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Comments
-juice
You're all set if you have a 1972 or 1973 Subaru and want the FRAM one! The rest of us will have to wait and see...
-juice
Thanks for doing the research and for sharing.
I was seriously considering the Fram, too bad it doesn't come in the correct size.
I guess I'll go with the Fumoto.
I've had free dealer oil changes for the first 45k miles. The future ones are mine to do.
Jim
Mark
So I like the idea, but in my case I'd be investing close to $100 for the 3 Fumotos plus delivery, and I hate the idea of having to custom cut the drain to let all of the oil out.
If Fram gets the size, then we're talking about half the price, so I might bite.
-juice
Thanks in advance.
1) I heard the same thing, and even read the bearings were redesigned
2) I haven't heard of any failures on the newer models
So yes, it's reasonable to assume the new ones will have a much lower failure rate. Enjoy your OBS. I test drove one and really was impressed at how refined and quiet it was.
-juice
Mark - thanks for the update.
-Dennis
Ed
Nice find with the SureDrain. However, looking at the website, I think the Fram SureDrain will also leave a small amount of oil in the pan. Since our drain plugs stick out horizontally, there's going to be some oil that won't make it to the center of the SureDrain. Maybe less than the Fumoto, but still some will be left.
Ken
Anyone out there with a service manual that could tell me if a peak oil temp of 230 degrees Fahrenheit in the pan sounds high ?
I'm running Pennzoil 10w-30 (SL, GL-3 rated). Flash point is 430 degrees according to their web site, but a) I don't know what that means and b) the peak temp isn't in the oil pan where I'm measuring it anyway.
Thanks in advance and sorry for the duplicate post,
-brianV (the other brian... )
I don't think that automobile manufacturers have any need or interest in publishing peak oil-pan temperatures. You probably won't find such information in Subaru service manuals.
Flash point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid fuel (such as oil) can form an ignitable vapor near the surface of the liquid. The lower the flash point, the easier it is to ignite the material. If you reach Pennzoil's 430° peak temperature in the presence of air you'll have an explosion.
Don't worry... be happy.
Case in point: (and I'd have to look up the values to make this potentially valid), but I was using a Sunoco oil when my dealer was performing my LOF's, and losing about a quart between changes (q3K miles), sometimes much as a quart every 1k miles. Since doing them myself, I switched to Castrol GTX, and my oil consumption is down to about .5 quart per 3K miles at most.
FWIW.
Cheers!
Paul
I can't believe the manual doesn't even show one?
Try this - call 800-SUBARU3 and ask customer service to find out for you, I bet they will.
-juice
Toyota's sludge problem brought up interest in the topic of oil temps, and one of the articles in Automotive News was fairly specific about it, if you want to visit their site and do a search.
But the temps where sludge became a problem were much higher than what you mention, IIRC.
-juice
I can monitor oil temp in real time, but I can't interpret the results.
It would be helpful if Subaru would mark the gauge in yellow or something, so you knew if you were flirting with trouble.
I'm assuming of course that there's a reasonably consistent point for a given grade where there's cause for concern (10w-30, SL; 5w-30, SL; etc), but it would be a hassle for the factory, wouldn't it ?
He also seemed to blame the all wheel drive system as being hard on particularly one wheel (right rear?)
Does anyone else have this problem? Do you agree w/dealer?
Len
Wife had a civic once which got recalled specifically because of that, well it wasn't an actual recall, more like they told the dealers to watch for any of the 20,000 cars which left the factory without getting the camber set! barely noticed the wear on my tires but got a nice new set at 15K from them!
I can't explain the single tire being inordinately worn, but you'd have to provide a tread depth measurement for any of us to comment. "Worn out" could mean something entirely different to you, so looking for a measurement vs the others. But the dealer's not being forthcoming by mentioning the AWD system as a cause. It has been my experience through hundreds of thousands of miles with AWD vehicles that they are much EASIER on tires than any 2WD - by far.
If you drive aggressively on tires that have not been kept at or above the factory pressure, then the outside edges will wear much faster than the rest. Can you feel any slack or movement in the RR tire by trying to rock the vehicle using the tire's top to shake firmly?
IdahoDoug
More wear on the outside edges could mean you corner aggressively, or that the tires were slightly underinflated, or the alignment, once again.
But 15k? And the rear tire? Fronts do most of the work (50% power, 100% steering). Just one? Something is awry.
Get 4 new tires balanced properly, make sure they check the torque specs (75 lb-ft will do), and get a full 4 wheel alignment to go with it. Then do rotate the tires every 7500 miles, that is important too. Check the air pressure every time you fill up the gas, or at least every time the season changes. You lose 1psi for every 10 degree drop in temps.
Doug: nice call - do have the rear wheel bearings checked. Do you hear any noise from that wheel, any whining or grinding?
Len: I use any name-brand oil with SAE's "SH" rating, I think that's the latest. It comes from the factory with Havoline, I heard.
-juice
I'm shopping for used Foresters, and found a
nice, clean 2000 Forester L, the carfax says it
was a local lease vehicle, bought locally, never
sold at auction, so it looks like highway miles,
I'd guess, but it has 105,500 mi.
I noticed one problem, the lights that light
up the automatic gear shifter were out, and then
after driving it on the highway for a few minutes,
the lights came back on.
The price is attractive, the car looks good,
but I worry about a car with such high miles.
What is the maintenance like on lease vehicles?
I can buy it subject to mechanic's approval,
but I'm wondering if this something worth taking a chance on.
.
But I bet it's reliable, if not it couldn't possibly have so many miles in so little time.
-juice
Since the 105K mile Forester is a "local" vehicle, see if you can find out the name and phone number of the owner/driver. Your state DMV may be able to help (for a fee). Ask about service history , reliability, etc.
At that mileage the price should be very low to intice you to buy.
I don't have any problems with my Forester. However, the mechanic said using FIC will improve engine response. Has anyone here had experiences FIC?
The last thing I want to do is put in something and invite trouble:)
Thanks in advance!
The only thing that has happened since is 3 weeks into the new tires, I picked up a nail in one,so I had to get it plugged. Once agin, those lovely NY streets!
Mark
-juice
Called my wife to bring the truck and tow strap and sat there wondering what had happened. After about 5 minutes, I restarted it and the guage quickly returned to normal. Cancelled the rescue and drove home. The next morning I burped a bit of air out of the cooling system vent - not much.
Fast forward to today. Flushed my '97 in the same manner, installed a new thermostat and gasket, then backed it into the garage for a level surface to burp air with the cooling system vent. A little came out, but I sat with it idling and some revving and watched the needle climb up almost to the peg just like the other car did. Jumped out and reached under to feel the lower hose as it leaves the bottom of the block/thermostat housing and the hose was barely warm where the upper hose was really hot. Hopped in and drove it around the block and the needle immediately dropped to normal. Parked it in the garage and mentally filed this under "Huh?"
A couple hours later, I went to the garage to check for seeping fittings and the like, and noted that the cooling system had sucked in at least a pint from the overflow tank (I'd cleaned and refilled it, too). So I topped it off again.
Anyone got a theory on this mystery? Did BOTH new Subaru thermostats simply stick for a while when opened the first time? Or is there a known propensity to get an air bubble around the thermostat so it won't get hot enough to open despite the block coolant getting too hot?
IdahoDoug
Were your two Subaru thermostats the correct part number and temperature range for your vehicles? Or could your dealer have dealt the wrong ones?
Also, I got a Subaru repair manual, where it describes how to replace a sunroof, doesn't look like it's too complicated but I'm hesitant to do it myself. I could buy the whole assembly for $100 on the junk yard so, it ain't too bad. So, I'm wondering what I should do. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Why? being tall (6'5") the mirror is too low even when pushed up as high as it will go. When I say too low, I mean, it block my view of other cars at intersections and on-ramps. If I could move it up another inch or so it would help me peek under it...
--Jay
..Mike
..Mike
Ken
conan5: got your e-mail, too. Lots of folks replace the water pump at 60k as a preventative, go ahead and do that and the belts, which are probably worn. At a minimum, have them inspected and re-tensioned.
Jay: make sure you're trying every adjustment possible. There are two "elbows", at the glass and at the back of the mirror, so you should be able to get it way up there near the headliner.
If it's glued on, like some cars, it might be hard to get out. We pulled one off a Lumina in a junk yard for my Miata, since it had lights on the bottom, and the glass cracked.
-juice
Any thoughts?
Synthetic oil does slighlty improve gas milage so there is probably some advantage there. However, I have no clue as to their relative impact for manufacturing.
Ken
When my 2002 Forester hit about 6K (bought it in January, this was June), it started bucking really hard when I backed out of the driveway and put it into 1st gear. Smooth and slow, racing the engine, didn't make a difference. After the first few miles, the problem goes away. It doesn't always happen, but about 90% of the time.
In July I was driving home when I started to hear a metallic screech from under the car - which went away when I pushed in the clutch pedal at a stop sign and did not return.
I took it straight to my dealer, left it overnight, and of course it did not perform for them in the morning.
This is continuing still - when I start the car in the morning, when I start it to come home at night. It did fade to almost nothing when the weather turned cooler yesterday, but it is still there.
What in the transmission or clutch could be doing this?
in fact I am convinced that the reason car manufacturers advocate longer mileage intervals between oil changes everywhere else on earth except N America is because they will be crucified by environmentalists for being so wasteful of oil.Given car running costs are much higher in the rest of the world as a general rule compared to N America, I can't see them going for 7-10K changes elsewhere as a way to save money as things should definitely be more likely to go wrong mechanically and not be caught in time with longer intervals and that should outweigh any savings from more frequent lower costs oil changes.
Ken
So what's as good as a Forester , Legacy,or Impezda station wagon(TS)?
My wife has an 02 GT Limited Subbie with great gas milage . The only problem she had was it skipped sometimes and the dealer said to run a tank of premium thru it.
So should I buy a Forrester for a winter car in Maine or not? Thanks
Does anyone here do the 7.5K change and keep running well over a similar period? (Your testimony would give me a reason to consider changing my schedule.)
What is mystifying about the clutch problem is that it only happens when the car has been sitting for several hours. Once warmed up, no problem...
Jay: Try a heat gun & some dental floss, using the floss to separate the mirror mount from the glass. Works for decals on exterior paint, but those mirrors are really stuck on there! (sure as I've said this, wife's mirror just fell off the windshield yesterday... Safelite re-glued it no charge, but the timing's a bit humorous)
Cheers!
Paul