Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

roamincharger · August 2001

Hello to all; I just picked up my '02 Legacy wagon on Tuesday night,I think it's one of the quietest cars I driven in a long time. I went from a sebring convertible to this after riding in a friend's OB limited last winter. I think the legacy rides better.

paisan · August 2001

Welcome!

-mike

stevek · August 2001

Most of the time when you have a sun/moonroof the leak is caused by clogged tubes that run from the roof structure to drain the watter, usualy in the A and/or B pillars. Open the roof and try to locate these drain tubes, blowing air in helps most of the time. Be carefull DO NOT use 100lbs air blast when doing it. Hope this helps.

luck11 · August 2001

I posted earlier that my I noticed a noise when turning sharply and dealer suggested replacing the entire rack. It was done Friday.

When I went to leave the dealer, I heard a "groaning" sound when turning right. Head mechanic took it out with me and immediately diagnosed it as steering shutter. He said that it is likely some air in the system....not a safety issue. Recommended I drive it on the weekend, and if does not go away, return it Monday. Noise was still present on Saturday, but by Sunday, the shutter was gone. I was not evident this morning either. Next oil change, however, I will have to point out some stitching that has come undone on the rear seat.

Its amazing how service differs from dealer to dealer. After having read a few posts in this thread on some lousy service depts, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have such excellent service from my dealer (besides the free donuts and coffee (not good for the waist) and the drives to and from work).
__
Rubbing compound on a clear coats...... a "no-no". The dull appearance means you have essentially scratched the clear with the abrasives in the compound. I know at one time rubbing compounds which safe for clear coats were available, but not sure if they still exist. I have been using a product called Zaino for about a year and a half and love it. Initial cost is high, but it lasts years. The shine (wet look) and durability is second to none in my opinion and I used Meguiars and Mothers for several years prior. Anyway, they have a product called Z5 which works wonders for those fine scratches...takes several coats. Check out the Maintenance and Repair Topic and look for the thread Zaino Experiences for more info. I can't recall the web address off-hand but you'll surely find it in the above mentioned thread.

ateixeira · August 2001

Robert: see if the dealer can remove and reinstall the roof rails, and seal it better this time. Going in from the outside sounds better - the headliner removal is begging for squeeks and rattles.

Welcome, Paul, and congrats. GT or L? What color? Tranny choice?

-juice

anibalb · August 2001

Hey folks,

It has been a while since I posted. I just found out that I cannot change a flat tire in my car because I did not get all the hardware necessary for it. Didn't get the wrench to remove the lug nuts. Thats "nuts"!!! I have to call the Dealer. But it has been a while since I got the car. I also realize that I never got the Torx drive to remove the cross bars. Glad I thought of this stuff before I needed it.

On the other hand I just received my Subaru Mastercard and will soon be charging everything under the sun so that I can get credit towards Subaru dealers. Does anyone else have this??? I think that for every 3,333 dollars in charges you get 100 dollars in credit towards Subaru. Can someone tell me how the max. works? I think max is 2,000. So I suppose once you get there you can just spend some and start accruing. Is this the case? Opinions!

Thanx

ateixeira · August 2001

Anibal: glad you checked, then!

My torx driver was in the glove box.

-juice

FrankMc · August 2001

I have had this card since '97 and have had no problems. You will get a "check" from the credit card company when you accumulate $100. You can accumulate up to 5 checks per year. If you go over you don't get any points until your anniversay comes around. You can also use for parts and maintenance. It's a good deal.

Frank

hypov · August 2001

Anibal - a footnote. Your anniversary as Frank mentioned would be the date your card was issued.
And I think that there is a condition that if you max out prior to your anniversary, you don't get points. I might be confused with the terms before the revamp.

anibalb · August 2001

Folks,

Thanks for the input. 5 checks per year based on the anniversary makes sense. But, isn't 2,000 the max. you can get? Because I suppose if someone keeps going that they can accumulate quite a bit.

Also, I got a car seat for coming baby. I cannot fit it in the center of the seat. The base is too wide and the seat belt and buckle are too close together. Is there a trick? I saw another OB on the road and his car seat was in center. It even had those belts attatched to those hooks in the back. I need help on this... JUICE????? Thanks.

kate5000 · August 2001

I think $2000 is a max you can spend in one shot when buying or servicing the car at the dealer. It's true you can only accumulate $500 per year. I already maxed out on my card this year :-( :-(

Each coupon has expiration date that is 4 years from date it was issued. This why $2000 max figures was derived (500x4). But even if you pull together coupons from your friends, spouse(s) ;_) and such, you stil cannot spend > 2000 at one shot.

ateixeira · August 2001

Push that seat into the cushion, and I mean stand on it! Get a 2nd person to help, or go to a local dealership that helps with them. Sometimes they twist the base buckel a few times to remove any slack, and attach to that rear tether anchor if your seat has one (if not, kits are $15 or so). Tight is right.

nygreg · August 2001

Hey, anyone know the torque spec for the oil pan bolt?. Juice - I know you use a torque wrench for this. :-)

I use a child seat in the back center of my 01 OB. Heavy blanket underneath, twist the base buckle (as mentioned) 2x, pull belt all the way out until the auto locking feature clicks in, belt the seat in place, place all my body weight on the seat while letting the belt retract and pulling it tight. No metal clip required. Gets pretty tight. Waiting for more seats with ISO-FIX hardware to hit the market. Come on Century, Cosco, etc!

Greg

locke2c · August 2001

Drain plug: 17mm nut, 33lb-ft nominal. (factory service manual data)
____

My RS has developed an odd hesitation in the midrange within the last 2 weeks or so. When using 75% or more throttle it doesn't feel tremendously down on power, but there's an obvious surge at an indicated 4700-4800 rpm that carries to redline and I doubt that there is a spike above normal. Instead I suspect that it is down on power below that rpm for some reason.

I waited out one tank of gas to see if it was just poor fuel, but I've still got it. Think I'll reset the computer tonight and check for leaks in the air inlet plumbing...

Anyone ever experience anything similar? Plugs are only 5k old or so, and yes they are the correct heat range and gapped.

-Colin

ateixeira · August 2001

I was applying a bit more torque, but not much.

You can "feel" the washer crushing, then just go a little beyond that point.

Colin: I would check the air and fuel supply. How old is the fuel filter? I'd also inspect the spark plug wires closely.

-juice

locke2c · August 2001

More details... car has 36k on it, cobb tuning cams since 24k.

Stock plug wires, but new fuel filter at 30k. Hmm... actually I haven't checked the air filter yet. You would think it wouldn't surge at high rpm with a dirty one and I just cleaned it also at 30k but it's worth a look this evening.

-Colin

anibalb · August 2001

Folks,

I get what you are saying. NYGREG, I am using a neborn seat with a base. The base is wider than the space from the belt to the buckle in the center of the 01 OB. Also, to use the center space the only way is to pull the restraint belt in the top and back. Right? There is no lap belt on the 01 OB. It is made from the connection of the restraint belt coming from the back Is this right??? Sorry guys. Thanks for all the help!

brekke · August 2001

what is a fuel system clean up? Just an additive that you put in the gas tank?

I don't know which additives are good and which are junk so I ignore everything.

ateixeira · August 2001

I use Techron as an additive, usually with each oil change.

But the service I'm talking about was more thorough. It was done at the dealership. They're supposed to flush the injectors out with high pressure, perhaps more than that as well.

I'm not sure, but what they did certainly helped more than a bottle of Techron, and it regained its lost power all of the sudden, not gradually.

-juice

bigfrank3 · August 2001

Colin - most of the time when I have experienced what I think you are describing, it has been electrical. I have had coils do that, wires do that, and distributor caps (when cars had them) also do that.

Juice - what the dealers do is run a pressurized container of highly concentrated solvent directly through the fuel rail. They operate the engine on _only_ that until it runs out, about 15-20 min.

Regards,
Frank

subearu · August 2001

Our Evenflo infant 'base' is in the middle seat position. I put a piece of double corrigated cardboard at the rear of the base (helps keep the base at the proper horizontal level - some newer ones come with an adjustable base). As mentioned above, you really have to stand on it and twist the buckle ends to help make it super-snug. The seat should NOT be able to move or slide sideways.

You can kind of move the middle belt buckles further apart by lifting the rear bench base a bit (look for the black pull loop).

Can't wait to use our Fisher Price seat (when Brooke becomes 1 yr old). It has the tether anchor - which makes for one safe baby!

-Brian

jregen7243 · August 2001

I got my first $100 coupon right before my 15,000 mile service in May of this year. When I gave it to the dealer, the service manager looked at it like it was written in a foreign language. He said "I've never seen one of these before, but I think you can only use it on the purchase of a new car." Luckily, I brought the letter that was attached to it which said you could use it for parts and maintenance also. While I was waiting, they called Subaru to verify. Hard for me to believe it's been around for several years and the dealer had never seen one before. By the way, the dealer was King Subaru/BMW in Freehold, NJ which is BMW only as of a few months ago. A new dealer, Freehold Subaru, opened up right after that.

toca · August 2001

Actually Jon,
this program changed about a year or so ago. Under the original program accumulated points could be applied towards the purchase of a new car only. Could not use for parts or service. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe it was a max of 750 pts per year over 4 years for a total of 3000 pts.

anibalb · August 2001

Brian,

Thanks for that post. So I presume that you are using the seat belt up above and in the back. I just looked it over and if I install the base in the middle seat position, it covers all the other seat belt buckles. The middle seatbelt has 2 buckles. Is yours the same way?

I am using a Graco and it has a built in height adjuster. For some reason it looks like it is a much better fit in the side seat instead of the middle. I will need to try it again I guess. And maybe move the other seat belt buckles to the side in case I have more passengers. Since the seats are leather I am thinking maybe I should put a towel at the bottom just for a little protection.

I am thinking of tinting the windows. Is this really worth it? What is the cost? Any opinions help!

originalbitman · August 2001

Tinting definitely reduces interior temps and generally cuts UV by about 95% (not sure what the glass does by itself). You can get anything for 50% to 5% tint with the 5% being the darkest. There are basically 2 kinds of material.. dyed and metalized and some combinations of both. Metalized (not necessarily reflective) is most expensive and is usually warranted for life against fading where as dyed is less expensive and may fade or turn purple over time. All states vary in what they allow. Check out local shops and ask for referrals as the application is everything. Clean your windows and your car before your tint application as dust and dirt can and will get under the tint. When tint it applied it is usually cut and fit on the outside of the window before being applied to the inside of the glass so clean the outside of your windows too. Once applied you will not be able to lower the windows for 3-5 days as the tint cures. Prices vary a lot but a rule of thumb is somewhere between $25 and $50 a window with less per window the more windows you have done. The tint is hard to remove once cured so be sure you make the right choice. Visit a shop or two and look at some of the cars they are tinting or better yet if you see a tinted car you like ask the driver where they had it done and if they like the tint job.

Some useful sites

http://autowindowtintings.com/main.cfm?action=home

http://www.tintdude.com/

bit - 2001 GT Wagon

ateixeira · August 2001

Jon: the card's been around for years, but the coupons are new.

IIRC I paid $170 for 7 windows tinted at 35%, with SolarGard dyed film. Looks good even after two years, with no signs of fading or discoloring. Metallic films usually cost $200 or more, but the real key is the quality of the installation.

Anibal: I'd really get help with the seat. Go to a Mercedes dealer, or a fire station. Lots of places will help you mount baby seats.

-juice

subearu · August 2001

Yes, the middle belt comes down from the roof and has 2 buckle points.

We had the local Red Cross help install the seat - they offer free 'clinics' periodically here. Now that I know how to install it, I can do it myself. It does take some grunt work to get it really secure.

They say that the center seat position is the safest for your baby, but if your seat can't be installed there, then either of the sides will do fine. Anything is safer than the front seat for an infant car seat!

Our 'other' car (Saturn SL) has a crummy rear seat. We couldn't install our other base in the center position - it wouldn't secure well enough (slid sideways a bit). So, we had to install it in the side seat position. Along with a tightly wrapped up towel to firm up the rear portion of the base, it snugged up pretty good.

I'll take a picture of our seat base tonight and post it for reference.

-Brian

ateixeira · August 2001

Pretty soon we'll all have a 2nd kid and the seats will be going on each side. :-)

-juice

locke2c · August 2001

re: bigfrank3 Aug 27, 2001 2:53pm

I've got the factory powertrain warranty still remaining, surely the coil pack is covered if that turns out to be the issue.

What about an ailing alternator? Voltage or current sag, I'm wondering...

-Colin

bluesubie · August 2001

I would be very wary of "new" Subaru dealers. My wife and I both had problems with the quality of work and inability to diagnose problems at a new dealer. They had only been around a few months when she got her OB.
We've since starting going to Flemington. They've been selling and servicing Subes for a very long time.

Dennis

bigfrank3 · August 2001

I have found that if it is a low voltage problem for whatever reason, the higher RPM suffers. Of course these things are never black and white, but I would be more suspicious of the secondary voltage side.

I would pull off a plug wire, probably from the coil pack end on a Soob since the plugs are out of sight, pull the boot back if possible, and hold it about 1/2 inch away from the contact (use insulated pliers, of course), and crank the starter. The spark should be nice and blue, even purple-ish, and strong. If yellow or orange the spark is weak.

This won't help you if it's plug wires though. You can measure them with an ohm meter. IIRC it should be no more than 1000 ohms per foot of length. This is a general spec. and not Soob specific.

A quick test for the alternator would be to measure battery voltage with vehicle off. Should be about 13.5V, then start the vehicle and it should rise to 14.5 to 15V. If it doesn't it is either alternator itself, or voltage regulation, which I believe is done by the ECU.

Good luck and regards,
Frank

jregen7243 · August 2001

Dennis,

Thanks for the tip. Can anyone here recommend a Subaru dealer for service in Central New Jersey? The only other one near me is Bell Subaru in Rahway.

Thanks!!

bluesubie · August 2001

Flemington Subaru. Stay FAR away from Bell (in their defense they did get rid of the service manager and advisor).
It's twice the distance for me, but well worth the drive to Flemington. paisan even goes there from S.I. Reasonable prices and very knowledgable techs.
I've also been to Somerset Subaru. A very good service dept. but they don't have Saturday hours.

Dennis

nygreg · August 2001

Took my OB to a body shop and he said they can buff out the scratches on my hood in an hour for about $40. I have used them before and they do good work. My daughter might dodge this one after all. ;-)

Greg

bat1161 · August 2001

Jon,

I would recommend Flemington Subaru as well. I make the trip from SI, but their Sat hours, as well as their demeanor make the trip well worth it. Matter of fact I'll be going there in a week and a half for service.

Mark

anibalb · August 2001

Thanks for the input guys. I read up on all of the literature. It seems that Subaru has 2 places for baby seats in the back with the middle bing availabe with a tether anchor. The bottom anchors are only for the baby seats to be positioned in the sides. If it is possible I am sure that I can securely fasten the baby seat in the middle seat. However, I just wanted to make sure that I was following all of the instructions verbatim!!!

What I would really like is to buy a sort of after-market belt of some kind that I could use to tie the baby seat to the bottom anchors. It seems to me that would be the best bet. Anyone know of any?

As for the tints, it is illegal to tint the front windows. I think I am going to scratch that idea. Plus it reduces visibility regardless of what the marketing says.

Again thanks, and Brian I will look at the picture if you post it!

ateixeira · August 2001

I think the new seats are specifically designed for the LATCH/ISOFIX anchors. Not sure you can retrofit an older one.

At least you can add a tether anchor kit.

-juice

jregen7243 · August 2001

Thanks for the recommendations. It must be a great dealer to travel that far. Since I only take it in for service every 15000 miles (I do regular maint. myself), the once a year or so trip won't be so bad. I'll give Flemington a try.

Jon

subearu · August 2001

All three rear seat positions have the top tether anchor above on the roof, positioned just behind the rear seat back. Our base (the one in the pictures) doesn't have a tether anchor. But, our Fischer Price seat does - but that one is for when she's 1 year old. Here's the pictures of our installed base:

-Brian

paisan · August 2001

I use flemington for both my subie and my isuzu. Good people down there.

-mike

pattim3 · August 2001

make sure you say hi to Diane, there Service Manager. I've worked with her for years and she is wonderful.

Patti

anibalb · August 2001

Brian,

I was looking at it last night and figured it all out and how I could do it. However, for some reason it fits more snugly on the side. You have cloth seats and that must help it a bit from sliding. The leather allows it to slide more easily. I will buy a bath towel or something like that and put it on the bottom. My infant seat has an adjustable base so I know that I can do if need be. Also, I know what you mean by twisting the buckle. You do that to adjust the height of it. All set!!!

Thanks so much for the pictures. I really really appreciate it.

subearu · August 2001

leo2633 · August 2001

Jon,

Glad to see another Subie owner in my hometown. Where is the new Freehold Subaru located? I know there are lots of dealers along Rt. 9, but I haven't seen a Subaru dealer. I was wondering what happened over at King. I bought my '01 Forester at Liberty Subaru up in Oradell, NJ. Great buying experience, but I haven't had to go in for service yet (I do my own regular maintenance).

Len

jregen7243 · September 2001

I think the new Freehold Subaru is near the Freehold Mall, but it's off Rt 9. I believe its on South Street in Freehold, however I haven't seen it yet.

As far as King Subaru:

I was there a few months ago for the 15k service, and there were signs all over the place telling people that they were no longer going to be a Cadillac/Oldsmobile dealer. About 2 weeks later, I drove past there and all of the Subbies were gone also. I never got a letter in the mail, so I emailed Subaru and they confirmed, but they said there is a new dealer located in Freehold a few minutes away. If you think about it, the combination of vehicles King sold was weird:Cadillac/Oldsmobile/BMW/Subaru. Now they are only selling overpriced BMWs.

By the way, if you see a white Outback sedan with rear spoiler driving around, chances are that it's me because I've never seen another one like that around here.

Jon

leo2633 · September 2001

Jon,

I'm pretty sure I've seen your car once or twice around town. I'll keep an eye out for you. Mine is a white and titanium '01 Forester S, with tinted windows and blackwall tires (I hated the look of the outline white letters!). You'll see it a lot if you are in the Washington Road/Main Street/Tangletown area.

Even though I looked on the lot at Kings, I didn't feel comfortable buying there. I felt the Subarus were just a filler for the Caddys and Beemers. I had a salesman come out when I was looking around one day. When I told him I was interested in a Subaru, he told me to come find him if I found something I liked, then walked back inside. Ironically, King had just put up a brand new Subaru sign just off the highway only a few months before they got rid of the Subarus. I liked Liberty, since they sell only Subies. I'll find out where Freehold Subaru is located, and check them out next time I'm in the area.

Len

lambchops · September 2001

I am hoping that someone can help me with my little "curb accident"! We have a 2000 OB. I went over the curb backing out of a friends driveway last night and the front right bumper was scraped up badly and the bumper came loose-popped off on the top side. I have scraped the front bumper underneath before-is this a common problem? Should I take it in or try to pop in back in place myself? Also, can the scratches be buffed out does anyone know? Sorry so many trivial, cosmetic questions! We just got back from a road trip in Canada-three weeks and 3,500 miles. Our 2000 OB was wonderful the whole time except our screaming 17 month old in the back! I am so glad I bought our Subaru!!

originalbitman · September 2001

I would think the dealer would be a good bet for getting the bumper back on. As for the scratches, if the show black then the paint is gone and only a touch - up or repaint will help. Otherwise buffing might do it. A good detail shop could tell you or maybe even stop by a body shop... they could pop on the bumper cover and tell you if the scratches can be buffed. These are not trivial questions for some of us... I can totally relate. It called OCD here.

bit

miksmi · September 2001

This site's interface is much better than most drecky parts sites; unfortunately, no OEM parts but lots of spark plugs options

http://www.thepartsbin.com/

Select Catalog, Year, Make, select Search, then model; now SEARCH by DESCRIPTION! Not a huge list of parts but many wear items. Can't speak to the prices.

..Mike

cbennett2 · September 2001

I noticed your message in the Passat site. Any reason you have not considered the Subaru H6.
If you do alot of back road driving than the Subie may be a good choice. It may not have the German "fun feel" but is a comfortable car. The ground clearance may meet your needs as well.
Just curious because I went through the Passat/Outback debate for months.

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