Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

hondafriek

Jim, I agree with your comments, however I used the Honda as an example since that is the last car I changed a valve cover gasket on. My comparison was based on Cost only, the Honda gasket was only about twenty bucks. The Subaru gasket dealer price should be about the same. In fact Colin has found them on line for about ten bucks each,As for labour I cannot see it taking more than about an hour and a half total. Colin estimates 1 hour and since he has had them off and on his 99 2.5 RS at least 3 times I will defer to him.

Cheers Pat.

ralph12

I purchased a 1998 Forester about 1 year ago with 75,000 mi from a private individual. Worked fine until the trans started slipping in drive lower gears. Also I noticed that the wheels seemed to have diffficulty making very sharp turns. Finally, the AT oil light started flashing and the trans oil had this dark burned smell. I had it towed to a shop. They couldn't find a problem. Worked fine for them. They changed trans fluids. Seemed to work fine including the sharp turns for about a week then the slipping and AT oil light ptoblems started (not sure about the sharp turns, if that stayed ok or not). Towed to a dealer and this was the diagnosis:
1. Needs CV joint
2. Needs final drive seal
3. Transfer clutch bad
4. needs speed sensor
Cost $2200.
I called transmission places and rebuilding will cost anywhere from $1675-$2500. Some of these places said if the dealer only repairs the transfer clutches the transmission could have other problems crop up. Best to do an overhaul. One place said fix all but the transfer clutch just change the oil for that and it should be ok.
I am so disappointed in the car because it has such a good reputation. I'm not sure now what to do. Stick with dealer or bring to an overhauler, or, other options???.
Any advice?
Thanks

cinay

My 05 has been looked at 5 times by different dealerships for a engine fluttering noise and lack of power on hills. Every time they reset the computer for the lack of power and it lasts for a month or so. The fluttering noise they say is ; the muffler, normal engine noise, maybe front differential and my favorite... don't know I hear it and feel it but cant tell you what it is. Anyboy else have an solution??? The noise is getting louder and driving me crazy. I also have that headlight and cruse control problem too

c_hunter

What 05 are you referring to? Which transmission do you have?

fibber2

It is always difficult to tell what is affecting what. The 'center differential' is located in the tail shaft extension of the A/T. It uses the same ATF as the transmission. So if the fluid is getting cooked by the main tranny unit, it could cause the center diff to not work properly. This would explain the 'binding' on sharp turns. Or it could be that the transfer clutch assembly is overheating and burning the fluid, causing valve body gumming, hence the slippage in low gears.

Addressing one without the other is a gamble that you have enough data to tell which is the cause, and which end suffers. But if it really ran fine for a while with just a simple fluid change, you could step up to a full fluid flush with solvents and see if it helps cleanse out everything old.

Steve

furgia

Ken,

Thank you for your reply.

The first time I saw vapor it filled the trees in the yard, now it's not as bad. It usually happens shortly after starting the car or when the turbo kicks in.

Furgia

ralph12

Steve,
Thanks for your insight. I was told by the dealer that the shifting problem was due to the speed sensor being bad. So perhaps you are right in that the problem with shifting in the main tranny unit causes the fluid to cook and this causes the problem in the center differential so the center differential is not in of itself the problem. Of the 4 items to be repaired, as I understand only the center differential repair requires taking the AT apart. Is that right?
Ralph

locke2c

well since I'm seeing them wholesale for about $10, I can imagine a "fair" dealer price would be $15-20. come to think of it, $104 for two sounds *a lot* like the dealer price for two head gaskets as they are like $50-ish each.

~Colin

hondafriek

That was my thought also Colin, that whoever had quoted prices had confused the head gaskets with valve cover gaskets. I know there are some dealers not very good but I cannot see a dealer hosing like that.

Cheers Pat.

ateixeira

But the part itself is smaller, it's only wrapping around 2 cylinders. It should be cheap.

Labor might be a little more to put them on. It's hard on an Impreza/Forester but should be easy on a Legacy/Outback. Those have more clearance.

-juice

fibber2

But the part itself is smaller, it's only wrapping around 2 cylinders. It should be cheap.

Sorry, Juice, but I almost fell out of my chair laughing! Because it is smaller, it is considered highly specialized, and hence would sell for probably twice the price! Got to send you back to school and make you retake Marketing 101.

Steve

ateixeira

Get one for a 4 banger and then cut it in half, you'll have a spare!

LOL

-juice

bluesubie

Does the black plastic thingy in front (crankshaft cover?) need to come off? I had a look over the weekend and it looks tight in there.

-Dennis

mesubaru

In case you haven't made any decisions: my 1999 forester has been whining for 2 years. Every mechanic told me to let it go and listen for a pitch change. Well after about 20,000 miles the pitch started to change and the car seized up about 3 weeks later. New to me diff and trasmission being installed as I type....let it go til it breaks!

gin57

I bought a 2002 Forester in June, and almost immediately noticed a hot oil smell (it seems to be worse when using the AC, but maybe that's a coincidence). I bought it at 42K miles and have put about 8K on it since. Three different shops have looked at it - there seems to be something dripping onto the exhaust under the engine. The first shop said, "I dunno." The second shop did a dye test in the transmission fluid, found no leak, and said "I dunno." The third shop replaced the gasket in the transfer case and is beginning to show signs of ... dunno. Still smells, although perhaps not as badly. Is this something I should get all woked up about before the 60K warranty deadline?

harri2

I have a 99 Forester that is driving me crazy because it won't shift out of Park when I first start the car in the morning. This only occurs after a night of cool or cold weather. Right now, our days are in the 80's, but the temperature goes down to the 50's at night. When I first start the car in the morning, I have to keep stepping on the brake and trying to get the car out of Park. These days it can take 30-60 seconds of continuous attempts to get the car in gear. On winter mornings, I have literally spent 5 minutes at a minimum sitting in the car trying to get it into gear. The odd thing is that this problem only occurs the first time I start the car. Even in the dead of winter, when my car has been sitting in a parking lot all day long, I almost never have trouble shifting out of Park when I am leaving work. Can anyone help me?

ateixeira

That mechanism must be bad. Do you have a trusted mechanic? I would not wait because you may end up stranded somewhere.

Oil smell - inspect the bottom of the block, make sure there isn't any oil leaking from the gasket. Check both sides (head gaskets and valve cover gaskets), then check the front main seal (O-rings).

It might have been spilled during routine service so it could be nothing. Takes a while to burn off that smell.

-juice

locke2c

do you park on a steep hill or driveway? if so, do you use your handbrake?

~Colin

63gretschround

I have a similar problem on my daughters 93 impreza 2wd 1.8 where intermittently it will misfire, hot or under warmup. Idles ok, but when accelerating there is no power and I can hear crossfiring in the intake. Plugs, plug wires were replaced, no arcing visible in the dark. Can a weak coil cause this? Any suggestions anyone?

portguy

Hey guys,
I'm new here and am looking to purchase an '05 impreza wagon. The one I have my eye on is a silver, AT, non-turbo with approximately 35K on it.

What sort of problems do the Impreza's have that I should be aware of?

thanks in advance for the advice,
Dave

harri2

I park on the street, which is level, and I always use my handbrake.

Harriet

gherman131313

My left rear Falken Ziez ZE512 was punctured by a nail near where the tread meets the sidewall. Tire guys say it can't be patched, cause its on the curve of the sidewall.

The 512's have 11,000 miles of tread wear. I've got the OE Geo G900 spare on for the time being.

A Forester owner at work says I can get by, with replacing just the two rear tires to keep from having diffy problems down the road. I really don't want to buy 4 brand new tires at this time.

Do the two rears have to be Falken Ziex's to match the front, or does it not matter?

Thoughts?

fibber2

Unfortunately, no matter where you put the new tire, the slightly larger overall diameter of new tread could have an impact on the center differential. If you checked with a depth gauge, you would probably find that the tires with 11k miles will have about 2/32 or so less tread than the new one. That equates to about 2x the 1/4" circumference limit specified by Subaru. So you could be setting up a situation for excess wear and early failure of an expensive tranny component.

My suggestion would be to buy the one tire and look for a speed shop in your area. Many have tire shaving equipment used specifically to reduce the tread depth on racing tires (racers buy their tires new and cut the tread to a minimum to reduce 'squirm'). Give them one of the existing tires and tell them to make them match.

Steve

locke2c

that's good! of sorts.

if the transmission never has any problems shifting, it is indeed just an interlock problem as someone (juice?) suggested. this is fairly inexpensive to fix; you don't need to crack the transmission case.

~Colin

damish003

Nice car you're looking at. I own two of them, so I'm biased

I've not run into any problems specific to the Impreza line. For what they do, they are highly reliable.

I hope that you're getting a fantastic price on that car, considering the mileage on it. Wow, how does an '05 get 35k miles on it already? Unless the price is to die for, if it were me, I'd look at a new '06 or left-over '05, rather than an '05 with that kind of miles on it. JMHO, of course.

-Dan-

ateixeira

Yep that was me.

'05 Impreza is a good bet. We haven't observed gasket failures after '03 or so, and same with the wheel bearings. Just give it a close mechanical inspection, maybe call 800-SUBARU3 with the VIN to see if any recalls were performed. Plus get a service history from the owner.

-juice

pyrosis

Hi there all,

Just curious what this might be: A few days ago my 98 Legacy Outback started making a terrible noise when turning left, especially when the wheel is turned sharply like to get into a perpendicular parking place. The noise sounds like a loud creaking, but it sort of pulses a bit as the wheels roll. It only makes the noise when the car is moving, and only when going left. Any advice?

Thanks

Tavis

portguy

Sorry Dan,

I got my numbers mixed. The 35K was on an '04 impreza WRX wagon I was also looking at.

The wagon I was asking about in my first post has only 25K on it and they are asking 19K for it. I'm hoping to talk them down a bit. But 19k is pretty close to blue book for this car.

any other advice before I buy?? i've read some chatter about seats and the 2.5L engine any comments?

thanks,
Dave

c_hunter

$19K sounds way too high for a used one. (and 25K miles is still a lot for a year old car).

A brand-new 2006 2.5i 5-spd wagon stickers for $18,900 and the invoice is around $17,600. Normally, you should be able to negotiate the price right around invoice or lower. Check www.fitzmall.com for a reference on prices.

If you can find a leftover 05, expect to go $1000 under invoice or more. No way would I buy a used one when there are such good deals to be found on "new" 05 models.

Craig

c_hunter

Fitzmall is already selling 06 models for $700 under invoice, so the wagon goes for $17,263! In my opinion, this is a better bet than a used one for $19K, even if you could haggle them down.

Body: 2.5i 5MT Color: Obsidian Black Stock #: S800493

Factory Invoice: $17,963
MSRP: $18,920
Delivered Internet Price: $17,263

Figure on another $800 or so if you want automatic transmission.

Craig

rsholland

I absolutely agree. Depending on where he lives, an airplane flight or train ride might well be worth it.

Bob

c_hunter

Or get a local dealer to match, that has worked for me a couple times.

Craig

xwesx

Sounds like the CV joint on that axle. You can continue to drive it on the bad joint, but as it gets worse, the sound will start to become more and more continuous. I replaced both of mine - one at 120K or so and soon after it started acting up, and the other at 144K after about 10K of acting up.... the second one didn't have any bearings left in it when I finally replaced it (probably wasn't the best move)!

Check the boot first to see if it is split open - that's the surest sign you have the right culprit. Appx $200 for a new axle and 1-2 hours if you do it yourself. Another $200 or so if a shop does it.

-Wes-

pyrosis

>>Sounds like the CV joint on that axle. Check the boot first to see if it is split open

The boots at both the left and right front wheels seem to be in good shape. I've had CV joints go out before on an old Hyundai and it made a different sound, more of a clackety-clackety-clackety... The sound on the Subie is a whining-groaning-creaking sort of sound. Can the CV joints be bad even if the boots are in good shape?

Tavis

harri2

Excuse my ignorance... but what does "interlock problem" mean? I don't want to sound stupid when I talk to my mechanic! Thanks very much for your response to my problem.

-Harriet

user777

my first inclination was a bad CV joint as well, but if your CV joint is bad, i would think the pop-pop-pop (or clakety-clakety-clakety) you'd hear would be audible when you were making a sharp or a gradual turn in that direction (maybe not as loud). since that doesn't seem to be the case for you, maybe it has something to do with the steering system? maybe someone could help you better localize the sound.

kevin10

I have a 2006 2.5X Forester with premium package and dealer-installed Subaru hitch. It makes a high-pitched sound some of the time between 30 and 50 mph. It varies from softer to louder but never real loud. It sounds like it comes from the lower rear of the car. It does not make the sound at highway speeds or when accelerating quickly to over 50 mph, only some of the time when driving steadily in the 30-50 mph range, not all of the time. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

lfdal

Tire rack will shave it for sure. I asked just a few weeks ago when I was thinking of replacing just one of my GEO's before I decide that I'd go with an entire set of Avid's

swlegacy

I have 130k miles on this wagon. No problems all these years. Took very good care of it. Lately it seems to be struggling when I try to reverse especially on an incline. Any idea what could be wrong. Transmission ? Hate to fix it for big bucks but is it time to get a new car. I'm going to miss this great car had it since 93. Very sad to part with it but how much can I sell it for or how much to fix?
Thanks for any advice

cinay

Hello
Sorry, the 05 I am refering to is the Outback wagon manual transmission. I look forward to any ideas/ solutions. Thank You

fibber2

Harriet,

The interlock system is there to help reduce vehicle theft and events like 'unintended acceleration'. It ties the ignition key, steering wheel, shifter control and brake pedal together. For instance, you cannot shift out of park without the key in the run position, and the brake pedal depressed.

Under the lower dash shroud just below the steering column is an electronic logic box. It takes the inputs (key position, brake depressed, etc.) and sends a signal to a solenoid that locks the shifter into the park position. There could be a problem with this brain not receiving inputs and directing the solenoid to disengage, or the shifter solenoid itself could be bad. Maybe even the sensor on the brake pedal. Unfortunately, there are a few places for them to look, and it has to be screwing up for them to easily diagnose it, so you may have to leave them the car for a while on a cold day.

Steve

ateixeira

Usually that's a roof rack mounted backwards. I know that's not where you think it's coming from, but take a quick look - it should be like an airplane wing, the pointy side faces backward.

Worth a quick look.

-juice

xwesx

If it is just starting to go out, the harder the turn, the more likely the sound. But, the question "Can the CV joints be bad even if the boots are in good shape?" should be answered with "yes, but far less likely." I agree with user on this one - try to enlist someone's help in better diagnosing the source of the noise. From inside the car, it is difficult to tell exactly where the sound is originating. Worst case, I think, is that you have a differential problem.

crashton6

Every bad CV I've heard has been more of a click, click, click, click type of noise. Make sure before you replace it. they're not cheap. If you have the means you could jack up the car SAFELY go under & feel the axle/cv while you turn the shaft by hand. One other possibility comes to mind....a bad strut top bearing.

Chuck

jbur1

I am going to be replacing the plugs on my 2003 Forester. I am at 35K miles and the existing plugs don't look bad but I think I should replace them anyway. The owners manual lists three different plug types. Two of them are NGK's (BKR5E-11 & BKR6E-11). The other is a Champion (RC10YC4) which were installed at the factory. I will be replacing these with one of the NGK types. The BKR5E-11 is a hotter plug than the other according to the NGK specs. Since I do mostly city driving I plan on using the hotter plug. Has anyone had any experience with either of these plugs and how they performed?

Also, I have seen the bulletin from Subaru stating that the additive should be added to all models when changing the coolant. Since my model is not included in the recall for head gasket problems I wonder if I should add it anyway in case there may be a potential issue in the future.

user777

if the vehicle is in neutral, would one be able to push the car and differentiate if it is the CV joint or the differential?

xwesx

Hmm. Not mine. Mine were more of a crunch, crunch, snap, pop, clank, crunch..... though they may have started with a click click. I probably wouldn't have noticed that unless it was constant and not just on hard turns. I discovered both of my bad CVs when pulling into perpendicular parking spaces (full turn [to lock] to the right/left). One boot was obviously torn open, the other was probably split, but I could never find it. Neither of them showed visible grease loss, but that was probably because both were during the winter when I kept them well scoured with snow and ice....

fibber2

My limited experience with experimenting with heat ranges was that my engines seemed to be more prone to pre-ignition with the hotter plugs. On one car from long ago, I actually went a step colder than recommended to help control knock.

On the coolant conditioner, I have been thinking about adding it as well, even though the vin on my '02 was not on the list. And I don't quite understand that either - my '02 was built during the summer of '01 (I purchased it in September '01 - 4 years old next week), yet I was not covered by the extended warranty. Especially worrysome as I had one side go at only 15k miles in the summer of '03.

Steve

gherman131313

Went ahead and bought one new Falken ZE512 .. and "Fibber" was correct.. its 2/32 more tread than the 3 existing tires with 11,000 miles on them.

I'd get this new tire shaved, but every speed shop and tire place I've called in the South Jersey-Philly area is stumped when I ask if they know where I can find a tire lathe. Most of these guys have never heard of 'shaving' tires to match tread.!?

So if these so-called 'experts' don't know about it, how many Subaru owners who don't lurk on the Edmunds boards would ever know about the 1/4" circumference limit.. it ain't in the owners manual..

Makes me wonder if this strict limit specified by Subaru is to protect them from claims for vehicles under warranty, and that there's actually more leeway in the 'real world'.. Has anyone here ever heard of a Subie tranny damaged by one tire having as little as 2/32 more tread than the others?

And if I limit my trips to my 22 mile back and forth to work, how much overheating would even occur in the transmission and would damage be less likely than driving for six hours non-stop?

lfdal

TireRack shaves them, unfortunately you need to buy the tire from them. At least I think you need to buy the tire from them. Might be worth a call. Of course it means dismounting it, etc......