Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

hutch7

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow since I have the day off. I'm also changing plugs in my F-150(that one looks easy).
I'll let you know if I "learn" anything.

mnf

Get the after market for what Subaru wants you can get a good set of aftermarket ones. I did that on my 04 and it was a big change in sound I have the tweeters not sure if they make a big differance I do hear them .... Good Luck.... Matt

oneduckstwo

after much "research" and debate i ended up just getting a new set (4) of the same yokohama's and kept 2 of the old ones in case i need a replacement in the future. they were just a bit too worn for me to be comfortable that i was within the 1/4 inch listed by subaru. not exactly the affordable route but i guess i'd rather be on the safe side. thanks again for your thoughts.

dstew1

I posted last week about my tank not filling up all the way to "F" at a specific gas station. Yesterday when filling up, I followed several people's advice to pump more slowly, and it worked. The pump didn't shut off until my tank was full.

Doug

dsd860

Hi there,
I'm posting this message because my sister has an Outback and is having problems getting the key to turn in her ignition. She says she can put the key in, but that it won't move. I gave her all the advice I could think of, but I guess it didn't help. She even has two keys to the car and has tried both of them. She says she has had this problem before and that it just seems to fix itself if she returns an hour later. I don't really buy that - there must be some way to fix it (it can't be frozen right now), so I was wondering if anyone has experience with this problem and if anyone knows any tricks to solve it.

Thanks, Dana

rob_m

Try moving the steering wheel a bit while turning the ignition. I have to do this quite often on my wife's Outback. Good Luck! Rob M.

ateixeira

Cruise cost me a couple hundred to install at the dealer, so it should not cost more than that to fix yours. It might be costly to diagnose, so you might consider just replacing parts rather than spending a lot of time diagnosing it.

Bearings - only an issue up to the '02 models, in '03 they switched to the Legacy's design and problems basically vanished. The gasket issue was addressed about the same time, mid-year 2002 models it seems.

Cross bars - stick with the OE ones. They're more quiet, and Yakima sells clamps thru Subaru dealers so all their stuff bolts right on.

Ignition lock - I suspect the same thing, make sure it's in Park and move the wheel left and right, it should wiggle in to place.

-juice

growler5

"She says she has had this problem before and that it just seems to fix itself if she returns an hour later."

I'd bet that when your sister enters the car, she is yanking on the steering wheel to pull herself in. I've done this on occasion and sometimes when I do so, the key won't turn. And when she exited the car, she yanked it the other way.

As others have said, turn the steering wheel an inch or two one way or the other and the key will work. She will find that the steering wheel will be able to move in only one direction.

rangner

I've been thinking of buying a full size spare tire for my outback wagon since it only came with the donut.

Since the subie AWD system requires all tires to be within what a 1/4 to 1/2" of each other in circumference, I assume you would rotate the spare tire in with all the other tires to maintain a more even sense of wear for when you had to actually use the spare due to a blowout in the sidewall or something like that.

But riddle me this: whichever tire is designated the spare between tire rotations once it is rotation time the spare wouldn't have the same circumference as the other tires would it? Maybe it wouldn't be enough to reach 1/4 to 1/2" for a 6000-7500 mile interval.

Any experience with this?

Thanks

Eric

p0926

You got another problem... I think you're suppose to only rotate front to back (not the common X pattern) so you'd only be rotating 3 tires.

Assuming you used the X pattern rotation, you'd probably want to rotate every 5k to keep all 5 tires at a comparable wear rate.

-Frank

c_hunter

Here's a better riddle - what year is your Outback? On the previous generation, a full size spare wouldn't even fit in the well. It would on a Legacy though. Not sure about 05+ models.

Craig

stever

I carry a full size spare in my '97 Outback wagon. It's snug but it fits. The cargo tray thing doesn't fit with the full size spare in the well though.

Steve, Host

jfl

I think it fits in the Legacy only because the Legacy starts with a smaller stock tire.

I believe the stock tires are 205 on the Legacy and 225 on the OB?

Jim

hondafriek

Plus were not the 97 models 15inch tires, as opposed to 16inch on the 2000 and up.You can get a 205x55x16 in the spare wheeel wwell of the GT but it is damn tight.

Cheers Pat.

stever

I guess I missed something in this thread. My '97 OB wagon tires are 205/70 R 15's, which could explain the difference.

Steve, Host

lcrawford

starkjim,
my 99 auto trans does the same thing. I have taken it to the dealer 3 times and private 2 times and other than tearing the transmission apart they cannot identify the problem. Please let me know if you figure it out. This has been going on for over two years and I'm afraid the trans is just going to give up one day. We changed the fluid and front filter in the trans. They said the linkage looked fine. Let me know if you come up with anything. I love the car but want to get rid of it due to this problem.

originalbitman

Hi Gang. Its been quite a while since I have visited the board. Guess thats the good news since my 01 GT wagon has been problem free for some time.

But with all the rain we have had here in No Cal I have a leak problem with the tailgate. Seems like water is getting in somewhere around the center fake tailight bar (contains the BU lights) below the rear window. The water collects inside the tailgate and then drips though the interior trim panel. I checked the drain holes on the gate and they were clear.

Is there a sealant around that red plastic piece? Could it be compromised? I did let the Legacy roll out of my driveway 1.5 years ago and tag my neighbor's PU. The tailgate was open and slammed down against the truck but no visible damage to it.

It isn't leaking through the tailgate seal as far as I can tell. Even when I dribble water on the edge of the light bar or key hole it gets right in there.

BTW - only damage to the Legacy was the bumper at $1k. New Chevy PU had $7k damage. heh.

Thanks,

bit

leo2633

Hey, bit. Long time. I do remember that whuppin' your Sube put on that Chevy...!

My wife's 2003 Outback had a similar leak. It would drip down from the rear tailgate trim when you opened the tailgate. It was under warranty at the time, and the dealer replaced the left taillight lens assembly. It hasn't leaked since (knocking on wood).

Hope this helps.

Len

originalbitman

Thanks Len -

I'm curious as to how the tailight change made a difference since it is outside the seal of the tailgate... in the fender and not the tailgate. That said, it was my right tailight that was replaced (thought it might have been damaged) and that is the side I get the leak.

bit

c_hunter

Hey bit!

I bet the seal gasket around the light bar is leaking. They normally use a foam gasket, which compresses and can shrink over time (especially in cold weather) and open up gaps. This has happened to me on other cars, and I just removed the light, caulked both sides of the gasket in the leaky area, and re-assembled. You can usually see the leaky spot by looking for signs of dried water/dirt or dribbles. If it's leaking in too many spots, I would see if you can buy a new gasket.

Good luck!
CRaig

ghost2

Anyone having problems with rear lug nuts shearing and falling off while driving? Our car is a 2000, 5-speed Forester S with 56k. New Yokohama Geolanders installed in June of 05' by well known tire franchise. Do not like power wrenches used to reinstall lug nuts but am leaning towards that being the culprit. Checked for recalls on bad batch of lug bolts couldn't find anything. Tire installer says "not my problem". Looks like (if were lucky I can get there) a trip to dealer. Any help? Guesses on cost (two bolts sheared same tire did not hit pothole). Thanks !

c_hunter

I agree that the bolts were probably overtightened. Either you or the dealer can bang out the old studs and install new ones. Sine you have an 00 S, you have rear drums, right?? I am not sure how that affects the repair -- I am only familiar with fixing it on cars with discs (which is easy).

Craig

rangner

I've got a MY00 Outback Wagon. Storing the full size spare wouldn't really be an issue for me. I would lose some cargo space but it would be OK.

Incidentally I was considering going the rear mounted spare route eventually with some custom hardware, but if I couldn't rotate the 5 tires effectively and maintain equal tread depth, what would be the point of getting the full size spare and spending all the $$$ on mounting it?

Maybe the best thing is just bite the bullet when/if I get a blowout and buy 4 new tires... :sick:

I might try and come up with a tread depth to circumference chart to determine my max mileage interval between tire rotations as Frank suggested.

Or maybe at each oil change find the tire with the least amount of tread depth and swap that one with the spare and try to match the other tires higher tread depth up front and lower in back--since my outback has an auto tranny with a 90/10 torque split normally at cruising speeds--front tires seems to wear faster than rear.

Ok thanks for all the input,

Eric

miltolin

I have a 04 Forester XT. I would like to replace the entire radio/6cd player that came with the car with a integrated NavSat XM & Ipod capable unit. Does anyone know any company that has such a unit (preferably with at least single disc CD) that will fit right into the "hole" that the stock 6CD unit fits in?

Greatly appreciate any help.

Milt

bayview6

Eric, I talked wtih the service dept. of my dealer and they said a 5 tire rotation plan is not feasible for a Subaru. They said in case of a front flat to put one of the rear tires up front and the spare on the rear. Doubt if there is that much difference between the temporary full-size spare and a regular tire spare unless one is towing..

Since the main difficulty in different tire circumferences is the gear oil in the differentials degrading to the point of thermal runaway, been thinking about going to a super-duper synthetic gear oil for extra protection in the worst case situation of being 100 miles from the nearest tire place in 100+F temperatures. :P

ghost2

Disks all the way around for brakes. Maybe that makes it easier. I was hoping the tire folks would offer to remove the other three lug nuts cause I'm thinking they will probably shear off also.
Thanks for the reply.

higgledy

I have a new '06 Forester. I have the premimum package with the automatic HVAC. No matter if I have the system in automatic or manual mode, it is always blows hot air (like it's owner) The only way I can get cool air is to rotate the temp. dial to the extreme left, past the click, over the "blue dot." But Then the car quickly becomes super cold and I freeze. My experience is that the auto mode is even more insistant on keeping the interior hot. I hope my decription is understandable. Is there any way to adjust this system?

lfdal

HAL, the auto HVAC from hell has been known to be quirky beyond belief. There are days I have exactly your symptoms, and days where it almost gets it right. It never spends much time in full automatic mode however.

Larry

annski8

My husband has a subaru legasy 1993 it is so hard to start sometimes killing the battery. We have changed spark plugs,air filter, fuel filter,injectors seem fine. Can anyone help us?

rangner

Yeah that probably would be a good idea to get better gear oil for the diffys. I've been running dino coastal 80w-90 for close to 30k w/ no problems. I was thinking of going synthetic but worried about seal leaks after being dino for so long 75k. Maybe it wouldn't hurt it.

I could also use the fuse to change into FWD mode w/the temp spare on the back.

Eric

kev_xt_owner

Um, how about changing the battery?

Your description needs more details for people to provide assistance. It could be that your battery lacks sufficient voltage and needs replacing to any number of problems.

Kevin

jmakinst

I am considering buying a 2001 Forester L and wonder why it has received a poor rating in Consumer Reports for the Drive system during that year and several years prior? Is this something about which I should be concerned?
Jim

jfl

I switched both the tranny (manual) and rear diffy to synthetic at 60k with no problems. Repeated the process at 120k.

Jim

dinosaur

A number of model years of the Forester experienced wheel bearing problems. It can be a farily expensive repair, and there have been numerous cases of multiple necessary repairs. This problem and the head gasket problem would steer me away from Foresters of this vintage.

h4mm3r

I loved my last car, a WRX, but I am not liking our manual 2006 Forester Turbo. It stutters when driving downhill at a constant speed. For example, 3rd gear, about 3000 rpm, about 60km/hr. If I accelerate or coast, the stutter stops, but trying to hold a constant speed (ie, the speed limit) causes the vehicle to lurch. The steeper the downhill, the more pronounced the stutter. It does not stutter on flats or uphills.
My Subaru service dept has admitted to 'hearing' similar stories from other owners, but won't go so far as to say it's a real problem. They keep suggesting that it just needs to burn in. I'm at 7000 km on the odometer and it's not getting any better...
Any ideas?

jmakinst

Thanks for your reply. The head gasket was replaced on this vehicle at about 50K after they found coolant leaking pretty much just as it says in the recall. Are there likely any other problems to come from the head gasket situation?
Jim

jeqq

I too have this problem. I just got the car, '06 Forester LL Bean, and drove it only 3 times so far. The 2nd time I could not get the HVAC to blow cool air unless I pushed in the AC switch. The outside temp was 20 degrees so it made no sense that I needed AC to lower the heat. My other issue: the steering wheel is off center - should be an easy fix. Please let me know how your HVAC issue ends up, I will bring my car in soon to the dealer and will let you know the outcome.

Car is great in snow. It is almost as good and in some ways better than my Audi A6, which costs twice as much.

3 others issues with the subie:

1.Doors are not self locking - nice safety feature to have
2.Car does not have an electronic stability program
3.Is it true if you don't shut off the heated seats when leaving the car they stay on. The manual says yes, but I think when the light went off when I first checked it out. I have not had the time to check it out thoroughly and make sure.

BTW
The manual says something to the effect : in order to downshift the automatic transmission press the accelerator to the floor. Something must have gone amiss in the japanese to english translation:)

locke2c

You need to have the car aligned. Most cars come from the factory with pretty sketchy alignment; I've heard it is often caused by being secured down in shipping, but whether it's that or just that no one checks the alignment that closely when it's on the assembly line, I'd have it done.

Since it's a brand-new car perhaps you can get it done for free under the adjustment warranty.

~Colin

dstew1

jeqq,
My 06 manual only mentions downshifting when more acceleration is required (passing, uphill, etc), at which point it suggests you press the pedal fully to the floor. I don't think it's a translation error.

As for the HVAC, I know a lot of people report on its quirkiness, but I've never really been that sensitive to temperature so it hasn't gotten on my nerves yet. I have noticed though that when it's cold outside it seems to want to pump hot air inside unless you've got the dial all the way to the blue "cold" dot past the 65 degree setting. According to the manual, the "auto" fan and vent settings take into account not only interior temp but also outside temp and sunlight intensity. My guess is when it's very cold outside, the car thinks that a lot of heat will be necessary to reach even a relatively cool 65 degrees, even though it might already be burning up in the cabin. :confuse: Definitely a flawed system.

Doug

originalbitman

Thanks Craig ... for the tip on the light bar gasket. That must be it. Seems not too hard to get off so I will give it a shot this weekend.

bit

dinosaur

Personally, I would shy away from a car that had this problem, although it sounds like it was an external leak, which would be less serious as long as no overheting occurred. Coolant leaking internally can cause engine damage very quickly. Also, I believe there are two head gaskets (front and rear), although I could be wrong. I'd check to see if both were replaced. I would also check into whether Subaru extended the head gasket warranty on the car, they did that with some model years.

Don't overlook the wheel bearing issue, it can be pretty expensive. Many Foresters that had the wheel bearings replaced suffered the same problem again; the solution seems to be using the bearings designed for the Legacy. I'd see if they have any history on this.

jeqq

Thanks to both for replies.

I don't think it's an alignment problem the car tracks pretty straight but I will have them check it anyway.

The heat needs to be addressed. They will have to put another unit in and I'll wait for a non defective one if necessary.

The pedal to the metal does sound strange:)

kdshapiro

The outside temp was 20 degrees so it made no sense that I needed AC to lower the heat.

There is some quirkiness with the HVAC. According to what I've read on the net, the sensor that drives the system has low air flow and therefore it takes a while to equalize the temperature. One way to deal with it, is to turn the fan dial off automatic and lower the heat. I know that defeats the purpose of an automatic climate control, but in the long run it's a real nit. The HVAC in hot weather works wonderfully.

1.Doors are not self locking - nice safety feature to have
2.Car does not have an electronic stability program
3.Is it true if you don't shut off the heated seats when leaving the car they stay on. The manual says yes, but I think when the light went off when I first checked it out. I have not had the time to check it out thoroughly and make sure

Agreed one hundred percent. However, I took for for some fun in an empty parking lot after the last snow and it takes some doing to throw it into a skid. One should not be driving like that on the roads with traffic. But YMMV.

As far as the heated seats, they don't shut off automatically and the high setting can get quite warm, but the heated seats work with the ignition in the accessory on position. When you're filling your car up with gas, with the engine off the seats can still be nice and toasty.

One last comment on the transmission, the PRNDL can't really be used for power shifting. I think that was done on purpose. Pressing the gas part or full-way down, winds the Forester up like it's shooting out of a rocket.

outbacklmt

Patti, I have had my share of minor problems with my 04 Outback Limited. All in all we still love to drive it. We do have a problem that we cannot seem to correct. The car smells like antifreeze daily. Sometimes it gets real bad, so bad that we cannot ride in it. The dealer we purchased the car from acknowledged the smell and did a head gasket job with no positive results. They told me that they were replacing another car's head with the same engine as mine but "Subaru" is not allowing them to do these under warranty. Now they don't even smell the antifreeze. We are breathing in these vapors and they probably are not good for us. Is there anything you can do to help us?
John and Sue

jeqq

My HVAC blows heat even when set to the coldest setting and AUTO is off. It took a long time for it to finally cool down, so your right about the low air flow.

I'm glad the seats only heat with the ignition set to on or if engine is running; I was sure we would forget and run down the battery.

ESP is very useful to have. Along with ABS it helps keep the car going straight ahead when maneuvering too quickly or slamming on the brakes at high speeds.

Auto locking doors and ESP would make the Forester a "home run".

fibber2

John,

Patti has not been with us for about 18 months, so probably nobody at SoA is listening to your post. Try calling 1-800-subaru3 and tell your story to corporate directly.

Are you really sure that the smell is originating from under the hood? If you smell it that distinctly every day within the cabin, I would suspect that the problem might be within the heater core box tucked up behind the glove box under the dash. You might not see or smell a medium leak from under the hood, but even a microscopic leak directly within the ventilation system will quickly permeate the cabin.

Steve

locke2c

no offense, but a car can definitely track straight and have a very bad alignment. the steering wheel needs locked or held to be straight up at the 12 o'clock position when the alignment is done or else it won't be right. that's fairly simple; but even if that part is right, you can have a lot of variance in camber and toe but the vehicle might still drive reasonably straight when you let go of the wheel if everything happens to cancel out. It will handle strangely though and wear tires unevenly.

have it checked.
~Colin

ateixeira

Aftermarket Sat/NAV: yes, the opening is a standard double-DIN size, so any single DIN or double-DIN sized unit with the right harness will fit. For the single, you'd need a blank or a storage box to fill the gap left behind, but I have a couple of spares if you need them.

Any how, the Pioneer AVIC-N2 will fit, search on Crutchfield for it. They'll package the harness in the kit they sell you.

The Pioneer AVIC-D1 is double-DIN and they say that fits as well.

There's also the Eclipse AVN5435, 5495, and 7000.

Prices range from $1500 to $2400. Portables cost less, $250 and up basically.

You can get the hood that goes over the stock gauge pack, and custom mount a portable unit in there. The Garmin c series will fit. Get a remote antennae and it can be completely hidden away, too. That requires a bit of handy work, but I've seen it done, one guy in the CR-V thread did it on his Honda. I've also seen it done on one Forester.

01 - wheel bearings are a risk, consider a higher mileage 03, which should cost about the same but does not have the same bearing design (or associated problems).

Stutter - I think that's the throttle-by-wire cutting the fuel completely to save gas, causing that stumble.

-juice

teno

I have a 2003 Forester, top of the line with all the bells and whistles. It has performed beautifully since the day we bought it, 2 1/2 yrs ago.
Just the other day the cd changer quit on me. Just refused to go on. Can't eject or listen to them. All else works fine, including the tape player and radio.
Anyone out there have this problem or did? Most likely will have to have it repaired. If they send it back to Subaru, they can't send my cd's for up to 6 weeks, if they don't get damaged in removing them. They will put in a new cd at the dealership. It is still under warranty.

drgon

Hello,
My Outback wagon (2002) got an accident two month ago and fixed (body work, replace radiator). After repair, I found coolant level in the coolant tank was decreased and smelled coolant burning. I brought it back to bodyshop and he said leaking from the upper hose between radiator and engine. So, he fixed it and test drove it and then said no problem. But, it wasn't. Happen again. Brought back again. Blame hose again and install new hose. I was nervous so check coolant level everyday after that. And I found it decreases again!! (but much lesser than last time). Brought car back again. Now, he changed the story. The leaking is from engin e head gasket. He called my insurance company and, after inspection, the insurance told me it seems not related with the accident. So, they don't want pay. They also said that they contacted several Subaru dealerships to ask whether this could be happen without accident and some of dealers told them it could be happen between 60,000 and 80,000 M (my car has 60K). Is it true?
Now, they say it would be possible that head gasket blown-up could be caused by driving a car after accident (I drove back to my house (0.2 miles) and towed to bodyshop). But there was no sign of overheating when I drove my car back to home (no change of temperature gauge, no leaking of coolant on the scene of accident). Also, I drove my car around 500 miles after the first repair. So, my question is if head gasket was the problem in the accident, the car has no problem for driving of 500 miles after that? I heard that, if head gasket is leaking, oil and coolant can be mixed and get into inside of cylinder and make some symtoms and engine failure. But I have had no problem to drive my car. Coolant can be leaked to outside of engine?