Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

xwesx

Interesting situation.... and remarkable timing if the two events were not related, but it IS possible that the head gasket leak is unrelated. If it is leaking toward the outside of the engine, that is better than leaking in! If the car did not overheat, then the accident was likely not the cause. But, if the coolant level fell dramatically then or when the upper radiator hose was leaking, then there could have been hot spots due to air pockets without the temp guage registering an overheat situation and THAT could have popped the gasket seal.

Anyway, I think that there is a TSB out there for at least part of the 2002 model year. Some of the other folks here can give you more info on that and perhaps you can get the car's gasket repaired under warranty.

Good luck!

xwesx

Also, I am wondering if the gasket was not leaking prior to the crash and you just did not notice it at the time because you were not paying as close of attention before the damage as after (or the leak was not as bad at that point!).

ron539

I have a 1994 Legacy wagon. the sunroof does not open when I push on the switch. Cannot locate the fuse . Anyone know where it is located.

Thanks in advance.

demonscooby

I just had my head gaskets replaced. My car is a 98 so there really isn't anything in place by subaru for me, but if you car has the 2.5 SOHC, try e-mailing subaru directly through their site and ask them about the WWP-99 Service Campaign. It covers 2.5L SOHC engines from 99-02 with external head gasket leaks. The tried to help me, but my leak is enternal and the car has 75k. The campaign covers cars up to 8 years or 100k miles, so it's worth a try. good luck

fibber2

2002 is a 'difficult' year. Subaru claims that the problem was largely solved by then, so WP99 only covers part of that year with the extended (100k) warranty. The rest of the cars only have the standard powertrain warranty of 60k miles. Hopefully you are either at and not substantially over 60k, or your car falls into the WP99 segment with the extended coverage.

I contend that their data is flawed, give cars like mine that blew a HG at a lowly 15k miles!

Steve

locke2c

I contend that I'm not sure the problem is really fixed in >2002, it might just be that those cars haven't yet accumulated enough miles to start blowing headgaskets in large numbers yet!

~Colin

drgon

Thanks for your advice.
I purchased the car a week before the accident and paid close attention when bought it and during that week (I drove 400 miles in one week) since my car has half-warranty from the dealership (3K/3 mo), I tried to checkup everyday to repair it when it happend before warranty expire. And,after the first repair from the bodyshop, I smelled coolant burning when stopped at red right but no smell during running. However, no smell at all before accident. So, I am pretty sure there is no leaking before the accident.

ateixeira

I think we would have observed a pattern of failures by now...but I may have just jinxed our 2002 Legacy.

-juice

xwesx

Purchased only a week before?! Bum deal! I thought that only happened with NEW cars.... Well, then it may or may not be somewhat related to the accident. Tough call on this one, but I would definitely pursue the 1-800-SUBARU3 route as those darn head gaskets are certainly a weak point on the 2.5L ('96 to '02, anyway).

dq1

I took our Forester in to the dealer yesterday for an oil change and apparently, the tech overfilled the engine with about half a quart of oil. How will this affect a boxer engine? I've heard that half a quart is ok for a "normal" engine, but with the layout of this engine being different, I'm not sure that half a quart isn't above the crankshaft. Also, after having put about 100 miles on the car in the past day, it does seem a bit nosier (more clacking than normal for a subie with 20,000 miles).

dq1

Maybe this little bit of additional information will help with my question above. After another look, the oil distance on the dip between the F and the top of oil is greater than the distance between the low mark and F. Does this mean I could potentially have more than a quart extra oil in the car. I'm pretty concerned at this point. If the engine was way overfilled and the crankshaft has whipped up the oil, what kind of engine damage could I expect? Any thoughts on what I should get the dealer to do when I have them drain some out? I'd like some level of certainty that the engine hasn't been damaged.

Thx!

caosesvida

I can't find the fuse for the heated seat, the map for the fuses shows them under the main fuse box. but I can't find it under there, any body know where it is? thaks.

kev_xt_owner

The location of the fuseholder for the seat heater may vary with model type, but for my 04 Forester it's located behind the coin tray. It's not amongst the "main" set of fuses there, though. It's to the right and recessed a bit, so you'll need a flashlight to see it. It's also not on the graphic of the coin tray, however.

Check out your owner's manual's "specifications" section for the fuse locations.

once_for_all

it shouldn't be a problem, there was a post a couple years back where someone was explaining that the crank was a good 1" or more away from the high oil level mark. You might do a search on this board for overfill and it should pop up. BTW I have put 5 qts in before and never had a problem.

John

ebony5

I have been checking oil levels on a variety of vehicles for over 40 years and reading the level on my "96 OBW is the most difficult I have encountered. I check this car more often and add oil in small increments as a precaution to over filling. I have not figured out why this is so.

leo2633

I agree with you 100% regarding checking the oil. We have two Subarus with the 2.5 liter engine and they are both difficult to get a good reading on, UNLESS you do the following: with the engine cold and parked on level ground, pull the dipstick, wipe it off and set it aside. Wait a few minutes, then reinsert the dipstick fully, pull it again it again and take your reading. That will give you an accurate reading. If you want to take another reading, you have to start all over again. A definite PITA.

Len

c_hunter

Make sure you're checking oil levels on a cold engine. If it's warm, it will read high.

Craig

jimtarheel

Since I bought my Forester X new in 2004, I've always gotten the oil changed at quick lube places and at 16,000 miles, the car has never been back to the dealership. Two questions: is it really necessary or smart to get the transmission fluid changed as recommended at 15,000 miles? And would you take the car to the dealership for the 30,000 maintenance or to a good independent mechanic? I haven't had any problems at all with my Forester.

once_for_all

is yours an AT? My MT gear oil wasn't required to be changed until 30k.

If you are a DIY the 30k is not difficult, takes about 6 hours, and will save you about $300 in labor.

But you need to know how to properly flush the brake lines, coolant, change diffy oils, etc. The spark plugs require proper tools (extensions and an angle drive works the best).

John

c_hunter

I am pretty sure even the AT fluid is not to be changed at 15K under the normal service schedule. Either way, it sounds like you can wait for 30K to re-evaluate.

lowranchero

hey all,
i bought an 04 forester xs manual trans. the car is cert pre-owned from dealer in 1000 oaks. car had 15,600 miles at time of purchase.
i just drove the car until fuel light came on and when i figured mileage it was under 18mpg 282 mi/15.9 gal capacity. these are city miles. i am not driving aggressively and trying to shift under 3k rpm. help, this is bumming me out. i was getting similar mileage in my 91 toyota 4x4 without the monthly payment.

jimtarheel

I have traditionally stayed away from dealers' service departments but wanted to hear what other Subaru owners say. I have a basic Forester X with Automatic Transmission and the air filtration option. As I suggested, I've had the oil changed religiously and the tires rotated at every other oil change. My car has never been back to the dealership. Should I start now? Or should I use an independent repair shop that has been in business for many years, working on all kinds of cars including Subarus? I look forward to your input. (And tell me if there is a better place to post this kind of question, please.) Thank you.

locke2c

I would recommend that the major services be completed by a reputable and knowledgeable provider. If someone were to do it themselves, I'd just want to be sure that they accurately and faithfully followed the entire schedule of items.

An independent shop is likely to be cheaper and you might have established a long, trusting relationship with them. However one concern is that they might not use the correct types of fluids when specific ones are called for; transmissions and differentials for example tend not to be too forgiving of the wrong oil weight. A dealer will have the right stuff onhand and more importantly they will know what to use.

I do all the routine upkeep on my '03 Evo but I am getting ready to take it to the dealer for the 30k maintenance.

~Colin

jimtarheel

Thanks, Colin,

My wife also has a Forester that will soon be due for a 30k maintenance. I've heard the dealer is awfully expensive for that. I'm curious why you're taking it to the dealer rather than using an independent shop. Surely, there's a good independent shop that has the right fluids on hand (or would get them for the job.) I do none of the work myself, by the way. I'm just trying to get my money's worth.

samiam_68

How do you figure 282/15.9?

You need to divide 282 by the number of gallons it takes to fill the tank, not the tank capacity.

The low fuel light comes on when you have approximately 2.3 gallons left in the tank, which would result in a 13.6 gallon fillup, thus yielding 20.7 MPG - very good for driving around the city.

ronald711

I have a 2002 Subaru Forester L, it has 78,000 miles and about 3 months ago, I had noticed the temperature guage creeping a little higher then its normal range, but never got near the H, so I checked the coolant overflow, it was fine, when the vehicle cooled down I opened the radiator cap, I added several turkey basters of 50/50 mix into the radiator. everything seemend fine I checked it up to two weeks afterwards. then about one week ago, it was reported to me that I left some coolant under my vehicle and that my vehicle had a smell from the outside of coolant. person at work said I may have a pinhole, and not to worry about it, I topped the fluid back off in the radiator and immediately took it to a local shop, they said it was leaking from teh head gasket and they do not do the work, I then took it to another shop, they did a pressure check on the system and verified the same information, but they declined to do the work, due to 14 hours labor. they recommended I take it to a dealership. I called Subaru dealer in town, and they advised that it may be a item that will be covered under a recall, I never got any information on my subaru about my vehicle being part of this, so I took it in, they spent an hour with the vehicle and reported that back I am leaking on two sides of the head, and that it was not part of the recall, and it would have been covered before 60K was hit. They quoted me 10 hours and $1100 with tax to have the work done. They also encourage to have the timing belt and some minor other items done at that time that would be part of the 90K, and that would be cheaper while they have the engine out and that would be an additional $250 if I wanted that done as well. My vehicle has been wonderful up until this point expect for the rotors needing resurfacing and replacing so often. I did get a dealer quote of $7500 if I were to trade it in, obviously they are not aware of the problem. I owe $5800. trying to find out what I should do, obviosuly people are having head gaskets replaced left and right, has anyone had problems after having this repair, should I feel comfortable having this done or may I end up with other problems shortly after. I bought this car with intentions of keeping it for 125K minimum, and it has proven up until recently that it wanted to, but this is in my book something major... your opinions and experience appreciated. Ron

ateixeira

I would call 800-SUBARU3 to see if they can help you in some way, maybe share in the cost.

Gaskets were covered for a certain range of VINs. Some 2002s were, some were not, so it's possible yours was not covered. Even then, you had to bring it in for a coolant conditioner that the dealer added, plus a sticker on the radiator telling the service staff the conditioner was present.

But call and see how they can help. It's worth a shot.

-juice

xwesx

Was there some sort of requirement that owners be notified to add the conditioner? I would think that if a since-new owner was not notified of any requirement and the gaskets failed prematurely, it should still be covered if within the 100K range. Anyhow, like juice suggested, contact Subaru directly and explain the gasket failure.

As far as dumping the car vs. keeping it.... tough call. It would be easy if you owed nothing - Keep it! But, since you do but owe less than trade value... Eh, still cheaper than a new one as it is fewer payments in the end. If the job is performed correctly, you should be able to get many more miles of worry-free (further major repairs) driving out of the car.

ateixeira

I'm not sure if it was officially a "recall", maybe more of a technical service bulletin. Plus not all VINs were covered. Gray area, so call them up.

-juice

kev_xt_owner

Perhaps this is an example of why it's good to have the dealer do maintenance every so often just to check that the vehicle has received all its recalls and technical service bulletin (TSB) requirements. I've read that people recommend seeing the dealer for a check-over just prior to expiration of the warranty.

Assuming you had work done at a dealer, if a TSB or recall weren't applied and if something were to go wrong later, it makes a good case against Subaru for any follow-on problems like the leaking head gasket.

Then again, you might be just as successful asking the dealer to verify your car is not in need of any recalls or TSB but the dealer won't likely be as motivated to provide you this information.

ronald711

I will give them a call in the morning. I will let you know what I find out. :-) Ron :confuse:

bellafrau

Regional factory rep offered me 25% discount. I feel if it's a problem they know about they should do it under the "recall" but I understand it is technically 3,000 miles out of warranty....but come'on...what about customer satisfaction?

So, I paid and was going to fight with SOA later and now found in the first 200 miles after the repair now it's using oil. Took it back to the same dealer and they said a gasket they put in was cracked. Dangnabit. Shouldn't they have figured that out from a pressure test? So, did they just shorten the life of my engine or what?

Also, do I have a case NOW with their screw up to comp me for an additional amount for the headgaskets?

THANKS!

tattoodude

My experience with dealers is not good. I've taken Subaru's to two of the four dealerships in the Portland Oregon metro area and have been screwed by both. I currently patronize a small independent shop that works only on European and Japanese cars. They have been in business for years and have earned my loyalty. Look around and see who has a neat and clean shop that does a good amount of business. Chances are they are treating there customers ok. Good luck.

pdp

My 1998 Outback loses its power steering intermittantly. The first time the steering fluid was flushed, and this fixed the problem for about 6 months. When it started to happen again, the repair shop suggested replacing the pump - this had no affect whatsoever. The problem is most noticeable coming out of turns - I have to pull the wheels back to straight, and steering is just not smooth. The repair shop is thinking about replacing the entire steering rack, but that will be expensive - any suggestions?

ateixeira

It might be expensive, but not as much as the damage you might suffer if it fails completely. I'd go with the shop.

-juice

locke2c

If it is really a steering problem, I am not aware of anything else it could be besides the rack since you have already replaced the power steering pump. The rack generally is good for the life of the vehicle unless you get in an accident; that's generally about all that could stop it from going 100k-200k miles or so.

However, have you definitely ruled out a ball joint, half-shaft or CV joint problem? I'd look at them in that order, but even a ball joint usually has symptoms a bit different than what you're describing.

~Colin

fibber2

Kevin,

Unfortunately, I believe this situation is going to bite a number of people. Remember that mine leaked externally at 15k, yet my '02 VIN is excluded from the TSB. At my 30k coolant flush I insisted that they add the conditioner anyhow. They were very reluctant to do as I asked and certify it, claiming it wasn't necessary (and probably wouldn't help). When I paid the bill, it was not recorded on my service order, nor did I get the sticker. I forced the writer to hand notate it and sign it, and that is my only evidence that I tried to prevent further problems!

Steve

kev_xt_owner

Steve,

Seems like there's going to be a wide range of experiences with dealers the same way there's a wide range of experiences with independent shops.

When I go to my dealer, the dealer automatically looks up recalls and TSBs and annotates specifically on the receipt that no recalls or TSBs are necessary.

Now that would not help in your situation because the TSB didn't apply to your VIN, but it would help for vehicles that do fall into those lists. I'm at a loss for any practical resolution suggestions to a case like yours, but the cases do seem common enough that Subaru should recognize their VIN range was not substantial enough.

Kevin

fibber2

Kevin,

Agreed! But lets remember that this is the same dealer that also put my brake pads back in random order after doing a inspection. They truly just don't get it.

Steve

ronald711

Well I spoke with a nice lady and she immediately called back, and asked me to provide some service background showing my 30K and 60K services to the coolant. I provided them to her this evening when I got to work via fax, I hope to hear back in the morning, I had my 30K done at 34,600 miles and the 60K at 70,100. So I hope they don't use that against me. I woudl be happy if they met me half way on the bill, but I feel this problem is identical to the ones that are covered..
Ron

kens

Frank,

While the manual states a front-back pattern, there's really no reason from an AWD perspective why you couldn't cross rotate as long as your tread pattern allows it. I believe the front-back method is listed there since it would work for all tire types including directional tires. Also IIRC, some very early radials did not take well to having their direction changed mid-life.

kwersal

My 2006 Forester (manual) has the same problem. Actually, it will even buck a little on the flats if you ease off the throttle almost completely (this is also in 3rd gear around 2500 to 3000 rpm). It has another problem that bothers me much more. When started cold, if I don't let it sit for several minutes and warm up, it will rev up to nearly 3000 rpm AND, when I put it into reverse, it will drive itself out of the garage very rapidly (without in help from me!). This morning, with snow on the ground, it could easily have backed right into a tree, had I not been expecting such behavior!

harpster21

i've got three things i need help with in regards to my newly acquired 1998 subaru legacy outback.

i want get a cd player. i currently have the factory tape/am-fm-weatherband radio made by panasonic installed. there is a 13 prong connector on the back of it. will that unit support a cd changer. if so, how can i figure out what CD changers it will support? will it support the clarion 6-cd changer that was made for subaru's from 1998-2001? if i want to stay with the factory look do i need to buy the CD/tape/am-fm-weatherband radio which was an option for that year?

2. my dash lights on the right side (cruise control, hazard, climate controls) aren't illuminating. the lights on the left side seem to be ok. i checked both fuse boxes. there are no broken fuses. any idea's?

3. what is the towing capacity for this car? what would be the best way to find a hitch to attach to this car?

ateixeira

That model came with an add-on single CD player, OE from Subaru. You may find a cheap one on E-bay, but it's just a single CD. They are single-DIN sized so you would lose the little compartment below your current radio now.

My advice would be to just get a 6CD changer from a WRX, I bought 2 of them, about $150 each back then. Probably less now.

That replaces the whole head unit, and it's double-DIN sized and will fit right in to your existing harness.

Dash lights? Might be the bulbs themselves. They've been in use for 8 years. Does seem strange that all the ones on a certain side failed, though.

The owner's manual should have towing specs, but I think it's 1000 lbs for an unbraked trailer, 1500 or 2000 lbs if you have trailer brakes. Since trailers that size usually do not have trailer brakes, it's officially 1000 lbs.

-juice

samiam_68

Dash lights - that generation Legacy / Outback had a defect in the dash lighting - bad contacts. You can actually try banging on the dash a few times to see if the lights flicker on. I had the same problem in my 96 Legacy.

frankeljon

This is the second forum I am posting this message on. I just bought a 2006 OBS last week. Three days after driving it off the lot, a rock hit the windshield while I was driving down the highway. I called several glass places to get estimates for replacement, and one of them told me that in the past 2 weeks he has had 10 '06 Subaru's come in with cracked windshields.

I called the dealer and of course they did not have any info about possible issues.

Has anyone heard anything about windshield issues with new 2006's?

c_hunter

We haven't heard anything out of the ordinary here. I'd be surprised it's a general problem with 06 models, since some Subarus are made in the USA and others, like your OBS, are still made in Japan.

Now, if you got hit by a rock on the highway, I'd say that's a pretty cut and dry situation. Nothing about being a "2006 model" would have caused or prevented that!

Craig

xwesx

I will concur with that. Better to just remember where they are than to futze with fixing them. On my '96, very few dash lights still work outside of the instrument cluster.

fredw1

I have a 2005 Forester, when I check the oil the left side of the dipstick (when the oil can symbol is on top)reads consistently about 1/2 of a quart lower than the right side. I have a friend with a 2002 Forester, who has the same situation. Does anyone else experience this problem. My car appears to be burning about a quart for a little over 1,000 miles, if the left side of the dipstick is read. This seems excessive to me. But dealer says it is OK, but can't tell me which side of the dipstick should be read. I would be interested to hear if anyone has experienced this or has any ideas about what is going on, and should I be concerned. Thanks, FredW

jsirnic

I own a 1990 Subaru Justy (1.2 L / auto)that just had a new motor put in. The car runs great and is in excellent condition. However, when it reaches speeds above 40MPH then decelerates back down to 40MPH it makes a noise (kinda like putting a stick in a plastic fan blade) as soon as the speedometer drops back down to 40MPH the noise goes away. This noise doesnt seem to be affecting the performance of the motor or tranny. Can anyone give me any advice? The cluth temp light is flashing also on the dash.