Subaru Forester

paisan

Could also be the rear main seal as well.

-mike

gherman131313

I have a 2003 2.5X, love everything about it, except the seats. They are too hard (maybe I have a bony butt?).

I finally resorted to putting a thick indian-style blanket, double folded, on the driver's seat. Not so bad, but still a pain on long drives.

jbur1

For about the last four months my 2003 Forester has been making a rattling noise while accelerating slowly. It almost seems like something is resonating during a certain range of RPM's while accelerating from a dead stop. It will rattle continuously if I keep the vehicle at that spot which I believe is related to the RPM. I thought it may be a loose heat shield or some other part that has loosened. The sound also reminds me of the noise that a loose fan blade or pulley could make. During the colder weather the noise did not bother me since the windows were closed but now as summer approaches it is getting to be irritating. Has anyone ever experienced this? If so, what was the cause?

slazenger

It is loose heat shields...

tifighter

Subaru offers a square cross bar set for my 06 Forester. Does anyone have these? Since Thule is the biggest company making square crossbars, does anyone know if Thule attachments fit on these factory square bars? Perhaps Thule makes them OEM for Subaru?

ateixeira

Nope, Yakima does.

tifighter

Really, Yakima makes a square bar? Doesn't that go against their code of ethics as all their aftermarket is round? I know they made the round ones for the previous SF, but I'm surprised to hear they do these squares for the SG.

ateixeira

The accessories sold at Subaru dealers are made by Yakima. They include round bars.

I've never seen square ones. If you mean the OE ones, shaped like air plane wings, those are Subaru's own.

You can get clamps from Yakima that fit those OE cross bars, however, saving you from having to buy the round ones.

tifighter

These are the factory square ones:

Cross Bar Kit Square, Forester 2006

I have the factory aero ones now, but they aren't wide enough for what I need to carry. These square factory bars are half the cost of the Thule kit, which is why it seems worth a look.

Google turned up nothing conclusive. Dealer does not know. SF.org has one thread where a guy with a '04 was able to attach a Thule attachment to the bar. Not sure why '06 would be different, although they have separate part numbers. Such a mystery. :confuse:

ateixeira

Whoa, OK, that's definitely new. Those were not offerd on the 98 models.

I designed a web site for Quality Subaru in TN and put up every accessory they had for sale, and that was definitely not offered. They only had the OE ones and the round ones.

You learn something every day!

once_for_all

I've got a set, they are just the ticket for a few sheets of drywall or plywood.

However they make a serious wind howl at speed so do not plan on them being regularly attached.

John

tifighter

Hey John, if you have the newer factory square bars, have you ever put any thule bar attachments on it? If not, any chance you could measure the width of the bar itself? That may tell me a lot.

ateixeira

I've had 5 sheets of plywood on the OE roof rack, I've shared pics here before. I'm sure it wasn't totally flat, but it made it home fine.

once_for_all

sorry about that just catching your post now. The bar extends past the roof rails by about 3 inches on each side. It can also be offset either way by an inch or two.

John

tifighter

No worries.

FWIW, I ended up buying the factory square bars (which are made by Mont Blanc) and Thule attachments work just fine. My canoe is a lot happier. My Subie bucks brought the price down to less than $10, which is way less than the Thule set up!

gmginsfo

Read an earlier post about '08 being a "short year," with the '09 Forester following soon thereafter. Any reviews out there summarizing what's new on the '08 and what can be expected on the '09?

Please say 6 cylinders and an auto transmission to match!

Also, anyone interested in trading an auto mirror from on '03 for any manual mirror that'll fit? I hate that d--n thing! :mad:

paisan

Highly doubt the H6 in the Forester. If you need an H6, go for a base model Tribecca IMHO.

-mike

ateixeira

Isn't it glued on? If so any universal mirror should fit.

If not, hit up a junk yard, though it'll be hard to find an 03-05 model.

p0926

I'm pretty sure Consumer Reports lists all used Foresters as best bets. The only two significant mechanical issues have been the potential for leaky headgaskets and bad wheel bearings on the first generation Forester. However depending on which part of the country you live in, late model used Foresters can be hard to find with asking prices not that much less than a new one.

-Frank

kavoom

They are probably going to be on the new Impreza platform with a 3.5 to 4 inch increase in wheelbase per the new Impreza platform although on that one, the overall length has NOT increased in terms of the body. That also has moved to a rear wishbone suspension vs struts. Those who have seen prototype pics but can't post them, say the "hockey stick" side panel look is going with a more smooth side look but it still looks like a Forester.

Everything else appears to still be up in the air.

ateixeira

I'd recommend an 03-05 model.

By the the head gaskets were fine, and the wheel bearings used the new design.

On the X models, the bumpers were still unpainted, i.e. very low maintenance.

They've depreciated enough that they're cheaper than new, yet they still might have some powertrain warranty left.

06 or newer and I agree with Frank, you may as well buy new.

kavoom

If you are looking at a Turbo, the 04's are faves as they had apparently the best set up all around including a "detuned" STi engine vs later models having WRX motors...

This is just what I hear (in terms of favorites and why), but if you go to cars 101 and compare horsepower torque ratings between years you can kind of see what I mean...

Just open a word doc and cut and paste each years in the doc and some things become apparent...

erikwi

Ok Subaru gurus, I need your help. My 06 FX is going to need tires soon. The OEMS have a lot of wear on the outer edges due to it being out of alignment for good period of time (corrected under warranty) and they are getting a little dangerous in the rain.

I've narrowed the search down to a Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, the Bridgestone Potenza G009, the Michelin Hydroedge, and the Goodyear Eagle ResponseEdge. I really don't want a directional tire but to get the qualities I want, I may not have a choice. What do you folks use that makes a good all around tire.

My other question is this. Sometimes when taking off from a stop, the tranny will shift in the highest gear as low as 20mph, causing me to hit the gas a little harder to get going. Is this normal? I've noticed this many times and have just assumed it is normal. Is it? Does it do any harm to use the shift lever and shift manually?

Thanks all!! You folks were the biggest influence on my buying a Subie!

kavoom

SubaruForester.org has an entire section dedicated to tires including spreadsheets and feedback. IT's worth cking out. Tire Rack has a great website with reviews also.

ateixeira

I didn't realize that - when did they stop using STI blocks?

erics6

I hadn't heard that either. Only change I had heard of was VVT to AVCS. 06 had revised HP figures from 210 to 230. Then again, I haven't followed the XT changes closely.

dstew1

Only the '04 and '05 used the STI block. The '06 moved to the WRX block in conjunction with the WRX going from 2.0 to 2.5L.

The 210hp numbers for the '04 and '05 are widely viewed as Subaru sandbagging on paper so as not to offend potential buyers of the WRX (rated at 227hp at that time, I think). Then in 2006 it was corrected to 230hp, and from there it has dropped a little I think only due to changes in calculation methods. Nothing has really changed with the engine since its inception, other than the switch from the STI block to WRX block as mentioned above.

Essentially each year puts out about the same power in stock form, with the STI blocks maybe having a case for being a safer engine to modify to super-high power levels. However I think there have been slight gearing changes over the years (check the cars101 website) that has slowed 0-60 times a little in order to improve upon fuel economy.

Doug

dstew1

I ditched the Geos on my 06 XT at 18K miles in favor of the Potenza G009s and haven't looked back. No squealing, much improved handling on dry roads, more stability at high speeds, and better at everything in the wet.

erikwi

I've got 23k on the Geos and they're ok, as long as it doesn't rain. I'm planning on moving to high country soon and am going to need something that does great no matter what. How do those G009s do in the snow?

erikwi

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out. I've got another one for you folks. A tech at the Subaru dealer told me back in March I shouldn't be using synthetic oil. I told him in was in the owner's manual and didn't see the problem. He asked my question at the April technician school and was told synthetic oil was bad for subie engines. It was something about it drained off the heads too fast. Does this make any sense? I've been running Syntec since the first oil change.

dstew1

Didn't really get a chance to run the G009s in more than a couple inches of snow last winter (mild one here in Arkansas), but I found the traction in those conditions to be pretty good.

Check out some of the reviews on Tire Rack; I believe there are several that mention the bite the tire seems to have in the snow. It also received excellent snow/ice scores during testing (note it's only scored against other high performance all seasons, not dedicated snow tires).

Doug

dstew1

My other question is this. Sometimes when taking off from a stop, the tranny will shift in the highest gear as low as 20mph, causing me to hit the gas a little harder to get going. Is this normal? I've noticed this many times and have just assumed it is normal. Is it? Does it do any harm to use the shift lever and shift manually?

There is no harm to use the shift lever manually in the 4EAT, in fact I've been told that is why it is gated. I would suggest for stop/go driving around town where you'll be keeping it under 40 or 50mph, select "3" instead of "D". This will keep you out of 4th gear and makes it easier/quicker for your tranny to downshift into 2nd under harder acceleration.

Also the 4EAT is adaptive, so if it's behaving a certain way, that is largely due to your own driving habits. Driving aggressively will result in higher shiftpoints and quicker downshifts; driving like a grandma will result in quite the opposite.

Doug

ateixeira

You sure about that?

I was told the Forester XT (2.5T engine) had the STI block, so it was the other way around. It has the semi-closed deck block, like the STI does.

Also, when they went from 210 to 230hp, the peak boost did increase a little. I do agree the early 210 hp models were sand-bagged, big time, and made more power at the dyno than the 227hp WRX 2.0T did.

dstew1

Sure about what?

If you mean that only the '04 and '05 XTs got the STI block, then yes. As an '06 owner it is beaten into my head almost every day over on the sf.org forums by the '04/'05 owners.

I'm of the belief that it doesn't really matter that much except in the most extreme of circumstances; ie the STI block probably holds a slight edge in durability when it comes to big time engine mods.

The '06+ on the other hand got rid of the cat in the uppipe that was on the earlier years.

They've got plenty of info about the changes to the block from the '05 to the '06 version over there, if you care to look into it.

Doug

ateixeira

No, I'll take your word for it.

Should not make any difference with stock tuning. For those that do heavy mods I would seek out the earlier block, though.

kavoom

The Geosquealers apparently do have relatively good characteristics in snow, and that apparently is about it. They will start hydroplaning somewhere around 35K is the scuttlebut and my 04 started to show that characteristic in the late 30's. You will note their nickname and that always made me laugh.

I keep mine at 36 lbs pressure all the time as I don't mind the hard ride and that improves mileage and actually seems to cut the squeal. The mechanics told me they see 32 lb tires wearing on the outside all the time... but a lot of people like that mushy soft ride of the 06's forward. I call the suspension engineering designs and boosted power steering after 05 as the "soccer mom" changes... The Geosquealers are the same...

memereto3

Does anyone know if the back headrests in a 2006 Forester would fit in the back of a 2004 Forester?
Please ....need your help.
Thanks so much,

paisan

They will start hydroplaning somewhere around 35K

Most tires lose effectiveness around the 30k especially OEM ones.

-mike

tifighter

I can't claim to know, but I would be surprised if they didn't.

kavoom

The best OEM's I had were on my 99 Outback Sport (Impreza). They were BF Goodrich TA's and I got 80K out of them and they never let me down. I then replaced them and when I sold the car at 147K the dealer kept the tires on the car for re-sale...

They will be high on my list for the second set on my Forester.

ateixeira

I dunno, 03-05 was similar, but 06 was a pretty significant face-lift. I recall the fabric was different, the Forester got the cloth from the Tribeca.

It might be a coincidence that the support bars are the same distance apart, but no way would the fabric match.

tifighter

Yeah, your right, the fabric is probably different, but I cannot imagine them changing the structure underneath. That would require new tooling and parts (i.e. cost) for something relatively minor. I just have to believe it would fit in there, but who knows?

ateixeira

I get what you're saying, but for instance they did change the front headrests for MY2006, in fact IIHS tested them and they scored extremely well. So even little things like headrests can and do change.

drwales

36 in a 25 zone. No jokes please, and say what you will about her driving habits, speeding tickets as revenue generators, or the merits of that particular road having a 25 limit, the point I want to make here is: It is virtually impossible to drive our car (06 XT, manual) at a constant 25mph!

In 2nd gear, 25mph equates to about 2800rpm, at which point the turbo is beginning to spool up nicely, and the car feels like it's straining because it is being held back...
In 3rd gear, on the other hand, 25mph equates to about 1800rpm, and unless we're on flat ground or a downhill grade, we're lugging the engine. Can't win! (And the house will take your $50!)

I really notice this in 2nd-3rd (although I guess there's a similar problem at 3-4 and 35-40 mph, although maybe the turbo mapping smooths that out more). I'd been pondering this oddity for a while, and whether to share with you all, and she provides the perfect vehicle for my thoughts.

No points, though.

paisan

I have the solution!

Take a longer route with higher speed limits and do 60mph

-mike

brainlessbozo

Just wanted some thoughts. Nearby Subaru dealer says $474.95 + tax for 60K service that includes the following: oil/filter; top-off all fluids; rotate/balance all 4 tires; Fuel injection clean & throttle plate clean; Parking brake adjustment; Automatic transmission fluid; Coolant flush; Spark plugs; Air filter; Fuel filter; change PCV valve; Brake fluid (not sure if this is just from the cylinder or using a machine to include ABS); multi-point vehicle inspection - whatever that is supposed to mean, I hope they check the bearings when they do the tires.

I usually bring my own M1 5W30. Cabin filter is $90 more. If I have need spark plug wires, it will be extra (don't know how much). Isn't there also a transmission fluid filter in there somewhere?

Am I paying too much? If I bring any parts/oil, I'll get credit for the parts. This is a package deal. But is it good?

Your thoughts, opinions, etc are invited.

ateixeira

On our route to the beach, we drive through Bridgeville, DE, and there is a 25mph zone. I had to set cruise control to keep slow enough. It feels almost unnatural.

Having said that, I think they set limits keeping in mind that people go 10 over the limit, so it's essentially designed with 35 mph speeds in mind.

I'm surprised she got a ticket at all going just 36, that's pretty borderline.

samiam_68

The turbo will not spool up at 2800 RPM unless there is heavy load on the engine. If you are just cruising at a steady speed, it will not spool up.

p0926

I think they set limits keeping in mind that people go 10 over the limit, so it's essentially designed with 35 mph speeds in mind

That's true in general but there are certain municipalities who derive a large proportion of their budget from traffic fines and in those instances, drivers are routinely ticketed for going just a few miles over

-Frank

ateixeira

Bingo, and Bridgeville is notorious for it, especially during beach season.

It's funny because now there's a bypass, so I take a different route. Their loss, as we used to fuel up and eat in Bridgeville, but now we avoid it most of the time.