Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

paisan · June 2001

I had a similar problem on my '00 Trooper which has a similar form of AWD. Turned out 1 tire was 1/2" smaller than the other 3 and was causing a whine at speed when under acceleration. It's a cheap and easy fix, and doesn't cost a lot to test.

-mike

jcameron3 · June 2001

Thank you all for your help with my glue problem. Juice and Mike, you do a good job running this forum.

Jeff

kens · June 2001

I'm experiencing a similar problem with my Forester but at 80mph. It sounds like it's coming from the tranny and is only present with my foot on the gas. I've had one dealer look at it but they claimed they couldn't duplicate it. I'm going to wait until my 60K service interval to have it checked again.

Ken

ateixeira · June 2001

I bet the dealer didn't go up to 80. Then again, he can't legally do that.

Jeff - thanks for the pat on the back.

-juice

bigfrank3 · June 2001

The recommendation for "Transmission/Differential" is to inspect every 30K miles with the following footnote:

"When the vehicle is frequently operated under severe driving conditions, replacement should be performed every 24,000 km (15,000 miles)."

Regards,
Frank

ateixeira · June 2001

I prefer when they are more specific. Inspect at 30k could mean the dealer opened it up and took a sniff.

-juice

bluesubie · June 2001

at over 50,000 miles that my rear diff plugs have never been touched.
They still have that odd coating around them that looks like they were sealed.

Good thing I've found a more competent dealer and have learned a thing or two.

Dennis

bigfrank3 · June 2001

Yeah, I agree. The stuff could look like mayonaise but as long as it is full some tech might think it is ok.

Since it isn't all that costly I would think changing it between 30k and 45k would be good insurance, unless of course there are "severe driving conditions" involved.

Regards,
Frank

bigfrank3 · June 2001

The Service Manual does list that stuff as a sealant. It's called "Three Bond 1105", and its equivalent is "Dow Corning's No. 7038".

Regards,
Frank

francophile · June 2001

Well.

It turns out that I, too, have an occasional whining noise in my '00 Subaru Legacy GT. It only happens at speeds above 95 MPH in a straight line, or at anything above double the posted speeds in turns, and only seems to occur when there is a passenger in the vehicle. It sounds kind of like a whimper combined with repeated and very strong squeezing of a plastic grab-bar type of device. Sometimes there is a rather rude smell too.

Anyone help locating the source of the noise would be greatly appreciated.

No, really,
-wdb

kens · June 2001

juice,

Actually, the dealer tried to replicate the noise with me in the vehicle. We hopped onto a local freeway but the morning rush hour traffic prevented us from getting past 75mph.

Ken

milehi · June 2001

Wow, just got off the phone with the dealer and they're 95% sure it's coming from the transmission. They have been talking to SOA (tech-line?) all afternoon and have all the ok's to put a new transmission in! SOA wants the transmission, so they'll ship SOA the old one while SOA sends out a new one asap. Can you believe it.

I was afraid they wouldn't be able to hear the noise. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all your responses.

Paul

paisan · June 2001

I've always been leery of having a dealer re-install anything that was put in in the factory. I'd have em check the tire-diameters just in case that is the case.

-mike

originalbitman · June 2001

wdb - yeah and that whine is usually accompanied by a bulging outward of the footwell on the passenger side.

bit

subaru_team · June 2001

Don't forget to contact us if things seem to be taking too long.

I'm sorry about the problem, but I'm glad they were able to find it.

Patti

ateixeira · June 2001

WDB: at 100mph, I think it's your significant other whining about how fast you're going! ;-)

I don't know if you guys have ever had a chance to smell gear oil, but the stuff absolutely reaks. After working with it your wife will avoid you like the plague. They jokingly call it "gear oil cologne".

-juice

perrito · June 2001

Here's a question for the Subaru crew. We own a 97 Outback Sport, with an automatic transmission (no used 5 speeds around here - C. Florida

). Whenever we turn, from a stop, or turn quickly at slow speeds, there's a horrendous shudder that comes through the steering wheel. Anybody else experienced this? Could this be a suspension issue? Could the rear differential be causing this strange sensation? I have visually checked everything on the car, up and down, and can't find a likely cause. I'm afraid I'll get soaked by a dealer/mechanic, if I don't have some clue/suggestion as to what it might be. Thanks, Perrito

ateixeira · June 2001

Hmm, that has an open rear diffy, so no LSD to wear and fail there.

It's probably something in the steering itself, or the front suspension, I'd guess. But I would have a dealer look since it could compromise your safety.

-juice

peterson10 · June 2001

It had to happen sooner or later (given all the fat, lazy, inconsiderate idiots who live in MY town!); some jerk just Christened my 4 week old Forester with a golfball size door-dent! Personally, I always park with an extreme degree of paranoia, usually at the far end of the lot, up against a curb, with traffic cones all around the car if I can find 'em. My wife is more rational and only looks for "safe places" next to nice, new cars; one of which whacked her good the other day.

whew, got that off my chest.

I've read a number of times about popping out small dents with dry ice, but can't recall all the details (i.e. is sunshine enough to warm the sheet metal, or does it call for more extreme measures?). Any advice on the topic would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

originalbitman · June 2001

Don't know about dry ice but I have used DentPro (paintless dent removal) and they were great. Took minutes to remove a bunch of door dings on my wife's Civic. Looks great.

bit

locke2c · June 2001

I had a paintless dent removal done on my Impreza-- no complaints. I generated a golf ball sized dent by grazing the fender with a four-way tire iron. Cold steel vs. thin sheetmetal, no contest there...

-Colin

nygreg · June 2001

a small dent in the door of our 1.5 month old OB. It's high on the door, so I am assuming it is an inconsiderated SUV owner. You won't really pick it up easily if your just looking at the car - but I know it's there and it bugs me. I hate inconsiderate people! Anyway, I heard you leave you car in the sun to get the metal hot and then place dry ice on it and the dent will pop out. Not sure if I want to try this. Funny thing is my year old Sienna doesn't have any dents!

Greg

nygreg · June 2001

inconsiderate not inconsiderated.

p0926 · June 2001

Fellas, you're missing the point. Dave doesn't want to Pay to have the dent removed. I for one applaud his adventuresome spirit.

Dave- I've been intrigued with the dry ice concept and hope you decide to give it a try. As I understand it, the sudden application of extreme cold should cause the sheet metal to contract, thereby causing the dent to pop out. Were I to do it, I'd just apply the dry ice to the dent at a normal temp. Try to have the dry ice only touch the concave portion of the dent. I would think that it would only take a few seconds to super cool the metal. Best of luck and let us know how it goes.

-Frank P.

ateixeira · June 2001

You could also try a heat gun, or maybe a blow dryer. Just don't melt the paint! :-)

-juice

locke2c · June 2001

My PDR was $30. Why bother experimenting or risking the finish?

-Colin

originalbitman · June 2001

Even popping the door panel off isn't worth saving $30.

bit

ateixeira · June 2001

Try reaching in through the speaker holes. The cover pop off easily (pry from the bottom), then its just 3 screws and a harness to unplug.

That may leave a big enough hole to push the dent out. I agree on not removing the door panel - you're begging for squeeks/rattles.

-juice

peterson10 · June 2001

thanks everyone for your lightning-fast and thoughtful responses! My concern with respect to using Paintless-Dent Removal and the like is that, as I understand it, they occasionally have to bore holes in the underside of the door skin to get at the dents (providing a place where they can apply enough leverage without risking a shattered window). But, for $30, its not a bad option. I'm half tempted to affix some sort of aftermarket side molding to lessen the risk of further whacks (provided it could be done without much aesthetic compromise). Has anyone else noticed that in recent years body-side moldings have either disappeared or become purely vestigial (positioned so low as to be useless)? FWIW, my daughter has a pretty healthy outlook on this: when she saw me agonizing over the dent she just smiled and said, "good, now you can start taking it fishing without being afraid it'll get scratched". Kids these days...

armac13 · June 2001

we certainly can learn from "kids these days". Some do have their heads on the right way. Congratulations, you must have done something right. :-)

Ross

ateixeira · June 2001

Well the Outback, Outback Sport, and Forester have plenty of side cladding.

I really like my Forester L's plastic cladding. There is no painted surface to scratch below knee level. The stuff is like teflon and holds up real well.

-juice

kens · June 2001

The painted lower cladding on my Forester S holds up very well too. It's definetly more durable than the paint they use on the sheetmetal. It's not as high gloss as the upper paint so scuff marks and light scratches don't show.

Ken

jres · June 2001

Ok here's the scoop,

00 Legacy GT wagon, 14K miles ECU replaced under recall

I've got an intermittent rough idle, she occasionally blips up to 2K for 5 - 10 seconds and and then goes to normal or drops so low the engine momentarily stalls and then catches up and runs fine. These events occur 4-5 times a week with no pattern that I have noticed.

This has been happening for two+ months I have changed fuel brand and grade, the weather has been from hot/humid to cold/dry, my driving has been mixed hiway/city

I have been hesitant to bring it to the dealer since the problem is intermittant and I can't count on it happening for the dealers mechanic.

Here are the questions,

Does OBD II keep a log of problems so the dealer might be able to look back and see what happened?

Is this potentially related to the ECU problem, did I get another bad one?

Has anybody else had similar problems?

paisan · June 2001

Hey over the weekend I polled my cousin on her '00 OB and if it pings. She said it only has a problem with Hess gas. It will cause the car to have a rough idle, and stalling if she uses Hess at all in it. Other than that no pings on hills or otherwise in the 2-2500rpm range running on 87 octane.

-mike

originalbitman · June 2001

I sometimes get a similar idle from my 01 GT (perhaps not as exaggerated as yours) but it definitely is associated with having the AC on and the compressor kicking in.

bit

jres · June 2001

I get the same problem with or with out the AC on.

Way off topic,

Looking at your profile brought back great memories, I have an aunt in your neck of the woods, is Prestons Ice cream / Candy shop still in Burlingame?

originalbitman · June 2001

Mmmm...

bit

francophile · June 2001

Your questions:

Does OBD II keep a log of problems so the dealer might be able to look back and see what happened?

Yes but I don't know how many records it keeps.

Is this potentially related to the ECU problem, did I get another bad one?

My '00 Legacy underwent an ECU recall for a Check Engine light malady, wherein the light would come on under circumstances that did not warrant it coming on. (This never actually happened to me.) Is that the recall you are talking about? More importantly, did your erratic idle start to happen only *after* the ECU replacement? The reason I'm hammering on this is that IMO the problem could be caused by the ECU.

Has anybody else had similar problems?

Not here.

Good luck,
-wdb

markandann · June 2001

Is it possible to easily access the computer codes in a Subaru? I have a brand spanking new 2002 Forester. In the old Ford I had, all you had to do was put a jumper in a harness in the engine compartment, turn the key, and you could read out the computer codes with a flashing light. This was a handy feature. It saved me a fortune in repair bills over the life of the car.

pattim3 · June 2001

Unfortunately, with OBD in vehicles, it is not easy to scan for failure informaton. The tool itself is a bit pricey, plus it gives diagnostic "codes". From there, you have to go to the related Service Manuals to find "possible" areas of concern or components to be tested.

Things are just not as simple anymore.

Patti

pattim3 · June 2001

You may want to bring it to a dealer to check out even if they can't duplicated. If you are in warranty there will be no charge to check the concern out to see if they can duplicate it.

If it is hesitating that severly, the ECU may have maintained a code. Is your Sube an Automatic or a Manual?

Patti

jres · June 2001

It's a manual transmission and the problems popped up a little ways (10+ weeks) after the ECU replacement. I guess I'm going to have to bring it back to the dealer.

MarkandAnn,

Yeah I had my eye on an ODBII reader that would translate the codes into english and had even justified the expense by buying it as a birthday gift for my dad that I would be able to use. My thoughts came to a screeching halt when one of the manufacturers proudly promised that connecting their device "wouldn't cause the accidental airbag deployment that some other such devices do".

Realizing that I hadn't done enough research I shelved that plan.

I could just see explaining THAT one to the Mrs. That's a Tim Allen routine if I ever saw one

locke2c · June 2001

re: markandann Jun 25, 2001 9:30pm scanning OBDII codes

Actually it is quite easy to pull your own codes. The only problem is that each manufacturer is allowed to a reserve set of codes specific to them. The vast majority of the codes are standardized, so you can use a generic OBDII scanner available at any autoparts and most tool stores. I've seen prices in the $50-200 range. I haven't bought one because my cars have thrown only one code, and I knew it was the evaporative purge canister because I'd already noticed my gas cap was missing.

Subaru's Select Monitor tool is more than an OBDII scanner, it can access certain special features built in to Subaru ECUs such as bleeding the brakes using the ABS controller and browsing the NVRAM for highest recorded vehicle speed. That's why it's more like $1100. (!)

-Colin

ateixeira · June 2001

They even track highest recorded speed? Wow.

-juice

nygreg · June 2001

Yikes, big brother syndrome!

Never thought of that. I wonder if it can tell what I was thinking at certain times. Maybe not good.

Greg

ateixeira · June 2001

Eh, just reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery if that's a big concern. I doubt they'd use that info though.

-juice

locke2c · June 2001

Yes it's slightly Orwellian, but it can serve a useful purpose. For example, if someone gets into a very nasty accident, the ECU doesn't lie about what was happening to the throttle and brake inputs, what speed the vehicle was travelling, etc.

My max recorded speed probably is in the realm of 110MPH. I don't care if a Subaru dealer knows, it doesn't make any difference to me. Now if they start telling me that my right foot is too heavy based on what they see in there... That's when my right foot goes to work on their sorry [non-permissible content removed].

-Colin

locke2c · June 2001

Juice, the ECU has its own battery backup to maintain certain portions of the NVRAM... such as those where the max speed is stored. The "black box"-ish functionality I spoke of earlier is the same, what good would it do to log critical data if you loose it when the battery is disconnected?

You could replace the ECU.

-Colin

kens · June 2001

Colin,

A while back I recall you mentioning you preferred Castrol Syntec over other synthetics. Was there a specific reason why? I wish there was a decent search feature on Edmunds...

Ken

locke2c · June 2001

Price, and the specific output of our engines.

-Colin

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