prior and didn't even notice it until later on the sheet . (Warranty Thermostat Housing Gasket N/C) Anyone else have this ?? .... Thanks Matt

fibber2

Great, glad to be of service!! I love these boards also. I am still learning from these guys as well.

Did it resolve your problem?

Steve

fibber2

Matt,

On these flat engines, the thermostat housing is on the underside of the engine. We normal folks would probably never notice a seepage or very minor leak unless you looked straight up when the car is on a lift. So as long as it was billed to SoA, just say thanks!

Steve

mnf

Thanks for the help.... M/F

jmac5

We have an 02 outback wagon. At 37k miles we were told we needed new rotors, new pads, etc. Had it done, as well as tire rotation. The dealership crossed the tires when rotating and we ended up with a pulsation in the steering wheel at speeds over 60mph. Brought it back, they told us it was cupping and they'd undo the rotation--but they never uncrossed. Feedback/pulsation continued. Brought it back again today. Turns out my tires are now a mess-lumpy, cupped, etc. I also needed all new rotors, pads etc. Its been under 7000 miles since I replaced them last. My pads had NO wear, they told me the pads look new. But they had to replace them because they're grooved almost all the way through from rubbing on the rotors.

This can't be normal. I can't imagine all of the subaru drivers around here are doing 800.00 brake jobs every 6 months (elapsed time since original brake job).

Does anyone have any ideas, help, advice, etc for me? I've gotten subaru of america involved as I'm unhappy with the dealership, but that doesn't seem to be working so well either. :mad:

ontheroad6

Yes, the mud flaps were factory installed.
Trish

ontheroad6

Yes, the mud flaps were factory installed.

c_hunter

Subaru recommends a front to back rotation with NO crossing. I have had similar problems on other cars when crossing -- I think the tires/belts take a set to rotating one way and you can get balance problems going the other direction. However, my wife's Acura calls for crossing while rotating and so far no problems there. I am guessing if you rotate often, it's OK to cross per the manufacturers spec. If the manufacturer says not to cross, or you rotate in frequently, then I would definitely NOT cross.

Did they rebalance the tires at any point? That could have been a problem too. If the tires are out of balance but wear in a certain way, rotating them will alter that wear/balance combination and cause vibrations. Had the tires been previously rotated every 7500 miles as called for?

You are right that it's not normal. I suspect that someone screwed up the work. It is almost impossible for new pads to get grooved all the way through unless there was a major problem with the install or the rotors. In fact, if there is a major problem with the rotors, they can cause a feedback pulsation -- so that may have been the problem all along.

SOA should be helping you out for sure. Let me ask -- was the car "fine" before the repair? If so, this could be a case where the dealer's poor work was the root cause of all the subsequent problems.

Good luck!
Craig

jopopsy

Well, I was there in the delivery room and even got to cut the cord !!!!

Gabriella Michele was 6lbs 7oz and 19.5" long.



On another note my rattling sunroof was handled by my local dealer. They had to drop the headliner inside the car and tighten all the bolts on my sunroof track; apparently half of the bolts were real loose.

Not sure why that happened; they think my car left the factory w/ loose bolts and they just got worse.

~Jopopsy

ateixeira

I did the same for our first.

-juice