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Comments
Your wife hitting her head on the window makes a strong case for side impact head protection curtains, especially for lower and smaller vehicles. The side impact airbag probably didn't deploy since the damage wasn't closer to the doors. At that high of a speed, it is very fortunate that he didn't impact your side doors as there is relatively little crumple space between the doors and the occupants.
Take care,
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I'm sorry you had so many problems, but I'm sure we can help.
Patti
Patti
Sweet, Dom. Keep us posted?
Holy Cow, Norm! Glad you were OK. That looks like a pretty severe collision! I'm glad the Forester absorbed the punishment and you were both relatively unscathed.
From the looks of it, you were moving forward at a fare pace and that may be why the front air bags deployed.
Dale: careful because oil can deteriorate rubber. Use lithium grease instead.
-juice
Sorry about the pic; I think this link will work:
Accident pics
Thanks for the well wishes. We had just entered the intersection, so I was going maybe 10-15 mph. Fortunately for us (besides being in a Forester), an EMT happened to be jogging by, as well as several witnesses to the incident, so the other driver was cited. They were also carrying insurance, thank goodness. I think the front air bags deployed because of the force delivered to the engine compartment, where the sensors are located, despite the fact that it was primarily a side impact.
What Drew says about the side impact bags makes me wonder what would have happened had they hit the passenger door -- would the side bag not have deployed high enough to protect the head? I have not been able to find out much about how the side bag deploys in the Forester.
Side curtain bags would be a nice addition. VW will offer them, so it's not unheard of in this price range. I think Saturn will, too.
-juice
My wife had a similar accident about 15 years ago where her head hit and shattered the side window. Our old Saab had no airbags, but it did have side impact beams and a structure designed to protect the occupant, similar to what Subaru uses. The car was totaled. The impact was hard enough to crush the rear wheel on the opposite side of the car, but it just avoided rolling over.
Her injuries included a concussion that rendered her momentarily unconscious and a gash that required 47 stitches and caused permanent, but fortunately, superficial, nerve damage. You have to be very careful with such injuries. Be sure to follow up with your doctor.
Subaru is now the only make of vehicle in a reasonable price range that I feel safe in with respect to accident injury.
The fact that the Forester spun around may have been why they didn't deploy. The energy dispersed, thankfully.
The bottom line is you both walked away from a rather violent collision. That little Subie is going to heaven.
-juice
Ken
Greg
Greg
Rochcom - I agree with you -- they should have deployed, but unfortunately, juice is right -- they are different sensors. The reason I know that is if you look in the owner's manual, there are diagrams showing when the side air bags will not deploy, and one of them depicts exactly my situtation, a forward-side (non-door) impact. My wife has already seen an orthopedist for the neck pain and will be seeing a neurologist for the headaches.
Again, thanks all for the well wishes. Be careful out there!
Mercedes-Benz's head protection curtains are connected to different sensors than the side impact thorax/torso airbags, so it is possible to have the head protection curtain deploy, but not the side impact airbag. I'm not sure if this is the case for all manufacturers.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
-juice
I have done 32 mpg once but pretty routinely average 26-28 mpg on a tank of gas. One tip I read was to get into 5th gear as quickly as possible which I do. Soneone else told me that I can damage the engine by having it lug in high gear below the recommended speed which is 40 I believe. On downhill stretches I will go to 5th as low as 30. I of course shift down on any upgrade. Can anybody comment on this?
bit
Funny how you go from speed when you are young to mpg as you get older!
They want to sell me an Extended Subaru warranty for $799. It is through Subaru and will extend the warranty period from three to six years. My first impulse was not to get it but what does anyone else think. They also want to sell me rust protection ($299), environmental paint protection ($199) and leather protection($199) from Armor All. My inital impulse is to get the rust protection but pass on the rest. I do live in Central New York which is the snow capital.
I would appreciate any thoughts anyone may have.
Buy the warranty only if you think you will keep the car beyond the factory warranty period. Then it is worth it! You do not need rust protection, leather protection or paint protection. They are already on the car from the factory. Take care of the leather with regular leather care products.
The other items? High profit for the dealership. Take a look at older Subarus in your home area. Are they fading or rusting? Probably not. I'd save my money ($700).
Canadian Forester Sport: Yeah, I like that grill a lot more than the current grills on U.S. Foresters, which I think have too much toothy-looking chrome. (I'm fond of my '98 Forester's businesslike grill, too.) Judging from others' positive comments on it, I think that grill ought to be offered as a U.S. option!
Norm: Sorry about the Forester damage and y'all's injuries, but glad it wasn't at all worse. The collision sounds quite nasty.
-mike
Mike
Patti
Patti
I'm glad you folks are not more seriously injured and that the other driver was cited. Please give your wife my warm wishes for a quick recovery!
Patti
On a separate note, let me comment on the subaru door lock design...Damn those things are hard to pick!!! Good Job Subaru!! I locked my keys in the car earlier this morning after I stoped by Pepboys to pick up some Valvoline Synpower motoroil and a new jack, called a professional lock service, the service tech took over half an hour to get the door opened. He was amazed at how difficult it was to get to the lock cable. Even his manual said "very stiff lock mechanism". He also told me that he could pick the GM and Ford locks in less than a minute!!!
-mike
But as long as you more or less follow those guidelines, and get that kind of mileage, wow! I'm averaging 25mpg and my best is "just" 30.4.
Frank still holds the record, at 33.4 IIRC.
Patricia: Subaru applies an undercoating from the factory. They actually recommend against any additional rust protection packages. Not to mention they stink, literally. The sulfur smell as it burns off is nasty.
Ditto the paint protection, since the panels are mostly double galvanized steel. Just use a good wax.
I'm not a big Armor All fan, so I'd just get Lexol. It's considered a far superior product and costs a whopping $8 or so per bottle.
The warranty is your call. $800 is a good price, most quotes I hear of are in the $1000 range.
-juice
Love my car but don't feel the carpeting lives up to Suburu's quality standards at all.
I know what you are talking about for NYC. Lived there for a good part of my short life. Some one actually tried to slim jim my dad's Nissan in June, ended up bending a metal strip inside the door but couldn't get it opened. I think most manufacturers have built in features that make slim jimming or other wise opening door without a key more difficult. At least they try to increase the time it takes to break the lock.
I've heard of thieves so good they know where to drill to kill an alarm battery.
-juice
-Frank P.
So .. yep you sure can get into a Soob with a slim jim.
- hutch
-mike
-mike
Paisan .. I think your refering to a crow bar
You're correct about the Pros.
- hutch
Also, the Clarion PSW160 subwoofer is similar, but not exactly the same. How easy is that to install?
-Steven-
P.S. - To Secretariat - nice screen name!
I imagine any non-stock speakers will be a bit more work. The key, I guess, is the mounting. You may have to manufacture your own bracket, but I imagine that's not too hard.
-juice
I imagine it is much the same on a Forester.
bit
Thanks.
Regarding best recorded fuel economy, I've gotten as high as 32.72 MPG on one tank. Although this was unusually high, I've gotten 32 even, as well as several tanks in the 31-plus-change region. My average is in the 29 MPG range, mostly highway driving. My car has the 5 speed stick shift.
Len
Coincidence?
So I've avoided their products since then.
Lexol is big with the Miata.net folks. They swear by it.
-juice
This method involves skipping second and fourth when shifting up through the gears. It is designed to save gasoline. The only time these gears are used is when going up a hill or pulling a heavy load.
I haven't heard much about this method lately, but I had used it for several years without damaging my car. I still usually skip 4th gear most of the time, except when accelerating up a hill. I would be concerned, however, if the lugging became severe.