Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

bzribee

Thanks--you're right. I can look further. And the dealers I've worked with have been very responsive when I've asked them to match a price. Off we go!

ladywclass

my 2001 outback was doing this, and stopped when we replaced the alternator ...

orangelebaron

My CEL came back on again. Only 45K. No mods.
Would this be under warranty...if it's an electrical problem?

aviboy97

I thought it did store the code. My father in law has a code reader, I will get it from him and see what it is, next time the CEL comes on. Thanks

hypov

The error code should still be there even after the CEL goes off [on its own],
and I don't believe [IIRC] that disconnecting the battery would clear the codes either.

-Dave

orangelebaron

I called the dealer and they want $101.50 to diagnose...
I bought a Subaru so I wouldn't have these problems in less than 3 years!
There's no way to diagnose it myself?
Whatever happened to turning the key 3x and reading morse code like on Chryslers_ :surprise: !

paisan

That method was on OBDI vehicles.

On OBDII you get a scanner and you can read all the CELs on the cars, they cost <$100

Have there been any issues with the car that might indicate what the problem is?

-mike

ateixeira

Drive down to DC and I'll scan it for ya.

Very useful tool. I've used it a couple of times on our cars, and for a couple of friends as well.

stantont

Just a quick followup: I got the fog light switch and relay from the local Subaru dealer, and they are truly "plug and play". The dashboard dummy switch popped right out, and the wiring for the lights was already plugged into the back of it. Popped it out, put the switch in. The relay plugged into the fuse box where shown on the diagram on the lid.

The fog lights do a great job of "infill" on the low beams. No increase in range, but they fill in the area from the bumper out to the "hot spot" in the low beam pattern, and they provide excellent curb-to-curb coverage out to the sides. Very handy on twisty roads. I see no reason to ever turn them off - just use them as a part of the low beams.

The std wiring system runs them only on low beams, and not as part of the DRL system. I'm pleased.

Plus, they fill in that really unsightly hole in the front bumper. Maybe better aerodynamics as well? If so, I'd expect maybe 0.5 - 1.0 mpg better on the highway. I'll find out on our next road trip.

leo2633

My wife has the daytime running lights on her 2003 Outback, but she just leaves the lowbeams/foglights on all the time (since they automatically go off with the ignition). It is a great help for her, since she, by her own admission, would never remember to turn the fog lights on or off. Anyway, in 4 years and about 80K miles, I've had to replace both lowbeam and both foglight bulbs one time each. In my opinion, a fair tradeoff to allow her to see, and be seen, at all times.

I agree about the value of the foglights. They don't do much, but they do fill in noticeably directly in front of, and to the sides of the front of the car. Visibility in these areas is markedly better with the foglights than without.

Len

samiam_68

My 04 FXT MT has developed a strange problem lately (~43,000 miles). The engine surges and hesitates very slightly, both when accelerating and keeping a steady speed. The idle is fine. Also, the gas mileage has decreased by about 1-1.5 MPG over 5-6 tanks. I tried different brands of gas, dumped a can of Techron in the tank - no difference. It almost feels to me like the fly-by-wire throttle control is acting up. No check engine light, no other warning lights, everything else seems normal. The problem happens when the engine is cold or fully warmed up.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Suggestions on the cause and a course of action to take? I know I will waste my time going to the dealer because the problem is very subtle and I'm going to get the "everything is working normally" line from them.

Thanks.

saedave

Dirty fuel injector or injectors perhaps? My local dealer promotes fuel injector cleaning with "specials" occasionally. Could he know something?

ateixeira

Can I buy those covers off of you?

My wife lost the passenger side one somehow. We really only need that one side.

I can't find it in the parts catalog, so we're sort of stuck?

Help a fellow Edmunds member out?

paisan

Could need plugs, IIRC they are due at 60k so 43k isn't that that far off.

-mike

sailorvee

ok, so i am new to the forums, and brand new to my subaru. i bought it used a week and a half ago with 134k miles. it is a 3 liter, automatic...here's the deal with the sound: it happens when i am stopped at a light or parking, it has continued after i turned the car off, it is not consistent,sometimes it doesn't happen at all. it happens with the a/c on or off, radio on or off. it is a smooth sound, not rattley, it's almost like a hummm, not too high pitch or low. it's not really audible from outside of the car. strange to me. anyone heard of this?
thanks!

paisan

Sounds like a fuel pump. Probably not a problem, but a cheap/easy fix.

-mike

doofus54

My daughter bought a '96 Impreza. She really wanted the car,but I was a little dubious, being a true believer in all things Nissan, and knowing little about Subarus. But, after spending some time in, around and under the car, I have changed my mind. Maintenance is a snap, the axles can be removed without losing the trans oil, and the suspension is very robust. And there is some really, really cheap plastic in the cabin. I do all work(cheapskate)the car needs, and really appreciate the thought that went into it's design, though it seems with the flat engine, the valve covers were born to leak. My only gripes so far is that it's hard to find parts in junk yards in east Tennessee, and dealers are extremely proud of their parts.
The one problem has been a bad coil, which I was able to replace with a good used part. Coils rarely fail and I was wondering if this is a Subaru problem. The mounting point soaks up a lot of heat from the engine, which could shorten the coils life. Whether or not, I installed a fiberglass insulator so there would be no metal to metal contact. I may never know if it made any difference, but I did it.
All things considered, it's growing on me. But I still like my Nissan.
There, I said it. It's done.

gaucho1

As someone mentioned, it could be a shorted fuel pump, but I'd bet on the thermostat for the A/C fan, since it is running AFTER you shut the ignition off.

That fan comes on when the sensor determines the ooolant is heating up, sucking more air across the cooling coils. If it goes faulty, it only means the fan will run more -- not a major item.

Gaucho

doofus54

Could it be one of the radiator cooling fans? On some cars theyb stay on after the car is off.

jeffmc

Congrats on the new Impreza in your family. If parts are hard to come by, there are quite a few reliable online Subaru parts retailers who will part with their parts (pardon the pun) for much less than a dealership most of the time. I've had good experience with allsubaru.com, but there are many others. Often inventory is greater than what is shown online, so you may have to contact them about a specific part.

Subaru claims that 95% of all their vehicles are still on the road after 10 years, so that leaves very few for the junkyards, especially in an area where Subarus aren't particularly common to begin with. Your daughter's Impreza should last a long time, especially with someone like you around to keep it in good order as it ages. :shades:

Does it have the 2.2L engine? That's the same engine used in the Subaru Legacy when it set a word speed endurance record that stood for around 15 years (bested by a Mercedes-Benz recently). From wikipedia: "It broke the 100,000 km FIA World Land Endurance Record by maintaining an average speed of 138.780 mph (223.345 km/h) for 447 hours, 44 minutes and 9.887 seconds, or 18 1/2 days. Pit stops were made every two hours with a driver change and refueling, while tire changes were made at 96 hour intervals, or every 13,400 miles driven." Driving nearly 140mph continuously for 18 1/2 days is a pretty impressive statement to the engine's durability.

You may want to check out this link (and poke around the rest of the site... there's a TON of Subaru info!) with some info on that generation of Impreza: http://www.cars101.com/impreza_archive93_96.html

Sorry for the info overload!

ateixeira

Congrats to her.

Subaru and Nissan share lots of parts. Note how they both use VDC as their stability control system.

If you took that Impreza apart I bet you'd find "Nissan" stamped on a few parts.

There's a lot of sharing among the Japanese brands.

doofus54

Yes, it is the 2.2L, and a very zippy engine it is. I was very suprised at the low end grunt, and the smoothness at freeway speeds. My '88 sentra, which I bought new, has the venerable(to me anyway) E16, which has been a brick over the years and 340,000 miles, but will hardly bend a wet noodle off the line. Meaning to say the Subaru is much more fun to drive. I hope she keeps it a long time so I have the chance to see how good it really is. Aslo, I have only been a member for a week or so, so hi to every one! This is a great website.

doofus54

That works out to about 62,138 miles.Very impressive. I assume they stopped when the engine fragged itself.
Did they honor the warranty?

ateixeira

Tell him congrats, then. The EJ22 is a very durable, reliable engine if taken care of.

paisan

The 2.2 is very robust. I had one that I raced after it had 150,000 miles on it, we then put 10,000+ track miles on it and it had an AT in it!

My dad just picked up a 95 Impreza L w/AT, AWD and 2.2L engine with 35k miles!

-mike

jeffmc

"Did they honor the warranty?"

As far as I know, it was Subaru itself that was going for the record, so they'd only be reimbursing themselves.

jeffmc

A '95 with 35k?!!! Dang, Mike... 5/k a year?! What, has your dad been staking out church parking lots for little old ladies to find a car like that? (That'd actually be a perfect vehicle for my dad as well, who's looking for a cheap, reliable commuter.) Other than replacing any hoses, etc. that get brittle, that's practically a new car! Can I ask how much he paid?

paisan

Actually I found it when I was helping a friend deep in brooklyn getting some tires mounted for one of his junkers. We went to one of those tire places in the ghetto where they come out with a jack and change your tires. Anyway this guy shows up and of course we check it out cause it's a subie. It was a re-paint and had dings/dents and a dent in the trunk. But he said it had 35k miles and checking under the hood it looks like it did. It's a coupe with the dark interior so it even looks clean. I was going to buy it as a commuter car but then my dad needed a car so I gave it to him. Paid $1400 for it and the AC blows cold!

The guy we got it from his wife allegedly works at a nursing home and bought it from a 90 year old guy who couldn't drive anymore.

-mike

jeffmc

Amazing, Mike. $1400 for an Impreza that's practically mechanically brand new. We put that mileage on our vehicles in about 2 years... not 12! Wish I could find one of those. Sheesh, if you needed the cash you could even post it on nabisco for all the guys desperate for a Subaru coupe to mod & could probably triple what you paid out.

Brooklyn doesn't strike me as typical Subie territory.

paisan

There are quite a few. The biggest thing I was worried about was that the car was hot. But my dad registered it w/o a problem and apparently the title is clean.

I can't wait to borrow it

-mike

jeffmc

You gave me the itch to check autotrader online... hard to find an early-to-mid '90s Subaru with anything under 100k miles (probably about 5, and most are asking around $3k. Did spy a nice, clean, red '91 Legacy turbo sedan w/99k miles. :shades: If I didn't have too much to do anyway, I'd be tempted to get something like that and get into RallyCross.

paisan

Is it a stick or AT? Legacy Turbos are rare cars and quite potent if tuned Heck the internals are good to 400hp

-mike

cptplt

they probably just ran it till they reached the required distance.
The FIA send their own people to the factory to pick the cars off the production line for these events. Only mods are safety- 4 point harness, roll bars inside and puncture proof gas tank, no standard equipment can be taken off like a/c etc.

jeffmc

It's a stick, Mike. (I'd have to refresh and refine my shifting skills before I could get very far, but it'd be fun!) If I recall correctly, they were asking $2k.

cob1

I have a 1999 Subaru Imprezza. The clutch went out so I put in a new clutch, flywheel, and throw-out bearing. While I had it in the shop I also installed new valve stem oil seals. I put it all back together but it won't start. The starter just clicks and the battery cables get very hot. I installed a new starter and battery but it still just clicks. I can't find any shorts anywhere. Anyone have any ideas? I'm about out.

paisan

Can you turn the motor by hand? It seems that the engine may be hydro locked or something is causing it to not be able to turn. If the wires/starter are getting hot it means it's trying to turn the engine but doesn't have enough torque to turn it over, which would mean there is liquid in the cylinders or something else is causing it to not be able to turn. See if you can rotate the main-crank pulley with a wrench.

-mike

cob1

That was my thought as well. Initially I had the right side camshaft pully misalinged with the arrow pointed upward instead of the notch. I fixed that and then was able to turn the engine fairly easy with a 22mm socket. I reinstalled the radiator but still could only get clicks from the starter. I took the starter out and secured it with one bolt through the bottom stater hole screwed into the top hole in the transmission. This disengaged it from the flywheel. I still only got clicks and hot cables. Could the ECM have anything to do with this?

paisan

Hmm so the starter is not meshing properly with the flywheel? That's essentially what it sounds like is happening, perhaps the flywheel is mis-aligned?

Try to hookup the starter to a battery outside the car just to check to make sure it's engaging properly. Eliminate the variables on this.

-mike

cob1

I did install a new flywheel with the clutch. It was not a stock Subaru flywheel but it was listed for the model and year. It was an exedy chromoly flywheel and clutch combo for Subaru from clutchcityonline. I agree that it sounds like the starter is binding. It was pretty simple to install the flywheel. How do mis-align one? More to the point, how do you align one?

Also, I just tested turning the engine by hand with it out of gear (turned easily), in gear (couldn't turn it), in gear with clutch depressed( turned easily). Doesn't sound like the engine is locked up. Sounds like clutch is OK.

paisan

Hmm, the flywheel and clutch for a turbo v. non-turbo car are different along with the pressure plate etc. If you have the Exedy Part #s I can check them in my database as I sell Exedy, also let me know what year, car, etc. you have.

-mike

cob1

Item number on the invoice is 1.0015-801-600185

Exedy HD P/P W Organic Disc & Chromoly Flywheel Combo; Subaru

My car is a 1999 Subaru Imprezza, 2.2, AWD.

I really appreciate your help.

cob1

Just rechecked the web site and the clutch/flywheel assembly I bought was for a 2.5 rather than 2.2. It didn't say it on the page I ordered from but I looked up just the flywheel part number and it was for 2.5. That may be the problem. If it is, do you think my current clutch would work with a new flywheel or should I buy all new clutch/flywheel assembly?

paisan

That's your problem, I would get the whole thing replaced with the proper one, while the 2.5 may work, it may also not work. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll see what I can do on my end.

-mike

cob1

Good advice. The last thing I want to do is take the transmission out a third time. I'll e-mail you.

bes001

I recently purchased a 2001 Subaru Outback 2.5 Liter with 76000 miles. It is from out of state and I wasn't able to personally test drive it. A friend test drove it for me. While test driving he shut the vehicle off and then was unable to get it to even turn over. The passenger was a mechanic and thought to tap the gear shift and it started and ran fine. (We think it might be a neutral stop/safety switch). On the way home from the destination the vehicle killed at a stop light and several minutes later after jiggling and jostling everthing in the vehicle it started. It then drove fine the remainder of the distance to his house roughly 3 hours on interstate. I had sceduled to have another friend finish the relay to my home. The next morning he was in route to the rondevous point when he pulled over to run an errand and found the car again dead. Frustrated for both him and myself I called a tow truck. When the tow truck eventually got there 1 1/2 hours later the vehicle started without problem and he drove it up on his trailer. I have no idea what is causing this because I now have it at my home and have driven it and shut it off and restarted it with no problems. I am afraid it is going to let me down sometime when I need it most. Any idea what may be going on?? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ben

xwesx

There might be a couple of problems. The shift interlock and either a loose ground connection to the starter, or the starter solenoid is going bad.

But, when you say the car is dead, what does that mean? Does that mean there is no power anywhere in the car? Does the engine give no response when trying to start it? Does it 'click?'

bes001

It just happened to me personally and it is the shift interlock. The vehicle was running and I placed it in park while waiting at a light to grab something from the floor and when I went to place it in drive it would not come out of park. I had to use the lock override button to get it into drive. Upon arriving at my destination I shut it off and was unable to start it in park and it wouldn't let me take it out of park without pushing the override. It will start in neutral. I find it interesting that it is intermitant because it will now start in park and shift without problems. Is this an easy fix?

bes001

To answer your first questions. No it doesn't click when you turn the key and the dash powers up ect. Just no response or noise when key is in cranking position.

paisan

Should be a relatively easy fix.

-mike

xwesx

Yes, then I think the shift interlock is likely the only problem. Should be an easy fix (in terms of expense), though I have never performed it.