Also, check all the storage cubbies. When they install the cargo cover, they put the two whole plugs in the right side cubby on my car. Yanked those out quick!
I do all oil changes myself on my '00 OB because my experiences with dealers/shops are they tend to overfill, sometimes a lot. See juice's site for Forester instructions to change yourself or go to dealer/shop and specify exact quantity to refill. I'd even watch them do it. Sorry I don't have Forester spec.'s to give you.
Juice, They gave me the option of having the model with the moonroof. I felt having the leather interior is more important. If you get the moonroof you can't have the leather, because of the side airbags. It didn't take me very long to decide against it, although it is a nice big moonroof. Karen
Came home from the mall the other day to find a scratch on my Forester. It is a fairly deep scratch so I know compounding it won't get the scratch out. I bought a bottle of the Turtle Wax with the pigment in it. My Forester is Blue Ridge Pearl so I bought the dark blue stuff. It did make the scratch much less noticeable, but I can still see it. The wax did a good enough job that I can live it, but does anyone have any suggestions for what else I could do?
I am also looking to buy a roof rack for my Forester so that I can top the canoe. I can buy it from Subaru, but I can get the same Yakima made roof rack from The Rack Warehouse for less money and no shipping charges. I contacted The Rack Warehouse and they told me they couldn't guarantee it would fit because they don't have any of the Forester racks in for the 2001 model. I called Yakima and they said they couldn't guarantee it would fit because they haven't tested them on the 2001 models yet. I'm pretty darn sure that the roof rack on the Forester has changed since last year. Can anyone confirm this for me? I need my rack!
Brett: I usually add about 4.5 quarts of oil to get it right up to the full line.
Karen: no sweat, you can always add it later if you choose. I added a pop-up glass roof, but Hutch had a powered roof added by the dealer even before the sale. Both are ASC, neither leaks.
Skip: I'm pretty sure the rack is identical. I've seen them up close, and at least visually there is absolutely no difference. The models with the premium package don't have the roof rails, but the rack is still the same.
Are empty and rattle-free. Found and moved those little cargo-cover hole covers... the jack/tools are secured in foam inserts, nothing loose, still probing. Have an appt with the dealer.
Here's an update on the Airbag light that just wouldn't shutoff... I took it in, and the dealer checked it on their computer, it came up with two error codes, 12, and 13-but they claimed that there's definitly something wrong, but it would take 3-4 hours to maybe figure it out. At $65 per hour...I'd have hoped they'd be able to tell me what was wrong and fix it. Since it's not under warranty...and I've had all my service done there, they are going to try to get ahold of their SOA rep to see if they'll cover it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and hope that I don't get in an accident in which the airbags need to be counted on...
This is the short version of my recent post to the "crew members" topic. I'm hoping someone here can give me alittle feedback. After installing the rear gate bar on my '00 Outback (inaccurate template and instructions aside) I was thrilled. It works great. However, upon closer inspection I noticed that the sheet metal (rear hatch) is slightly distorted around the point where the bar bolts onto the hatch. It seems obvious to me that the contour of the hatch is different than that of the bar, causing the sheet metal to buckle inward slightly. As I haven't heard this complaint from others I have to assume one of the following:
1) I am far too picky about aesthetics, 2) I bought a defective gate bar, 3) Both of the above.
Well,I just got the message on my answering machine, Subaru is covering the cost of the diagnostics to figure out why the airbag light won't shutoff.I'll have to leave my OBS for a whole day! I'll miss it! Then, once they figure out what it is, they're going to talk to the SOA rep again, so see if the actual repair will be covered. So far I'm pleased with the service. I'm hoping it's just a bad sensor, but either way I'm glad it's being taken care of. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the whole repair will be covered 100%! I'll keep you all posted!
I've asked about this before, but I'm still wondering what the normal drift tendency for the OB should be.
I have 900 miles on the new car now. I returned to the dealer with it two weeks ago and they did do an alignment--slight--front and back. I've got 35psi front, 33psi rear tires. But under most circumstances the car still drifts to the left, sometimes very gradually and sometimes more dramatically. This makes me uneasy.
I could use some advice before I call the service department again. What should I be aiming for here? Thank you for educating me.
>>It seems obvious to me that the contour of the hatch is different than that of the bar, causing the sheet metal to buckle inward slightly.<<
You mentioned that holes made with the template would not match up with the bar. However, if you had followed the template, would you have been able to bend or flex the bar enough to still attach it? If so, that might change the alignment of the mounting surfaces to a more flush fit. Perhaps it was designed that way. Yes I'm grasping at straws.
Kathy, I had a serious pull to the left, which prompted me to get the wheels aligned twice at the dealer. Still didn't fix the problem. Then I got the wheels balanced. Again, no change.
Finally, I just took the wheels off, and cross-rotated them. Voila! problem gone...
Dave, thanks for the response. The template has the drill holes marked too wide, so they would REALLY be off if the bar was bent (inward) to fit the contour of the hatch.
Last night I removed the bar and checked it, sans foam gaskets (which only disguise the problem), and sure enough; the ends of the bar are perfectly in-line, whereas the hatch is curved, allowing only the inside edges of the bar to contact the surface of the hatch. Consequently, I suppose all Outbacks and Legacys with the rear gate bar will show some buckling of sheet metal at the point of connection. I may design a jig (for my hydraulic press) to form some curveture to the bar, or I may contact SoA to gripe, or perhaps both. Unfortunately, the buckling is there to stay now. Someone on the Subaru design team has alittle explaining to do!
Finally, on a related matter, I also purchased the rear dust deflector, uninstalled, with my OB. I haven't been able to mount it yet, as a special "metric rivet-nut insert tool" is needed (a little point the salesman neglected to tell me). The tool costs about $100, so I'll see if I can find someone who'll let me borrow theirs before I buy or build my own. Any suggestions?
Ok, crew - I'm in need of some advice & help. A/C drips on passenger side floor of our 2000 Forester.
Took it back to the dealer yesterday. Service dept claimed some small "pine needle like" objects were blocking a drain hose. Service dept cleaned out the hose & reconnected it. The service tech suggested putting some sort of fine mesh over the air intake by the windshield wipers.
Today I have the same problem. The leak isn't more than an ounce, but over time will cause mustiness and eventually rust.
We park the car in our garage (no trees or stuff getting in the air intake). At work, my wife parks the car in the middle of an open parking lot. Chances of small tree blossoms or flower petals entering are slim.
Today I was parked at a cemetery that had some trees & some little debris that got on the windshield.
But I would think the small stuff would pass right through the drain hose.... or is the hose that small a diameter?
How about advice / suggestions on cleaning out this drain, disconnecting & reconnecting the hose from the evaporator? Could any of this be due to a kink in the hose? Could the interior air filter installation be at fault?
Anyone else having this problem? You would recognize a few drops of water on the passenger's shoes or if you feel under the glove compartment, there would be some water between the air duct & firewall.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Can't be going back to the dealer every day to remedy the problem.
Had our 2000 S since Feb 14th. This is the only problem to date. Great car.
Greetings, Before I start I just wanted to say that this is a wonderful forum and I was truly captivated by it...spent most of the night reading it heh. I am an owner of a 96 Subaru Outback with around 75k miles on it. I feel I've done a lot to take care of this car following the maintenance routine religiously and not to mention spending the $$$ to do it. I bought this car because I felt this car would last me forever with no problems. Now I realize the stupidity of that thought. Anyhow, my check engine light came on and I took the car to my local dealership, which by the way only deals with Subarus, and I was told that I needed an air control idle valve. So I forked over the $428 to get this done. A few days later the light came back on. I took the car back and the service guy told me that I needed some kind of wiring harness for $200 or so. I was infuriated. He told me that the check engine light was connected to so many things that it was difficult to pinpoint the problem. If I would have known that I wouldn't have even spent the initial $428 to fix this "problem." I liked my Outback a lot till now...I wonder if I'm over-reacting and fork over the extra expense and cross my fingers that does the trick. Any suggestions or comments?
It is true that this thing is connected to pretty much everything and come on at the drop of a hat and is a royal pain. But, it is also the fedgov's fault, not Subaru's; they require this stuff in all new cars today.
The real problem in this case appears to be that your dealer did not track down the actual fault. If the engine computer "sees" something odd with the idle control valve, that does not mean that the idle control valve itself is necessarily broken, it just means that the engine computer's readings that have to do with that valve are out of range. There was probably nothing wrong with the valve and instead some wire was loose or pinched or whatever (hence the new diagnosis of replacing a wiring harness) that led to the weird readings.
Of course, it could be that two things broke at once, but this is not very likely. For each engine computer diagnostic reading, there is a "decision tree" (a set of steps that mechanics are supposed to run through) to find out what the problem really is, so that they do not simply replace lots of expensive parts until they get the right one.
I would suggest fussing at the dealership, maybe calling Subaru of America, and/or finding a better dealership or an independent service place (depending on what is left of your warranty). If it turns out that they did not follow the decision tree the first time, they should probably eat the cost of that unneeded new valve.
My 00 OB became a victim of the check engine light syndrome a few days ago. Although, mine was not a seriouse problem. The code indicated a "fuel leak". They cleared the code and supposedly corrected the problem using the old gas cap tightening trick. I was a bit surprised since I am conciencious about tightening the cap as a result of the many posts on Edmunds. Anyhow, its been a day and a half and no light. I suspect a fuel leak is measured by drop in fuel pressure, likely caused by the leaking gas cap.
Paul: I suggest turning the compressor off a miles or so before you arrive. This airs it out and reduces the amount of condensation, and though it may not cure your problem, at a minimum you don't end up with a puddle under the car.
That check engine light is a pain. It's supposed to come on even if there is a single harmless misfire in one cylinder. That's just OBDII for you.
Often it's the O2 sensor. Ask them to check that, too. Though you'd hope the codes would help them diagnose it.
Monday morning on my way into work I caught a piece of gravel in just the right place on my windshield. And just like Mr. Cage my windshield was gone in 60 seconds. I watched the crack grow and grow. The dealer I bought the car from quoted me $370 for replacement but the local Safelite replaced it for $250 plus tax and would have done it in my driveway for the same price. The windshield looks exactly the same, has the "dot-mesh around the border and above the mirror. Kudos to safelite.
Can you get any information from FHI contacts about when the 2.5L DOHC began using the Phase II block? (7 bolt transmission, thrust bearing on #3 main)
Actually, I have a follow up too. Is there any way to identify 2.5L DOHC engines using the skirtless pistons? Casting numbers, build dates... anything besides removing the cylinder heads and looking.
The EXACT same thing happened to us. You really have to tighten the gas cap until you hear a couple of clicks or that horrible blinking light will come on again. It happened a few months a ago and has not happened again in the last 5000miles. Did you try and drive with that damn blinking light at night? It lights up the whole car.
I wish Subaru would provide an owner reset and recheck to separate the little problems from the big ones.
Unplug the battery or the fuse label SBF02 in the underhood fuse box. Leave it unplugged overnight if possible to be sure.
Plug it in the next morning and start the engine. Idle should fluctuate quite a bit, DO NOT TOUCH THE GAS. After the idle settles, shut off the engine. Now restart it and drive off on your merry way.
Thanks for the info, juice, but I believe my long post may have resulted in a miscommunication.
Problem is A/C drips inside the car on the passenger side. Sometimes drips right on my bare foot. Besides wearing shoes in the car, any ideas on why the A/C condensation is leaking out here? Any suggestions about keeping tree debris out of the drain hose?
It's almost certainly a plugged drain hose. I had the same problem in my Jeep. Took it in several times. The first couple the tech claimed that it wasn't plugged but couldn't adequately explain the drip into the passenger compartment. Finally took it to another service dept and they confirmed that it was plugged and fixed it(usually a few blasts of compressed air does the trick). In fact, if you can find where the hose plugs into the A/C unit, you may be able to clear it yourself with a can of compressed air. Once you get the drain hose cleared, I wouldn't worry about it getting replugged. My Jeep was 6 years old before it happened to it and many cars never develop the problem. Also, installing a screen over the intake won't necessarily help either since the hose can still become plugged with normal mildew/fungus/crud.
I'm pleased to say the once my dealer talked to their Subaru rep, the diagnostic to figure out what the problem with the airbag would be covered, even though my warranty had run out. They found that it's the "airbag controller"...some sort of computer thing. A cost of $1200 for the part. After they talked to the Sub. rep again, Subaru will pay for the part and labor! I'm very pleased! They're ordering the part, and I'll be able to wait while they fix it up.
I'm glad that they're covering this seeing as how I've never been in any accident, and safety is important to me. Cheers to Subaru! Since this is my first experience with the car/company-you can bet I'll be a return customer!
My husband installed the rear gate bar on our OB 2000 without any problems. He did not rely on the templates because they were off by at least 1/2". He drilled the holes, painted them, siliconed the bar to prevent water rust, and the bar looks perfect. There are no signs of buckling on the metal whatsoever. Maybe there was a problem with your bar. Sorry it didn't work out as well with your installation.
Well, I got my first oil-change @ 3000K for my 2001 Forester, and I've noticed a very minor leak. The amount seems to be less than a spoonful over 24 hours.
Should I go back to Jiffy Lube or can I just leave it be?
Even if it's a small leak, I'd go back and have them fix it or get a refund and bring the car to someone more competent. I also wouldn't wait; if they damaged the seal on the oil filter or something, a minor leak could become a rapid leak.
Per the owner's manual, the sealing washer on the drain plug should be replaced with every oil change. The kids at Jiffy Lube probably need to be reminded of that everytime you bring your car there.
Jiffy Lube is very convenient and I've used them too, but in my experience, you need to watch them closely.
Yep, if it's definitely a leak (and not just some residual spilled oil left over from the oil change; in other words, if the oil keeps appearing more than a day later), I'd take it back. And, having taken vehicles back more than once to get them to do it right, I've found that sometimes you have to be pretty firm with Jiffy Lube folks to get them to do it absolutely right.
When running my 1 week old Outback with the A/C on, I notice that approximately every 3 minutes, the A/C seems to get warm for about 15 seconds, then gets cold again. It's almost as if the compressor is disengaging. The manual states that this may happen when the engine is under load, but this is happening when I'm cruising at highway speeds.
I also noticed while waiting in line for inspection for 45 minutes on an 80 degree day with the A/C off, the air coming from the vent was warm. Does this sound normal?
Not to be a wiseguy or anything, but do you really expect 80 degree air vented throught the vicinity of a hot engine to feel cool coming through your vents? As far as the 15-second cooling lapses on the highway, sounds like a vacuum leak, but there is definitely something amiss. Have the dealer check it ASAP. As far as the oil leak, Simon, first make sure Jiffy Lube used the correct oil filter; an incorrect filter, even if it fits, will void your warranty. The leak is probably coming from the filter area; I don't think my oil change place ever changes the gasket around the plug in my '97 (I probably should buy some and bring them along), and I've never had a drip from the plug. You can try to tighten the filter (when it's cool). A 1/4 turn clockwise may be all it needs. There's also the possibility that the gasket from the old filter stayed on the mount, so there are two gaskets there now; that will cause a leak, too. The difference between some of the "technicians" at fast lubes vs. the "technicians" at some dealer service centers is only their hourly pay rate. Plus, the fast lube can screw up your car in 10 minutes or less, while the dealership makes it an all-day affair. If you're going to use a fast lube for oil changes, I recommend finding one that advertises Quaker State. That way you can sign up for the free 10 year/250,000 mile engine warranty (trust me, it's legitimate and the best product warranty I've ever heard of; Who covers thousands of dollars in potential repairs to sell $20-$30 per year worth of product?) You can read about it at quakerstate.com
I have to agree with lwhitty on the warm air comment. The air that comes through the vents w/o AC is notably warmer than the outside air. I find myself turning the AC on for 30 seconds or so to cool the ventilation ductwork down, then turning it off again; this helps for a while, but if the car sits still for any length of time things start warming up again.
As for the AC cycling off/on: assuming it happens even if you have the temperature control turned all the way counterclockwise, it might be a misadjustment or a bad temperature sensor. Have the dealer look at it.
There is no recall or bulletin on that problem. But it's a well known problem on the 1995-1998 models. My web site for parts is qsubaru.homepage.com I don't list everything available, so e-mail me if there's something your looking for.
Seriously though, it doesn't surprise me a bit that the vent air would be hot. It draws at the base of the windshield, and the whole hood is going to be very hot while idling. Vent would probably be sufficient while traveling continuously over 30-40MPH, but a lot of stop & go or idling should produce exactly what you observed.
I don't consider you a wise guy (much:). The reason I mentioned this was because of the problem I'm having with my A/C. I'm just making observations to try and find out what the problem is. I thought it might be the baffle in the ductwork not blocking hot air coming off the heater core and releasing it through the vents.
I would expect the air to be warmer coming through the ductwork with the car stopped, but the difference in temperature was considerable.
The car's going into the dealer to have the alarm system installed, so I'll have the experts take a look at it.
"The difference between some of the "technicians" at fast lubes vs. the "technicians" at some dealer service centers is...the fast lube can screw up your car in 10 minutes or less, while the dealership makes it an all-day affair."
I find myself using a/c on sunny but relatively cool spring and fall days because I don't like riding with the windows open at highway speed (too much "turbulence" and noise), and the vent does seem to channel warmer than expected air. This seems to be the case in the three Legacies I've had. Tip: make sure the recirculated air button is not pressed; this is ideal only for a/c usage.
Way to go, Amy. Glad to hear they covered it even after the warranty.
gt: loved the "10 minutes or less" comment also.
Now that I think about it, my Escort also leaked in the interior, but it was so slow it never bothered me. I had low freon (yes, that was in the freon days), and later the compressor itself leaked. It was a painful $700 repair. Can't be sure if either caused the leak, though.
I had a new '93 Escort wagon that I brought into a "speedy lube" for it's first oil change. All seemed OK at the time. I decided to do the second oil change myself. When I was unable to loosen the drain plug, which must have been put on with an impact wrench, I brought it to a relative's auto shop and put it on a lift. Neither of us could loosen the plug, and proceeded to strip the head of the plug in the process. We had to weld a steel bar to the drain plug to crack it loose, and the amount of force it took was unbelievable. Fortunately the threads in the oil pan were not damaged.
Although an oil change is a simple procedure, screwing it up can get very expensive. Choose your auto service centers wisely!
Comments
-Colin
-juice
See juice's site for Forester instructions to change yourself or go to dealer/shop and specify exact quantity to refill. I'd even watch them do it. Sorry I don't have Forester spec.'s to give you.
-Brett
They gave me the option of having the model with the moonroof. I felt having the leather interior is more important. If you get the moonroof you can't have the leather, because of the side airbags. It didn't take me very long to decide against it, although it is a nice big moonroof.
Karen
I am also looking to buy a roof rack for my Forester so that I can top the canoe. I can buy it from Subaru, but I can get the same Yakima made roof rack from The Rack Warehouse for less money and no shipping charges. I contacted The Rack Warehouse and they told me they couldn't guarantee it would fit because they don't have any of the Forester racks in for the 2001 model. I called Yakima and they said they couldn't guarantee it would fit because they haven't tested them on the 2001 models yet. I'm pretty darn sure that the roof rack on the Forester has changed since last year. Can anyone confirm this for me? I need my rack!
Thanks in advance for any replies,
Skip
Skip
Ross
Karen: no sweat, you can always add it later if you choose. I added a pop-up glass roof, but Hutch had a powered roof added by the dealer even before the sale. Both are ASC, neither leaks.
Skip: I'm pretty sure the rack is identical. I've seen them up close, and at least visually there is absolutely no difference. The models with the premium package don't have the roof rails, but the rack is still the same.
Let us know what you end up getting.
-juice
little cargo-cover hole covers... the jack/tools are secured in foam inserts, nothing loose, still probing. Have an appt with the dealer.
-juice
I took it in, and the dealer checked it on their computer, it came up with two error codes, 12, and 13-but they claimed that there's definitly something wrong, but it would take 3-4 hours to maybe figure it out. At $65 per hour...I'd have hoped they'd be able to tell me what was wrong and fix it. Since it's not under warranty...and I've had all my service done there, they are going to try to get ahold of their SOA rep to see if they'll cover it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and hope that I don't get in an accident in which the airbags need to be counted on...
-juice
1) I am far too picky about aesthetics,
2) I bought a defective gate bar,
3) Both of the above.
All advise appreciated,
Yet-Another-Dave
So far I'm pleased with the service. I'm hoping it's just a bad sensor, but either way I'm glad it's being taken care of. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the whole repair will be covered 100%! I'll keep you all posted!
-juice
I have 900 miles on the new car now. I returned to the dealer with it two weeks ago and they did do an alignment--slight--front and back. I've got 35psi front, 33psi rear tires. But under most circumstances the car still drifts to the left, sometimes very gradually and sometimes more dramatically. This makes me uneasy.
I could use some advice before I call the service department again. What should I be aiming for here? Thank you for educating me.
--Kathy
the contour of the hatch is different than that of
the bar, causing the sheet metal to buckle inward
slightly.<<
You mentioned that holes made with the template would not match up with the bar. However, if you had followed the template, would you have been able to bend or flex the bar enough to still attach it? If so, that might change the alignment of the mounting surfaces to a more flush fit. Perhaps it was designed that way. Yes I'm grasping at straws.
Dave
Though that's probably the shape of the road. On a flat surface it should track straight (my Forester does even with 28k old tires).
Ask the dealer to rotate the tires and try the alignment again. It's tricky but they should be able to get it right.
-juice
Finally, I just took the wheels off, and cross-rotated them. Voila! problem gone...
- ash
Last night I removed the bar and checked it, sans foam gaskets (which only disguise the problem), and sure enough; the ends of the bar are perfectly in-line, whereas the hatch is curved, allowing only the inside edges of the bar to contact the surface of the hatch. Consequently, I suppose all Outbacks and Legacys with the rear gate bar will show some buckling of sheet metal at the point of connection. I may design a jig (for my hydraulic press) to form some curveture to the bar, or I may contact SoA to gripe, or perhaps both. Unfortunately, the buckling is there to stay now. Someone on the Subaru design team has alittle explaining to do!
Finally, on a related matter, I also purchased the rear dust deflector, uninstalled, with my OB. I haven't been able to mount it yet, as a special "metric rivet-nut insert tool" is needed (a little point the salesman neglected to tell me). The tool costs about $100, so I'll see if I can find someone who'll let me borrow theirs before I buy or build my own. Any suggestions?
Yet-Another-Dave
And for the true enthusiast, see these
valve stem caps with Subaru logo.
Info based on an i Club post by SubieGal (Jamie) (and yes, she really does auto-cross).
Whew, six embedded URLs in one post.. I'm bushed!
..Mike
..Mike
Mike - you ought to plop that first one in the Cleaning topics, they'll love it.
My new rims came with matching valve stem caps, though those do look pretty cool.
-juice
..Mike
Took it back to the dealer yesterday. Service dept claimed some small "pine needle like" objects were blocking a drain hose. Service dept cleaned out the hose & reconnected it. The service tech suggested putting some sort of fine mesh over the air intake by the windshield wipers.
Today I have the same problem. The leak isn't more than an ounce, but over time will cause mustiness and eventually rust.
We park the car in our garage (no trees or stuff getting in the air intake). At work, my wife parks the car in the middle of an open parking lot. Chances of small tree blossoms or flower petals entering are slim.
Today I was parked at a cemetery that had some trees & some little debris that got on the windshield.
But I would think the small stuff would pass right through the drain hose.... or is the hose that small a diameter?
How about advice / suggestions on cleaning out this drain, disconnecting & reconnecting the hose from the evaporator? Could any of this be due to a kink in the hose? Could the interior air filter installation be at fault?
Anyone else having this problem? You would recognize a few drops of water on the passenger's shoes or if you feel under the glove compartment, there would be some water between the air duct & firewall.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Can't be going back to the dealer every day to remedy the problem.
Had our 2000 S since Feb 14th. This is the only problem to date. Great car.
Thanks,
Paul
Before I start I just wanted to say that this is a wonderful forum and I was truly captivated by it...spent most of the night reading it heh. I am an owner of a 96 Subaru Outback with around 75k miles on it. I feel I've done a lot to take care of this car following the maintenance routine religiously and not to mention spending the $$$ to do it. I bought this car because I felt this car would last me forever with no problems. Now I realize the stupidity of that thought.
Anyhow, my check engine light came on and I took the car to my local dealership, which by the way only deals with Subarus, and I was told that I needed an air control idle valve. So I forked over the $428 to get this done. A few days later the light came back on. I took the car back and the service guy told me that I needed some kind of wiring harness for $200 or so. I was infuriated. He told me that the check engine light was connected to so many things that it was difficult to pinpoint the problem. If I would have known that I wouldn't have even spent the initial $428 to fix this "problem." I liked my Outback a lot till now...I wonder if I'm over-reacting and fork over the extra expense and cross my fingers that does the trick. Any suggestions or comments?
Thanx,
Keri
The real problem in this case appears to be that your dealer did not track down the actual fault. If the engine computer "sees" something odd with the idle control valve, that does not mean that the idle control valve itself is necessarily broken, it just means that the engine computer's readings that have to do with that valve are out of range. There was probably nothing wrong with the valve and instead some wire was loose or pinched or whatever (hence the new diagnosis of replacing a wiring harness) that led to the weird readings.
Of course, it could be that two things broke at once, but this is not very likely. For each engine computer diagnostic reading, there is a "decision tree" (a set of steps that mechanics are supposed to run through) to find out what the problem really is, so that they do not simply replace lots of expensive parts until they get the right one.
I would suggest fussing at the dealership, maybe calling Subaru of America, and/or finding a better dealership or an independent service place (depending on what is left of your warranty). If it turns out that they did not follow the decision tree the first time, they should probably eat the cost of that unneeded new valve.
Chris
That check engine light is a pain. It's supposed to come on even if there is a single harmless misfire in one cylinder. That's just OBDII for you.
Often it's the O2 sensor. Ask them to check that, too. Though you'd hope the codes would help them diagnose it.
-juice
Monday morning on my way into work I caught a piece of gravel in just the right place on my windshield. And just like Mr. Cage my windshield was gone in 60 seconds. I watched the crack grow and grow.
The dealer I bought the car from quoted me $370 for replacement but the local Safelite replaced it for $250 plus tax and would have done it in my driveway for the same price. The windshield looks exactly the same, has the "dot-mesh around the border and above the mirror.
Kudos to safelite.
http://www.impreza-rs.com/NonCGI/Forum1/HTML/010028.html
Now my questions:
Can you get any information from FHI contacts about when the 2.5L DOHC began using the Phase II block? (7 bolt transmission, thrust bearing on #3 main)
Actually, I have a follow up too. Is there any way to identify 2.5L DOHC engines using the skirtless pistons? Casting numbers, build dates... anything besides removing the cylinder heads and looking.
Thanks.
-Colin
I wish Subaru would provide an owner reset and recheck to separate the little problems from the big ones.
I'd like the idiot light reset button, too, but OBDII won't let us have it.
-juice
Plug it in the next morning and start the engine. Idle should fluctuate quite a bit, DO NOT TOUCH THE GAS. After the idle settles, shut off the engine. Now restart it and drive off on your merry way.
You've just reset the ECU.
-Colin
Problem is A/C drips inside the car on the passenger side. Sometimes drips right on my bare foot. Besides wearing shoes in the car, any ideas on why the A/C condensation is leaking out here? Any suggestions about keeping tree debris out of the drain hose?
Thanks again,
Paul
It's almost certainly a plugged drain hose. I had the same problem in my Jeep. Took it in several times. The first couple the tech claimed that it wasn't plugged but couldn't adequately explain the drip into the passenger compartment. Finally took it to another service dept and they confirmed that it was plugged and fixed it(usually a few blasts of compressed air does the trick). In fact, if you can find where the hose plugs into the A/C unit, you may be able to clear it yourself with a can of compressed air. Once you get the drain hose cleared, I wouldn't worry about it getting replugged. My Jeep was 6 years old before it happened to it and many cars never develop the problem. Also, installing a screen over the intake won't necessarily help either since the hose can still become plugged with normal mildew/fungus/crud.
Frank P.
They found that it's the "airbag controller"...some sort of computer thing. A cost of $1200 for the part. After they talked to the Sub. rep again, Subaru will pay for the part and labor! I'm very pleased! They're ordering the part, and I'll be able to wait while they fix it up.
I'm glad that they're covering this seeing as how I've never been in any accident, and safety is important to me.
Cheers to Subaru! Since this is my first experience with the car/company-you can bet I'll be a return customer!
benjo
Should I go back to Jiffy Lube or can I just leave it be?
Thanks in advance,
-Simon
Per the owner's manual, the sealing washer on the drain plug should be replaced with every oil change. The kids at Jiffy Lube probably need to be reminded of that everytime you bring your car there.
Jiffy Lube is very convenient and I've used them too, but in my experience, you need to watch them closely.
for what it's worth, Mary
I also noticed while waiting in line for inspection for 45 minutes on an 80 degree day with the A/C off, the air coming from the vent was warm. Does this sound normal?
-Lee
As far as the oil leak, Simon, first make sure Jiffy Lube used the correct oil filter; an incorrect filter, even if it fits, will void your warranty. The leak is probably coming from the filter area; I don't think my oil change place ever changes the gasket around the plug in my '97 (I probably should buy some and bring them along), and I've never had a drip from the plug. You can try to tighten the filter (when it's cool). A 1/4 turn clockwise may be all it needs. There's also the possibility that the gasket from the old filter stayed on the mount, so there are two gaskets there now; that will cause a leak, too.
The difference between some of the "technicians" at fast lubes vs. the "technicians" at some dealer service centers is only their hourly pay rate. Plus, the fast lube can screw up your car in 10 minutes or less, while the dealership makes it an all-day affair.
If you're going to use a fast lube for oil changes, I recommend finding one that advertises Quaker State. That way you can sign up for the free 10 year/250,000 mile engine warranty (trust me, it's legitimate and the best product warranty I've ever heard of; Who covers thousands of dollars in potential repairs to sell $20-$30 per year worth of product?) You can read about it at quakerstate.com
As for the AC cycling off/on: assuming it happens even if you have the temperature control turned all the way counterclockwise, it might be a misadjustment or a bad temperature sensor. Have the dealer look at it.
Cheers,
WDB
But it's a well known problem on the 1995-1998
models.
My web site for parts is qsubaru.homepage.com
I don't list everything available, so e-mail me if there's something your looking for.
Darlene
Seriously though, it doesn't surprise me a bit that the vent air would be hot. It draws at the base of the windshield, and the whole hood is going to be very hot while idling. Vent would probably be sufficient while traveling continuously over 30-40MPH, but a lot of stop & go or idling should produce exactly what you observed.
-Colin
I don't consider you a wise guy (much:). The reason I mentioned this was because of the problem I'm having with my A/C. I'm just making observations to try and find out what the problem is. I thought it might be the baffle in the ductwork not blocking hot air coming off the heater core and releasing it through the vents.
I would expect the air to be warmer coming through the ductwork with the car stopped, but the difference in temperature was considerable.
The car's going into the dealer to have the alarm system installed, so I'll have the experts take a look at it.
-Lee
at fast lubes vs. the "technicians" at some dealer
service centers is...the fast lube can screw up your car in 10 minutes or less, while the dealership makes it an all-day affair."
gt: loved the "10 minutes or less" comment also.
Now that I think about it, my Escort also leaked in the interior, but it was so slow it never bothered me. I had low freon (yes, that was in the freon days), and later the compressor itself leaked. It was a painful $700 repair. Can't be sure if either caused the leak, though.
-juice
Although an oil change is a simple procedure, screwing it up can get very expensive. Choose your auto service centers wisely!
-Lee