Subaru Forester Speed Control/RPM Surge Problems
I am contemplating buying a 2007 ForesterXT sports auto. I test drove the vehicle and like it. But I have read some disturbing things about a surging problem, at least in 2006 Foresters. According to the complaints I've seen, this sometimes seems to occur when the Forester (trimline unspecified) is traveling downhill. Another driver indicated that occurred when he/she took his/her foot off the accelerator before slowing down.
It appears that Subaru has attributed the problem to a drive by wire system. One person who posted something about this a year or so ago indicated that it affected "thousands" of Foresters.
Can anyone tell me more about this problem and what, if anything, Subaru has done/does to address it? I know several people who own Foresters and love them. But this kind of report gives me reservations about buying the vehicle. Thanks in advance.
It appears that Subaru has attributed the problem to a drive by wire system. One person who posted something about this a year or so ago indicated that it affected "thousands" of Foresters.
Can anyone tell me more about this problem and what, if anything, Subaru has done/does to address it? I know several people who own Foresters and love them. But this kind of report gives me reservations about buying the vehicle. Thanks in advance.
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Comments
-Brian
There are also references to the problem on Google's "alt.autos.subaru" news group, under the posting "surging Forester".
BKW
-mike
I do not think it is dangerous - certainly not an RPM surge - but it is acutely noticeable. I think I am getting used to it though because it does not seem as pronounced now as it did when "new."
I drive a 2008 black subaru forester manual base model.
My car did the exact same thing all time and i asked the dealer what was going on.
They were unsure at first and told me that they would contact subaru and get to the bottom of it.
I recieved a phone call three days later saying that there was a Re-flash available
I drove in the next day had the re-flash done and all was well.
I read the report about disconnecting the battery on here and then the problem came back
i found out that:
WHEN YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IT RESETS THE COMPUTER AND ERASES THE RE-FLASH.
PLEASE IF YOU HAVE HAD THIS RE-FLASH DONE DO NOT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. OR THEY WILL HAVE TO RE-FLASH IT AGAIN.
Good work and thanks for the advice
I have a 2008 Forester automatic. I had read about the surging not long after I bought the car new. I did not notice it until I read about it and went looking for it. I can barely feel it when coasting at slow to moderate speed against a light throttle. I don't feel it with throttle off. But in a long downhill coast against a light throttle, the engine feels like it alternates between the light throttle and off throttle. Surging is too strong a word, and I don't see what could be disturbing about it. Go take a test drive and see if you can even find it.
That is, the throttle is less than what is needed to maintain the speed, and the engine is being pulled down the hill faster than the throttle.
If you take your foot off the gas, the effect stops.
I am never aware of it, and cannot feel it, unless I go to a place and make it happen. There is one long valley descent that I can hold 40 mph on, to feel it.
Just brainstorming... :confuse:
And it is not more revs.
That's why it is not a surge. The car is not changing speed.
The engine alternates from coasting at idle, to coasting at closed throttle.
Neither the engine speed or car speed changes.
But you can feel the difference as the coasting alternates between free with some throttle, and drag with no throttle.
To escape the situation, either take your foot off the gas and truly coast freely, or give the engine a little more throttle so it is not coasting agains the light throttle.
It seems to have started since I had an emissions related recall done in August.
It happens at stop signs and lights, but was most noticeable last night in stop and go driving on the parkway (highway). Not sure if I was going downhill or not. The engine would surge up a little almost every time in between slowing down (almost to a stop) and starting back up. I am not comfortable with this as I am concerned that it may one day take it to the next level and slam me into the car ahead of me!
Also, I don't know if it's related or not, but also since that recall, I have notice the transmission downshifting or jerking sometimes as I complete a stop.
Are these symptoms the same as what you guys are talking about?
I am probably going to make an appointment at the dealer about this.
That is nothing like what I have, which does not concern me at all. When coasting against light throttle, my engine alternates between light gas and no gas, never getting more gas than I am giving it. It is the opposite of a surge.
You have something else. It sounds like your engine gives itself gas, more gas than you are giving it with the throttle. Now that is a surge.
I haven't particularly noticed the binary throttle issue since the reflash, but I'll try to remember to watch for it next time I'm on the downhill.
Does anybody know the fix?
Does it have anything to do with a too hot thermostat? It acts like it's running hot, but I can't tell because it has no guage. When it's still warming up, not totally up to full temp but not cold, it runs perfectly.
I was going to ask if yours is a PZEV, but it's a moot point now. PZEV will drop revs slowly for emissions purposes, but what you describe did not sound normal anyway.