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Are you sure it's the engine, and not resistance from the brakes?
Do I have a faulty OBD port? Anyway to diagnose this further?
I suspect the front, but would like to hear opinions.
Thanks.
Unit from MO came in. It had been in deep water. Rear wheel bearing was howling for some time. Like 5K miles. I was expecting the knuckle to be ruined. Turned out it was just fine. This is an AWD wagon. Tore it down. The install of the old bearing had full synthetic grease used. Found the grease in good condition, but bearing had rusted and pitted very badly. No signs of heating up! Very pleased with grease performance. Regular grease and I do not think the car would have made it all the way from St. Louis to Baton Rouge, LA. Second incident of rough service unintentional testing of synthetic grease.
Also noted, that inner wheel bearing and intermediate seal made by National had failed. So when doing a reinstall, make sure the face of the half shaft is sanded smooth and the seal has a coat of grease. We plan to observe the National seals from now on and are considering going back to OEM seals.
Bottom line, caution. These bearings are vulenable to water and dirt if these seals get torn up and I am willing to bet this is a common problem with Subies that play in deep dirt and water. The ones from St. Louis are road runners.
Also, I forgot, forgive me. Slide hammer part number 05223 from Harbor freight with small enough drilled out stack of flat washers works well as a hub puller on AWD units. You want that 5 lb hammer for this. They also have a kit for pressing the bearings on car, # 66829. Works for install as well as uninstall. I also had to get another threaded longer bar with proper size washer to do the job. Both of these kits require a expert mechanic to use properly because you have to know what to push what against to do each task. About $100 buys these nice little toys.
The following website should help with this job. www.endwrench.com/images/pdfs/WheelBearing.pdf Good luck.
We rotate the tires every 7500 miles, and that's often enough that I have to mark the tires with chalk so I know where the tires should end up.
This was true for 2 sets of tires on our Legacy and 3 sets of tires on my Forester.
They are Nokian WRG2's which Consumers Union rated only fair for tread life (my tread will be down to winter wear bars within a year).
However, Oregon roads are mostly paved gravel, very coarse and noisy, and that probably doesn't help the tread one bit.
I had some Nitto NT460s on my 98 Forester and I think they lasted TOO long. There was tread left but they were noisy as anything towards the end. I replaced them with high-rated Falken Ziex 512 (short tread life).
Kurt - You use the Nokian tires year-round, correct? How many miles do you have on them? Wear actually doesn't sound too bad, so far, given that the winter wear bar is typically at the 50% point of total tread life or less. If the tires are in otherwise good shape, you could have them siped to provide additional winter traction for another season.
Problem I have is that I only average about 8500 miles a year on the OBW (75k now, at 8.5 years old). Plus I spit that annual mileage between snow and all-season tires. So I end up with tires that have tread left, but are hard and risking dry rot.
I took the winter tires (Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice, 13/32 initial tread depth) off about 1.5 weeks ago since most of the roads are completely dry now, and we only put 7600 miles on them over the first winter. The tires looked great when I put them away, but I have not yet measured them to see how much they actually wore.
After three years, though, they will only have seen approximately 22,500 miles. So, even if the tires have tread, they may need to be replaced anyway. We'll see, though. When I ran all-seasons year-round, I replaced them every three years with between 60 and 80 thousand miles on them.
Oddly, Consumers Union rated the Michelin Primacy MX4V, an all season tire, superior to those Nokians for ice traction, and vastly superior in terms of tread wear.
I may be running Michelins next.
This was the earlier model, but I'd recommend them highly... Great winter traction, plus better (stiffer, less roll) handling on dry/wet roads than the normal crappy tires you can put on a CR-V...
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The short block on my 2002 forster was replaced. Does this mean they also changed the head gasket while fixing the block? So far I have not had any issues with the gasket but I've heard stories.
Thank you
fbk
I was wondering what is required from Subaru for the 15k Maintenance as I have an extended warranty plan. I can't tell from the mysubaru site because it is formatted incorrectly.
My dealer wants to do all this fluff service and charge 220. Do you know what subaru requires in order to keep up with the maintenance to be in good standing with my extended coverage?
Thanks again.
Interval: 15,000 miles / 15 month service
Action Description
Replace Engine oil
Replace Engine oil filter
Inspect Disc brake pads and discs, front and rear axle boots and axle shaft joint portions
Perform Inspect brake lines and check operation of parking and service brake system
Inspect Clutch operation
Inspect Steering and suspension
Perform Rotate and Inspect Tires
That's what Ive done with our 3 subarus and they all have over 100000 miles on them with no problem. I would recommend 30k, 60 k and 90k services done properly tho. You can also use a local shop to do these services to save money.
I just had the fluid changed in the hopes that it would solve the issue. No such luck. Now I am looking for advice. I have some questions.
Is this at all common? Sounds like it is not based on what I have read.
Do I just have bad luck or could there be something else wrong with my vehicle causing the damage? Bad tranny cooler, or do I even have one?
Any speculation on what the shudder means and how long I can drive it without some sort of hard failure?
I am thinking about talking to Subaru about a good-will repair or assistance. My only reservation is that I had intended to pass the car to my kids in a few years and I do not want to be replacing the tranny a third time at 100K. I would rather delay replacement until it actually fails.
Has anyone ever asked Subaru for a sweetheart deal on an extended warranty? That way they get me to have a financial stake in the matter but I could maybe delay the repair until it dies.
If I talk to Subaru is it best to work through the service manager or deal with them directly?
Looking for any advice on how to approach this.
Thanks.
I have had it in since new. Two torque converters, and STILL the same. Mechanics at two dealerships unable to repair, even with Subaru's guidance! Subaru advises, that is the way they are and there is no repair for the problem.
Wonder if our transmissions are similar?
Definitely a design fault and Subaru should stand behind it. I am still under warranty and have been in touch ad nauseam with Subaru. They have never so much as answered my emails, phone calls and registered letters!!
Would like to know who else has such problems! Maybe collectively we can do something!
:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :mad:
We have a 2002 Forester S, auto, just turned 80k miles. Yesterday morning while driving the car we felt a slight burning smell. No other symptoms. We kept driving the car for about 60-70 miles on the highway. When we got home, the smell was very strong and upon opening the hood a bit of smoke came out. I looked and found that the inner CV boot on the passenger side has cracked and CV grease has spilled on the exhaust (thus, the smell).
How much damage did we do by driving the car like this at highways speeds? I am planning to take the car to the dealership ASAP, about 5 miles away, and have it fixed. Is it safe to drive it like this? What is most likely repair that they will suggest (is it likely that the CV joint need replacement?), and how much is it going to cost, approximately?
Thanks, Daniel.
There is a fair amount of labor involved in either total replacement or just boot replacement. Sometimes it just pays to go for a new one for the moderate extra cost over repairing what's there. Talk to the dealer about it.
The dealership recommended that I replace the whole thing, and I agreed, since it is labor intensive. Cost is $350 + shop supplies + tax (close to $400 total I guess).
Daniel
I attempted to do it myself but could not get the ball joint loose. Saw the dealer performed it. A lot of the labor was to fix my mistake. I already had the half-shaft.
I had the rear bearing and lug studs done and it ran under $500. So the price you quoted was a good deal.
I also built a funky little tool for my '69 Chevy C20's steering knuckle (that vehicle has two ball joints on each side!) that will, with enough application of force, separate the ball joints. Once they came loose from the knuckle, I only had to use a ball joint removal/installation tool to press the unit out of the A-arm and install the new one. Compared to the $1200 estimate I received from a shop two years prior, I thought the effort involved and the ~$250 spent on tools and parts was well worth it.
But, I digress.
Once I broke the bolt, I was left with the dealer doing the repair. I have to get another housing. Because they could not get the bolt out. I have to do the other side (319K original miles) it is due. And while I am at it I will replace the bearings too. Just wish I had a second car I could use while I work on it.
Engine light comes on, and several other lights came on or started blinking. Called sales at dealer since the service was closed. I was told most likely it would be caused by loose gas cap. I then added more gas and tightened the cap. After several trips, short and long, the light are still on or blinking!!
I got really frustrated now! What should I do except for having the car
checked at the dealer tomorrow? To file a complaint? Anything else I can do?
:mad: :mad:
Thanks!
Example: I'll be driving at ~70mph on the highway for about 30 minutes, then if I hit stop and go traffic, the temp spikes.
Normally, after the car warms up, the temp gauge runs at 9 o'clock or half way between cold and way too hot. Yesterday after driving consistently at 70mph for about 2 hours on the highway, I drove around town (stop and go) and noticed the temp gauge was almost into the red.
This is very concerning to me because I purchased my '05 Legacy as a certified used vehicle in 2009. It now has about 56000mi on it, and it is the only mode of transportation I have to get to work every day. Would anyone have any helpful information on this issue??
Thanks in advance!
What you describe (acceptable temp gauge reading during high speed driving followed by a spike when you get off the highway) sounds all too characteristic of a head gasket problem. Fortunately, as a Certified Used, you should be covered if that is what it turns out to be.
Could we get an explanation why the head gasket would cause the problem? Because I would think there would be water in the oil and vice-versa.
Surrounding the cylinder bore are multiple passages that bring coolant around the head, and oil passages that lube the cam and valve stems. The head gasket has of course the large center hole for the combustion chamber, plus these separate small ports for oil and coolant, and the head bolt holes. Net is that there is really very little gasket material in places.
Structurally, there also isn't a lot of ribbing between the bore walls and the rest of the block. It's called an open deck design, and thus it has more flex during thermal cycling. The theory is that the flex promotes scrubbing, which eventually degrades the gasket. Initially, an outer coolant passages at the back of the block (#4 - drivers side) develops an external leak which tends to drip on the exhaust, giving a sweet smell that is the first tip-off of problems. Eventually, it allows leaks to the cylinder.
As cylinder pressures are way higher than the water jacket, the hot exhaust gases find their way into the coolant. This causes local boiling and hot spots, which the temp gauge picks up usually prior to there being real engine damage (hopefully). It also tends to force coolant out into the expansion tank, which may overflow if enough gases build up.
The leak is usually so small that it tends to be one way for a while - hot gases enter the cooling jacket, but little coolant finds its way into the cylinder after shutdown. Eventually it degrades, and the flow becomes bi-directional. When this happens, cylinder bore damage occurs, blocks crack from more severe overheating - end of show.
The location of the breach also tends to not involve oil passages, and thus there is limited or no mixing of oil and antifreeze for a while until it all begins to break down.
And this is the theory which is mine! (as a professor of mine once put it...).
Another thought, if exhaust gas leak, sometimes you can find that by holding a dollar bill to the exhaust after the car has heated up. If it gets wet, you have a problem. On a cold engine, pop the radiator cap and start the engine and watch for exhaust gases to vent front radiator cap. This works with more extreme cases. Final step would be to pressure test the system. Another thought, is the correct temp stat installed. Is it opening at the correct temp? Put it in a pot of water, boil and observe the begin to open and fully open points. Never assume a new part is good! Another over looked problem would be a clogged radiator. Being a newer car, there could be some packing material stuck in it some how. Past this, it is think way out of the box!
Everyone else. Addition to the last service post on the 40K mileage service miles failure. I believe that unit was at 258K miles then. Carefully inspect the halfshaft surfaces for smoothness. Clean up or replace as needed. If it damages your seals, the bearings will fail sooner. Also, I have now verified there is no physical difference between OEM, National and Beck Arnley seals....other than price!
Bottom line, Subies do not care for dirt or water around the wheel bearings! Keep out of the stuff or plan on replacing wheel bearings more often! That is now SOP on all of them in our fleet, including $8 a can synthetic grease!
We hear often about the highway driving followed by stop/go resulting in temperature spikes, and I suspect that this is mostly a result of the reduced airflow over the exterior of the engine rather than something different happening inside the engine. When those gases get into the coolant passages, it reduces the effectiveness of the coolant by disrupting flow and, possibly, through the resulting loss of contact with the metal surfaces.
Second, Xwesx: Any thoughts (short of installing a hood scoop) on how to remedy this reduced airflow issue? It is somewhat of an alarming issue when you're 50 miles from where you want to be. I've toyed with the idea of switching my stock intake with a cold-air after market one...
Maybe recasting the block with a series of cooling fins surrounding it coupled with a massive blower fan? :P