Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

mikezak · May 2001

I first want to apologize, as it seems like I always post when I have a question. I do not want to seem like a whiner, but I do respect everyone's thoughtfulness and knowledge.

I have almost 3K miles on my vehicle, and so far the honeymoon is still on as it is my first non-Big 3 auto. For the record, I have gotten 29.5 mpg on my last business trip. However I do have another question for the Group.

I have noticed from almost 1 day of my 2001 OBW, when I back out of my driveway in the morning, my brakes squeal or squeak. Having just read a similar post from another 01 OBW owner (with no solution replies in a newsgroup), made me think of asking here?

Thoughts?

Again, my thanks in advance...

pattim3 · May 2001

Stay tuned. It is a "characteristic" but they are coming up with a remedy for folks if it bothers them. It shouldn't impact braking performance. Just let your dealer know about the concern and when I hear more, I'll post.

Thanks!

Patti

seamus3 · May 2001

i did get pulled over last night. apparently my head lamps are too bright for at least one cop. now i have to buy a pair of halogen bulbs so my car can be "inspected" for road worthiness. which also means i will have to do an emissions test. will my stromung pass?

seamus

ateixeira · May 2001

Mike: it's probably OK (but yes, annoying) as long as it goes away quickly.

You should hear the valve tapping noise on our 626. Scary, but it goes away after oil pressure builds, so we've been advised to ignore it.

Stromung should pass, no?

-juice

kens · May 2001

Mike,

Do you park outside? I'm wondering if the squeaking is do to brake pad oxidation from morning dew.

Ken

kens · May 2001

Patti,

Just wondering if you got my re-send of my case update.

Ken

bigfrank3 · May 2001

How do you like your Stromung? I have been wanting to put some tone into my Forester so I can hear it "hum" along as we ride the revs.

Do you find it too loud, or more correctly, do "others" find it too loud? My days of holding the clutch in and coasting by cops are long gone.

Did the cop that pulled you over make any remark about it? T.I.A.

Frank

hciaffa · May 2001

That the best news we have heard in along time. Our 99 Forester L has made the annoying brake squeal since we have had it and the service people have only been able to check, adjust and clean to no avail, and its not just in the morning but even when hot from driving around. Please inform us when a fix is out. Now if you could only help us with our pinging or rattling noise.

vincer2 · May 2001

Kate,
I bought a Subaru bra for my 2000 OB from Darlene last summer. Because of the reasons previously mentioned I only use it when I go on trips. I wash the car and then put a coat of wax on the front where the bra goes. I also remove it if it rains. Works great for protecting from bugs and stones but there is a maintenance effort required.

Initial install required a little extra pulling to get it to fit but now I can install and deinstall rather quickly.

Stitching on the one end came off. I was able to repair it with a needle and heavy nylon thread.

I beleive the cost was about $110. (Hopefully Darlene will be rejoining us).
Vince

crawdadking · May 2001

I have a Bean with 3k on it and love it-brake squeal and poor headlights notwithstanding. However if there are any better lights out there I would like to give them a try. I went on Phillips website and the only list lights for the Impreza. Does anyone know more about this. It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't have OB bulbs since there are a zillion of them out there.

BTW; took the bean in for first oil change. When I got home I checked the oil (on the level gargage floor) and it was so high on the dipstick that I had to pump 1.5qts out. What kind of customer confidence does this intill. Next tilme I go into Bud Clary Subaru I won't know if the really know how to rotate the tires or check the air pressure or any other complicated technical procedure :-)

Guy

kens · May 2001

Guy,

The Philips Vision Plus are made only in H1, H4 and H7 sizes. I purchased mine on:

http://www.autolamps-online.com/

Ken

subearu · May 2001

We had the brake squeak back in November. It's been talked about many times before on these boards - the pads are a harder type that can 'glaze-up' a bit. There's a couple of ways of eliminating the squeak. One is to give the brakes a good stomp from a moderate speed a couple of times to clean away the 'glaze'. Another is to have the pads cleaned or roughed-up to remove the glazing.

Since our dealer removed the glazing back in November, we haven't had the squeaks since! (knock on wood) Each day as we back our Outback out of the driveway, I give the brakes a nice firm pedal to reclean the nights moisture away. And I also occasionally give them the speed-cleaning described above.

-Brian

hondafriek · May 2001

Further to the chat last night,you asked about the GT and I mentioned bad paint match.

Well picked it up today and the paint match is perfect, in their defence titanium is one of those colours that gives painters nightmares, it is a very difficult colour to match apparently.

As well there are several alternates of the colour which adds to the difficulty anyway I informed them that I would accept nothing less than perfect on a vehicle only six weeks old and not to call until it was.

So the moral here is when you get the forester fixed be just as adament that you want a perfect job they can do it when they want, they would have been just as happy if I had accepted the first attempt, unfortunately for them they were dealing with the wrong guy.
Cheers Pat.

crawdadking · May 2001

Thanks for the website. It looks like all I can do is replace the standard low beam H1"s with the Vision Plus low beams. I didn"t see anything for the high beams. Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks again,
Guy

nygreg · May 2001

Just checked my oil after the dealer changed it a few days ago. Way over-filled. Need to take some out. What's going on here? Also have the morning squeal even after it sat in the garage all night. No problem though. However, upon checking my tire pressures I noticed that my rear rotors (especially the right one) appear glazed and scored. Keep in mind the car has only 1700 miles on it and if you recall, I had a warped rotor when I purchased the car. The dealer gave me two new rotors up front and cleaned the rear ones. Starting to wonder if I got rotors from a bad batch. Car was build in November. Called the dealer and they politely told me to bring it in whenever I want and they will take care of it. Well need to go take some oil out!

-Greg
P.S. Sorry for missing the chat last night - another hockey game, which we lost in double overtime!

originalbitman · May 2001

On a roadtrip last year with my 00 GT wagon I stopped at the dealer in Appleton Wis and also got a way overfilled crankcase. I took it back and had them drain it. The positive effect is that I became more aware of my oil level and what can make it fluctuate... including engine temp and drip time. Best is to check cold on a level surface. Checking on a gas station platform can give erroneous readings as they are not always level. Also it seems the boxer oil level can be effected by just how hot it and definitely by how long you let it sit after running. BTW - I do all my own oil changes now even on road trips.

bit

mav61 · May 2001

Patti:

Once again, thanks for your help with this situation. Dealer called to advise the new england tech rep will finally drive the car with me (as a favor to SOA) on June 11th. At that point at least we can be assured that he will actually hear this engine noise and be forced to make judgement of what is going on. Chris M had left a voice mail summarizing the prior visit's lack of a finding but I assume he and/or the case file is updated with the new info and upcoming appintment---thanks again, Mario

PS I assume the data stream from the short ride they took showed nothing of interest?

kens · May 2001

Guy,

I'm sorry, but I don't know what size bulbs your OB takes. My Forester uses a single H4 for both hi and low beams. If the bulb sizes that are listed in your owner's manual are available on the website then you're all set.

Ken

crawdadking · May 2001

The problem is that the manual says H-1 for low beam (that's available) and 9005 for high beam (not listed on the website). I think I will order the H-1's and see if there is a dramatic improvement. If so I will keep looking for better highbeams. Probably my 61 year old eyes are the biggest problem and I can't do much about that.

Thanks again,
Guy

originalbitman · May 2001

So I was trying to determine if I should shelve my mini spare and opt for a stock rim and tire on my GT wagon. The stock tire will fit where the mini sits now. So to calculate if it makes sense to have a new tire to run on in a an emergency I did some math. My RE92s measure about 78.125 inches in circumference. On the SOA site they recommend no greater than .25 inch difference in tire circumference for any tires. That would mean lease than a 1/16inch (.0625) of tread wear or about the same amount that the tread wear indicator shows up. So I guess it makes sense to carry a full size spare as it would be interchangeable for most of the life of the tires on my car. Interestingly the mini spare measures only 76.2 inches in circumference or nearly 2 inches less than the RE92 so I can see why driving on one of these would be bad for the AWD.

BTW I am using my new SandK torque wrench to check all my lug nuts. 65 ftlbs is correct right? Sure seems like nothing with the long handle of the torque wrench.

bit

subearu · May 2001

65-70 is what I use and have read here. *click* and you're set!

-Brian

originalbitman · May 2001

I also weighed the mini spare and it is 26lbs which is about 10.5 lbs less than the RE92 and alloy rim. The RE92 does fit nicely in the spare hold and with the outer face of the rim facing down there is lots of room in the back of the rim for storage. Now I just have to get a part number for the rim so I can order one for SubaruParts.com

bit

crawdadking · May 2001

It's funny that you should mention that 65 ft/lbs of torque "feels like nothing" on your long handle wrench. I have a small 3/8 drive clicker that goes up to 900 in/lbs (75lbs) and it is almost impossible to get it to click at 65. Leverage is an amazing thing :-)
Have a good day

Guy

bigfrank3 · May 2001

My '01 Forester Service Manual says 65 +/- 7 ft-lb for the lug nuts.

Regards,
Frank

originalbitman · May 2001

Thanks for the spec. Funny but I do not see a lug nut torque spec in my 01 GT manual.

bit

originalbitman · May 2001

So I was off in one part of my tire math. The .0625 Inch of tread (1/16th) relates to what is left and not what has been used when the tread wear indicator shows up. I just measured the tread depth on my RE92s with 3,500 miles on them and it looks like .22 inches or about 7/32nds. That means the tread wear indicator shows up after .156 inch of tread (5/32nds) has been worn away. That works out to about 1 inch difference in circumference between a new tire and one at the end of its life. A half worn tire works out to be about .5 inch difference in circumference.

Sort of shoots a hole in my full size vs mini spare theory although I guess .5 - 1 inch difference is a lot better than the 2 inches difference in circumference for the mini spare.

bit

bigfrank3 · May 2001

I couldn't find it in my Owner's Manual that's why I dug out the Service Manual. I was surprised that I couldn't find it in the O.M.

Regards,
Frank

hammersley · May 2001

are an interesting varietal... Subaru recommends 65-72 lbs or so... in comparison, my Dad's Buick snugs up to 100!

Found a set of oil change ramps at NAPA yesterday for 22 bucks... not a bad buy! Less than the cost of one oil change at my former JiffyLube. Tried 'em out on my bride's Villager first, though...just in case something went wrong!

Cheers!
Paul

aakerson · May 2001

A few days ago I asked about the source of an ongoing rattle somewhere from the rear of my 2001 OB. Several of you responded -- thanks to originalbitman, patti3 at ateixera for your help and comments.

Rattle turned out to be left rear seat cushion clamp that attaches the fender well when it is in upright position. I wrapped duct tape around the brace to which the seat clamps; also per suggestion of pattim3, did the same to the brace to which the left sie of the cargo shade clicks onto because it was rattling as well. Rattle(s) totally gone. Thanks again.

ateixeira · May 2001

I have Rhino ramps and they are quick and very handy, especially for jobs which require tires that are weighted down.

Interesting, bit. So the GT rims and tires weigh 36.5 lbs? My 15" steel wheels and tires were about 34 lbs, and my 16"x7" aftermarket alloys are about 34 lbs also, even with my wider and taller 225/60R16 tires.

-juice

originalbitman · May 2001

Maybe mine have more air in them. Or would that make them lighter?

bit

ateixeira · May 2001

he he

Actually with wider rims and section width, mine have more air. I guess the GT rims are not that light. Though they seem to be durable (never heard complaints about anyone bending them).

-juice

originalbitman · May 2001

So to recap... 1/32 of and inch difference in tread depth on a tire that is 12.5 inches in diameter translates to just under 1/4 inch in circumference. SOA recommends on their web site 1/4 inch as the maximum difference between tires.
My next test is with infaltion to see how it effects circumference. And for the hell of it i am going to measure all 4 tires to see if they vary.
bit

subearu · May 2001

oh, oh! Bit has the tape measure out again.

-Brian

originalbitman · May 2001

Or how I spent my Memorial Day Weekend.

bit

subearu · May 2001

I checked the tire pressures today on our Outback. They had crept up to about 38 psi. I think the last time I actually checked them was back in March (when it was still cold here). I guess I never thought they'd expand that much with the warmer temps. Anyway, they're back to 32 now (and baby Bear Brooke thanks me for a much smoother ride).

-Brian

hypov · May 2001

Brian - I remember reading somewhere that the psi will variate +/-2psi for every +/-10 deg F (I could be senile and wrong 'bout the info).

subearu · May 2001

I knew that, especially when the temp drops. But, I guess I never paid that much attention to it before our Outback. There's a little OCD in me after all!

-Brian

stevek · May 2001

I also did not like the lights on my 2001 Legacy GT. I think the low beams are ok but found the high beams very poor. Any good auto parts store will have a good 9005 alternative. After going to many "supermarket" type of auto stores, I went to one with a real counter and they also sell many aftermarket and off road stuff. They had a set of 100W 9005 bulbs in super white. The bulbs look blue when off but they do emitt a bright white light when turned on.(I think they are xenon or something like that) By changing the high beam only the cops wont bother you. The cost for a pair of bulbs was $45.00.

ateixeira · May 2001

I checked my tire pressures, too. All were high, since I had last checked in the snow, basically.

My miata's tires are by far the smallest and suffered the biggest change - they were a good 8psi or so too high.

-juice

kate5000 · May 2001

for my old Loyale. At the shopping parking lot, someone has "keyed" (scratched with a key or some other sharp object) one of the doors on my old wagon. Two long wavy deep ugly scratches across the door. Grrr. Does not look like a shopping cart damage, more like teenagers having "fun". I parked as usual at the remote empty part of the lot, to avoid door dings, but I guess remote is not always a benefit.

Anyone knows a CHEAP way to fill the scratches and make them at least less visible? It's an old car but I took great care of its finish (very nice burgundy "Mica Ruby" color, btw), and it's a pain to see it vandalized.

ateixeira · May 2001

Ouch, ouch. Too painful!

I doubt any wax will help. A repaint would be hundreds. Anyone?

-juice

megawatt1 · May 2001

Has anyone used the standard Outback roof racks for carrying 4' x 8' sheets of plywood?
If so, how did you tie them down?
Would this job require the "round" cross bars?
I have to pick up 2 sheets of 3/4".

Thanks for any help.
Ralph

ateixeira · May 2001

I once heard someone say they carried plywood inside, at an angle and with the hatch open. You should be able to carry a couple like that.

Actually, come to think of it, I carried two sections of fencing for a friend. They were 6'x8' and far heavier than a 4'x8' plywood sheet.

The Home Depot guys helped tie them on the roof. No problem at all. Well, they were a little heavy to carry around to my friend's back yard!

-juice

megawatt1 · May 2001

Has anyone used the standard Outback roof racks for carrying 4' x 8' sheets of plywood?
If so, how did you tie them down?
Would this job require the "round" cross bars?
I have to pick up 2 sheets of 3/4".

Thanks for any help.
Ralph

paisan · May 2001

I used my Rodeo one to carry a futon frame 300 miles. The old rodeo rack was/is similar to the OB one so I don't see a problem carrying plywood. I'd use Bungy cords over the top and from the front and rear to the roof rack.

-mike

kens · May 2001

Kate,

Sorry to hear about the scratch. Sounds like the damage went down into the primer.

Wax won't help hide that. What you'll need to do is get some touchup paint and fill in the scratch. It's best if you thin out the touchup paint with a little thinner (it's usually too thick) first.

Here's a link describing how to do it right:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/painchiprep.html

For myself, I simply fill the scratch by putting some paint on the tip of a toothpick or brush and allowing capillary action to draw the paint into the scratch. After it's been filled, I let it dry for a day and then use some super-fine sandpaper (1000~1200 grit)with a dab of detergent and sand down the scratch until it's level. I put tape on both sides of the scratch to minimize sanding down the "good" paint.

Once it's close enough, I use 3M Hand Glaze to remove the fine scratches made by the sandpaper. It's pretty amazing how that stuff erases the dull white haze left by the sandpaper. Finally, I follow up with a good coat of wax.

It's not professional, but it does make the scratch a lot less noticeable.

Ken

originalbitman · May 2001

I have a SK torque wrench model #74150 2--150ftlbs that I recently bought. Used it for the first time this weekend and get this the scale on the handle (the one you turn to adjust the ftlbs) is broken into 15 increments (0-15). The scale on the shaft is of course broken into 10 ftlb increments... 20, 30, 40, etc. So how do you get 15ftlbs into 10? It just doesn't make sense. In addition the handle does lock in at what seems to be 1 ftlb increments but it doesn't correspond with the scale. There is no way to accurately set the wrench to anything but setting of 20, 30, 40, etc. I called SK Customer Service and they couldn't answer so they referred me to SK engineering and they couldn't explain it either. Has to be a manufacturing flaw like wrong handle on wrong wrench. Luckily the placee I bought it from (OnTools.com) is more than happy to exchange it. Getting a OTC instead.

bit

ateixeira · May 2001

I think the 0-15 increments are ounces, not pounds. Hence you can it accurate down to the ounce.

Wow, Ken, could you be any more specific? ;-)

Great tip.

-juice

subaru_team · May 2001

Hi Hugo. The brake noise I was referring to is very specific (only on start up and it goes away). You might want to have a dealer look at your brakes now (I know you did earlier in your ownership) and see about glazing or maybe even the need for pads based on what your are explaining.

Thanks!

Patti

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