Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    And to you Rob! And everyone! There is always much to be thankful for, even if it's been kind of a rough year for many of us.

    Don't eat too much! (This is a warning more to myself than anyone) ;)

    tom
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    tom: there was a time when GM made SUVs and the Corvette was heavy. Now Porsche makes SUVs and the 911 is heavier than the 'vette. :sick:

    Any how, I think you took the ideal road trip for that type of car - PCH, light payload, on your own schedule.

    I drove PCH in a convertible - but all I could get was a Sunfire with more cow(l) shake then a barn full of square-dancing cattle. :D

    -juice
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    Thanks and you too guys.

    Enjoy your turkeys are whatever makes you happy this Thanksgiving :-)
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    How times have changed! :D

    Hey, maybe the Sunfire kept it's tires more planted as it flexed! :D

    PCH in any convertible is a nice drive though. Parts of PCH have become very commercialized though over the last 20 years. I don't remember so many tall buildings before!

    BTW Juice, how many times have you seen square-dancing cattle? ;)

    tom
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Anybody else notice there were no posts in the two "Problems & Solutions" discussions today?

    Kinda nice to be problem free for a day. :)

    Jim
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Once is too often! :)

    Hope everyone can spend quality time with their loved ones this holiday.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Up helping my sister and family celebrate their move from NJ to the Portsmith area. Woke up to a few inches of the white stuff this morning!

    Steve
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    Michael and I are coming up to NJ for winter break,,Leaving Dec 18th and coming home Jan 1. I'm going up to talk to some people about teaching up there and see some family, NYC, etc. Michael will be spending the 2nd week at his buddy's house in Cranford, NJ. Lunch or dinner, anyone? I will be renting a car some I'm not homebound.
    Serge
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No idea how far that is. My brother might get a job at Johnson & Johnson and they're in NJ somewhere, so who knows, maybe I could drop by and visit both of you.

    We got a dusting of snow on Wednesday night, enough to cover the grass but that's it. I just get this feeling we are going to get a *lot* of snow this year, we'll see...

    -juice
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Nice nabe. My brother lives in that area, about 10 mins from the AZP Garage.

    -Dave
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    It was making a soft clicking noise (only at about 2K) and then the oil light briefly flashed. Got home right away, checked the oil- nothing! Then noticed a little oil under my car (but certainly not quarts!) Oil pressure was always ok. Puzzling.

    I had it at the dealer a few weeks ago for an oil change, I wonder if they did something wrong (Although how could you screw up an oil change?) Anyway, called them, they said to have it towed in right away and they'd look at it and give me a loaner car. At least their service is good.

    tom
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Bingo, this is one of the classic symptoms of a botched oil change. They'll probably claim the oil filter was defective, but in reality they either tightened it improperly, or tightened it down on top of the stuck gasket from the previous filter. I am continually amazed at how often this kind of thing happens.

    Craig

    p.s. I hope they take responsibility for this.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. We drove up to Exeter, NH on Wednesday, and woke up Thursday to a couple inches of snow. It was cold up there! Put almost 1200 miles on the Forester in 4 days.

    Bob
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Should have given me a shout, Bob - seeing I work in Exeter.

    Bad news on the GT, Tom - Hope it's minor. Mine will cross 12k tomorrow!

    Snow? I woke to the sound of a snow plow on Thursday morning. 4 inches on Thursday, then flurries that dumped another 2 inches on Saturday. Rob M.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Exeter is a very pretty town. My sister-in-law and her family live there. Went jogging Friday downtown and along the river's edge, and later in the day visited a number of art gallerys and craft shops that dot the main street there. It's nice there.

    Bob
  • red927red927 Member Posts: 118
    On Saturday I picked up a 2006 LL Bean Sedan to replace my wife's 2003 Legacy GT. She is very happy (therefore so am I) with the way it rides as compared to the GT. The 6 cylinder is quiet and powerful. We also like the fact that it is higher off the ground which makes it easier to get in and out of. The GT was very low and you sort of fell into it and then had to climb out.

    One question, the manual says premium fuel, the dealer says mid-grade, and I heard that regular works fine. What do you recommend?

    Phil
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    The H6 can get away with regular fuel, but you will lose some oomph as the engine retards the timing. And it likely imposes a gas mileage penalty as well. I always ran premium in my LL Bean. If gas price is an issue, it would be worth experimenting with different grades of fuel and see what works best. The thing is, you'd need some very repeatable testing to get worthwhile numbers. I guess the first thing I would do is figure out how much 1 mpg translates into (cents-wise) and then see how much you'd really save with a 1-3mpg hit from non-premium fuel.

    Normally, the added "fuel-only" cost of premium fuel is $100-200 per year depending on how many miles you drive, which is not a whole lot of money. And you likely get most of that back as improved mpg.

    Craig
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    We were just north of you guys on the other side of Rt 101, in the 'triange' formed by routes 125 / 155 / 152, town of Lee (?). First real taste of snowy and icy roads for the season.

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Congrats on the new Beanie, baby. ;)

    Indeed, ease of ingress/egress is a nice part about sitting a little higher. Old folks don't grunt getting in and out.

    Now cornering, that's a different matter...as I'm sure swampy will tell you, I'm known for my grunt in hard corners in a GT :D

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Phil-

    Congrats on the Bean Sedan. I just picked up the Bean Wagon last month (finally hit 1000 miles Friday morning). I've been trying either the mid-grade or premium. After only 5 tanks (I know not enough for a proper test) I thnk I am going to try running on premium for a bit. The gas mileage has not been that good so far (although I know it needs to get broken in more) and it does feel a bit sluggish on the mid grade. Gas has come down in price where it does not matter as much.

    Enjoy the new car!

    Mark
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Well, it turns out someone at the dealership tightened my oil filter with pliers and punctured it. All the oil slowly leaked out over 3 weeks. They don't think any damage was done to the engine- apparently they sat there listening to it with stethoscopes to make sure. It would have been a bummer to need a new engine- I've only got 12500 miles on it! (Rob- you've already caught me!)

    Anyway, one of the service managers called me back very apologetically and I appreciate that they took responsibility for it. He also said that the person who did my oil change was terminated. Oh well, I guess even the dealers have their problem people.

    They did give me a Forrester XT as a loaner. Definitely not as fast as my LGT (it's an auto) but still very fun! I think I'd be almost as happy with the Forrester. :D

    tom
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Good to hear the dealership was honest - that's the best way to earn repeat business. If you didn't purchase an extended warranty, you may see if they'll extend the engine's warranty, just as a little insurance.
    Make sure your receipts/paperwork contain all the documentation of the event and their diagnosis of the engine, in case there's a problem in the future. The service manager there now may be honest and responsible, but there's no guarantee who the next manager will be.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    WOW!!

    That's a new one. I also agree it's good they fessed up to it. And it's good you caught the problem before the engine seized up. Definitely make sure it's documented. I would press to have it documented at SOA, or ask for an extended warranty. Jeff is right that a more permanent record needs to be made.

    CRaig
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Glad they made good on it, Tom. Ditto on the extended warrantee. This would certainly be a gesture of good faith on the part of the dealer.
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    Snow tires on yesterday, snowing like crazy today! I got the sequence right for a change, instead of the other way around! :)

    Tom: You dodged a bullet! Buy Lotto tickets! :)

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Hey Paul- no snow here. :( It looks like you'll need your snow tires a lot this year though! Good timing!

    I'm just glad my car is ok. I don't know if I dodged a bullet as much as I got grazed!

    The dealer documented the reason the oil leaked and has assured me they will take full responsibility for the engine if anything goes wrong. They are a huge Subaru dealer and have been honest and fair, so hopefully I can trust them.

    Be careful in all that snow, Paul (skiing, I mean! ;) )

    tom
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    Haven't been up yet - still kinda crusty base snow - if we get dumped on as they're forecasting, maybe Thu or Fri.

    I'm fast approaching the magic 100K odometer - time for the big timing belt, etc. service this spring!

    Dealer trust can be a scarce commodity these days - glad you found a good one.

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Not sure if this is for New Year's, or an early X-Mas present...

    In any event, about an hour ago, my son Dave just traded in his dark blue 10-year-old Impreza Outback automatic for a new gray-on-gray Impreza Outback Sport SE automatic.

    All I can say is what an improvement 10 years have made! I think (and have thought for some time) that the Outback Sport SE is one of Subaru's best kept secrets. It's really a very, very nice package.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Just ask them to document that in the service order. Then keep a copy of it.

    Cool, Bob, the SE model is nice, very well equipped for the price.

    -juice
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    OH NO!! NOT ANOTHER DAVE!!!!!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    LOL! Yep, another Dave! :)

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually, it's about time! We usually gain about 2-3 Daves Per Month (DPM) in the Subaru Crew. Our DPM ratio had been kinda low and Edmunds was threatening to dump me as Community Host if I didn't get my act together.

    ;)

    A friend at work named Bob bought a Forester for his daughter, and Bob's son just got a new OBS. So I guess the dads are named Bob. :D

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Tom,

    Glad to hear things seem okay. But I agree with the others in getting the mishap documented and maybe even see if Subaru is willing to extend the powertrain coverage. I would certainly be worried sick if the engine ran with little to no oil for any duration.

    Which also goes to show how useless the oil pressure light is. Checking on a regular basis is key!

    There's no need to tighten the oil filter with any tool, really. The turbo filters require one complete turn after the seal makes contact with the sump. I can usually get it fairly close with just my hand.

    Would you ever consider doing oil changes yourself? It's the best way to insure that no mishaps occur. I do them myself even though my dealer offers them for free. It sort of keeps me "in touch" with my vehicle. I also recently installed a Fumoto valve on my LGT and oil changes have never been cleaner and easier.

    Ken
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    So I guess the dads are named Bob

    Mine is! LOL. Rob M.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I'd be pretty concerned about the long-term health of any engine that was run as low on oil as you're describing, Tom. The click you heard was probably from the valvetrain, which would've worn the most on low oil as it is at the top of the engine. However your rod and crankshaft bearings don't enjoy low oil pressure / volume either.

    I wouldn't demand a new engine as it is fine now, and it would be nearly impossible to get one, but I would make my opinion known and documented. Your low mileage might be a saving grace.

    Sorry to hear about that,
    ~Colin

    PS, I change the oil filter on all my vehicles with NO tools whatsoever. I tighten them by hand to a carefully calibrated torque specification ;) and then after dusting them off (if necessary) I am always able to remove them by hand also. No leaks, no stuck filters, no tools. No punctures! :sick:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Same here, I hand-tighten. They can be hard to get off if the filter is messy, but I use a rag or in some cases sand paper will really give you grip.

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Thanks for the help guys. The error was documented on their computers and I have a hard copy, and again they assured me the engine seems fine and they would be responsible for anything that goes wrong. I saw the filter and it had a hole the size of 2 pinheads in it. The sound I was hearing was a jet of oil hitting the plastic under the engine. Also, I am amazed with how small the oil filter is too. I guess I'm used to big oil filters for v8 engines.

    I wish I had the time to do a lot of stuff to my car, but I just don't. I did hope the dealer would do a better job changing oil than one of these grease monkey places, and usually they do. I guess sometimes you just get unlucky.

    Well, if something goes wrong I'll be the first to complain. It's amazing how the engine ran just fine with so little oil. I must have had 'just enough'. :) (I hope!)

    Can you guys think of anything I should look for over the next few years? The valves as Colin mentioned, I suppose the piston rings/loss of compression. If the engine seizes up I guess that would be a bad sign.

    Thanks again

    Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving, BTW.

    tom
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    Where are all the other Serges???
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    So, how many foot-Colin's- squared do I hand tighten my filter? And how does that compare to foot-Juice's and foot Ken's? ;) I don't know if I could generate that much torque. :D

    tom
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    We had a power surge at work. Does that count?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I measure in grunts.

    15 lb-ft is about 3 grunts. Umph. Uumph. UUUmph.

    That's 15 lb-ft.

    :D

    -juice
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    Rob...yep it counts. Susan use to say that she had a serge protector, but it obviously didn't work!
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Ahh, now I have a reference. The grunt-0-meter.
    :D

    tom
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I don't count any more Brendas .. and very few 'ladies' ...(with or without class)
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    >>15 lb-ft is about 3 grunts. Umph. Uumph. UUUmph

    haha, thats great juice! reminds me of the Ford dealer who said the correct lugnuts torque for the wife's minivan was hand tighten and then another 1/2in rotation! Now I know why that car was such a piece of junk!
    I'm not sure if that was any better than the Chevy dealer who couldn't find anything about the torque on our other van! Though with twice the mileage of the Ford at least the Chevy has had half the problems. Maybe the solution is to have no idea what to do rather than some crazy idea!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    One of a kind. Like my B9SC. :D

    Just kidding! We'll share it! LOL

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    LOL! That's too funny.

    My calibration method is if I'm not swearing, then it's probably okay. ;-)

    Ken
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Well, as all good things come to an end, our beloved pet cat, "neko-chan" (translated from Japanese = "kitty cat") is on her last legs of life.

    She had been losing weight for some time now and the vet was finding a bunch of ailments. Although she was getting thin and scrawny she was still active and very much the cat my wife and I knew.

    However, this weekend, neko-chan took a turn for the worse. She completely stopped eating and noticeably started losing more weight. A trip to the vet confirmed our worst fears -- her kidneys are failing and she's basically starting to crash.

    Not looking forward to the next few days. Going to miss her... :-(

    Ken
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Really sorry to hear taht Ken a beloved pet is hard to let go of. Face they are a part of your family.

    Cheers Pat.
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