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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • georgeinmdgeorgeinmd Member Posts: 27
    quick follow up on the locked up xmission, '03 Forester, 8k miles (#1974 & 2011). It was repaired under warrenty and seems to be fine. A transcription of comments on the work order: "CUSTOMER STAETS CAR IS STUCK IN REVERSE; SPOKE TO MRS 11/19 TO LET HER KNOW THE PART CAME IN TODAY AND CAR MAY BE DONE THURSDAY; CAR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF REEVRSE - R/R UNIT; REPLACE 5TH AND REVERSE SYNCHRONISER WAS WORN AND SIEZED UP; REPLACED FORK FOR FIFTH AND REVERSE WAS WORN" -- fwiw -- thanks for all your suggestions. -- George
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    A half-way down windows will only rattle if you slam the door. Otherwise it's quiet. My '98 Forester is whisper quiet to this day.

    lite1: that's probably within spec, I'm sure they engineer a bit of tolerance. Most people round off to the nearest quart, they have to be aware of that.

    Cleaning under hood? Just watch for any wiring. This guy Gary, who ran the Subaru Club of America before it folded, actually painted most parts with a clear epoxy-like spray, it was wild. It kept clean, he claimed.

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

    I know from personal experience that list would be very long:-)

    Mark
  • rthompson10rthompson10 Member Posts: 75
    On my 93 Outback with less than 10K miles(bought used at 5K) I've noticed that the transmission " hangs" occasionally while going uphill. It get to slightly over 3K RPM feels like it really needs/wants to shift but doesn't and then eventually does.

    Is this "normal" for a Sub or something to get checked. Like I said it doesn;t happen all of the time so I'm wandering how it would be diagnosed
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It may be holding a higher ratio for that hill climb.

    -juice
  • cyberdynecyberdyne Member Posts: 36
    I don't think I'd go as far as to use epoxy-like spray on my engine parts. Simply looking clean and fairly new will be fine with me.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I was surprised, too, but Gary showed me his engine bay and it looked like new. Not that I tried it on mine.

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    The transmission has what's called "grade logic", it will hold the gear longer going uphill, and even downshift if needed, behaving a bit differently than it would under normal (flat road) driving. I think they can also downshift going downhill for engine braking.

    Craig
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    use water only and do it before the dust sets up.

    The first time I did it, I was nervous about the electrical. Avoid direct hits to the alternator, or cover it with a plastic bag if you are concerned. Also, don't spray a hot engine. If you can't touch something because of the heat, IMO don't spray it.

    John
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    I've had good results covering critical items with plastic (as John suggested), then putting a very diluted (mild) dishwasher solution into a squirt bottle spraying everything else lightly. Let that sit for a few minutes (to work on any grime) and then rinse with a hose. I rinse with hot water, which is easy because I have a laundry sink with a hose-threaded faucet in my garage, so I just connect the hose to the hot-water faucet.
  • rangnerrangner Member Posts: 336
    so you mean circumference not diameter right?

    Eric
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    "The only tranny issues I've seen are WRX owners that modified their 2002s up to 300hp and went on to sheer the teeth off their tranny gears. Not Subaru's fault at all - it is designed to handle 227hp reliably, not 300."

    - Sorry to comment on this, but I remember reading about a group that modified an '02 WRX for about 325hp and still used the original clutch. They stated the original clutch was stout enough to handle the power. Now, when people are doing 5-6000 rpm clutch drops in +300hp cars, I wonder why the tranny gear teeth strip!

    - With the clutch shudder, there is a TSB on '02 WRXs for this.
  • cyberdynecyberdyne Member Posts: 36
    I previously used a product by Spray Nine. One of their products is Grez-Off Degreaser/Cleaner. They have another which is Grez-Off Heavy Duty Degreaser.
     Both of these products work incredibly well. They both do not contain any petroleum solvents, phosphates or acids. And, their non-flammable.
     When the engine is cold wrap everything up you think needs to be. Then spray it on, you can use a toilet brush or similar to do a little scrubing. Then just rinse it off with gentle spray of water.
     So, from what I've read in the responses. I'll just keep using this. But, it was good to hear from everybody. You never know when someone has another good idea.
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    making it that much tighter a tolerance.

    Jim
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
    Last Wednesday at my subaru service the mechanic showed me 2 wrx trannies with stripped gears. One was covered under warranty, other was a dropped clutch subaru wouldn't cover. Mechanic said they are getting 1 a week. Commented the kids buying these cars need to learn how to drive a stick...

    Ralph
  • cyberdynecyberdyne Member Posts: 36
    So, it it safe to say it the way the cars are driven? And, not the tranny itself?
  • rangnerrangner Member Posts: 336
    So are you saying that different circumference tires will cause this symptom, or that something broke because of using unevenly sized tires?

    Anyway, it all started when we were driving around the mall and all of the sudden it felt like we hit a big rock under our left front wheel. But there was no rock. I'm taking it in to the dealer on Fri. I think the front diffy had some play in it before--maybe something caught the wrong way...

    Eric
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    some people have experienced the syptoms you describe simply by having slightly different degrees of wear in their tires. That "ghost rock" does sound strange, but it could have been a binding issue. As a double check, you might want to go search "the other board" under "Subaru torque bind". I think that's what I've seen people call it. Good luck.

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    If you have lots of power, and lots of grip (awd) if you drop the clutch or do hard launches all the time, SOMETHING has to give. The tranny and/or clutch is gonna give if you don't drive it gently off the line.

    -mike
  • kevin111kevin111 Member Posts: 991
    "So, it it safe to say it the way the cars are driven? And, not the tranny itself? "

    - YES!!!!!!!

    +30K miles, a couple of clutch-drops (by accident - was not watching the tach) no problems.

    - also with the new clutch (with the valve), it is virtually impossible to do a 5k clutch drop!

    I would be curious to hear how the Evo and STi folks are doing with their trannys, though have heard the STi (and probably the Evo) are even more stout than the base WRX's tranny.
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
    Yes. Both were the driver's fault. One not covered had 1/5 of the teeth stripped off of one gear wheel.

    As mechanic put it - kids buying them don't know how to drive a manual...

    Ralph
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    eric,

    sorry for the late reply, got a dead PC at home and was busy here at work yesterday.

    anyway if you smell it before you fire the engine or immediately after, then yes it's probably the evaporative purge canister or perhaps the fuel filter or fuel return line itself.

    if the smell doesn't come until after the engine has been running for over 30 seconds, it's probably something else.

    any other symptoms besides the smell? running OK?

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's silly, I doubt you even go any faster even if it did work.

    I dunno, they deserve it. Bet they pamper their 2nd clutch...

    -juice
  • rangnerrangner Member Posts: 336
    yeah it comes within the first 30 seconds and the tach will rise and fall a couple hundred rpms with the fan kicking on intermittently--given the engine isn't even hot then--pretty weird.

    Don't think it's the fuel filter cause I changed it in the last 10k.

    I don't know--I'm taking it into the dealer on Friday along with the steering binding problem. Let's see what they say.

    Maybe I'm just being a worry wart about the car, and maybe these are just subie quirks, but I'd just like to get to the point where no new weird symptoms show up for awhile.

    Eric
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    like the Fast and the Furious lead to some folks that are easily influenced to try launching. It's a hard lesson for kids to learn. My son is learning in our '90 with the understanding that if the clutch burns out, it's going to be on him!

    Patti
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    ah. with these additional symptoms my new 'best guess' is the coolant temperature sensor. you'll smell fuel pretty quick if it's going because the idle mix will be out of whack. (you should've seen my '99 RS with the CTS disconnected... lol. brutal.)

    could be something else of course. or the coolant temp sensor *and* other things too.

    yuck. I'm sure they'll fix ya up.

    -c
  • cyberdynecyberdyne Member Posts: 36
    The movies are what everybody believes to be true. Untill they try to repeat the movie in true life. A tough lesson to learn.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Just finished watching 2F2F that i got from Mitsu. I think it was better than the 1st or at least nearly as good.

    -mike
  • cyberdynecyberdyne Member Posts: 36
    Is it really saft to wait for the first oil change on a brand new WRX until 5000 miles? How long should it be before the first tranny gear oil change on a manual shift? Are these periods shorter in the high temperatures in Florida?
  • cyberdynecyberdyne Member Posts: 36
    Vin Diesel's character made the movie, if you want to call it a movie. It's more like a cult flick.
  • rmd122rmd122 Member Posts: 21
    My 98 Forester has a foul smell coming from the A/C. The A/C is cold but stinky. The heater is fine. The other "generic" repair boards on Edmunds say it is either a dead critter or mold. Anyone have any Sube specific ideas?
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    <<The other "generic" repair boards on Edmunds say it is either a dead critter or mold. Anyone have any Sube specific ideas?>>

    Rich-
    what they said, it's either a dead critter or mold.

    IIRC, that is my senses haven't failed. If the stench is sharp to the nose, it's a critter. Just follow your nose. If it's mellow and tolerable but stinks just the same, it's mold. Use Lysol at the ventilation inlet grille. The vent inlet should be on the outside passenger side at the base of the front windshield. Turn the fan on to suck the mist in, then shut off to let sit. Repeat a couple of times before letting it vent away.

    -Dave
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I agree, check the CTS. I've heard the same thing on Car Talk a bunch of times.

    CRaig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    if the clutch burns out, it's going to be on him!

    Wanna bet he'll be a great driver? Good strategy.

    I agree with the Lysol suggestion. Put the vent on fresh, the fan on high, let that suck in the Lysol you spray right at the intake point of the HVAC system.

    I need to do that for my Miata. Smells like an old sock got stuck in there.

    -juice
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    it was really tough to keep my Impreza running with the CTS unhooked in cold weather. :) here it is after warming up 10 minutes... note the limp temp gauge.

    image

    can you see that if you're not logged in to imagestation?

    -Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You need to be a registered member. I see the pic.

    -juice
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    and can see it just fine. 38829 on the ticker...

    -Brian
  • cllaphamcllapham Member Posts: 8
    I've had it. I've had my Forester for nearly two years and still have intermittant dead battery issues (just do a search on "Cheryl" here to see the saga). The dealer (although they have gone above and beyond on dealing with the issue), continues to tell me that I need to drive my car more. I contend that normal operation of my car shouldn't result in a dead battery every 5-6 weeks and the need for a new battery every 6 months.

    I started trying to resolve the issue in October 2002, 7 months after buying the car. I thought I had a resolution early 2003. However, now the problem has started again and it's too late to deal with the problem under the Alaska Lemon Law.

    Has anyone else run into an on-going issue like this with a Subaru vehicle? Besides selling the car and making it someone else's problem, what recourse does one have? I've opened a case with SOA and I'll be having Thanksgiving dinner with my attorney tomorrow. Any stories? Advice? Help?
    Thanks,
    Cheryl
  • iggsoiggso Member Posts: 31
    I decided to call tirecack to price a set of 4 mounted snow tires.

    They said for XT 16 inch steel wheels do not fit over the brakes and said I must get more expensive allowy wheels.

    Help.. I was under the impression that XT brakes are no different from XS brakes. Is that correct because tirerack says that XS can get 16 inch steel rims?

    Or is there another reason steel rims cannot be used on a XT?
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I see it and I'm not logged into Imagestation either. But, I am a member. Perhaps it reads the cookie.

    Ken
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    someone has probably already mentioned a trickle charger for situations like yours. I think that is a better solution than the lemon route. The modern batteries don't like getting drained down, and there is always a small power draw for the "active" equipment in the vehicle. It is just a matter of time before the battery goes south.

    You might be able to find a "deep cycle, starting" battery that will take your situation better. Look for them in the RV/boat section.

    John
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    Quite a few XT owners are using the OEM 5-spoke steel wheels from the 2nd-gen Forester 'X' model on their XTs with snow tires. Those fit fine. Obviously, so does the steel wheel for the XT's full-size spare - which, I believe, is the exact same spare wheel supplied for all current Forester models.

    Unless the steel wheel TireRack sells differs in some important way from these existing steel wheels, I have no idea why they would say it won't fit.
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    all of the '03 Foresters have standard steel rims (16") as spares. Maybe they are looking at the old 15" steel rims from previous gen Foresters, which will not fit.

    John
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I was able to view it from work where I haven't logged into Imagestation, so no cookie.

    One of the images in my profile is from imagestation, it should also load w/o being logged in. Just don't use the 'orig.jpg' ending on the picture you link and it'll appear w/o having to sign in.

    -Brian
  • bsvollerbsvoller Member Posts: 528
    Sorry to hear of your problem - I did a quick search as you suggested, and see that you have been battling this for a while.

    Having grown up in the mid-west and gone to school in MN, I have a modest idea of what winter must be like in Alaska. I'm assuming that you park your car in a garage, and/or have an engine block heater, right ? (Everybody in MN did, or got up every 4 hours in winter to go start their car like I did on cold nights...)

    John's idea of a trickle charger is an excellent one.

    My guess is you've been through all this, but it's all we can offer, really.

    Checklist-
    1) Verify charging system under load: are you charging properly?

    2) Verify battery charge capacity: is the battery taking a charge?

    3) Verify drain when car is off: is the battery being drained excessively by some problem in the electrical system?

    There are testers available at most auto parts stores that can answer 1 and 2. The third question can be answered by placing an ohmmeter between the battery and negative terminal to measure the drain. Any decent mechanic can do this for you.

    If you find an abnormally high drain rate, then you'll have to track it down, which can be tricky.

    Unless you're parking the car for extended periods in bitter cold, one of those issues is the problem. At extreme temperatures, the chemical reaction that creates the voltage simply stops. There is no battery of any size that can sit for extended periods in sub-zero weather and hold a charge to my knowledge. Even a small drain (trunk light, etc) will quickly kill a battery in that kind of cold.

    That said, Subaru does use a comparatively weak OEM battery by my personal standards. Aftermarket batteries are available with twice the capacity, but I gather you've tried that. :(

    I know a ton of people who drive Subaru's in cold weather (mountains of Colorado get cold too), but you're the first I've heard with this problem. Sorry I can't be more help.

    -brianV
  • cllaphamcllapham Member Posts: 8
    Thanks Brian and John:
    Yes, John, I've been told that a trickle charger is all the dealer can do. But I don't want to be hooked to a cord for the rest of the life of this car. I have a hard enough time remembering to put the garage door up before backing up, much less having to remember to plug/unplug the car every time I use it.

    Brian: I've been through all of the testing you suggest and am on my third new battery. The current one has the highest cranking amps the warranty allows. As to AK winters, it's been downright balmy here lately, and my car is in a 55 degree garage every night. I've noticed that my Forester hates the cold -- especially when it's been sitting for 12 hours in nighttime temperatures, but that's not this problem. My battery is dead in a heated garage if I don't remember to drive it over a weekend (2 days).

    I've gotten great dealer service to this point, but I see the end of my warranty ahead and I want to get the issue resolved, or I want to get rid of this car before that happens.
    Thanks again,
    Cheryl
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    cool! so anyway, there you have it. :)

    -c
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    So that's where my missing sock went. BTW when you fish it out, you can keep it.

    Jim
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    What's happening to your car sounds clearly abnormal. My clunker sits outside and sometimes it's weeks between starts. Never a problem.

    Hope the situation works out for you. Too bad they can't offer you a car with equivalent miles that will hold a charge!

    Jim
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