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Comments
A bit late, but a comment or two.
Is it still knocking? If so, I wonder if they changed out your plugs with a set having a different heat range. Some engines that are on the edge can have a problem with this. The extension of the electrode on 'hotter' plugs can sometimes act as a pre-ignition source. I once had to go a step colder to get a motor to quiet down.
Did you list the year of your car? You said 30k service, so I would guess an '04 or so? I could be wrong, but I didn't think any current Subi motor still and an EGR? Thought they passed emissions without it. Love when a shop lists something as checked when it doesn't exist....
Trans flush at 30k? Drain and fill is probably fine unless you tow or otherwise suspect a problem.
$100 for diff service is OK if they did both the front and the back. Both use 80w-90 gear lube. Front refills thru the little dipstick, rear thru the upper bold on the cover. For the DIY'er, the rear can be difficult as breaking the plugs loose can be a bear. Even with my 250 ft-lb impact (yes, a cheap unit) it worked real hard!
Steve
I've installed a Perrin lightened pulley but again, no squeal sound at all during revs, turning or warm engine starts. Please, don't make me call the Car Guys with another Scooby question :confuse: thx Jon
If the belt adjustment is just outside acceptable -- you'll hear a squeal,until it shrinks back to the right tension.
A bad pulley bearing would squeal quite often, if not continuously. They don't get better with added friction.
Gaucho
I am discovering a lot of wonders. :mad:
Instead of waiting on delivery of the replacement Catalytic converter,I took off on my scheduled vacation trip --CA to western FL.
Gremlins have a mean streak. About an hour after I took off,the Cruise Control disabled,and the CEL came on steady. That condition remained until about thirty minutes before I checked into a motel for the night.
Next day, same thing. Day after that, same thing. Now that I have been in the same locale for about a week? No problem.
I have a manual shift; I tend to keep the rpm between 2.5k and 4k. While cruise control is more accurate than my foot, I do try to keep the same rpm range (when the damned CC is working, that is).
Temps all along Interstate 10 were about the same range; the only difference is the higher humidity as one approaches the Gulf Coast.
I'm in a relatively civilized area on the Gulf Coast; CC isn't needed that much, so --it's now available. :confuse:
I'll learn more when I head back to CA in about five days,I guess.
Gaucho
-mike
A drive cycle is a cold start, full warm-up, and a certain set of speeds and distance (like 5-10 miles or so). A brief, one-time incident would turn on the light and set the code and snapsnot in memory, but the light will go back off at the start of the 4th drive cycle if it never happens again.
Did you note any performance change when the light went on? Sag or buck in power? Did you make a sudden change in throttle position?
Just guessing, but I would think that a rear O2 sensor (that monitors the cat) would trip more often than once in a great while, and the light would be on constantly. More likely the mixture, as measured by the front sensor, is occasionally out of spec. Why? Could be actual fuel or spark, or a measurement error (the O2 sensor itself). This is where it gets dicy, and the computer might have it right, or send your shop on a witch hunt.
Please, keep us posted on what they find. I learn also based on what you come up with!
Steve
As for the rubber, it does lose elasticity when cold and therefore is more prone to squealing, but again, a different sort of squeal.
-mike
Yeah, it's time to take notes.The trouble is doing it at 70(+)mph.
Once I get up to traffic speed (or, whatever I think I can get away with), I tend to set the Cruise and let her run. I prefer to stay away from all the "other" nuts on the road, so I adjust the speed to do so, and well in advance of having to jump out of CC.
So, adjustments are usually minor. My first warning of "failure" is usually a drop in speed as the CC gives up control. There is no discernible loss in power, no apparent change in mixture, throttle response, etc.
Just the damned lights. :mad:
I tend to stop around every ninety minutes, so there are plenty of 'cycles' during the day's drive.
I have now been in the Ft.Walton Beach, FL area for about ten days, now, with no lights. Weird. :confuse:
Hmm.. Speeds locally are stop-and-go traffic, with short cruises up to 55 mph. As usual, I use the gearbox to keep the rpm between 2,500 and 4,000.
Gaucho
Minor point, but unless block temperture drops back down close to ambient when you take a break, it will still be considered one drive cycle. The criteria is that emissions controls have to revert back to 'open loop' status. That is where the engine, cat and oxygen sensors are too cold to do their job properly, so mixture is determined using 'lookup tables'. Once your temp gauge gets to about 3/4 of normal operating temperature (coolent temp of around 150' or so), the system changes from open loop to feedback. At that point, the front O2 sensor's output is used by the ECU to modulate fuel pulses to maintain optimum mixture. In short, the system has to start cold and go thru that important transition to even be considered a cycle.
The good news for you is that the recorded error code and the 'snapshot' are all probably still stored data (for 40 cycles). Depending on your ECU programming, the snapshot probably recorded vehicle speed, RPM, throttle position, coolant temp, incoming air temp, calculated engine load, and a whole bunch more. Some autoparts stores like AutoZone will read it out for you. Most just have a handheld, so you will just get the Pxxx fail code, others might be able to print out the snapshot data as well. If you are going to your deal soon they will want to see it as well, so don't have them clear it.
Steve
If the Sap is thick (like a glob) spray on WD-40 and let it sink in for about a minute. If Sap is light marks, you should be able to spray on and wipe off rather easily.
It works great for me. Also, I always wash the car immediately after using.
Hope this helps,
Let me know,
cusafr
You can only buy it online -- do a Google search and then search for "Klasse" in the Subaru forums for advice on application/use. Good luck!
I had a Toyota Camry blow a head gasket, suck in coolant and throw a rod right through the oil pan!!!
Talk about an expensive piece of junk scrap metal!
I got $3000 salvage value for that car and it never made it to 100,000 miles.
That's when I went to Subaru!!
My '98 Forester has been great, 156,000 mi.
My '97 Legacy LSI just developed the slowly leaking head gasket problem at 165,000 mi.
Yep, it's a 2004 Impreza Outback Sport. No idea about that EGR either. Back when the pinging was like rattling marbles in a can that was worst of all on the drive home. Maybe from excessive heat buildup while running in Park? But it did ping a whole lot for a week thereafter, too, gradually improving-- up to the usual *pinginess* the car was becoming known to have. My hopes were that the service would virtually eliminate any ping and especially the rare backfire sound (exhaust POP!), which it obviously did not.
I was tempted to ask for colder spark plugs when I took it in because the pings and that occasional POP! (a muffled plink! or metallic tap sound like a little hammer under the car on sheet metal-- once each time) from what I guess is some excess fuel burn in the exhaust at the head end.
Since I still have a couple thousand miles before the 36K warranty expires I'll try to get it back to them ahead of that to see if anything else can be checked or done.
Their tranny flush seemed to be typical for them, it was on the paper they give out to describe what services they do. I didn't question it since I was seeing a lot of metal in the oil back when I was trying to figure out the level on the stick.
I was able to check and top up the differentials okay some months before the service. Apparently they drain those and refill, too. Maybe it's this area (north Alabama) that makes it common, everything from steep hills to high humidity, hot and cold. Should add here that I don't think it could be much different here than most places.
About the pinging or knocking... yeah, it was still doing it way more than I'd ever like so now I'd trying 89 octane gas. It did get better than that first week out of the dealership garage but never improved from what it had been doing before taking it in.
Only on my 4th tankful of mid-grade gas and it seems noticeably better. Recently been using up a tank every two weeks so it's slow going to find out if it really helps or not. Although the temperatures have remained mild I know summertime would probably make a difference for the worse.
If there were a knock sensor problem, it would cause a CEL to appear, right? Haven't had any trouble lights shine in the dash yet.
That makes me wonder about the cheap gas I buy, of course. I always get it at the places where it costs the least. I'll post back again when I've been through a half dozen gas fills of mid-grade stuff. And I might try some big brand name gas.
When I start my car in the morning, I have been running it for a bit to warm it up. It has been around 20 degrees the last few days in NH. When I get back out to the car, the inside smells of GAS... at first I thought it was oil, but it really smells more like your fingers do when you leave the gas station... I am going to call my dealership tomorrow...any ideas? I hope it is not another $2000 repair job...
As you recently had head gaskets done, I figure you have the same issue. A lot of plumbing was disturbed, and some of it might not have been properly tightened. Or, the hoses themselves took a beating pulling them off, and the ends need to be snipped back a half inch where slack allows, or replaced.
Go back to the shop that did the heads and talk to them about this.
Steve
Try this - go to 1stsubaruparts.com, and look for that part. If you see an image of the part, it might give you an idea where the clamps are, so you can get them off without breaking them.
Good luck.
-juice
I few hard yanks and the fuel filter tubes on the top will bend or pull right out. It looks easy, but $45 is CHEAP.
John
They actually said that under very cold weather conditions (it has been brutally cold up here in NH lately) it could be "normal" to smell things like that.
Make any sense?
Could be one of the fuel -related components (fuel line, injector, whatever) that is leaking gas when cold and not when warmed up. You should leave the car overnight at the dealer for diags.
-juice
It is possible that they spilled some fuel when disconnecting or reconnecting the lines during the gasket repair, in which case it might be residual, but that still does not explain why they could not smell it. Did only the "gearheads" take a sniff? Their noses are all burned out anyway.... Hehahhahaha. J/K, but I would certainly continue to fish it out. It is never a good idea to have gasoline fumes around.
It blows me away that they would try the "it is normal" routine. Perhaps have them power-wash the engine bay as a follow up to the gasket repair?
http://members.cox.net/craig.hunter/gusset/
If that's where the noise is coming from, replacing the gusset might be the best option. You can also tweak the angle of the gusset, or the glass as juice noted.
First try to pinpoint the noise source.
But seriously, if it is a cold start problem, maybe they need to be there when the car is first started in the morning.
-juice
Craig
-juice
Well, I decided that I would go the route of getting my car washed at the best car wash around me and get an undercarraige cleaning done too. Believe it or not, this actually helped. Today, I had to drive for a business meeting, warmed up my car (it was actually 0.5 degrees here today..brrrrrr) and NO SMELL. It has been two days and no smell. I think it worked! Now I am kind of embarassed
On a side note, I finally got my windshield replaced on my car two weeks ago. Two days ago, I was driving down the highway..BANG, a huge rock hit my windshield. Yes, my brand new windshield has a nice new salt stone chip and is now causing a spider affect on the passenger side. Just my luck! Oh well, it is those New England roads in the winter!
It is the curse!!! My cynicism feels well-fed today. :P
And, sorry to hear about the windshield - quite frustrating, I am sure. That is how I felt about the windshield on my '69 Chevy (original to this day) when it took its first rock. Granted, it was 30 years old at the time, but I think "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" pretty much sums it up.
The Subaru advice that dealers may recommend specific service for particular locales would stack up if the local traffic placed huge strains on your transmission, but that does not appear likely in your area. A check of the colour of the transmission fluid against new cars on their lot is unlikely to show any change. I suspect you are being told little porkies to enhance Service department income.
Cheers
Graham
-mike
As someone who spent many years in the auto service industry I have to report that paying any attention to the amount of force or "torque" applied when re installing wheels is a once in a lifetime experience for most mechanics. The objective is to move them in and out as fast as possible. Occasionally torque limiters are used on the air guns to minimize over torquing, but those are problematic and can sometimes be overridden. Over torquing can be a serious contributor to rotor warping.
The combo offer makes sense if the items in the combo are recommended in the car's service guide and it is time for them. The many dealers I am familiar would sell you Johnson rods and muffler bearings as part of a combo oil change. I recently reviewed the service bills for a friend's two year old Toyota and noted that about 50% of what she had paid for was "imaginary service", or service and products that are not recommended by Toyota. The cost was in excess of $800.00.
It is always best to avoid the dealer completely except for the first service and complex safety issues. Instead find a reputable independent who specializes in your vehicle who will very likely be less expensive and be more attentive to you and the real needs of the vehicle.
Same applies here, you can specify exactly what you want done, and pay ala carte for services, but don't expect it to be any cheaper, in fact expect to get less for more money.
-mike
Are there any less expensive alternatives?
Jerry
You might want to replace the entire arm at some point, if it no longer maintains pressure against the glass, but that won't happen until a few more years and miles. At 18K, new inserts should do the trick.
I have had lousy experience with aftermarket wiper parts, to the point where it ends up costing me more money to get it working right. This is one case where the Subaru parts are probably the best way to go.
Franchise dealerships make money on the sale. They also make money on warranty work. Who pays for warranty work? The manufacturer. Who checks the franchises on whether the work was actually needed? The one who pays -- the manufacturer. If a franchise's work history is out of line with other franchises, bet on some inspectors showing up, eventually.
If found to be gouging, the organization can lose it's franchise.
Similarly, if you as an individual don't feel you are getting a good deal, then, don't go to that repair shop. As you suggest, it's time to find another place.
Gaucho
What really ticks me off, is when dealers take advantage of the elderly. I had my car in for service the other day, and the rep quoted a price to change a battery on a Forester at $140 to an elderly woman standing next to me. $140 for a piece-of-crap sub-standard Subaru battery!!!
-mike