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Comments
Ed
The bike rack will be in next week.
After I placed the order I was told it would cost an additional $150 to install it. Does this sound reasonable?? Does anyone know how easy it is to install it on your own? thanks.
Congrats on the new Forester, I have a 2001 L in Blue, what color did you get?
Update on Kayak rack: I added some nice thick pipe insulation to my Yakima round bars. I had to do a little trimming to fit it around my wind fairing up front. But it works great and looks really good. It's also easy to remove when I'm not carrying the Yak. Just a little tip for you other Soob/Yak owners
Skip
If the Subaru OE bike racks haven't changed, they're simply re-branded Yakima racks. If that's the case, don't even bother having the dealer install it. The racks are super easy to mount/dismount. They've been designed to be easily removed and mounted. $150 would be a crime.
Ken
russtardo
A couple of hints to those purchasing in the future. When they write down "will you buy today at thus and so a price?", make sure everything you discussed is actually written down. Also watch out for the "plus blah" language. Does that mean it is included in the price, or not? These were the issues with the "automate service".
The last couple of issues I'll be dealing with are window tinting and, sigh, a locking gas cap. Why don't the Foresters come with one?!
Your Forester took 6-8 weeks just to get delivered from Japan. Add the two weeks of ownership and your paint finish is probably well within the safe limit for it's first wax. In fact, it probably was okay to wax the day you got it.
I've tried many, many cleaning products -- everything from one-step products to multi-step "professional" ones. I don't even want to think about how much money I've spent on cleaning products alone. While many of the multi-step products like Meguiar's or Mother's work quite well, I've found that there are a number of good one-step products out there. Anything that cuts down your waxing time is good.
So far, my favorite have been Xymol and Klasse. Both are one-step products. The Xymol I refer to is blue liquid you can buy at your local auto store or Kmart. They make much more expensive professional grade stuff that you need to mail order. The liquid goes on and off fairly easily and cleans fairly well. It also leaves a nice and smooth glossy finish that works very well on my black Forester paint. As an added bonus, Xymol smells nice too. The only downside to Xymol is that it doesn't last very long. On black paint, you can tell that it's getting washed away after 2-3 washes.
Klasse is a relatively new product that I'm just trying now. You need to mail order it (just go to any search engine and type in "Klasse All-in-one"). Unlike Xymol, it's a synthetic wax. It goes on and comes off very easy, cleans well, leaves a nice glossy shine but it lasts a lot longer than any natural wax. The manufacturer claims 6-9 months of regular washing. I haven't had a chance to verify this yet, but so far, the results look promising.
In the end, the most important thing is to continue washing and waxing on a regular basis. The choice of wax is probably second to sticking to a regular schedule.
Ken
Len
And even if you didn't get the best of all possible deals, you bought a great car that you will have a love affair with.
Ron
Muchos gracias for the info. I suspected it was "okay" to wax, but just needed the conformation from the experts. I've seen the xymol at the local Wal-mart...sounds promising. I'm going to try the turtle wax concoction I mentioned above and see how it goes. (I've got about 1/2 a bottle left). It claims to last a year (yea, right). The sun out here in W. Tx wreaks havoc on finishes, especially dark ones, so I prefer to wax every 3 months or so with washes in between.
Oh and while I'm thinking about it given our last blast of thunder storms...here's a tip for those of you who live in the hail prone areas of the plains. If you have minor hail damage, you can easily collect your insurance claim, repair the damage yourself, and easily "make a profit." Just let you car sit out in the sun all day and then get some dry ice (frozen CO2). Put a small chunk on the ding and hold it there. You'll hear a small pop and the metal will be smooth as new. I've used this procedure on my vehicles in the past and it sure beats the drilling, pulling, and repainting method. It works best on small dings on the flat surfaces of the car (hood, roof) rather than the vertical sides...although I have managed to remove a few door dings this way. Some of my buddies have used propane torches to heat the metal on the sides and then put the dry ice on...I'm not this brave.
Another problem though...the neighbor's cat seems to like climbing all over the hood and roof leaving muddy paw prints on my nice clean forester. Anyone know how to keep felines off cars. Pellet gun maybe? (kidding).
russtardo
CATS... any way to keep them off that warm hood?
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
1. I'm considering which trim level to go for and my major concern is safety. Do the rear disc brakes make that much of a difference in stopping power to justify spending over a thousand dollars more? Again my primary concern is safety, not style.
2. Does anyone know any data on the efficiency of side impact air bags on reducing injuries and fatalities? Again, I'm trying to weigh the safety factor versus the extra expense.
3. The other car I'm considering is the Honda Accord. They both get about the same gas mileage (in the 4 cyl, 2.3L) version, but the Accord is rated as a ultra low emissions vehicle. That does factor into my decision, so my question is does anyone know if you can buy a Forester that meets the low emmission vehicle standards in place in California, but in the New York City area? I guess one option would be flying out to California and driving back, but I'm wondering if there's any easier and less expensive way. If I do decide to buy one in California (I'll be in L.A. next month anyway), does anyone know a good dealer where I can get a Forester near invoice price.
Thanks to all for your help.
-Frank, P.
-juice
Well, I took my 2001 Forrester to the dealer to have the CEL problem checked. Guess what? It was the gas cap. Apparently, according to the mechanic, the CEL stayed on because the cap had not been properly closed after a fill up. I read my manual right after the light came on and read that I should check the cap and I thought I had checked it and rechecked it to make sure it "clicked" properly. The manual said that after a few trips the light would go off. It never did so I did not think this was the problem. However, the mechanic told me that once the light is on it stays on until you take it back to be serviced. That's not exactly what the manual said, but the problem has been resolved. Thanks anyway for all your help.
1. IMO, the rear disc brakes were worth the extra money. I forget which car magazine it was (Road & Track or C&D), but they described the Forester's braking as "Porsche-like". I think they measured a 60-0 braking distance in the low 120ft.
2. Sorry, don't know about that one.
3. You may want to contact Subaru of America directly and see if it's possible.
Carl: The deflector actually displaces your stone chips from the leading edge of the hood to other parts. I had the deflector on my Forester and found that it simply "launched" stones on a higher trajectory to different parts of my hood. I ended up removing mine because it was a pain for cleaning and it was causing my side mirrors to vibrate at speeds of 80mph.
Ken
Ross
I guess any more of this humour and Ross will send the boys in the white lab coats after me!
Regarding gas mileage (I now have over 15k miles on my 01):
Best: 30.1 mpg
Worst: 25.3 mpg
Avg: 27.2 mpg (mostly highway driving)
Regarding tinting: I've got 32% on the front windows and 20% on the rear ones and am quite satisfied with the results. IMO going darker than 20% has too many negative connotations.
-Frank P.
Best Regards,
Joe
I own an L with rear drums, and although rear drums may produce less stopping force, I've had no problems. Braking is excellent. But also consider the wider tires on the S producing more traction and shorter stopping distances.
Also, I would expect that the Accord would get significantly better mileage (lighter, more strealined, etc) than the Forester, but AWD is a big safety factor that may be worth the 2-3 mpg.
Kris/Carl:
The deflector does wonders for the hood. After 9 months of ownership and a very snowy (read "sandy") winter, my hood has no chips, but the deflector looks battered with chips and dings.
Given the adhesion of modern paints on metal, I feel the deflector is a worthwhile option. As far as touch-up, use a toothpic and not the brush. Carefully allow the paint to wick into the ding/scratch. Do as many thin coats (allow dry time between each) until the defect is level with the surrounding finish.
-TonyL
My hubby tries to steal my 01 Forester at every possible occasion nowadays, should I say more?
--Kate
Forester safety? Check out http://www.crashtest.com/subaru/index.htm. This site summarizes tests from all over the world, including Japan, Europe, US, and Australia, and the Forester manages good scores across the board, which is pretty remarkable.
The Accord does faily well, but average scores in the IIHS offset and in the "injuries" statistics may lean you over to the Subaru a bit more.
Scott: congrats on the order.
Tim: congrats to you, too. Yes, I think for a brand-new 2002 you got a very good deal.
Motorweek featurs Patt Goss each week, and one thing he mentioned is that the gas caps themselves some times are faulty. If you get a CEL, ask them to have the gas cap tested.
Now, L or S? Good question. Let your budget decide. The L still has AWD and ABS, plus the same tough structure. The S adds better tires, which to me makes the biggest difference, plus the side air bags, rear disc brakes, and rear LSD.
I say go S Preemie for that huge moonroof. Hmm, how is it a safety feature? Well, what if there are floods, and you get stuck, then you have an over-head air lift for a helicopter to pull you out to safety.
It could happen! ;-)
-juice
Question for you experts: Is there a problem running the full-size spare full-time? I mean, is the full size spare selected somehow for temporary use only?
Reason: I rotated the tires this weekend and the same vibration I had when the car was new returned. No suprise, since dealer rotated&balanced tires and made the problem go away. I'm going to try to isolate it to one of the fronts, and then run the spare if that's ok.
Thanks,
-TonyL
Matt S
Matt: The brushgaurd was designed more for cosmetic reasons than actual protection. While it may prevent bumper damage for very low speed "taps" it may exacerbate damage for anything substantial. The reason is that the brushgaurd is bolted on to your bumper with a few bolts. I would imagine it would prevent the bumper from doing what it was designed to do -- spread the impact over a wide area.
Ken
I chose a Forester "S" in 1999 because it has heated side mirrors and a wiper defroster grid at the base of the windshield. In the Northeast with its fog, rain, ice and snow, these are safety features that greatly help visibility in bad weather. Had these 2 features been available on the "L", I might have gone that route. Canadian market "L" Foresters have them. Good luck with your decision.
John
The OE bumper guard is mostly cosmetic, but there is an Australian company that makes sturdier ones. Any have that URL handy?
Matt: if you must have more info, hop over to one of the Subaru Crew topics and ask a guy named "paisan" for that URL. He's purchased from them before.
-juice
Ken: Only 10k on the set, with very little wear. All seem to be wearing very evenly, so deviation between spare and rest should be way less than 1/4 in. Thanks for the warning.
Gas prices around here (RI) are going up about 3 cents every other day. If this keeps up, I think we're going to see $2.50+/gal by June.
-TonyL
http://carpoint.msn.com/jump/windowshopping/jgwin_4020050.asp
-juice
Larry
I have a 1300psi pressure washer and use it all the time to wash my Forester, and never once has a single drop made it inside.
You gotta get used to only having glass on the upper portion when you open the door, but once you do you learn to like it. The door is lighter and there are really no blind spots at all with the thin pillars.
-juice
Ross
Larry
a small utility trailer and/or a small 12' boat and trailer. What tow package
would you recommend? Thanks again for this wonderful site.
My recommendation would be to go to several trailer dealers, and talk to them. Subaru offers a hitch and wiring kit, but the Subaru dealer, in all likelihood, probably doesn't have a whole lot of experience with trailer "issues."
Bob
OE hitch (what I have)
Hidden Hitch
Draw Tite
And they're all pretty comparable. The OE hitch does have more bolts attached to it (7 total), and it's tucked under the bumper a bit closer than the others, but they all looked good to me.
The OE one comes with a plug-in harness, no splicing wires, but it is the most expensive.
Photos and installation tips for the OE hitch are here:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1400062&a=12183762&f=0
-juice
One last question. Anyone use a wind deflector with their moonroof? Is it worth it?
Thanks alot.
Roy
Congrats Joe! Looks like you got the biggest safety feature of all!
I have a "windflector" on my aftermarket moonroof, but I think yours has one built in. It's so huge that you basically have to crack open the rear windows to help the air flow, else you'll get buffeting (even my smaller roof does this, though less with the deflector).
-juice
-Frank P.
I took delivery of my new 2002 Forester L yesterday, and I've noticed a few things that irk me and was wondering if it was something wrong with just my car.
1) When I start the ignition, the engine shutters for a fraction of a second.
2) When I have it in P, I can feel the whole car shuttering sleightly (not as bad as when I'm starting the car), but in D the car is fine.
3) When I accelerate on the freeway, I hear a faint high pitch sound. It increases by however much I push the gas.
Are these things normal? I haven't asked my dealership yet. I would like to get whatever info I can before I confront them.
thanks
The result: The shifter is lower by 2"! The stock Forester shifter is shorter than the 2.5 RS so the drop is quite huge. The overall feel is very firm with very short throws.
Here are some photos:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1013602&a=12802287
Ken
Boxers do have a characteristic growl, but not a shudder. I'd have it looked at.
I have the SPT shift lever, but that's a LOT shorter than mine. I think mine's about half way inbetween stock and the kartboy.
-juice
Also, I agree with a previous poster: why isn't there a remote gas door release of the Forester? With gas prices rising it makes sense to "protect" whats in your tank. Has anyone bought a good locking gas-cap for the Forester? I'm concerned that an aftermarket cap might not seal the system properly, resulting in an endless string of CEL problems.
Thanks all,
Dave
I too have wondered why there's no remote fuel door release. And you bring up a good point re your concerns about the sealing abilities of aftermarket gas caps.
-Frank P.
My new tires are 60 series on a 16" rim, but they are better in every way except for snow.
-juice