Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

jamiek1

i noticed after i reset my clock in my 03 Forrester there was no illumination...could i have blown a fuse..if so how do i check this...is it easy to get to..thanks for your help..jamieK

bat1161

I would have to agree with everyone else here to switch dealers for service. There is a differnece amongst them. Like Dennis, I also go out to Flemington for service even though it is a 45 minute drive from Staten Island.

The loaners they have are mostly 05 Subaru's, base models but clean with low mileage.

File complaints with SOA and the BBB, then go to another dealer.

Mark

falcon63

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 98 IMPREZA SEDAN WITH ABOUT 110000 MILES THAT HAD BEEN WRECKED, AND OF COURSE I STARTED IT BEFORE I BOUGHT IT AND EVERYTHING SOUNDED FINE, SO NOW THAT I HAVE DONE ALL OF THE BODY WORK AND PAINT I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT AS SOON AS IT GETS UP TO RUNNING TEMP IT DEVELOPS A LOUD TICK THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE FLYWHEEL ACCESS HOLE BUT IT ONLY SEEMS TO DO THIS WHEN NOT UNDER A LOAD, I CAN PUT IT IN GEAR AND "POWER BRAKE" IT AND IT "SHUTS UP" SO I DONT THINK IT IS ENGINE RELATED HAS ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM? I HAVE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF SUBARU MECHANICS AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THOSE CARS Weren't PRONE TO HAVE FLYWHEEL PROBLEMS, AND THE ENGINES ARE ABOUT BULLET PROOF,,,,,,THANKS FOR YOUR HELP..........STEVE,,,,

lilbluewgn02

No shouting..(i.e. caps are frowned upon.)

ateixeira

Actually, some people that had clutch chatter had to have their flywheel resufarced. Maybe ask your mechanic again, with that information in hand. I wonder if that's what needs to be replaced, if it's worn too thin or no longer "true".

-juice

andrelaplume

It almost sounds as bad as with Chryslers! I hope they are overstated. My question is, what does a head gasket job run...should you need one OUT of warranty. Part of the problem with having a Subaru/Toyota/Honda etc is that God forbid you need such a repair, it generally costs a fortune. Yea, it may cost just as much for a domestic's repair but the domestic costs thousands less up front.

So a should I be concerned? Every car has it issues but head gaskets sound like something to be concerned about....

locke2c

it is located on the lower section of the exhaust manifold, I cannot recall if it is before or after the Y-pipe. underneath absolutely. it is easy to spot the device nearly the size of a sparkplug with a wire harness plugged in to it.

I don't know about a special wrench but I know that they are far easier to remove if the exhaust is still warm. be careful not to burn yourself, of course!

~Colin

locke2c

interesting advice, but part of the appeal of a Subaru from a used perspective should absolutely be that they have greater depreciation than a Honda. a lot less than a Hyundai, but still enough that someone shopping for an '01 RS must surely scoff at the notion of anything '05 or '06.

I would!

~Colin

falcon63

hey, thanks for your reply but i guess i should have been a little more clear this is and automatic transmission, any other ideas? thanks,,,,steve.....

falcon63

hey sorry bout the caps is this better? sure glad u strightend me out,,,,,, steve

ateixeira

What is it, about $300 per side? Depends on the labor rates in your area.

-juice

andrelaplume

what about valve seals? Do they have trouble with them often? What does that cost? The HG does not seam too bad.

ateixeira

Not a common problem, I believe. I don't think the valve area is pressurized.

-juice

locke2c

more like $600-800 per side at the dealer.

valve seals are good for well over 100k miles with minimal leaking. juice, the backside of the valve is in oil. it's probably not the full crankcase oil pressure, but it's definitely pressurized.

~Colin

andrelaplume

just curious as we have a non-Subaru car that gives off a puff of greyish smoke, only seen when it gets real cold outside and its first started. The car is not leaking/dripping that we can see, we have a concrete driveway so I think I'd notice. Anyway, the dealer essentially said we could spend $1200 to have the valve seals replaced..I think they said valve seals...not sure, definitely said seals though...I know they did a pressure test and reported back some numbers to me; I have no idea what the numbers mean. After asking around we chose to do nothing...just ignore the puff Dec - March. Anyway the vehicle is low milage so we were disapointed, it is 10 years old though. I would hope the Subaru would not get such a problem or if it did be less expensive to repair.

ateixeira

I'm not that clueless.

I've helped a buddy manually adjust the valve clearance on an early Acura DOHC engine. That was laborious. Phew.

Any how, reinstalling the valve covers is nothing like the process you described for replace the heads.

-juice

njjuliano

I had a tire puncture on 10k mile (rear left) that basically makes it difficult to align (makes steering wheel shimmy) when rotated to the front. As a result, I decided to just keep it in the rear. I'm at 32k, and am wondering if I should just replace that one tire, or would I need to replace both rears to bring them to the front on my 36k maintenance? Are there other factors to consider?

I was trying to wait till I need to replace all 4 to give me a reason to replace the OEMs, but (unfortunately) they have served me fine. This is for a 2002 Outback VDC Wagon. Thanks.

xwesx

My opinion:

Just let them alone until it is time to replace all. Rotating them helps them to age more evenly, but for this set just replace them all when the fronts are need of replacement (I am assuming the fronts will wear faster as they most commonly do).

had5ofem

Hello all,

I've done some homework searching existing posts but I haven't been able to find any info on the problem I'm having with my 2000 Legacy Outback Wagon, which I believe has the Phase II 4EAT transmission. Hopefully it doesn't become an X-file... I can't determine off-hand if it is a transmission or fuel delivery issue, so here goes:

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
When fully stopped, I put my foot on the accellerator and the car slightly hesitates (not the engine- the car moves forward when the RPMs rise) about 0.5 seconds and then catches and lurches forward. Significantly, this happens regardless of how much pressure I put on the accellerator. This is not of concern to me when it is just me in the car, but we have an infant and being a new parent I'm concerned about the jostling around.

MY CURRENT THEORIES ARE:
1) I'm screwed and this is normal for this vehicle.
2) There is a problem with the transmission or the torque converter.
3) The vehicle may have a "learning" or "thinking transmission" and it may in fact have a learning disability.
4) There may be a fuel delivery (i.e fuel injectors, filter) issue.

MY QUESTION IS:
Is anyone leaning toward any of these theories, and if so, why and what can I do to remedy my vehicle?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

lfdal

You may still be in deep doggie doo, but its not normal.

Not sure if I read this correctly, but if the engine RPM's rise and then the transmission kicks in, it could be the transmission needing to build up enough line pressure to get moving. The fluid pressure is in proportion to the engine rpms.

A couple more questions - do you know if the transmission's been regularly serviced (fluid changed)? Second, if you pull the dipstick, is the fluid nice and red and/or does it smell burned?

If any of those is an issue, I'd go for a good transmission flush.

HTH

Larry

ateixeira

I was thinking along the same lines - start with an ATF flush. Not just a drain and fill, a true flush.

-juice

triott

I have a 2000 Outback wagon and the front stabilizer bar broke. I bought a new one and have it nearly in place. But when I rotate it to where it seems to be the right place the bolt holes in the bar are too far away from the bolt holes in the plastic things that connect to the wheel. Instructions, pictures or drawings who help me.

Gary

had5ofem

Larry and Juice- thanks for your responses.

The RPMs and vehicle speed increase together. There is no difference in timing there that I can discern. The offset is between the time I press on the accelerator and when the RPMs/speed increases. From your description of building up the fluid pressure as a result of increasing the RPMs, which makes sense in my feeble mind, I'm not sure that this is the problem. I'll see if I can recognize that on my drive home tonight though.

The transmission was flushed in June to try and address the same problem but it did not change anything. Since then I have not changed the fluid but have made sure it is at the appropriate level and is still red and does not smell. I'm not sure that this is a fluid issue.

c_hunter

How many miles on the car? Have all maintenance items been taken care of, ie, fuel filter, air filter, plugs, etc....?

This is a very important troubleshooting question -- does the engine stumble when you rev it from idle with trans in park or neutral?

Craig

jfl

to echo craig's question, does it happen if you start off with the tranny in "1"?

jim

hypov

Gary-
Is the car jacked up when you're installing the FSB?
Best done with wheels on ground.
Other thing that comes to mind. You were issued the wrong FSB.

-Dave

had5ofem

The car has 82,000 miles on it. Fuel filter and plugs have not been changed, but I will try this- good ideas. The engine does hesitate a bit in park and neutral, similarly to when I have it in drive or the 1,2, or 3 settings.

hypov

If he's being experiencing the lurch on his '00 OB since new, it could be the 1 -> 2 shift hiccup of the 4EAT - My '98, '99, and '03 does it; did not detect any on the '05.
The prominence of the lurch is quite dependent on the way the car is accelerated and the gradience.
A lazy nonchalant acceleration = very noticeable
A quick gradual acceleration = less noticeable

Is this a two driver car?
It's more often felt when it is - the 4EAT learns.

-Dave

asa

Did you ever cure this problem? Our '04 non-turbo Forester has sucked coolant since the beginning; dealer can't find anything wrong. Never owned a car like this.

c_hunter

Well then you're overdue for both filter and plugs. Also check the plug wires carefully and make sure the coil pack on top of the engine is not cracked or damaged.

ALso, if it happens in neitral or park, I think we can eliminate the transmission as a cause.

Finally, perhaps your knock sensor is bad. This can cause a hesitation coming off idle. If the knock sensor sends a wrong signal to the ECU, it will retard timing which can lead to an initial stumble.

CRaig

astro2005

my check engine light has been coming on and off - mechanic says it is the knock sensor and a dealership can reset it. Anyone have an idea of what it costs and how long it takes? it is a subaru 2001 legacy sedan with 38K miles

ps: do they have to replace the actual part or can the code just be reset to fix the problem? Dealership says it is $180 to replace part and would take 1 1/2 hours, but I was under the impression from the mechanic that it was simpler than this to fix. any advice to help me not get ripped off would be appreciated.

4mygrey

Hi all,

I bought my 05 FXT about a year ago after spending some time on this board. Haven't had any problems, so I haven't really been back! But lately I've noticed a wierd smell...sort of like a burning chemical? Some days worse than others....occasionally I think I can smell it in my car. I have smelled it with the windows open, but mostly at home when I pull it in the garage. Once I put my face down by the hood to smell...it was quite toxic smelling, and also hurt my eyes. Local mechanic says it smells like an antifreeze leak and I should run it up to the dealer. But dealer is an hour away and I have to sit there for hours to wait for service... I want to be informed before I arrive. Any thoughts?? How urgent is this? Or is it nothing??? TIA!!!

mnf

I had this done back in July on my 2004 Forester not sure is this would have anything to do with yours. I had not noticed any issues but they saw a very small leak at time of service. Good Luck

Warranty Thermostat Housing Gasket

aviatorvisa

I had the same problem with my 2001 Ltd OBW at 60K miles (CEL came on under hard load and the engine would hesitate). I reset the CEL by yanking the battery cable on a couple of occassions. That wasn't a permanent fix. I took it in, the code was for a bad knock sensor and bad cat converter, it cost about $290 for parts and labor (fortunatley the converted was still under warranty). The car drives much better with the fix.

Al

karlnic

Thanks for the reply. Luckily, when I found the car, I paid less than it was worth, and 1 year and 18k later, it still sells for a few thousand more than I paid for it.
Problem solved, however, it was the windshield.
It had been replaced just days b4 the noise started. There were 2 air leaks. Since this co. had put 2 windshields in w/i 2 weeks b/c of their error, I kindly asked for the $ back and took it elsewhere.
karlnic

ateixeira

Strange...people usually complain about that type of smell early on, but it actually fades. That's when any undercoating overspray burns off the exhaust.

Are all the fluid levels OK?

-juice

once_for_all

is it an MT?

The only burning chemical smell I have had was when I was plowing through loose sand for 1000'.

My suspicion was the center diff (viscuous hydraulic coupling). I have not smelled it since.

Have you checked your tire pressures lately? Any unusual wear on one or more? Is the treadwear similar?

John

lfdal

A long while back on these boards was a discussion about a burning smell people were getting in their 4EAT cars during the winter, especially after driving in snowy and slippery conditions. There were some theories floated that it could be the center diff getting hot.

I haven't really noticed the smell on my 04XT, but was wondering if that could have contributed to the sorry state of my transmission fluid? :confuse: I just had it changed at 27K because it was brown and smelled burnt.

The car doesn't get abused, but the last two winters in New England have been pretty rotten, and the car's seen more than its fair share of awful road conditions.

I've put 1000 miles on it since the change and the fluid is still fresh.

Any ideas?

TIA

Larry

scarletc

1) I have some unresolved problems with Subaru over a repair bill I got stuck with that should have been covered under warranty but the dealer here and the original dealer basically kept pointing the finger at the other dealer claiming it was the other dealer's fault and I got stuck in the middle and frustrated. However I will post about that at a later time on the appropriate board.

2) Tires : My car is around 47K miles and still has original tires (Bridgestone Potenza RE92 P205/55R16 89V
One of them blew out a big part on the sidewall.

a)disengaging the AWD - I read on the Subaru website that one must disengage the all wheel drive when using the temporary donut tire by putting a different fuse in the fuse box under the hood or something like that but there were not detailed instructions. Does anyone know how to do this in detail?

b) I went to SEARS and they told me that I had to get a V rated tire or higher for my model car. Is this true?
I am rather a slow poke and don't drive the car fast or race it.
Other tire dealers and the Subaru parts person locally seem to think that an H rated tire is fine for my driving needs.

C) I am more concerned with handling than speed. I live in a high rain and high snow, sleet and ice area (North East). I cannot afford to get separate winter tires.
Thus I want tires that have the best handling in all these weather conditions, especially the snow and ice but I don't want to compromise on the cars ability to maneuver.

Any advice on the this?

Consumer Reports gives top rating to Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread , Michelin X Radial, Hankook Mileage Plus II h725 and Yokohama Avid TRZ, Michelin Hydro Edge, and more.

THe Michelins seem great but most of them are over $100 per tire and I'd like to aim for $90/tire out the door (including balancing, stems, installation).

One dealer recommended Bridgestone FUsion HR.

First I need to find out if I have to get V rated or higher and why before I bother shopping around the H rated.

The Subaru Website says "it is essential for every tire to have a size construction as well as a speed symbol and load index matching those on the tire placard.
I already listed what it said on the tire placard.

Please help!

ateixeira

I would not downgrade the tire ratings. The manufacturer takes things like load, heat buildup, recommend pressures, all that stuff into account when they choose a tire.

You may not go over 130mph, but a V-rated tire will resist heat better than an H-rated one even at 75mph.

In fact, when I got to ride along on a few hot laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a Legacy GT, we hit about 125mph, and the tires were completely spent. Yes, V-rated ones!

-juice

c_hunter

Larry -- the winter/AWD smell on the 4EAT comes from the clutch pack in the center diff (which varies the amount of power going front/rear).

Craig

incharleston

A little FYI...My grandmother has a 95 wagon with 73,000 miles and the dealership wants another $4,800 to replace the transmission for the second time. First time it was replaced was 2 1/2 years (15,000 miles) ago. They won't cover any portion of the repair. Casr is only worth about $5,000. She is so upset about the idea of parting with the car, but I think it is time....

solowalker

I have the same problem with my Forester...my CEL lite comes on at times when the engine is warmed up. The CEL lite does not blink........I used the cheap fix...$.00 dollars....a 1" square piece of electricians tape...

The car runs like a champ...Always has. Never had a problem in 87,000 miles of hard driving....I change the oil myself....
I think if I took it to a mechanic, I may start to have problems...

$180 sounds like a RIP OFF......

Just my 2 cents....

xwesx

The knock sensor is a very easy fix to do yourself, so if you are in the least bit mechanically inclined, just purchase the part (NOT from a dealer) for probably $100 and change, and do the install (it COULD take up to an hour and a half... maybe). Even if the Cat Converter code pops up with it, I would not change it out until after the knock sensor was replaced. Sometimes the cat sensor will trip if the engine is not running well and is dumping excessive emissions into the exhaust system. If the code begins to return after everything else is up to par, then look to replace it. If you have to fork over the $ yourself, it is a fair chunk of change (~$400 for JUST the part) and is often accompanied by O2 sensor replacement (~$100 each for 2 of them).

Electrical tape over the CEL = bad idea. If it trips on you often, get an OBD II reader for $100+ dollars and read out the codes/reset the CEL on your own. Mine comes on quite frequently for various reasons and I used to have it read out once per year for $85. Sometimes there were real problems, sometimes not. But, I just took a chance that there were not for the 2-6-12 months it was on since the last read out. I purchased a reader just this past March and have already used it 6 times. At $140, it paid for itself by the end of April. None of the codes have been "fix now" problems, but it is nice to know when something new crops up (after all, the light only comes on for the FIRST problem). Invest a few more dollars, and you can get a diagnostic system that will patch to a laptop, etc., and give you full operating conditions, etc. They are very handy tools even in their most basic form.

ateixeira

Bummer. I'm sure they could install a rebuilt one for half that much but it would still be a risk - it might only last a year or two.

I say donate it. Take the tax deduction.

-juice

daniell

Hi All,

I have a 2002 Forester S, bought it Aug. 2001, automatic, 42k miles. Wife's car, well maintained, never pushed. A couple of months ago when my wife left, I noticed blue smoke coming from the exhaust. When she returned there was no smoke so I thought maybe this was a one time event. Then 2 weeks ago the same thing happened. Since then I have kept an eye on the car. The blue smoke is quite noticeable and consistent after the car has been driven enough to fully warm up, and then sits for at least 20-24 hrs. When you start the car, there is no smoke at idle speeds, but as soon as you give it gas, blue smoke comes from the exhaust. In a few minutes, after the car warms up, the smoke dissapears. Dealer "could not replicate". I had asked my wife to drive the car and I videotaped it. Showed the tape to the mechanic at the dealership, they want to try it again tomorrow. Oil is dark, and at the low mark (it was at the full line when it was changed couple at months ago at 39k miles). What is the most likely cause for this smoke? How much would it cost to fix? I still have the drivetrain warranty - would that cover it?

Daniel

parker7

We have a 1997 Impreza that is making a distinct "chunk chunk chunk" noise slightly under and forward of the drivers seat and it becomes more pronounced in 3rd and 4th gear and when going up or down a slight incline. My boyfriend replaced the cv boots and both the forward and rear axles using rebuilt ones from Schucks. The noise continues! It seems to be getting worse even. I am having a hard time searching correctly for this problem so any help or suggestions as to what to search for would be appreciated.

Thanks-JP

ateixeira

Probably the front driver's side one.

Our 626 has *exactly* the same symptom, chunk chunk chunk, speed dependent right?

Wheel bearing, I'm almost certain.

-juice

parker7

Yes, speed dependent! If you are going approx. 35mph or over, it goes away. I'll run that by the boyfriend and see if that makes sense. Thanks!

4mygrey

Thanks for your thoughts. To answer your questions, I do recall a different smell last fall when it was new. Fluids and tires should be good, I took it to local mechanic who reliably checks and tops everything off. It has automatic transmission, only about 11,000 miles.