Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

leo2633

I had a similar situation with my 2001 Forester. The doors kept unlocking themselves. I took it to the dealer and they wound up changing the battery in my remote unlocking key-fob, and the problem was solved. I hope this helps.

Len

frameless

the car is a 2001 nissan, sentra and she has put about 44000 miles on it.

samiam_68

the car is a 2001 nissan, sentra and she has put about 44000 miles on it.

You will probably get better responses on a Nissan forum.

Mr_Shiftright

Nissan Sentra Topic Is Right Here!

Host

ateixeira

Spark or fuel, as they say. You did what I would have tried first already, so next maybe the fuel filter. Beyond that either the fuel pump or the ignition coil, but if they were bad I'd almost expect an error code... :confuse:

-juice

andytnj

I need to replace the turn signal bulb on my '99 Outback, but cannot get the light assembly out. I've removed the screw on top but cannot figure out what else holds the assembly in place. It seems to be hung up at the rear of the assembly. It is the left front assembly, fwiw.
Thanks

xwesx

Hmm. Yeah, whadda ya know? That is what the manual says, but that is a first for me to open the thing! Makes me wonder if I am running it a little low. 208K+, so I better be careful with it..... FWIW, I do use the "cold" mark. Like Larry said, it is tucked in there pretty well, so I am not sure I would want to fiddle with it hot.

I was considering getting it flushed this summer just to get a complete fluid change. Anyone have a ballpark $ this should set me back?

subi4obs

I have the same situation here, dipstick was reading twice the ATF it should have (measuring from end to above HOT Full) when I went to check it for the first time since getting the car in Sept. '04. Approaching its 30000 mile maintenance so I wanted to give the AT and gear oil levels a look before I take it in.
I drained approx. 2 quarts until I had a correct Cold Full reading on that dipstick! Don't know how anyone elses goes in but mine here hits a blockage at first then snaps past it. I was thinking the dealership might have checked it before I took the car home and a mechanic mistakenly thought the dipstick had bottomed out and found it low so topped it up. However, adding two more quarts would probably have made the mechanic notice the dipstick bottoming out early and wouldn't have missed it after that. Besides... it must have been placed all the way down anyhow or I'd have had oil all over the engine compartment.
Overfilling worries me a lot. The seals would leak, I expect, but that doesn't seem to have happened (not that I know of). No ATF light in the dash, ever, even after running the car a while at minus 2 Qt. And it showing a proper level-- or close enough to it. Although I immediately added a fresh quart of ATF just so I can feel better about it being midway between what it was and what I believed to be right until I can get it into the dealership for them to do the 30K checkup.
Anyone think I should just go ahead and drain the ATF and add the correct capacity back in? That's all I can think to do right now so I can be sure of what is in there. Or is that impossible... to know the exact oil replacement after a drain without removing the AT pan and filter and whatever else?
I'm very curious about why the dispstick reading would be so far off from normal, which I'm sure the OP wanted to find out too. "excessive drain back" doesn't seem feasible to me (not that I know how or why that would happen) since I've checked with my Impreza 2.5L engine running after a warmup and cold in the morning, both showing excessive oil in the AT.
I'll take the 3.5 Qt capacity, mentioned in earlier reply here, into consideration as I try to find other statements of drain/replace capacities to confirm that. My car is still 3K miles from going in for the maintenance-- which I'm definitely going to ask them about so my remaining 6K miles of warranty will be okay. Has me worried now, since I wasn't going to add more warranty time (unless the drive train is 60K and I can't remember that).
Thanks for any further input anyone has to offer.

acoronis

Ok, so I drove about 35 miles and the car was acting fine, I pulled into a gas station, put the car in park (still running)- and it died. Tried to start again and it just makes a grinding noise and dies. The car has full battery power but is acting like it's not getting gas. Has plenty of oil as well. I put gas in the tank 2 days before, so I know it has gas.

I thought it was a clogged fuel filter, but I replaced it and it still wont start! Any suggestions?!?!? :mad:

deviousguy

Hello everyone i dont know if anyone has posted this question before but i need some urgent help...i have a 95 subaru legacy all wheel drive automatic with 150,000 miles on it...i am an intern here in michigan for the summer and i live in new mexico...i am having problems with the transmission...everytime i want to shift in reverse it doesnt seem to engage...after a couple of minutes once i try it again it works...but as soon as i turn off the car and then turn it on and try to reverse it doesnt seem to engage...i was wondering what might be the problem...the transmission does this wether the car is warm or cold...could it be that i just need a new transmission...i live 1,300 miles away from home and im wondering if it will make it back...which i dont think so...if any of you can help that would be great...

samiam_68

Might be worthwhile to do a full transmission flush, not just a fluid change. If that doesn't help, I'd be looking at another used car with less mileage.

orrmobl

Ok guys, for one of the few times in my life, I was an early adopter, preordering my WRX and taking the first shipment available. Now for the issues...in summer 2004 the driver's side window and bracket(which always clunked going down) tore lose from the door and had to be replaced/repaired by the dealer..they said they'd never seen this before, but I've seen at least one other reference to this problem out there. They were very nice about it, repairing everything for $50 or so even though I was a thousand miles over warranty. Then in early 2005 I noticed things in my trunk were getting wet and the carpet had a mildew smell - apparently leaking the whole time I had the car. Dealer adjusted the striker as tight as they could but wanted to charge a fee to "diagnose" the problem. No thanks says I and the thing still leaks and smells. Fast forward to last week when the a/c in my car which averages 1,000 miles every three months, with less than 51K on the clock, stops working altogether after a year or more of intermittent inability to cool the cabin on really hot days. Took car to dealer and they say they need to replace the condenser and hoses and who knows what else to the tune of $1050! This is a 5 year old import, I can't believe I'm having these problems! The mechanic says the a/c failure is just bad luck but I see more than one reference to similar problems. Any suggestions on what I should do now as I don't really have another grand to drop into the car after just replacing the tires, brakes and belts to pass PA inspection in May?

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
-Bob Orr

ateixeira

Your problems aren't even the typical ones (wheel bearings, clutch). I'd have to agree that it's been bad luck.

Tires, brakes, and belts are wear and tear, that would apply to any car. $1050 hurts but even that is less than 3 new car payments. Will your car outlast those 3 months? Certainly, and you'd have to fix it to sell it anyway.

Sorry to hear about it, though.

-juice

cptplt

did you ever have the refrigerant checked last year when you had cooling problems? I had a accident in a 98 Legacy and it probably developed a small refrigerant leak and after you lose enough of that the condenser gets damaged and its all down hill from there.

jfl

You might want to get a second opinion/quote from an a/c specialist.

Jim

steviewonder

I'm thinking of buying a 2005 OBW XT with 12,500 miles on it. The car looks great except the front brakes are completely worn. The dealer has agreed to repair the brake damage before the purchase.

Is this level of brake wear normal for a car with 12,500 miles on it? If not, what would cause it to happen? Could this be indicative of a bigger, underlying problem? After the work is done I will drive the car and check for any "rotor rub". Other than that, is there anything I should look at before buying this car?

Thanks to everyone in advance for any advice.
stevie wonder

ateixeira

Normal, no. But I'd ask to see what was fixed, and also ask how long they guarantee the work. Brakes are wear and tear, but if they give you 12 months, then inspect the brakes at 11 months to see if the pattern is repeating. I kind of doubt it.

-juice

locke2c

Probably driven hard or by someone hard on brakes. No lasting concern, IMO. New pads and rotors should solve it.

~Colin

saedave

Is 12,500 miles on the odometer backed up with any service records? Or could it have been rolled back or replaced?

steviewonder

I haven't seen any records myself but the car was driven by a Subaru employee in NJ and then sold to this dealer for resale. My husband reviewed the carfax report and other details and didn't see anything scary.

locke2c

...definitely driven hard in dense traffic. is it a manual or automatic?

~Colin

xwesx

I was thinking the same thing. Possibly not too much of a concern, but could become one as mileage gets up there....

steviewonder

It's a stick shift. I figured it was all city mileage as soon as I heard it was from NJ. Are there long-term consequences, other than drum/rotor maintenance?

snake95

I think this is the post from Scoobymods you were talking about?
In any case, it worked on my 2006 Forester - the chime still goes off when you first get in the car, but it does not continue incessantly afterwards. If you haven't solved this one yet, hope it helps.

BTW I don't think I actually clicked my seatbelt that many times - "several" times was enough. And, yes it did work when the key was turned to "ACC":

1. Turn engine on (may work in ACC, but definitely when on).

2. Within 30 secs of ignition, clip/unclip seatbelt 20 times.

That's it, no on/off cycles to do. This worked first time for my car - 05 OBXT. Setting will last until the microprocessor is reset or battery disconnected.

For a temp disable of chime, do the clip/unclip cycle 3 times only, will reset once ignition is turned off again.

--------------------------

Tips from eli-abby:

A few other tips elsewhere for others having this problem. Watch the seatbelt indicator on the dash to make sure it goes off and on 20 times. Also, I turned off the engine and just put the key in the "On" position without the engine running. So, sit in the driver's seat, turn key to "On"...do the latch-unlatch process 20 times in 30 seconds or less...turn the key to off....remove the key....reinsert the key and start the engin

locke2c

I'd be concerned about the clutch. If the brakes are shot in <15,000 I'd say there is a decent chance the clutch is fairly worn too.

There are NO long-term brake concerns provided that you get new pads and rotors. And there's no drums.

~Colin

growler5

That's not much mileage at all - was this used as a weekend racecar? I'd look at the front tires to see if they show excess wear (or were replaced) as a result of overly aggressive driving habits.

Do make sure that the original manufacturer warranty carries over.

steviewonder

Oops... weren't drums once a brake part? Back in the olden days? OK maybe not.

Thanks for the advice about the clutch and front tire replacement.

ateixeira

Yes, and base Forester X models still use them, for instance. But Legacy models on up all have 4 discs standard.

-juice

steviewonder

WHEW... that was almost even more embarrassing than it really was.

bobsbrother

I parked my 6 month old 2006 Forrester at a Florida airport for 8 days and when I got back - the battery was completely dead. The remote didn't even cause a chirp or a blink. I didn't leave the lights or the dome light or anything else on. There has been nothing abnormal about my driving habits that would have put a strain on the battery. The dealer charged the battery and says that the alternator checks out as "normal." Does anyone have any thoughts (other than keeping a spare battery pack in the car)?

ateixeira

Just 8 days? That seems a bit strange. Was the battery itself load tested? The warranty for those are separate from the car warranty, though.

The OE battery is weak, I replaced mine with somothing that has double the CCAs. Still, 8 days is not normal by any means.

-juice

subi4obs

Maybe not the reason, but maybe you had a door ajar and didn't realize it?

One time I didn't close the hatch hard enough and discovered the dome light was on hours later when it got dark outside. Have been tempted to replace it, and the map lights, with LED's because I already did so for the red tail/stop and front amber parking lights. Not the turn signal lights, though, because I had trouble with my truck when I tried replacing those incandescents with LED's and they wouldn't flash. Some resistor was needed (as some of you might already know of such things) to be spliced into the wires. Don't want to mess with the wires.

Only other suggestion I can offer is a possibility of a short at the starter solenoid... maybe... well, I really wouldn't know enough to say. Just that I had some such problem on my GMC truck and even had the alternater replaced more than a year before that happened.

Yours being a new vehicle makes that battery failure seem peculiar, alright, unless there's human error involved (the door ajar idea). :lemon:

ladywclass

Does it have the 'manual' parking lights switch on the top of the steering column and is there any way it could have heen left on?

damish003

OK, here's a strange one. I've recently taken over driving my wifes 2005 Subaru Impreza RS. Nice car, but it has a weird starting problem. 1/2 - 2/3'rds of the time, it starts just perfectly. However, and it seems this only happens to me and not my wife, sometimes when I turn the key, the dash lights and all come up but the car doesn't start. No click, no nothing, just dash lights. The key turns through it's full rotation. I'll try it 3-4 times with the same response, then it will start up on one of the next tries.

This car also doesn't always chirp when locking the doors. Somestimes it does, but most of the time, nope. Unclear if there's any sort of connection.

Before I go the the dealer on Monday, who'll probably not be able to duplicate the problem, does anyone have any idea where to look? My wife never had this problem and thought I was losing it, until we both got into the car yesterday and it happened. Honestly, I was starting to think I was going nuts myself. What kind of starting problem only happens to one person, anyway? Maybe the car doesn't like me, as it's really my wifes car. Who knows? Anyone??

-Dan-

saedave

Does it have a problem when using her set of keys? Sounds like a security system problem related to your key/alarm control fob.

damish003

I did think of that. It happens with both sets of keys.

-Dan-

hypov

How do you DIY flush the fluid?

I figured the "pump out the resevoir" part, but what about the rest of the fluid?

-Dave

hypov

Removing the headlamps would make it easier to more edges to grab onto to pull it out.

-Dave

hypov

Ha that notorious switch atop the steering column.

-Dave

hypov

What Brenda [ladywclass] said.

Also, do you have anything electrical/electronic that's aftermarket installed?

Some of y'all may remember of a lady in Alaska with battery dying problems. Turns out to be her Alpine HU doing the draining.

-Dave

nutfan

Does anyone know where I can get some instructions on how to remove and reseal an oil pump on a 2.2 engine? I know how to remove the covers, fans, timing belt but I don't know how to remove and reseal the pump.

ozman62

Dan, just a shot in the dark here, but is your car a manual? Maybe occasionally you're not depressing the clutch far enough, or your floor mat is hanging up underneath preventing enough movement to defeat the clutch lockout? I know this happened to my father-in-law when he used my car once. He couldn't get it started, turns out he just wasn't depressing the clutch far enough. Hope this helps.
Owen

larrycrowell

In situations like this I've always found it very useful to insert an ampmeter in series with the battery to find out exactly what current is being drawn with the car "off". Modern cars' parasitic loads can be surprisingly high. I have installed a battery disconnect switch on every car I own and use it if the car will be idle for more than two weeks. Go figure. 100 milliamps parasitic for 30 days = 72 amp*hr = dead battery.

damish003

Problem solved.

The car had a loose negative relay switch. As I understand it, it's a switch that doesn't let the car start if hot-wired. So being loose, sometimes it worked and sometimes not.

Heard something from the service manager that I thought was a joke, but he claims it's not. Supposedly the "flashing cruise" is a purposeful addition to the "check engine" light, as apparently too many folks would continue driving around with a "check engine", as long as it wasn't flashing. The "flashing cruise" light helps make people realize there might be something serious there and bring it in for service. That just beats all, I guess.

Anyway, the car's back to normal. Thanks for the suggestions.

-Dan-

sloanesq

HI. I just bought a 2006 Legacy 2.5I sedan Special Edition and am very happy with it. However, I havea problem with the sound system. Whenever the rear defroster is turned on, I get static on the radio. Does anyone know what might be causing this and how to fix it?

rob_m

There is a bad connection in the antenna which is embedded into the rear window. Bring it back to the dealer. Good Luck! Rob M.

sloanesq

Thanx.

I will do that.

goose2112

I have a 2004 Impreza 2.5RS (manual tran, 64K approx) and lately I have notice that the shifting is becoming very difficult. Its always been kinda notchy but I though that over time things would of gotten better but instead its getting worse.

Its especially noticeable when you shift into first. Even with the clutch pedal fully depressed sometimes you have to give the stick an extra push or even put into second first so you can get some momentum to push it into first. Its truly annoying! Maybe once out of 10 it goes in like I would expect it.

No other symptoms related to this that I have noticed

I did mention it to the dealer while it was in for an oil change awhile ago and they said it was normal. Now I am beginning to wonder.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Goose2112

locke2c

Goose,

when was the last time your gearbox oil was changed?

~Colin

heatherashley

i have a 1995 subaru legacy l. my car is wierd anyways, when i fill it to the max, it doesnt go above 3/4 a tank, i filled it and was driving like 45 behind someone and it dropped to below 1/4 a tank, then i went around them and was doing 60 and it went back up to 3/4, then i was going like 50 throughthe back woods and it dropped back down to 1/4 tank. any ideas what my problem is? i called my dad and he thinks its the fuel level sending unit. im really worried, im only 17 and have no idea about these kinda things! PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS ISSUE!!!!!!!