Subaru Crew - General Maintenance & Repair

mailman54

Thanks A.J.

Didn't realize it was an email address. I was thinking QSubaru had a web page on the net to access. No wonder I couldn't access it. Must have got in late on this thread.

Mailman

kspken

Hello all! Based on my readings and the positive things at the Subaru forums I just picked up my 2001 Forester S! Dealership experience was painful as a sudden extra $500 entered the negotiations but i was able to whittle that down to $150.

And now for my question. Anyone know how to SAFELY remove the chromed plastic dealership logo that was adhered to my rear hatch? Its 3 lines long, obnoxious, and i don't feel like providing more free advertising for the dealer! (Guess what that $150 was for?)

I thought I read that a heat gun would do it but I 'm hesitant on my $24K auto!

yellowbikedon

Try using a hair dryer to remove dealer "free" advertising.

A better method is to return to the dealership and TELL them to remove the advertising. By doing it this way, they will be responsible for any damage caused!

Don

jerrys2

There was some discussion of this months ago but haven't seen anything lately. The noise I get at 40-50 MPH is more like a whine...almost like a bearing gone dry, but it seems to be coming from around the passenger side door. Could this be the wind deflecting around the mirror?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I have had the 2000 Outback Ltd. for 9 months and 16000 trouble free miles.

Jerry

lemonowner3

When purchasing a vehicle I always have it written on my order that there will be no advertising labels on my vehicle. I have never had a problem with that. So next time remember to state that. I think that you should take Don's advise and have the dealer remove it.

Karen

miksmi

Great idea, Karen. I forgot to insist on that when I bought ours but fortunately the dealer's ad is just a license plate frame (which I can remove). I'm thinking of painting over part of it, from "TISCHER SUBARU" to "HER SUBARU" (it's my wife's). ..Mike

ateixeira

Mailman: you should thank Francisco, but you're welcome anyways.

Stephen: great, thanks for letting us know. I've been dying from curiosity. 225's do fit then. The rims I may order have an even greater offset from stock, and are also .5" wider, so they also ought to fit.

Mike: you crack me up. At least you have a sense of humor about it!

I removed the stick-on dealers labels too, just by peeling it off, every so slowly. I then cleaned the area, and waxed the whole car. You'd never know it had been there.

-juice

tincup47

I normally ask for the advertising to be removed also, but on our new one all it says is "Annapolis". Since we live in that area, I can live with that

jurek2

Ok, I know, there are a few topic about oils,
but I'm interesting in Subaru Crew opinion.
Is it possible 25000 km(miles !) or one year interval ? Does Pulorator make Subaru filters ?

locke2c

Yes Purolator makes Subaru filters, and don't even think about using a Fram filter.

Oil itself is good beyond 4000 miles but the filter is not. More than 6000-8000 miles on one oil filter is a really bad idea. Since the filter is mounted hanging down, you've no choice but to change the oil every filter change. (Yes most new car manuals indicate oil changes can be done without a filter change. They're smoking some good stuff.)

-Colin

kens

Colin,

Could you enlighten me on why one shouldn't use a Fram filter?

Also, anyone out there have any success using an alternative air filter on their Forester (ie. Amsoil or equivalent)?

Ken

ateixeira

I changed mine at 1k, 7.5k, 15k, and 22.5k miles. It's not all city though, nor is it stop-and-go (conditions matter a LOT).

Seems to be fine. In fact, my mileage keeps improving month after month.

I've been using Fram, and can't see any reason not too. The new grippy coating makes life a whole lot easier for DIYs.

I'm at 25k now, so I'll do the air filter at 30k, what else do you recommend?

-juice

hciaffa

Juice try the site listed below. I believe this fellow is an engineer and had some time on his hands and decided to do this study. In fact he has been asked to shut down the site because he has stepped on some companies toes about it. Its pretty interesting on what he states. Of course he is only stating his opinion. He did this study a while back and this is an update. Surprising to see that Purolater who makes Subaru's filter was a decent filter as well as the AC Delco and Motorcaraft.

http://minimopar.simplenet.com/oilfilterstudy.html

ateixeira

Interesting, but suspect. There are Chyrsler logos all over the place. The claims made about Fram filters seem exxagerated to say the least. If they really fell apart like that they'd be recalled.

The way Subaru positions the filters (facing down), the dirty oil can't flow back into the pan anyway.

It would be interesting to see tests done by, say, Consumer Reports.

-juice

locke2c

You didn't read enough of the site if you think it's suspect. There are cutaways of the fram filter show to support his conclusions.

-Colin

ateixeira

Isn't he looking at just one model for each line of filters, though? AFAIK, they vary a lot.

I also wonder if the new FRAM filters with the grippy coating on the outside are the same on the inside, or different.

Maybe at the 30k oil change I'll break out a knife and carve the old one up, just to see.

-juice

jurek2

When I ask for Amsoil I was not specific, I have been thinking about Amsoil syntetic oil. Anybody use it ? Any comments ?

hammersley

Used it in a 1978 Subaru coupe... with the old 1.8L H4 & M5 tranny.... motor oil, gear lube & air filter... did great things for gas mileage (+15%) & ease of shifting in cold weather... alas, I didn't keep the car long enough to note any longevity difference. 2nd gear was darn near impossible in really cold weather with standard 90W gear oil. The air filter was the oiled foam variety - similar to the K & N product now.

austriash1

I've been close to buying a 00 Forester L, but in Canada they don't come with standard cruise control. I see Legacy cruise control on one of the parts sites mentioned frequently here; any idea if one could be added to a Forester later? The dealer here says no, but I think he's seeing me in an S; considering the difference in equipment (cruise, lim slip dif, different seats, alloys, 16" tires), all I want is cruise.
I enjoy the conference greatly!

ateixeira

I'm 100% sure it can.

Why? Because I did exactly that.

My '98 Forester L did not have cruise, but the dealer added it for me. I forget exactly how much it cost, but they charged some for labor, so it was more than if it had already been on the vehicle.

Still, I'm happy I did, and it was worth it.

-juice

jamespower

Loved your post about dealer decals.

If you just paint out the c, you have 'Tis her Subaru'.

Everyone will think you are Irish, but this is OK.

I like my dealer (!) - the decals can stay.

JP

ateixeira

I also removed the "AWD" stickers on the rear windows.

By now everyone knows all Subarus have it, so I felt it was redundant.

-juice

miksmi

Haha James, that's excellent. The wife IS Irish (well one generation away), so this'll be perfect. I'll see for which one she votes. ..Mike

ateixeira

Actually, you da man.

Notice the Cougar Support Group copied your "Events" topic idea?

-juice

jamespower

The word 'Cougar' seems to have a double meaning in Calgary, hence their topics gives me a chuckle most days.

If I explain this, some of our people will be offended, so I'll leave it to your imagination....

JP

ateixeira

Then "Cougar Support Group" is truly funny.

-juice

ramon

Juice, this might be redundant since you said that everyone should know that Subarus make only AWD vehicles. But I heard some stories about their RSs got towed by a regular truck cus the AWD sticker is gone and the tow guy is a dumb hick who drives only Ford trucks. NE how the owner was unable to sue the tow company cus the AWD sticker is not there. Anyhow I left mine on for reasons like this. Doesn't bother me that much as the stupid Outback Sport decal does!

miksmi

Good point about tow truck drivers that aren't in the AWD know. And stupid Q, but NE = ? Thanks. Mike

2ndwnd

>>And stupid Q, but NE = ?<<

NE = "any" in stupid internet abbreviation.

NE how = anyhow. Including the space, it uses the exact same amount of room. Do U C how NE 1 could get 2 confused by this? I do. I wish people would just use proper English, but that's a rant for another time and place.

As for AWD stickers, my 00 Legacy didn't come with any, just a chrome AWD badge on the back which looks good IMO. (that's an acronym, not a non-standard abbreviation BTW, just like AWD)

Dave

kens

I had the AWD stickers removed on my Forester as well when I tinted my windows. I felt they were kind of redundant because there is an AWD chrome badge on the back of the rear hatch. I also never liked the strange mushroomy design of those stickers anyway.

Tow companies are usually smart enough to ask about the make and model of a particular vehicle before dispatching a truck. When my friend's Audi A4 Quattro needed to be towed, AAA showed up with a flatbed truck. I guess you would be kind of hosed in the boonies...

miksmi

Thx Dave. ..Mike (sorry, couldn't help)

ramon

It's not the ones that I would be afraid of. It's the ones which comes along and tow you car if you park on an illegal parking space. I know I know we're all good law abiding Scooby owners. Well better be safe than sorry.

Internet lingo :
AFAIK = As far as I know
YMMV = your mileage may vary
IMHO = In my humble opinion
BTW = By the way
ROFL = Rolling on floor laughing
LOL = Laughing out Loud
BRP = ?
MYOB = Mine your own business
why is it always 2 cents?

There's soooo many. I think use in moderation it should be ok. But if your message is littered with it, it would get annoying.

L8r = later.

texsubaru

Austriash1: Yep, I just bought a Forester L that didn't have cruise control in it, and as part of the negotiation process, got the dealer to add the Subaru "factory kit" cruise control as part of the deal, so it *absolutely* can be done. I believe it's also possible to get a much cheaper aftermarket cruise kit of some kind installed in a Forester, but I don't know any brand names or anything like that.

lucien2

Yow, I forgot to keep up here...

O.k., first, dealer stickers- Hot water (close to boiling) melts that glue right pronto, and it takes very little. Then a little wash and wax. Budda Boom.

Second, oil changes w'out filter change: Some dealers are now using giant suction tubes inserted in the dipstick area (uh, huh huh..)to suck the old oil out without messing with the underbody. :-0

Suffice to say, I have stopped going to the dealer for oil changes.

Cougar Club: Ya know, I couldn't resist stepping in there yesterday, and they were all talking about washing their kitties :-0

I left quickly. I think they REALLY need to come up with a different nickname for that car. It was funny to read some of them though. I mean, kinda out of context. O.k. Sorry I'll stop.

Back to work....

texsubaru

So, I just changed the wiper blades on my Forester for the first time and was a little stunned by the realization that every single wiper needed a different size replacement (21" for driver side, 19" for passenger size, 15" for rear). I've never encountered that before (this a common SUV thang?), and the owner's manual didn't spell it out very clearly at all. OK, I confess that I should've been able to guess from the exceptionally good overlap the front wipers have that something like that was involved, but it did create an impressive level of bafflement on my face in the auto parts store today ...

armac13

Same thing with my "94" Golf and a whole host of others.

lucien2

I don't think it is an SUV thing, just, as you say, a coverage thing. Most of my friends with VDubs have it, as did my dear departed 1986 4Runner. It does make it a hassle to buy them, since the parts stores sell 'em in pairs, and for some resaon the 'yoda never needed them all changed at once. Which reminds me, I have a bunch of unmated wiper blades for an '86 4Runner for cheap, if anyone wants them

kens

Ditto on the wipers too. My previous Toyota Camry had different sized wipers for the driver and passenger side.

BTW, what aftermarket wiper blade replacement did you find for the Forester? I haven't replaced mine yet and I was wondering how aftermarket parts would fit.

2ndwnd

>>BRP = ?<<

Probably meant that to be...
BRB = be right back
EOM = end of message
NTTAWWT = not that there's anything wrong with that

And finally one you probably shouldn't use except in emergencies,
BMYLS = bite me you little ______!

As for different size wiper blades, I first had that on our Protege', if one starts to go bad I just change the pair, the other will be worn soon anyway, and that way I alway have the same amount of each size. I just checked to see if my Legacy uses different sizes up front and it does, and of course the rear one is smaller than either. Fun.

Dave

locke2c

I use another acronym, and most of the time I find folks have no idea what it is.

WAG = wild-@ssed guess

-Colin

torek

Let us not forget the SWAG, the scientific WAG. :-)

About wipers: my Integra has different lengths for driver and passenger side, but the rear is the same as one of the fronts. So, I can buy two packs of two, and have one blade left over. :-)

I actually have been buying just replacement rubber, which comes in singletons, for the last 6 or so years though.

Chris

ateixeira

Yep, my Escort also had different blade sizes, as does my wife's Mazda. I wonder if there are any cars that DON'T have mismatching sizes!

I don't know, but I'll take a SWAG that BRP just means someone misspelled "burp"

What nicknames have you heard for Subaru's? I like:

Soob
Brew (hilarious)
Subie
Scooby-Doo

What else?

-juice

PS SVX = Snow Vehicle Xtraordinaire

miksmi

Here's my USD 0.02 (which I thought I gave eralier, but I couldn't find it in the archives).

I think Bosch Micro Edge wipers have a clever mechanism for installing blade refills. No busted knuckles. MUCH easier than Anco or the 91 Subaru OEM refills (OEM might be different for 00).

Then again, maybe I'm just a knucklehead who's inept at replacing wiper blades. Anyone tried the Micro Edge Excel blades? Other experiences?

..Mike

2ndwnd

I'm still kind of new to this forum, does anyone know why, just on this particular topic, all 95 responses show up on one long page. The other topics seem to break them up in 20 response blocks. Is it me, or this board?

Curious Dave

oregonman

Same thing on the Legacy wagon at least the 95-99 years - 3 wipers, three sizes. Bit of a pain when the Bosch Micro Edge replacements are sold in packs of two. Anyone else find that the Bosch blades nick easily? I had a set on for less than 6 months and the edges were nicked in 4 or 5 places, leaving small lines on the winshield when in use. I didn't have any heavy ice buildup during that time or anything. I don't know if it had anything to do with age, but they were the second set from those two packs, so they had been sittng in the box on a shelf for a year.

So back to the ones that I can buy one at a time for now. By the way, does anyone here have any experience with the silicone replacement blades?

texsubaru

I too tend to prefer the Bosch Micro Edge, but am not really all that brand loyal on wipers, I must confess.

kea883

Hi to all,

I have really enjoyed my 3 month old Outback so far. I took it to the dealer yesterday to get the first oil change done and have them look into the fact that the rear wiper is very loud and has a nasty "whine" to it. The dealer told me this is normal. In a nasty rain storm a few weeks ago, I needed to keep it on constantly and I couldn't because it was so annoying. Even the radio doesn't drown it out. Does anyone have/not have the same problem? One other note. In 80% city and 20% highway driving, I've been getting anywhere between 22-23 mpg. Not too bad. Once they reopen the section of I-95 that is closed in Delaware, 50% of my daily driving will be highway.
I've really enjoyed these boards so far and have found very useful information. Thanks to all in advance.

Karen

srgk

I have the same whining noise from rear wiper in MY2K Outback. During the first oil change, about a month ago, I complained to dealer service department. They identified bad rear wiper motor and ordered a new one. Last Friday I've got a notification that the part has arrived to dealership. After they will replace a motor, I'll post a comment here.

I have a question too. In idle, the engine sounds relatively quiet about 80% of the time. But, every 15-20 seconds or so, it switches to louder, deep tone for 5-10 seconds. It's more noticeable when the AC is on. Dealer performed the computer diagnostic of the engine and reported no problem. Has anyone experienced the same ?

Another thing. When I picked my car, I immediately removed the center rear headrest to improve rear visibility. The headrest looked all right on the seat, but it's bottom was badly deformed. Again, I complained and the dealership replaced the headrest (they took it from another car from the lot).

Sergey

francophile

The increase in engine noise you hear is the electric engine cooling fans cycling on and off.

Cheers,
WDB

trioxys

has anyone else noticed that lots of Outbacks have a bad seal on the
headlights, allowing moisture to accumulate behind the lens (and
undoubtedly causing problems down the line....)?.

I haven't bought my subaru yet, but i looked at about fourty 96-98's in
the last 2 weeks....... and maybe 4 or 5 of them had this problem.