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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    What the heck is Subaru thinking. Went for a test drive on Monday drove an 06 XT. It was nice except I noticed the high pitched sound during the entire drive. Then I went on these boards and found it is not uncommon. Why would they not fix this before potential buyers drive them? This lost them a sale, terrible marketing decision.
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    you likely were hearing the turbo whine. If it is annoying to you, try the standard Forester, it has enough power for any situation I have found, plus will get you about 5 mpg better.

    John
  • attackbettaattackbetta Member Posts: 1
    Howdy. I'm the proud owner of a lovely little Subie named Harriet. Unfortunately, her headlights have not been lovely lately. Left one (lowbeam) went. In the attempt to replace it, I noticed that the electrical connector was not connecting. I realized why when part of the black plastic connector housing fell off in my hand. Is there a better solution than going to my (expensive) repair shop or the (probably just as expensive) Subie dealer and having them replace the entire headlight wiring? Can the connector itself be fixed? Aargh.
    Thanks for help in advance.
    Sincerely

    Kate (and Harriet, though I'm a mite upset with her right now.. and my lack of repair skillz)
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Dear Harriet,

    I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling under the weather at the present time, but I think the prescription for your improved heath might not be too painful to bear. Tell your master, Kate, that while the high beam connector looks to be fairly unique and quite possibly expensive, the low beam (H1 bulb) uses fairly generic right angle spade connectors. I am willing to bet that for a mere dollar or two, she could stop by her local autoparts store and buy a blister pack of connectors that would do the job reasonably well. If there are any that specifically say "high temperture applications", those would probably be the best bet. It is heat that probably killed the original ones. And if she asked politely, the nice man behind the counter might even loan her a wire stripper and crimping tool. And if she promises her undying devotion to make all of her future purchases there, she might even be able to get him to spare 2 minutes and have him come out and do the job! Oh, and remind her to give him coffee money as a thank you when the task is done.....

    (Kate - thanks for the laugh, I needed it today!!!)

    Steve
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    My mistake, it was a 2.5 X model, no turbo. I guess I could find one without the noise, but this problem seems common enough that you would think Subaru would issue a fix for them.
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    most likely the diffy...normal for Subie AWD
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    If it was the fuel pump, like 3-4 people have reported here, then I agree Subaru should pull those cars and fix them ASAP. When we see 3-4 independent posts here, I start thinking they have a design flaw or a bad batch of pumps. The thing is, most dealers are oblivious to stuff like this (the car practically has to burst into flames before the notice defects). Subaru of America needs to make this a priority otherwise more customers will get a bad impression of the vehicle. If they think it's normal, then they won't buy a Forester because it appears to be a noisy car.

    Craig
  • jcpressjcpress Member Posts: 15
    >

    So did I. Well, technically East Massapequa.

    Joel
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    "you likely were hearing the turbo whine. If it is annoying to you, try the standard Forester"

    As the proud owner of an 06 XT, I sincerely hope the turbo whine wouldn't annoy anyone. It's simply the car's way of saying:

    "PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEDADDYPLEASE!!!" :D

    Doug
    (Only 910 miles and dying to give baby what it wants)
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    lol I like the sound of turbos also. But, the conservative side of me dominates the other 95% of the time.

    My favorite--a turbo whine in a diesel engine. Now THAT is where the performance and economy are perfectly welded.

    John
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Joel,

    Wow! East Massapequa, as in Amityville schools, or still in Massapequa? We were up near Carman Rd (hop the fence, and into Sunrise Mall), so we too were considered the eastern side of Massapequa. A.G. Berner HS (back when it was still a HS) graduate, class of '75. Now all go to Massapequa High.

    Steve
  • jcpressjcpress Member Posts: 15
    <<We were up near Carman Rd (hop the fence, and into Sunrise Mall), so we too were considered the eastern side of Massapequa. A.G. Berner HS (back when it was still a HS) graduate, class of '75.>>

    Steve,

    I lived one block east of Carman Mill Road. Out my door, look one block to the west and there was Berner (HS at the time). I'm Amityville HS class of '87.

    As for the Subaru, I'm bringing it in to the shop tomorrow for a 2nd opinion on the A/C.

    Joel
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Joel,

    I am always amazed by what a small world it is! We were practically neighbors. Proceed south on Carman Mill, make a right onto Merrick, and another right after the diner, and you have my wife's cousin! They still live there, and we get down to visit once in a blue moon. Did you say you were still in that area?

    On the Subaru, I hope that I answered your question about how much work you could reasonably do yourself without professional help.

    Steve
  • jcpressjcpress Member Posts: 15
    >

    Yes, you did. I actually brought the car to another shop today and they said it just needed a pound of freon. It now sounds like the compressor kicks in when I turn on the A/C and it definitely blows cold air.

    I don't live in the Massapequa area anymore, but I did look at a house on that block where you make the right off of Merrick Road to get to your wife's cousin's house. I get back there every once in a while since my brother lives in Massapequa Park and I still have friends in the Amityville/Farmingdale area.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    and it definitely blows cold air. Cool! (literally....). ;) There is a low pressure switch, so if the freon level was below that, the system goes on permanent vacation until recharged. Still, the question is where did it go? Very slow leak that has always been there, or a new, more serious problem?

    Steve
  • jcpressjcpress Member Posts: 15
    <<Still, the question is where did it go? Very slow leak that has always been there, or a new, more serious problem?>>

    Don't know, don't care at this point. I'm going to sell it and rid myself of the problem. But at least I didn't spend $1200 to fix it. What more serious problem do you think it could be? Do you think it could actually be that the compressor and condenser are shot like my other mechanic said? I can't see that as being the case since it's actually working at the moment. But I'm waiting to see. I'm just not going to spend any more money on this thing. Thanks for all your help.

    Joel
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    I was thinking in terms of compressor seals. They break down with time and leak freon to the outside. One hint; run the A/C every other day or so. If you keep the oil circulating (it tends to drain from the compressor and pool down at the lowest spot in the condensor), you stand the best chance of keeping the seals "sealed", and the freon in.

    What are you looking at to replace the Forester?

    Steve
  • poodog13poodog13 Member Posts: 320
    I have a 2005 forrester and have noted an unknown rattle coming from the steering column since purchase. it is inconsistent and so I have not been able to show the dealer what I am talking about. sounds almost like keys rattling together but have gone so far as to remove ignition key from ring to verify that this is not the case. definitely coming from within assembly of either steering column or dash near driver.

    Anyone else notice this? Any ideas?
  • crashton6crashton6 Member Posts: 245
    I think I may have some good news for you. My XT did the same thing. On rough roads I got the darnedest rattle out of the steering column. I was living with it, because it was intermittent & I knew if I took it to the dealer they'd say "what rattle"? One day I was driving by the dealer & it was rattling up a storm. I quickly pulled in to the shop & when asked what I wanted told them to listen to this demon rattle. By gosh they heard it too! I made an appointment for the next week to have the rattle removed. Our best guess was the cruise control switch on the column. After having the car for a day I picked it up & was told they ordered a new switch. Several weeks later it's back in to replace the switch. Except they didn't replace it.....they actually fixed a defective part instead of just replacing it!!! I was floored! The service writer told me that they had just gotten a bulletin from Subaru telling them how to fix the switch. They pop the switch open & put a piece of cloth in there to keep the innards from rattling. The rattles gone & I'm happy. :)

    Chuck
  • gagecalmangagecalman Member Posts: 11
    Hello all. I am new to the site. I have a 05 FXT that smells like anti-freeze when its shut off. The level goes down a little over time. The dealer could not find a leak. Today I noticed there is a sticky residue from the back of the engine onto the transmission. There is no smell. I can't tell if its a leak or a coating sprayed on by the factory. Please help.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ask your dealer to do a pressure test on the cooling system. Also call 800-SUBARU3 to record a complaint, even if you can only get a "user says" call. This way you're covered if it gets worse later.

    Some H6 owners noticed the coolant level drops to just below the Add line, but then doesn't get any lower than that. It was strange, but even years later it never became an issue. Probably just an incorrect lable on the levels.

    We have not observed that on the 2.5T engine, though, at least not yet.

    -juice
  • leharveyleharvey Member Posts: 10
    If you smell antifreeze - very good chance you have a coolant leak dripping onto
    the exhaust. Pressure tests are not always able to detect a very small leak. I have had this happen on my 99 model - gaskets replaced in 2001 and the 'coolant additive' added after that. Now I have another leak - appears to be from the back of the engine and is very difficult to see. The coolant level has stayed stable (or very nearly so) for a month - I figure it to be an external 'seepage' which I will live with as the car now has 108,000 miles.
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    On the XT, the radiator is super el-cheapo - the top tank tends to separate from the core. See if the smell is strongest right around the seam where the top tank is joined to the core. The seepage will be strongest when the engine is cold, as parts tend to shrink when cold, and the gap becomes slightly bigger.
    In any case, this should be covered under warranty.
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    All,

    Want to get the crew's opinion on this, apparently my 98 Forester needs the engine's short block replaced. This after the left side header was replaced last October. The dealer is telling me it would cost around $4,000 to do the job, the block it self would be about $1,700, the rest is apparently for labor. The dealer claims 18 hours for the job. My question is, does the price seem right to all who are more knowledgable than I? Does it really take 18 hours to do this job or am I being robbed here? I can find rebuilt engines for around $1,700 plus shipping. Would it make more sense to just pull the engine and put in a rebuilt one? Am I missing any other alternative solutions? The car is drivable without major issues.

    Thanks in advance for your insights!

    Mike
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    $2300 / 18 hours = $127.77 per hour. I have never seen a mechanic's hourly rate that high. I think $85 / hour would be the reasonable maximum, depending on where you live.

    I would take it to an independent engine shop and get a quote.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    What do you mean by the "apparently" part? What made you pursue the repair -- where there problems/symptoms?

    How many miles are on the car?

    I think the dealer must think they can rip you off to even suggest a $4K repair on a 7 year old car. If I were you, I would get a second opinion from someplace you can trust. These guys are not one of those places!

    CRaig
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Mike,

    You have to explain this in a little more detail....The car is drivable without major issues. Why does your dealer say you need a short block???

    A few other questions & comments... You have an approaching 8 model year old car that you are thinking of dropping another $4k into. Is this a good investment? It might be... I am not trying to talk you out of it, but maybe if it runs OK, trade it / sell it???

    Is that rebuilt for $1700 fully dressed? Wes just redid his motor, so he could give you details, but if it only takes 6 or so hours to install it, you are way ahead going this route.

    Steve
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    I brought the car in for service due to a metallic rattling sound comming from the engine. Its a noise I am quiet familiar with, it occured before the second cylinder head failure last October. Let me go back a bit farther and give you guys a bit of history:

    April of 04: Spark plug in cylinder 4 got shot out of the engine, completely. Brought it in and was told that the thread was completely striped. Head needed to be replaced after the dealer tried to tap the hole but wasn't successful. Paid out of pocket, ~$1,500

    October 04: Metallic rattling noise occured, brought into dealership three times, they couldn't reproduce the issue. Finally had catastrophic engine failure while on the road and had the car sent back to dealer. determined that replacement piston had failed. dealer gave a hard time about doing the work under warranty, got SOA involved and finally got it done. Many thanks to Patti!

    October 05, Metallic rattling noise returned, I suspected part failure again. Called SOA and was instructed to bring into dealer. Brought the car into different dealer than last time, this one is a stellar performer dealership. Called me at 5:00PM yesterday and told me that the noise was comming from the bottom of the engine, the short block. They suspect broken piston and also said that number 1 & 2 are sounding noisy also. They said that the cylinder head replaced last year did not fail. They have the short block in stock but need to order the gaskets.

    The car have ~128,000 miles. over 70% are freeway miles. To have to replace the short block this early has really dented my confidence in Subaru. I thought I would b able to drive this thing to at least 250,000. The car has been faithfully maintained.

    I am going to call an independent mechanic that one of my colleague uses for her repairs tomorrow. I want to see what they say the job should cost.

    Mike
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    Steve,

    I am not sure what you mean by fully dressed, but the rebuilt engine has been bored, polished, new parts where necessary, etc. Or I can get a used Japanese EJ25. I am not sure which one is better. I don't want to sink another $4K into the car, even if it gets me a few more years, that's just not a good return on investment. I was going to replace the suspension system this fall, got all the parts already before this engine issue croped up. Now I have to return all the parts since I don't think I'll be doing the swap anymore.

    If I am getting a new car I want something with an easy to clean interior, the Suby is great but too many nooks and crannies for my dog's hair to get stuck in. A washable rear cargo area is also crucial, would like the rear glass to open seperatly from the hatch. Definitly need cup holders that can hold a Nalgene big mouth bottle, I go everywhere with at least one.

    Mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Forester LL Bean has an easy-to-clean cargo area, but the glass does not open seperately.

    Honda Element has the wipeable cargo area, and a moonroof in the back for fresh air on EX models.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Mike,

    Sounds like trying to sell it in it's current condition may be out. If it sounds bad, you going to get killed on resale value, unless you can find a mechanic or the like who is willing to take it on as a project. So the goal is to get it fixed at minimum cost - $4k being too steep to be worth it.

    By fully dressed, I was questioning how much you needed to transfer over from the old motor to be ready to install and run. I am sure that it has heads, but intake and exhaust manifolds, sensors, etc.? This stuff isn't hard when the motor is on a stand, but it does drive cost if you are paying someone else to put it together. How much are you willing / able to do yourself?

    Steve
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,793
    Okay, at Steve's suggestion, I'll add my two cents! I know, it is not much of a donation, but that brings the total down to $3999.98. :D

    First, a complete engine swap (assuming the "complete" engine includes the timing belt/covers, etc., all installed already) should take about 6-7 hours for one person with an extra hand during actual engine removal and installation (about 10 minutes for each of those). I have found complete engines for $2200-2500, so if you have a mechanic do the work at $85/hr, and assume 8 hours (though I would hope a professional could do it faster than me!), then you're looking at about $2900 total for full engine replacement.

    For short block replacement and no head work, I would guess about 20-25 total hours for me to do (with no guarantees that it would ever work! haha), so again a shop should be able to do it in no more than 20 hours. So, $1700 for labor and what, $1700 for the short block? $3400. Ouch. I would probably go with the replacement, but I would also have to mull both decisions long and hard before dumping that much into it.

    Mike, you're right though. 130K is not enough miles to be having the sort of problems you are experiencing. This is not representative of a typical Subaru engine and it blows me away that you have had so many recurring problems. The shot spark plug really puzzles me. If your threads were stripped to the point of needing head replacement, it must have been in there all or most of the way when it was launched... how on earth could that much pressure have built up in there?! I had a plug shot from my '69 C20's 307 engine once, but it had actually rattled loose on the ALCAN highway and was only in a thread or so when it finally let go. I stopped, checked it out, found the problem (the ceramics on the plug were shattered on impact with the engine compartment), limped it to the nearest auto parts store, and installed a new one! No problems, no stripped threads.

    Best of luck to you.

    -Wes-
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Regarding the October 04 failure of the "replacement" piston -- was that piston replaced as part of the spark plug problem in April 04?

    The broken piston in October 05, was that the same piston from October 04??

    My feeling is that someone screwed up the engine at some point, and that may have been followed by poor repairs along the way. This stuff doesn't just happen out of the blue.

    Was the engine 100% OK prior to that spark plug problem??

    If the dealer had been replacing the spark plugs and thus was responsible for stripping out the plug hole, I would probably have turned that into an issue with SOA. That does not happen on its own, somebody has to seriously overtighten the plugs to cause that problem. That would have been the first $1500 to stay in your pocket, and I am betting the subsequent issues can trace back to that event and the aftermath of the repairs. It makes me angry, but we see a lot of poorly handled dealer repairs that end up trashing engines. This sounds like one of those cases. Unfortunately, it might be hard or impossible for you to prove.

    I am surprised the dealer could not fix the spark plug hole (or maybe they did not want to). Standard practice would be to drill it out slightly and use a helicoil or sleeve. In fact, with care, you can do it with the head still on the engine. It would be a couple hundred bucks worth of time/effort.

    Craig
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    Craig,

    The engine was fine until the spark plug issue, then it was down hill from there. Prior to the spark plug the only problem I had was a loose heat shield. Had the dealer do the timing belt change at around 105K then literatly no more than 2 months later the spark plug shoots out on startup. I limped it to a parts place about 5 minutes away and replace the plug, it stayed there for a bit, then shoot out again on my way to the dealership. The plugs were originally changed at 60K service, would it take 45K miles for an over tighened plug to fail? I would think it would fail earlier considering all the freeway driving I did everyday back then. Oh well, the car is not bad, I consider myself a Suby fanatic and I'll buy another one without a second thought. The rattling doesn't start until the car has been driven for over half and hour, it doesn't show up at free way speeds either, just local driving.

    The entire cylinder head was replaced twice, the second time the dealership from hell showed me the original head with the busted piston valve, a dime sized piece completely broke off from one of the piston valves.I always wondered if there were additional internal damage due to the failure. My car never sounded right since being repaired the second time.

    Mike
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    I am considering the Bean but it is abit pricey. I am not a fan of Honda design, actually I can honestly say I hat Honda design, could never understand the principles behind their thinking. Plus I would like to enjoy the moonroof, kind of hard to do with it in the back, I am sure my lugages would truely appreciate the wide open feeling. hahaha. man, I am in a sarcastic mood.

    I love subies, so do my best friend who rides the most with me. We love the design principles behind Subies, its conservative yet forward and I can't say enough about the ergonomics of Suby design. I honestly thought I would be driving my Forester for at least another 8 years.

    Now I am looking at the Nissan Frontier pick up crew cab, Xterra, even the new Suzuki GV. The Wrangler unlimited is interesting too, definitly the king of easy cleaning. Plus I have always loved trucks and jeeps, since I was kid.

    Mike
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    Wes,

    I found this http://www.nippon-motors.com/subaru.htm and they can ship to my independent mechanic. The indy shop quoted $600 for a complete swap. I would do it myself but I don't have the equipment. I am almost tempted to the indy shop pull the engine and take off the replacement header just to make sure that it have not failed. I don't see how the dealership can determine that the header did not fail and it's the short block. I have my suspicions but I am no keen to keep on sinking big money into the car.

    Mike
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,793
    I would not be keen on it either.

    Cost-wise, I cannot see how a short block replacement would get you further ahead on this one vs. a full replacement. Plus, if there IS a head problem, you're going to be even further behind. The more we get into this, the more it sounds to me like somebody flipped the self-destruct switch on your current engine.

    If you do decide on a new auto: The Frontier is still on my short list as far as possible replacements if/when it is time to say goodbye to the OBW, though further down than it once was. I have considered the horribly ugly Honda p/u, but I would not consider it for another year at least - until they get the growing pains worked out. For me, the versatility of the pickupish-ness of these vehicles would allow me to retire my '69 C20 for restoration as well as my Subaru (well, not for restoration!). But, the economical-mindedness side of me also leans toward another Subaru or similar. Hopefully it is not a final decision I will have to make for a 2-3 years yet, Subaru willing!

    Good luck, regardless.

    -Wes-
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • sschmidsschmid Member Posts: 28
    I have a 97 Impreza 5 speed need to replace the front disc pads. Usually I use a haynes or Chiltons manual to guide me through these things but there is none that cover the impreza. Can someone post the steps for me. As I was searching this forum someone mentioned "adjusting the hillholder if you have a manual tranny?" Not that I know what that means
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Mike,

    I also think somebody pushed the self destruct button during one of the repairs!

    It sounds like the spark plug may have broken off and part of it went in the engine. This probably bent or chipped/cracked a valve, and could have done other damage as well. I have heard of this happening before, usually when the plug gets too hot, or is defective. But if the threads were stripped on the hole, my guess is that the plug was overtightened and just took a long time to finally fail. Oh well, it's water under the bridge now.

    If the rattling noise is not continuous, you may want to try a heavier oil and see if it helps.

    Craig
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Mike,

    The plugs may have been out more recently than you know. Rotating the engine by hand is easier when you do not have to fight compression. It is possible that they pulled the plugs when doing the timing belt replacement, and screwed them up upon reinstallation. Two months to failure is more plausable than 60k miles....

    Unfortunately, you stand 0% chance of proving a thing at this point.

    Steve
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Mike,

    I am very intrigued by by the nippon motors site, but go into this with your eyes wide open.

    The Japanese domestic market, particularly in many metropolitan areas, is saddled with very strict vehicle inspection requirements. They require not just 'inspection', but often full rebuild of systems like brakes, emissions, etc. at regular intervals. Basically, they almost force mid life cars into the recycle bin, when the cost to fix things that are not really broken becomes prohibitive. Hence the availability of low mileage engines, entire front clips, etc.

    The problem is that these are not always identical to what we get. The last thing I read on the subject indicated that we were still on the leading edge of emissions restrictions. As a result, there may be small differences that could play havoc with being able to connect wiring harnesses, compatibility with ECU mapping, etc.
    Contact them and ask if this is a true plug-&-play situation, or if you are on your own to figure out how to make it run.

    Steve
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    Thanks for the heads up on emissions requirements. I didn't think about that, I just assumed that an EJ25 is an EJ25.

    Right now I am leaning toward a new car, the Frontier is interesting but I live in NYC and finding parking for it in the city may be a problem. Plus, I think there is a rule here that if a truck is sporting passenger plates the bed has to be covered when parked on the street. Not sure if that rule still exists, I just remember my cousin's truck getting those tickets back in the early 90's. So, the Xterra is the next on the list, it offers the same interior as the frontier but no sunroof, but I can go aftermarket for that. Forester LL Bean is also a possibility, but the painted lower cladding is a turn off, so are the fabric trim pieces in the cabin. Fabric makes cleaning harder, but, that huge sun roof is very hard to ignore. I have wanted that roof since Subaru first offered it.

    decisions...decisions... hey, at least I can still drive my car while I shop, so I am not desperate. gotta look on the bright side, eh?

    Mike
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    All,

    Thank you all for your insights and suggestions. I really appreciat it. I usually have so many things going on in my head when it comes to problem solving it is nice to have a place to get honest feed back and be able to bounce my ideas around. I love this forum and have recommended it, let me correct that, preached it to alot of my friends.

    You guys ROCK!!

    Mike
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Which trim pieces are fabric in the LL Bean Forester? As far as I know, everything is either leather, vinyl, or alacantara (suede-ish).

    Personally, I don't like the front end look of the new 06 Foresters -- it is extremely "bulbous" and out of character with the rest of the car. The 03-05 models looked great in my opinion.

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Haven't done brakes yet on a Subie but I don't think they're any different than normal.

    Does your 97 Impreza even have the hill holder clutch? I don't think it does. Subaru used hill holders in the Loyale, and then it came back in the Forester in MY2003, I believe.

    In the MY97 time frame, I don't think they had any model with the hill holder.

    So it should be your basic brake pad change. You might have twin piston calipers, but I'm not sure. Just have 2 c-clamps around in case you need to compress both pistons at the same time.

    -juice
  • jcpressjcpress Member Posts: 15
    <<I was thinking in terms of compressor seals. They break down with time and leak freon to the outside. One hint; run the A/C every other day or so. If you keep the oil circulating (it tends to drain from the compressor and pool down at the lowest spot in the condensor), you stand the best chance of keeping the seals "sealed", and the freon in.>>

    Thanks. I'll try that.

    <<What are you looking at to replace the Forester?>>

    Minivan. Either Sienna or Odyssey.

    Joel
  • maverick1017maverick1017 Member Posts: 212
    My mistake Craig. Alacantara is hard to clean as well. I need something that I can just wipe down. You are right about the front of the 06 Forester, it doesn't match the rear, plus those tail lights are sooo three years ago! I like the 05 tail lights much better. I haul a lot of stuff more often than I like so the suspension on my 98 has taken a beating. I need something with a sturdier suspension. I know leaf springs are the best when it comes to heavy duty hauling, but what about a multi link? I don't know anything about that type of suspension so I don't know how strong those are in relation to a strut or leaf setup.

    Mike
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Pretty much any kind of spring can be used for handling loads, but coil springs are a lot more efficient (packaging) for multi-link suspensions, which generally favor handling and ride. Of course, there are exotic suspensions like the Corvette that use transverse leaf springs and still have an independent suspension. So there's really no particular +/- to the spring type itself, it really depends on the type of suspension and its purpose.

    Most applications of leaf springs on trucks and SUVs are on solid rear axles. These are better for loads, but ride/handling suffer quite a bit. If you can find a vehicle with independent rear suspension and a decent payload, that would be a better option.

    Craig
  • michael_lee76michael_lee76 Member Posts: 45
    Finally, they replaced the fuel pump. Guess what. the noise is gone! I could hear the same noise from outside of the car, but the noise is not noticable from inside of the car anymore!

    But here is another problem. While I was driving my car back to my home, I was hearing weird noise from the rear tire. When I got home, I took a look at it and I found a huge screw stuck on my tire! I called them immediately but the service center was closed until Monday. What should I do? should I ask them to replace the tire since it was only driven for 800 miles? if they offer to patch it up, will there be possible problems?

    I tried to take the screw out but I could hear the air leaking when I tried to pull it so I decided to leave it there. I'm so mad that they had time to shine the tire but did not notice the huge screw stuck on my tire...
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    If the screw is in the tread, and leaves a single, round hole of less than 3/16 or so, it is pluggable. Anywhere else, such as the sidewall, the tire is trash.

    Change it with the spare for the drive back to minimize further damage and the possibility of a blowout if the condition degrades.

    Steve
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