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Comments
I must confess, I started washing the inside of my rims this weekend. ;-)
tom
I've had that in my OBXTL since day 1, but it comes and goes. I haven't heard it in weeks, but when I last heard it I thought it was coming from the auto-dimming mirror.
CRaig
hehe
~Colin
bwah-ha-ha
Actually, if I tap inside the center cubby I can reproduce that aluminum sheet sound. I know there is some metal framework inside there- just don't know how to damped it yet. ;-)
Maybe a little duct tape? LOL!
tom
Received my subwoofer from subaruparts.com yesterday. Having reviewed the instructions, one would think that this is a very straightforward process. Well, experience tells me different.
From your experience, can you provide any useful tips/tricks to quickly resolve any probs I may encounter? Also, can you approximate the time required to re/re the console and install the sub? This would help me determine if the install is doable one evening after work or requires a more time during the weekend.
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Jay.
Evenings + afterwork[especially weekday] usually = impatience and breaking or scratching something up. It's a proven equation for me.
-Dave
Two weekends ago, I had the heating panel removed to change the bulbs on my 99 GT, and wouldn't you know that I broke the little e-clip that holds the hot/cold cable to the unit. I found one at the local hardware store 10 minutes before they closed. Cost 11 cents. Of course, it was bigger than the original. I could not face taking apart the unit again, or going without heat for a week, so I made it fit. At least I can laugh about it now!
The instructions will have you pull up the entire center console including armrest, but that is not necessary in my experience -- just remove the trim panel around the shifter to get started -- it pulls up (if auto trans, start by pulling up the chrome ring around the shifter and then hook something in the gap to pull the panel up / if manual trans unscrew the shift knob and then pull the panel up by putting your fingers under the edge where the boot ataches). From there work forward.
You can also remove the boot around the parking brake for more access to the center console. The boot just clips to the console along the bottom and left edge of the brake.
The radio/hvac stack is heavy and clumsy, so take your time lifting it out. You may be able to pull it partially out, rest it on towels (maybe have a helper hold the stack in place), and then connect the sub harness and ground screw without totally disconnecting and removing the radio. Just depends how much slack is in the harnesses for the radio and hvac. Sometimes they tape the harness into a bundle and you can untape it for more slack.
Just plan to take your time and, wherever possible, minimize squeaks and rattles when putting everything back together.
Thankfully, there is an abundance of room behind the radio/hvac stack (especially behind the hvac portion) so you don't have to worry about crowding wires/etc.. back there. Makes it easy to put the radio back in.
Craig
-juice
I waxed my '05 silver OBXT over the weekend. I looked all over for Klasse and then came back to the forums to realize I needed to order it online. I am doing that now based on the numerous recommendations. Instead I used a three stage mother's approach - cleaner wax, sealant glaze, carnuba finish. It came out very nice but my arms were sore from waxing the car three times in the 3+ hours that it took. Needless to say, I love my OBXT and even waxed the door jambs. I thought it would be good to wax the rear step but realized too late that it was not a good idea, as 1) it was slippery to stand on and 2) the black plastic formed a white glaze that was difficult to wipe off. Thankfully, it came perfectly clean with a little Dawn.
Many threads have debated the use of cables, chains, etc. and gone so far as to recommend the scc z-chains due to their low profile, but no one has seemed to use them. There is the issue of the R2, R3 and the CHP (I live in California) and the fact that the OBXT comes with all season tires (potenza RE-92) AND is AWD so you just need to 'have' chains in your possession and not necessarily use them. If I get something and actually do get stuck, I would like to have something that actually works and is not just a trunk ornament that allows the CHP to let me pass. Sooo...
Has anyone heard of or used spider spikes, aka spikes spider? A friend in Big Bear said that they were the best, but were expensive. Google and you will find a swiss company that offers a premount to the hub (through the lugs) and then a snap and lock piece that sort of grabs the tire but does not go around the back side. Their thing is that they attach easier and faster than chains and that they are low profile as they do not reach around to the inside of the wheel. From what I can tell from their website, aside from the lugs there is no touching the rims, ergo, no scratched or marred wheels. They sound nice aside from the price tag, but I would rather get something that was easy and actually would add traction in the case that it ever becomes a necessity. Comments?
thanks,
-jer
Brian
BTW, I also got the Momo knob for the 5EAT and really like it. Feels much better running through the gears manually.
Another mystery solved. Thanks!
Hey any of you guys have got the windows tinted? Does the dealer provide this kind of service. I think I should get them tinted.
Brian
Cheers,
Jay.
Craig
tom
Here is my review:
ateixeira "Town Hall Test Drive Team" Jul 8, 2004 10:35am
Honestly the Sportcross would only fare worse because it doesn't offer much more room than the sedan, while the Subie does.
-juice
CHP does require all vehicles to carry traction devices, but I have never seen them enforce that rule. They do check to make sure that 2WD vehicles have traction devices, however, but they will wave 4WD through checkpoints.
Given the price of the Spider Spikes and the fact that you need to keep them on your wheels all the time, I would just go ahead and buy a set of Shur Grip low profile cables and be set.
Ken
Thanks
~c
Mine is an ASC moonroof, I'd recommed it for sure!
-Brian
We live north of Boston and I had plenty of driving time with the tires's last winter, about 5k miles on the Forester, 2.5k miles on the OBW.
Larry
But if safety is important to you, and the roads occasionally ice up where you live, then I recommend the best winter tires you can afford. 99.9% of the time you won't really need them. But that one time when you get caught by a suprise blizzard or freezing rain, and cars with A/S tires start spinning out of control all around you, those winter tires might just save your life.
Sometimes just 10% more traction is all it takes to make a world of difference.
Sly
I agree with sly, if you live in a heavy snow area then good snow tires can make you feel much less nervous, and in a Subie you'll never get stuck (if you don't do something stupid!).
If you live in an area that doesn't see much snow, any decent M & S rated tire (even the RE-92s) should do just fine.
tom
Thanks for your input.
nothing short of a true winter tire will help on ice.
I've had Dunlop WinterSport M3s mounted for about 2 weeks now. No news on snow or ice yet, which I can't say I'm sad about, but the noise is fairly low and the dry road grip & handling is very good. Even still I wouldn't drive this H-rated performance winter tire year round.
~Colin
For me, living in coastal VA where it rarely snows and taking ski trips into the mountains every couple weeks where I encounter a lot of snow, all season tires are perfect.
BTW, as Colin said, RE-92 are decent in the snow when new, but not very good once they wear down a bit. Then again, the RE-92A on the 05 models are entirely different tires than previous versions of the RE-92, so hard to say (and the RE-92A on Legacys and Outbacks are even different). Hard to say how these new tires will do.
Craig
The reason I went with the Subaru hitch was the wiring harness. Not sure if aftermarket wiring would plug directly into the connector hidden behind the cubby on the left rear. I'd hate to fry something in the car if there was a short in the trailer or the aftermarket converter.
My only gripe is that the drawbar is just a bit small for the receiver, and you hear some clunking as the trailer bounces around. I may try an aftermarket drawbar and see if it fits any tighter.
thanks,
Craig
The receiver is set back from the rear bumper far enough that it is very hard to see. The supports are tucked up behind the bumper, so the only thing visible is the receiver and safety chain hookup.
BTW, those tires are not even good in the dry, let alone wet or snow...
Sly
I remember pulling away from a stop light beside a BMW X5 without winter tires and he was all over the road, sliding around. I know the X5 is not a Subie but I don't think its that bad of a vehicle. I'm sure once you change to winters tires you will never go back, well until summer at least. Remember, winter tires are not just about snow only, they help with the cold.
Tickman, in my experience, drawbars never fit that snuggly. Mine is a bit loose too. It allows space incase dirt and possibly rust accumulate on the drawbar and in the receiver. You don't want to put it in one day, having to use a hammer to pull it out. That said, if you try a different drawbar and it fits more snug, do let us know.
Cheers,
Jay
by the way my dealer replaced the coat hanger plastic hook that was loose with another that is a plastic stub, much like the one I had in my 2000GT.Next purchase will be a st of pirelli pzero-nero or contiextremes. my back end slipped a little on wet pavement yesterday, hate the re92a's, they're pricey and not very good in my opinion.
They may not be the best tires out there but when I am able to drive down the interstate in the rain and never once feel the tires lose grip, then I don't see a reason to change them in the near future.
As for snows, I just put a set of Arctic Alpins on my wife's minivan. Depending on how the XT does in the snow with the 92As, I may follow suit.