The H6 looks good. In 4 years when my trooper is paid off I may have to get a leg GT w/h6 sedan Or hopefully they'll have a sports car or sports coupe with the H6 in it.
Well, I finally got to venture off-road in my new OB, and had fun. The trail we were driving on had many gulches from a recent storm, and I had one precarious situation when the gulch I was straddling widened into a canyon. Fortunately, I was able to reverse course a few dozen feet and steer around the whole thing (which is what I should have done in the first place). After navigating the trail, we arrived at a nice secluded cabin on the shore of the James river (in VA), and had a nice day with spectacular weather. Of course I have the token Soob picture to show:
A question: while my OB only has about 400 miles on the odo and is still quite "green", I have noticed that the steering wheel shakes a little when braking from high speeds, as if the front rotors were slightly warped. Is it possible that this is a break-in anomaly that will go away, or should I make an appointment at the dealer to get the rotors checked out? I'm inclined to wait until 1000 miles or so before I worry too much about it.
If your rotors are warped, you will definitely be able to feel pulsing though the brake pedal when slowing down, usually from no matter what speed.
There's no harm getting the rotors and brakes examined, but I think that you should first check the pressure of all of the tires to make sure they're all within the Subaru's minimum specs. If you have a torque wrench, you could also check and see if the lug nuts are torqued to proper specs. Both are possible causes of the vibration.
Re: your post #369, that pertains to an image taken from an established web site with a URL. What if it is an image from your desktop? How do you embed that?
I'm assuming that you save it as a low-resolution (72 res) jpg first. Then what?
Thanks for your ideas. The shaking I feel is only through the steering wheel, not the brake pedal, so maybe it is not the rotors. I checked the tire pressure, and it was indeed high -- 36psi all around versus the recommended 30F/29R. I aired out the tires, and also loosened and re-torqued all the lugs to 65 ft-lb. It's usually a good idea to re-torque new alloy wheels after a few hundred miles anyhow. We'll see if it makes a difference when I get on the highway tomorrow.
I think the hooks that the dealer is referring to are mounted at the back of the cargo compartment slightly below where the luggage compartment cover attaches. Once (if) these hooks are installed, you can attach the cargo net itself in less than 30 seconds. The bottom of the net attaches to the rear two tie-downs via clips and the top to the hooks via elastic cords.
There's a good chance your Forester is predrilled for these hooks. If there are a couple of gray plugs on either side of the rear interior trim then you should be set. If not, you'll have to make the holes yourself. Let me know if it comes to that and I'll take mine apart to see how the hooks are mounted. In any case, there's no way I'd pay a hundred dollars to the dealer to install a $21 item!
Ok, I drive a 2000 Legacy GT, I have yet to figure out what that little compartment in back of the armrest storage compartment is for. You know the the one that would almost fit a cassette tape. Anybody have any creative uses for it?
Locke2c, GTdriver Of course I realize that the defogger always blows cold air when the engine is cold. What I'm complaining about is that, with the AC compression working, the air is at least 15 degrees colder than the outside air. So I just want to have to option of turning the AC off while using the defog setting.
And with air coming out of the defog vents only, it still hits my face.
It could be something as simple as the front wheels being out of balance; it wouldn't be the first time the factory didn't balance perfectly. But more likely it's the rotors, especially if you have been stopping unusually abruptly during initial break-in. Even still, I wouldn't expect that to occur for at least several thousand miles.
As far as ground clearance, I wasn't trying to play down the extra 1 1/2" of clearance in the OB. In fact, the OB has more (at least so I've heard) than the Ford Explorer. But as much as I'm no lover of Ford products or SUV's, I'd still opt for the Explorer if I were doing some real off-roading, such as the type you do in Jeep Wranglers or Land Rovers. There's something to be said for ladder style frame on body construction, heavy duty shocks and springs, and a 4WD transfer case with a low-range. But I agree, for off-roading "lite", you can't beat an OB.
jres, I have the same question about that spot in the console box; It does hold the small Duracell flashlight very nicely, though.
I took my new 2001 S+ to its first outing, to the mountains (traveled CA Hwy 4 up to Calaveras). It performed very well: climbed hills effortlessly, negotiated steep curves with great confidence. A/C worked very well: we were totally cool even traveling under baking sun (92 F) in the Great Valley, and we kept A/C fan on the lowest (1) setting. There was no noticeable change in engine performance between altitudes of 150 ft and 5000 ft.
Sound from cassette/CD was ok, but not outstanding when it comes to classics. Then again I'm not an audiofile, and mostly listen to books on tape anyway. For that reason, I chose to skip Premium sound package. And, come to think of it, neither Mozart nor Tchaikovsky (sp?) planned for their music to be listened to in the cars, right? ;-)
BTW, I noticed very many Subarus on the mountain roads. Mostly Outbacks, quite a few Legacys, handful of Foresters... but no Imprezas. At some point, I counted 5 Legacys/Outbacks in the row, in the oncoming traffic on Hwy 4.
The similar cubby in the Forester fits a cell phone nicely.
When running the defroster, I still get air in the front side vents. They close manually.
Hmm, GT or Outback? Different flavors, really. Pick the GT for stricly pavement use, handling, SCCA racing. The Outback for light trails, not-so-light trails, and to keep up with the Joneses (brutish image is in, guys).
Does size matter? Hope so, with my new wheels and tires I gained 3/4" in front and 1 1/4" in back. That's at least 8 1/4" now. Got the diffy protector, too, just haven't installed it yet. I know, I'm gadget crazy! Once it's out of warranty, I probably will get taller springs and to get it up to 10" of clearance. I'll get a WRX for daily use. Wagon, of course.
That site of pikes peak looks inviting. Wouldn't it be great to take just one run?
Beth: I gawked at retail prices for the cargo net, too, so I got an aftermarket one. Hadn't heard of QSubaru at the time, and turns out I paid more than Darlene charges for the OE net (oops!).
I had to drill two holes, though it was not hard at all, and I imagine the OE one is easier since it's custom.
So the Subaru card gives points that can be used for maintenance? Not a bad trade-off for the smaller percentage.
Rich: thanks for sharing the H6 photos. I too like the "engine condom". I didn't realize the grille goes up with the hood like that, my Forester is different.
Love that new Blue color on the Forester, and that snow pic. Keep 'em coming!
I'm with you Gearhead. It doesn't make sense to me that as you are trying to melt the ice off the windshield you have the ac compressor running. I guess some people have not had the joy of driving through freezing rain when it is hard to keep the windshield from icing up. As previously mentioned, when it is cold outside and the heater is on, the interior of the car gets so dry that having an ac remove even more moisture really isn't needed. Granted, when first getting in a car after some hard physical exercise (such as shoveling your neighbour's non-AWD car out of the ditch) the ac is very useful for removing alot of the humidity, but after a few minutes it just is not necessary.
If the ac auto on is a safety issue as some have stated, I wonder if there have been any tests conducted that show a reduction in accidents with this feature? "Stupid" drivers are a way of life and I suspect other distractions such as coffee, donuts, cel phones, radio, etc have caused more accidents than windshields that are foggy because no ac was used to clear them.
Maybe the full time ac can be left on for southern cars, and a switchable ac be part of the cold weather package?
I think in the end we shall all agree to disagree.
MikeF and Gearhead4, please perform this simple test.
Start your Subaru. Wait for the engine to reach normal operating temperature as indicated on the water temp gauge. Now turn the selector to defrost and the and heat to full hot. Now turn on the fan blower. Is that air really 15 degrees colder than outside? Maybe, if you're in Phoenix and it's 118. It is still plenty hot enough to melt ice, and keep moisture from condensing on the inside while doing it.
Well, if I were doing true off roading, there is no way I'd be taking any car or SUV on it. The abuse that a trail puts on it will make it looser than anything in no time. I'd much rather get an old wrangler or old landcruiser to mess around on trails with. The OB and modern SUVs are far too delicate to take on real off road trails. As for "lite" stuff, the current SUVs or OBs are just fine....
-mike
PS: my last lease was taken on 1 too many true off road adventures and I'm just glad that it was a lease cause it never drove quite the same on-road after the off road trails.
Good test. Now could you repeat that when it is -15 with freezing rain and you are driving at 40 mph or so? There is no dispute that you will still get hot air, the questions are "How long until you get hot air (as the engine is warming up)?","Is it as hot as without the ac?", "Is it hot enough to melt ice (from the windshield and side windows)under bad conditions?" and "Why run the ac when you don't need to?". I could turn on the furnace at home and start the ac, too, but it seems like a bit of a waste to me. Guess that's why I use a home humidifier in winter and a dehumidifier(or ac) in the summer.
I understand you want the ac to stay on, gearhead and I don't. For our driving conditions and/or preferences, it is not a desired feature. The side mirror and seat heaters sure are nice though :-)
Disconnect the connector to the A/C Compressor from Oct-May. There should be a clip with 2 wires that runs the A/C Compressor, then you will have no A/C Oct-May.
The Forester really is a great vehicle for driving around California. If you ever go up to the Sierras, you'll see tons more Subarus up there. Last summer when I drove up to Tahoe, my wife and I noticed that every 5th or 6th vehicle up there was a Subaru! The majority were Outbacks and older Legacy wagons, but I did see a couple of Sports as well as Foresters.
Hi - Noticed something interesting this weekend driving around my 2K OB Wagon 5-spd.
If you have your cruise control on and then take it out of gear into neutral WITHOUT TOUCHING the clutch or brake (e.g. by accelerating, and then gently putting it into neutral as it is decelerating), after a few seconds the system will sense you are slowing lower than the setpoint and try to accelerate - the engine will redline itself and stay there pegged at the rev limiter until you turn the cruise control off (with any of them many methods).
I suspect the same will happen with the auto if you pop it into neutral when the cruise is on.
The engine is so quiet that at 70mph I did not even notice the engine was pegged for a few seconds until I looked down at the tach!!
It is a good idea to run it once a month or so anyway, to keep the various internal bits lubricated and wetted and whatever. Reconnecting it once a month just to do that seems like a pain.
One thing I have noticed is that if the selector is set on "defrost" and you do not press the A/C button, the air that comes out is not nearly as cool as what comes out if you do press the A/C button. Thus, if it is running the air conditioner compressor, it is not running anywhere near "full strength".
That's interesting, but you're not supposed to disengage 5th gear without putting the foot on the clutch. So under proper operation, it shouldn't happen anyway.
Does the clutch kill cruise? It should. In the auto tranny, changing to neutral also should.
-juice
PS Bummber: my pages are ready and the homepage.com server is down.
I've already covered the fact that the heater would be inadequate when the engine is not warmed up whether the AC compressor was on or not. Sit in the car and DON'T MOVE until the engine is warm. If you're freezing, you're not dressed appropriately. Once again, resist the temptation to get underway before the engine is warm-- not for fear of the engine, but for the fact you won't have a functional heater. Like I said 50-100 posts ago, you are actually slowing down the rate at which the engine heats up by turning on the fan blower early.
The impreza is my second car that has this feature and it's the same as all the others without it-- hot heater when the enginge is warm, ineffectual when cold.
Colin, Doesn't the thermostat keep the water in the radiator until the thermostat determines that it should circulate? If that is true, then it doesn't matter if you put the blower on or not, cause the cold water in the heater core isn't circulating.
I'm not a frequent poster here and I'll probably be going over tired ground, but I noticed aakerson's, bg18947's posts and the little OB v. GT flame war and felt it time to comment.
I spent the weekend in a rental 2000 OB which I picked up from Hertz in (of all places) Myrtle Beach, SC. Last fall I test drove an OB and a GT before I decided on a Forester S (all 2000s); in my admittedly short-term test drives I ranked them Forester > GT > OB at the time.
I spent 2 days, 3 nights with the OB on mostly rough narrow 2-lane blacktop which had been beaten up by construction vehicles building an Interstate through what had been farmland and swamps. I also spent a good deal of time off pavement on rough gravel, clay, sand and coquina (kind of a limestone-crushed shell-tabby mix) unimproved roads, with lots of ruts and washboarding. Think "Prince of Tides" location shots.
With the extended time in the OB, I think I made the right choice - for now - in the Forester. I say for now because maybe someday I'll want that extra room and bit more plushness, but I definitely see that the OB (and GT for that matter) could stand the extra power of the H6.
The general consensus is spot on - if you'll never go off smooth pavement, the GT is best. But if you'll be on rural roads a lot, you'll want that added clearance. Since I'll no doubt be spending more time in that environment as my parents age I'll stick with the Forester or go to an H6 OB.
Some other (very subjective) general observations:
1. OB and GT feel more "Americanized" in their controls, e.g. turn signal stalk, radio and climate knobs. Guess it's 'cause they're built here?
2. OB headlights' illumination worse than Forester's, but its fog lights are better. See the earlier post on OB fog lights' superiority to GT's - shape has a lot to do with it.
3. I wish the Forester had gear indicator on instrument panel like OB (or paddle shifter like the B4), but I don't really need it since Forester's AT gate is straight, not notched like OB's. I'm not sure of the purpose of the latter - trying to imitate Jag or MB? Do you AT-equipped OB owners manually shift often? It IS a nice gearshift knob.
4. I still don't like the OB's cladding, yet somehow I don't mind the Forester's that much. (Maybe a raised OB with the GT's cladding, or no cladding at all? But how would you get the nice fog lights?) Both would benefit from a monotone option exclusive of a premium package.
Ah well, to each his own. Each Soob has its own group of fans. Keep up the good work, all - I've really learned a lot here.
Impressions so far: much quieter, you notice immediately. Dropped a couple of dBs at highway speeds easily. Ride is marginally better. You notice impacts slightly more, but rebound a lot less. Handling is much, much better. They hold a lot longer, then begin to whine progressively as you reach the limit, communicating nicely.
The Bridgestones were more abrupt, and at a lower limit. They were also LOUD, though I hadn't noticed until now. Truck tires are gone, for me anyway.
Other observations: got a 0.75" lift in front, 1.25" in rear. How? Dunno, that's just what I measured (twice, since I found it hard to believe). The old tread was worn, and the tires deflect more, I guess. The new ones are only 0.3" taller in diametere, and the lift should be only half of that.
225s fit, but just barely. The rims have a different offset, so they're further away from the spring base. Funny thing, I was worried about the rear spring base - but with the offsets I have there is actually plenty of room. The front tires just BARELY clear the front mud guard, though. No way 235s would fit without yanking those off.
Check out the page for some more details. A lot of things surprised me. The tread is a full inch wider (the 20mm gain is in section width, and these bulge out less). It was 8.5" to 7.5", if I remember correctly.
I went from 205/70R15 85S to 225/60R16 87H, so the weight rating is higher, and the speed rating is also up. The government gives these a 460AA rating, vs. 180BB for the 'stones.
Lesson: when shopping for a Forester, get the S, or at least budget for a set of 16" rims. They've been easily the best upgrade so far.
BTW, it was $643 for a set of four alloys and tires, mounted, balanced, delivered and with complete hardware, including wheel locks. They also arrived on time. They also let me buy 225s with the proper offset, even though Tire Rack swore they would not fit (WRONG!). Thanks for the great service, Discount Tire Direct. Reminds me of Darlene
BTW, I needed new tires anyway, so it really didn't set me back that much. The rims are still available for $70 apiece (MB Motoring MB6), and I bet they'll fit other Soobs, too.
Schweeeeet!! Nice pics, juice. Makes your Forester look like a new vehicle! Probably drives like a different vehicle too!
You're right -- the new tires look enormous compared to the stock Duelers! The tread pattern on your Nittos look similar to those on my Yokos, interestingly.
Actually, if decelerating, it is quite easy to disengage from any gear to neutral without using the clutch. Every stick I have owned was the same way.
Yes, pressing the clutch will disengage the cruise, as will pulling the cruise levet forward, as will stepping onm the brake.
Don't be too sure about the automatic shifting into neutral disengaging the cruise control. It sounds intuitive, but that's what I though about my Blazer - but sure enough - it revved and revved and revved until the cruise was disengaged manually with the brake pedal.
You are correct in that water does not circulate through the radiator until the thermostat opens. However, it does circulate through the engine block and heater core (if temperature setting is turned up) even with the thermostat closed. The result, as Colin noted, is that you don't get full heat into the car until the car is warmed up, but you do get some.
Colin, you are absolutely right that the engine will warm up faster if the interior heat is set to cold, or the fan is left off until the engine is warm. Unfortunately, that is not practical or recommended all the time. When the temp reaches -40, or even 0, you could be sitting for a long time waiting for the engine to reach operating temperature. The result is that 95% of people let the car idle for a short time, then start going. Even though the heater core is not at it's full temp, it does start to clear the windshield enough to drive in a little while. It takes a while to fully clear the windshield and side windows though. Having said that, in lousy weather, the windshield will start refreezing if you go at any speed. If the ac is on, it will take longer to warm up to do any ice melting. In really cold weather, it is not unusual to need full heat to the windshield to keep it from freezing. Any reduction in that heat is not desired.
Disconnecting the leads to the compressor is not viable for the reason Chris gave. My wife has been consistent in our other car to turn on the ac on the last Friday of the month for five minutes to lubricate the seals. Six years later the ac still works fine. I don't see her playing with cables to do it though :-( Actually I can't blame her as I once had to change a thermostat outside when it was -30C just before Christmas. Not an experience I would recommend.
I just purchased my shiney new Forester L, I got a great deal thanks in a big way to this forum. My first silly question is this: Here in Texas we use front license plates, my salesman told me to they didn't supply the front plate bracket, just screw the plate directly into the front bumper. Does this sound right? Should the dealership kick in a bracket?
What exactly are the benefits of a strut tower brace? Are there any tradeoffs? Finally, how much is one for those of us who don't have the wholesale connection.
Interesting discovery; Another reason to not like cruise control. I use it if I get a leg cramp and want to move my leg around for a few seconds, but otherwise think it's useless. It'll keep you out of accidental trouble if you want to "cruise" at legal speeds without fear of drifting up to higher speeds and getting caught, but I've found it to be a bit numbing; one more thing to take the driver out of the process of driving. I guess if you're flexible enough, you can press the buttons on a cell phone with your toes without having to put down your coffee. Once you eliminate your link to the car via the throttle, the steering wheel is the only thing left before you become another passenger. Cruise has become one of the givens in all but the bare-basic models of cars; I'd take it even if it was optional, just so the car wouldn't be less sellable later on. I'm sure now we'll see lots of posts exclaiming all the wonderful things that Cruise Control has done to enhance humanity. I personally think all crashes are caused by people with fogged up windows, driving with cruise, not wearing sunglasses, adjusting their visors, and talking on their phones, all at the same time.
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the club!
I think it's silly that your dealer is arguing over a piece of plastic. While most dealers do it as a 'courtesy', most brakets come with dealerships names on them so you're the one who is doing them a favor.
You can always go to a local auto supply shop and pick one up for a couple bucks.
There were two Daves who hung out in my dorm in college. We had to differentiate so one became known as ActualDave because he started every sentence with the word "actually..."; the other became WastedDave because he was always, well, wasted. Anyway, your tag brought back fond memories. I've always believed that there are two things a dealer should give (for free) to every new car customer: a full tank of gas and a tube of touch-up paint. You've just made me increase my list to three. In my state (NJ) the front plate is required, so I've never had to address it until my '97. It had been a SOA car that my dealer bought at auction, and it probably never had the front plate attached while it was used (many dealers only attach one plate on the rear) and there was no bracket to be found. My dealer ordered it for me and didn't charge me, just as yours should do for you. Plus, being that you're in Texas, if you screw it directly into the bumper, where would you mount your cattle/steer horns? BTW, the bracket is probably metal, attaches on the underside of the bumper in predrilled holes, and is a Subaru-specific part, meaning it wil be tough to find a substitute that works.
braces can be found at www.rallispec.com and, I think, at www.spdusa.com. AS I recall, prices tend to be in the $250 range. These devices aid cornering stability by transferring load from the cornering side to the unloaded side. Perhaps Colin could expand on this, but I my understanding is that they really make a difference at the limit of your car's performance, but not much in normal street conditions.
Yep, but you don't have to spend $250. Darlene's SPT catalog lists the OE steel strut tower brace for $113 delivered. It even retails under $145.
Level of difficulty? Installation takes about 15 seconds, and a blind person could do it with their hands tied behind their back. Well, you do need a torque wrench to be perfect about it.
Some of the shops charge way too much for this stuff. My wheels were $70 a pop, and I've seen 16" rims for more than $250. Perhaps they were made from some exotic material. I'll keep mine, thanks. Unless you race and have serious money to blow. Then you should save the cash for a WRX anyway
The carbon fiber one is, gulp, $566.10, but it retails for a whopping $629. Must be real carbon fiber!
Mine is painted a very bright red. It's pretty beefy so I can't imagine needing a sturdier one. I imagine the carbon fiber brace is just lighter. And it looks sweet, of course!
Why get a brace? Well, in theory, imagine the front suspension is built like the letter "U". It's connected at the bottom, and the strut towers come up to form the sides.
Now slap on a brace, and you have more or less the letter "O", or a box, if you will. So at the limit, you've got more rigidity to deal with the stresses being handed to the front suspension.
They make rear braces, too, but that would kill the cargo area of a wagon.
It is real carbon fiber, I've seen pics of one snapped in half. (Don't ask what the Impreza it was on looked like-- not pretty.)
Don't over torque those strut top bolts though, spec is something very low-- under 20ft-lb.
On a different subject, I'd like to apologize to MikeF and gtdriver -- I went on way too long about the heater thing. Even if we all agree how the system works while disagreeing on its effect, if you two want the system to come on by default but be defeatable that's a reasonable thing to ask.
No offense, but I usually scrape the ice off my window before I begin to move... If you can't even scrape your own windows or wait for the heat to come up you shouldn't be driving. As for cruise, I usually use it to save my driving record. Also I find I make much better time with cruise rather than constantly speeding up to 80 then slowing down to 65. I just get on the highway and set the cruise @ 10-12mph over the limit and go... Also helps get better milage as well.
Thanks for the info on strut tower braces. The one question I still have is if there are any tradeoffs of having one. Does your ride become choppier?
It seems so simple a mod that it would make sense manufacturers have them as standard equipment on performance vehicles like the 2.5 RS. Any idea why it's not standard?
Drew: I don't mind you posting pics of my Forester on my behalf at all. Thanks again for the tips.
Thanks for the compliment on the color, I really like it too. I was about to purchase a 2000 Forester until I got a glimpse of the new Blue Ridge Pearl color which was about to come out on the 2001 models, so I waited. I think the new gold color looks good on the L models as well, however, the blue is just plain beautiful in my eyes.
Juice: Nice wheels man! Definitely a worthwhile investment.
Should I mail you pics of my Forester for your website or are you able to pull them off of the board?
On the roofrack: For anyone interested, the rack on my 2001 Forester is indeed a Yakima rack. I posted a message a while back asking if anyone knew if the factory rails had changed on the Forester from the 2000 to the 2001 model year. The reason I posted this question was Yakima told me that they could not guarantee the rack would fit because it was not yet tested on the 2001 model.
As far as I could tell, the factory rails had not changed so I ordered the rack. It fits just fine as you can see from the pics posted (#381 and 382 I think). So just in case anyone is considering the Yakima roof rack for their Forester, rest assured that it fits.
Tonight I added the hood deflector and installed the tail gate bar on my new Outback. The only reason I had enough confidence to attempt this myself is from the advice and tips I read on these forums. The template for the bar is off by about a 1/2"...I'm glad I knew to be aware of that.
I ordered the parts via computer and since we're leaving in two days on a big road trip, I wanted those items on for sure before we left. Took about 3 hours, including trip to store for silicone and 10mm drill bit. They both look great. The gate bar really is handy.
Now I would love to know how much it would have cost to have this done at the dealer. I hope a lot so I can let my husband know how much I saved us!!
I'll put in the filters and new lighted mirror visors when we get back.
Watch for the new Outback Sport ad! It's got Crockodile Dundee's nephew or something trying to show off in an Outback Sport. I only caught the tail end but am eagerly waiting to see the whole ad again!
I've seen it a number of times already. Since Subaru partly sponsers for the WRC coverage on Speedvision, their ads frequently show during the commercial breaks.
Basically, Dundee's nephew passes a RAV4 on the way to a party. Dundee then gets picked up and moved around by the people in the party. I didn't realise till recently, that Subaru changed the wheels on the OBS. I wonder why they did this because, IMHO, the older wheels looked much better. In fact, I think that Juice's new wheels looked a little like those OBS wheels.
Comments
img src = "http://www.irvinesubaru.com/crash4.jpg"
I've left out the < and > so that the browser doesn't read it as an embedded image.
-mike
Well, I finally got to venture off-road in my new OB, and had fun. The trail we were driving on had many gulches from a recent storm, and I had one precarious situation when the gulch I was straddling widened into a canyon. Fortunately, I was able to reverse course a few dozen feet and steer around the whole thing (which is what I should have done in the first place). After navigating the trail, we arrived at a nice secluded cabin on the shore of the James river (in VA), and had a nice day with spectacular weather. Of course I have the token Soob picture to show:
A question: while my OB only has about 400 miles on the odo and is still quite "green", I have noticed that the steering wheel shakes a little when braking from high speeds, as if the front rotors were slightly warped. Is it possible that this is a break-in anomaly that will go away, or should I make an appointment at the dealer to get the rotors checked out? I'm inclined to wait until 1000 miles or so before I worry too much about it.
thanks,
Craig
There's no harm getting the rotors and brakes examined, but I think that you should first check the pressure of all of the tires to make sure they're all within the Subaru's minimum specs. If you have a torque wrench, you could also check and see if the lug nuts are torqued to proper specs. Both are possible causes of the vibration.
Good Luck!
Drew
I'm assuming that you save it as a low-resolution (72 res) jpg first. Then what?
Bob
I'll just add that you can post your pictures at www.photopoint.com and then link the image files from there to here.
Drew
thanks again,
Craig
I think the hooks that the dealer is referring to are mounted at the back of the cargo compartment slightly below where the luggage compartment cover attaches. Once (if) these hooks are installed, you can attach the cargo net itself in less than 30 seconds. The bottom of the net attaches to the rear two tie-downs via clips and the top to the hooks via elastic cords.
There's a good chance your Forester is predrilled for these hooks. If there are a couple of gray plugs on either side of the rear interior trim then you should be set. If not, you'll have to make the holes yourself. Let me know if it comes to that and I'll take mine apart to see how the hooks are mounted. In any case, there's no way I'd pay a hundred dollars to the dealer to install a $21 item!
Frank P.
Drew
Anybody have any creative uses for it?
Of course I realize that the defogger always blows cold air when the engine is cold. What I'm complaining about is that, with the AC compression working, the air is at least 15 degrees colder than the outside air. So I just want to have to option of turning the AC off while using the defog setting.
And with air coming out of the defog vents only, it still hits my face.
gearhead4
As far as ground clearance, I wasn't trying to play down the extra 1 1/2" of clearance in the OB. In fact, the OB has more (at least so I've heard) than the Ford Explorer. But as much as I'm no lover of Ford products or SUV's, I'd still opt for the Explorer if I were doing some real off-roading, such as the type you do in Jeep Wranglers or Land Rovers. There's something to be said for ladder style frame on body construction, heavy duty shocks and springs, and a 4WD transfer case with a low-range. But I agree, for off-roading "lite", you can't beat an OB.
jres, I have the same question about that spot in the console box; It does hold the small Duracell flashlight very nicely, though.
Sound from cassette/CD was ok, but not outstanding when it comes to classics. Then again I'm not an audiofile, and mostly listen to books on tape anyway. For that reason, I chose to skip Premium sound package. And, come to think of it, neither Mozart nor Tchaikovsky (sp?) planned for their music to be listened to in the cars, right? ;-)
BTW, I noticed very many Subarus on the mountain roads. Mostly Outbacks, quite a few Legacys, handful of Foresters... but no Imprezas. At some point, I counted 5 Legacys/Outbacks in the row, in the oncoming traffic on Hwy 4.
When running the defroster, I still get air in the front side vents. They close manually.
Hmm, GT or Outback? Different flavors, really. Pick the GT for stricly pavement use, handling, SCCA racing. The Outback for light trails, not-so-light trails, and to keep up with the Joneses (brutish image is in, guys).
Does size matter? Hope so, with my new wheels and tires I gained 3/4" in front and 1 1/4" in back. That's at least 8 1/4" now. Got the diffy protector, too, just haven't installed it yet. I know, I'm gadget crazy! Once it's out of warranty, I probably will get taller springs and to get it up to 10" of clearance. I'll get a WRX for daily use. Wagon, of course.
That site of pikes peak looks inviting. Wouldn't it be great to take just one run?
Beth: I gawked at retail prices for the cargo net, too, so I got an aftermarket one. Hadn't heard of QSubaru at the time, and turns out I paid more than Darlene charges for the OE net (oops!).
I had to drill two holes, though it was not hard at all, and I imagine the OE one is easier since it's custom.
So the Subaru card gives points that can be used for maintenance? Not a bad trade-off for the smaller percentage.
Rich: thanks for sharing the H6 photos. I too like the "engine condom". I didn't realize the grille goes up with the hood like that, my Forester is different.
Love that new Blue color on the Forester, and that snow pic. Keep 'em coming!
-juice
If the ac auto on is a safety issue as some have stated, I wonder if there have been any tests conducted that show a reduction in accidents with this feature? "Stupid" drivers are a way of life and I suspect other distractions such as coffee, donuts, cel phones, radio, etc have caused more accidents than windshields that are foggy because no ac was used to clear them.
Maybe the full time ac can be left on for southern cars, and a switchable ac be part of the cold weather package?
I think in the end we shall all agree to disagree.
MikeF
MikeF and Gearhead4, please perform this simple test.
Start your Subaru. Wait for the engine to reach normal operating temperature as indicated on the water temp gauge. Now turn the selector to defrost and the and heat to full hot. Now turn on the fan blower. Is that air really 15 degrees colder than outside? Maybe, if you're in Phoenix and it's 118. It is still plenty hot enough to melt ice, and keep moisture from condensing on the inside while doing it.
-Colin
-mike
-mike
PS: my last lease was taken on 1 too many true off road adventures and I'm just glad that it was a lease cause it never drove quite the same on-road after the off road trails.
Good test. Now could you repeat that when it is -15 with freezing rain and you are driving at 40 mph or so? There is no dispute that you will still get hot air, the questions are "How long until you get hot air (as the engine is warming up)?","Is it as hot as without the ac?", "Is it hot enough to melt ice (from the windshield and side windows)under bad conditions?" and "Why run the ac when you don't need to?". I could turn on the furnace at home and start the ac, too, but it seems like a bit of a waste to me. Guess that's why I use a home humidifier in winter and a dehumidifier(or ac) in the summer.
I understand you want the ac to stay on, gearhead and I don't. For our driving conditions and/or preferences, it is not a desired feature. The side mirror and seat heaters sure are nice though :-)
MikeF
-mike
The Forester really is a great vehicle for driving around California. If you ever go up to the Sierras, you'll see tons more Subarus up there. Last summer when I drove up to Tahoe, my wife and I noticed that every 5th or 6th vehicle up there was a Subaru! The majority were Outbacks and older Legacy wagons, but I did see a couple of Sports as well as Foresters.
Bring on the snow!
Ken
Noticed something interesting this weekend driving around my 2K OB Wagon 5-spd.
If you have your cruise control on and then take it out of gear into neutral WITHOUT TOUCHING the clutch or brake (e.g. by accelerating, and then gently putting it into neutral as it is decelerating), after a few seconds the system will sense you are slowing lower than the setpoint and try to accelerate - the engine will redline itself and stay there pegged at the rev limiter until you turn the cruise control off (with any of them many methods).
I suspect the same will happen with the auto if you pop it into neutral when the cruise is on.
The engine is so quiet that at 70mph I did not even notice the engine was pegged for a few seconds until I looked down at the tach!!
The same thing happened on my '97 Blazer.
You'd think it wouldn't do that!! But oh well!!
What do you think?
-Howard
One thing I have noticed is that if the selector is set on "defrost" and you do not press the A/C button, the air that comes out is not nearly as cool as what comes out if you do press the A/C button. Thus, if it is running the air conditioner compressor, it is not running anywhere near "full strength".
Chris
Does the clutch kill cruise? It should. In the auto tranny, changing to neutral also should.
-juice
PS Bummber: my pages are ready and the homepage.com server is down.
I've already covered the fact that the heater would be inadequate when the engine is not warmed up whether the AC compressor was on or not. Sit in the car and DON'T MOVE until the engine is warm. If you're freezing, you're not dressed appropriately.
The impreza is my second car that has this feature and it's the same as all the others without it-- hot heater when the enginge is warm, ineffectual when cold.
-Colin
Have you had a chance to take a couple of snapshots of your front strut brace yet?
Drew
Doesn't the thermostat keep the water in the radiator until the thermostat determines that it should circulate? If that is true, then it doesn't matter if you put the blower on or not, cause the cold water in the heater core isn't circulating.
-mike
-mike
I'm not a frequent poster here and I'll probably be going over tired ground, but I noticed aakerson's, bg18947's posts and the little OB v. GT flame war and felt it time to comment.
I spent the weekend in a rental 2000 OB which I picked up from Hertz in (of all places) Myrtle Beach, SC. Last fall I test drove an OB and a GT before I decided on a Forester S (all 2000s); in my admittedly short-term test drives I ranked them Forester > GT > OB at the time.
I spent 2 days, 3 nights with the OB on mostly rough narrow 2-lane blacktop which had been beaten up by construction vehicles building an Interstate through what had been farmland and swamps. I also spent a good deal of time off pavement on rough gravel, clay, sand and coquina (kind of a limestone-crushed shell-tabby mix) unimproved roads, with lots of ruts and washboarding. Think "Prince of Tides" location shots.
With the extended time in the OB, I think I made the right choice - for now - in the Forester. I say for now because maybe someday I'll want that extra room and bit more plushness, but I definitely see that the OB (and GT for that matter) could stand the extra power of the H6.
The general consensus is spot on - if you'll never go off smooth pavement, the GT is best. But if you'll be on rural roads a lot, you'll want that added clearance. Since I'll no doubt be spending more time in that environment as my parents age I'll stick with the Forester or go to an H6 OB.
Some other (very subjective) general observations:
1. OB and GT feel more "Americanized" in their controls, e.g. turn signal stalk, radio and climate knobs. Guess it's 'cause they're built here?
2. OB headlights' illumination worse than Forester's, but its fog lights are better. See the earlier post on OB fog lights' superiority to GT's - shape has a lot to do with it.
3. I wish the Forester had gear indicator on instrument panel like OB (or paddle shifter like the B4), but I don't really need it since Forester's AT gate is straight, not notched like OB's. I'm not sure of the purpose of the latter - trying to imitate Jag or MB? Do you AT-equipped OB owners manually shift often? It IS a nice gearshift knob.
4. I still don't like the OB's cladding, yet somehow I don't mind the Forester's that much. (Maybe a raised OB with the GT's cladding, or no cladding at all? But how would you get the nice fog lights?) Both would benefit from a monotone option exclusive of a premium package.
Ah well, to each his own. Each Soob has its own group of fans. Keep up the good work, all - I've really learned a lot here.
Ed
Here are my new rims, finally.
Impressions so far: much quieter, you notice immediately. Dropped a couple of dBs at highway speeds easily. Ride is marginally better. You notice impacts slightly more, but rebound a lot less. Handling is much, much better. They hold a lot longer, then begin to whine progressively as you reach the limit, communicating nicely.
The Bridgestones were more abrupt, and at a lower limit. They were also LOUD, though I hadn't noticed until now. Truck tires are gone, for me anyway.
Other observations: got a 0.75" lift in front, 1.25" in rear. How? Dunno, that's just what I measured (twice, since I found it hard to believe). The old tread was worn, and the tires deflect more, I guess. The new ones are only 0.3" taller in diametere, and the lift should be only half of that.
225s fit, but just barely. The rims have a different offset, so they're further away from the spring base. Funny thing, I was worried about the rear spring base - but with the offsets I have there is actually plenty of room. The front tires just BARELY clear the front mud guard, though. No way 235s would fit without yanking those off.
Check out the page for some more details. A lot of things surprised me. The tread is a full inch wider (the 20mm gain is in section width, and these bulge out less). It was 8.5" to 7.5", if I remember correctly.
I went from 205/70R15 85S to 225/60R16 87H, so the weight rating is higher, and the speed rating is also up. The government gives these a 460AA rating, vs. 180BB for the 'stones.
Lesson: when shopping for a Forester, get the S, or at least budget for a set of 16" rims. They've been easily the best upgrade so far.
-juice
BTW, I needed new tires anyway, so it really didn't set me back that much. The rims are still available for $70 apiece (MB Motoring MB6), and I bet they'll fit other Soobs, too.
-juice
You're right -- the new tires look enormous compared to the stock Duelers! The tread pattern on your Nittos look similar to those on my Yokos, interestingly.
Good choice and nice job on the page!
Ken
Yes, pressing the clutch will disengage the cruise, as will pulling the cruise levet forward, as will stepping onm the brake.
Don't be too sure about the automatic shifting into neutral disengaging the cruise control. It sounds intuitive, but that's what I though about my Blazer - but sure enough - it revved and revved and revved until the cruise was disengaged manually with the brake pedal.
Try it!!
-Howard
Yeah, the tread is smoother, with smooth rain gutters running straight for the full length.
Howard - actually, you should say "don't try it"
Forgot to mention that I also added jres to my site. His GT looks just like Mike's.
(psst, Mike, make sure yours is still there!)
he he
-juice
You are correct in that water does not circulate through the radiator until the thermostat opens. However, it does circulate through the engine block and heater core (if temperature setting is turned up) even with the thermostat closed. The result, as Colin noted, is that you don't get full heat into the car until the car is warmed up, but you do get some.
Colin, you are absolutely right that the engine will warm up faster if the interior heat is set to cold, or the fan is left off until the engine is warm. Unfortunately, that is not practical or recommended all the time. When the temp reaches
-40, or even 0, you could be sitting for a long time waiting for the engine to reach operating temperature. The result is that 95% of people let the car idle for a short time, then start going. Even though the heater core is not at it's full temp, it does start to clear the windshield enough to drive in a little while. It takes a while to fully clear the windshield and side windows though. Having said that, in lousy weather, the windshield will start refreezing if you go at any speed. If the ac is on, it will take longer to warm up to do any ice melting. In really cold weather, it is not unusual to need full heat to the windshield to keep it from freezing. Any reduction in that heat is not desired.
Disconnecting the leads to the compressor is not viable for the reason Chris gave. My wife has been consistent in our other car to turn on the ac on the last Friday of the month for five minutes to lubricate the seals. Six years later the ac still works fine. I don't see her playing with cables to do it though :-( Actually I can't blame her as I once had to change a thermostat outside when it was -30C just before Christmas. Not an experience I would recommend.
MikeF
What exactly are the benefits of a strut tower brace? Are there any tradeoffs? Finally, how much is one for those of us who don't have the wholesale connection.
Ken
Cruise has become one of the givens in all but the bare-basic models of cars; I'd take it even if it was optional, just so the car wouldn't be less sellable later on. I'm sure now we'll see lots of posts exclaiming all the wonderful things that Cruise Control has done to enhance humanity. I personally think all crashes are caused by people with fogged up windows, driving with cruise, not wearing sunglasses, adjusting their visors, and talking on their phones, all at the same time.
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the club!
I think it's silly that your dealer is arguing over a piece of plastic. While most dealers do it as a 'courtesy', most brakets come with dealerships names on them so you're the one who is doing them a favor.
You can always go to a local auto supply shop and pick one up for a couple bucks.
I've always believed that there are two things a dealer should give (for free) to every new car customer: a full tank of gas and a tube of touch-up paint. You've just made me increase my list to three. In my state (NJ) the front plate is required, so I've never had to address it until my '97. It had been a SOA car that my dealer bought at auction, and it probably never had the front plate attached while it was used (many dealers only attach one plate on the rear) and there was no bracket to be found. My dealer ordered it for me and didn't charge me, just as yours should do for you. Plus, being that you're in Texas, if you screw it directly into the bumper, where would you mount your cattle/steer horns?
BTW, the bracket is probably metal, attaches on the underside of the bumper in predrilled holes, and is a Subaru-specific part, meaning it wil be tough to find a substitute that works.
Level of difficulty? Installation takes about 15 seconds, and a blind person could do it with their hands tied behind their back. Well, you do need a torque wrench to be perfect about it.
Some of the shops charge way too much for this stuff. My wheels were $70 a pop, and I've seen 16" rims for more than $250. Perhaps they were made from some exotic material. I'll keep mine, thanks. Unless you race and have serious money to blow. Then you should save the cash for a WRX anyway
The carbon fiber one is, gulp, $566.10, but it retails for a whopping $629. Must be real carbon fiber!
Mine is painted a very bright red. It's pretty beefy so I can't imagine needing a sturdier one. I imagine the carbon fiber brace is just lighter. And it looks sweet, of course!
Why get a brace? Well, in theory, imagine the front suspension is built like the letter "U". It's connected at the bottom, and the strut towers come up to form the sides.
Now slap on a brace, and you have more or less the letter "O", or a box, if you will. So at the limit, you've got more rigidity to deal with the stresses being handed to the front suspension.
They make rear braces, too, but that would kill the cargo area of a wagon.
-juice
Don't over torque those strut top bolts though, spec is something very low-- under 20ft-lb.
On a different subject, I'd like to apologize to MikeF and gtdriver -- I went on way too long about the heater thing. Even if we all agree how the system works while disagreeing on its effect, if you two want the system to come on by default but be defeatable that's a reasonable thing to ask.
-Colin
Spencer
-mike
Thanks for the info on strut tower braces. The one question I still have is if there are any tradeoffs of having one. Does your ride become choppier?
It seems so simple a mod that it would make sense manufacturers have them as standard equipment on performance vehicles like the 2.5 RS. Any idea why it's not standard?
I don't mind you posting pics of my Forester on my behalf at all. Thanks again for the tips.
Thanks for the compliment on the color, I really like it too. I was about to purchase a 2000 Forester until I got a glimpse of the new Blue Ridge Pearl color which was about to come out on the 2001 models, so I waited. I think the new gold color looks good on the L models as well, however, the blue is just plain beautiful in my eyes.
Juice:
Nice wheels man! Definitely a worthwhile investment.
Should I mail you pics of my Forester for your website or are you able to pull them off of the board?
On the roofrack:
For anyone interested, the rack on my 2001 Forester is indeed a Yakima rack. I posted a message a while back asking if anyone knew if the factory rails had changed on the Forester from the 2000 to the 2001 model year. The reason I posted this question was Yakima told me that they could not guarantee the rack would fit because it was not yet tested on the 2001 model.
As far as I could tell, the factory rails had not changed so I ordered the rack. It fits just fine as you can see from the pics posted (#381 and 382 I think). So just in case anyone is considering the Yakima roof rack for their Forester, rest assured that it fits.
Take care all,
Skip
I ordered the parts via computer and since we're leaving in two days on a big road trip, I wanted those items on for sure before we left. Took about 3 hours, including trip to store for silicone and 10mm drill bit. They both look great. The gate bar really is handy.
Now I would love to know how much it would have cost to have this done at the dealer. I hope a lot so I can let my husband know how much I saved us!!
I'll put in the filters and new lighted mirror visors when we get back.
--Kathy
Basically, Dundee's nephew passes a RAV4 on the way to a party. Dundee then gets picked up and moved around by the people in the party. I didn't realise till recently, that Subaru changed the wheels on the OBS. I wonder why they did this because, IMHO, the older wheels looked much better. In fact, I think that Juice's new wheels looked a little like those OBS wheels.
Drew