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I had wheel studs damaged recently, and I think it was from this procedure, as they were fine (lug nuts and studs that is) a few months back and this has been the only service performed since then that should involve wheel removal.
I got my hands on a copy of the Repair Procedures WWE-88: Step #1 Raise vehicle on a lift. Step #2 Remove the left and right front wheels. Seems pretty clear to me, but the dealership says they don't have to remove the wheel to perform the install. Who's right? Any opinions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I have Yokohama H/T tires on my Forester S. They only have 27000 miles on them, but seem pretty worn down (eyeball).
I am thinking of replacing them. I live in Oregon so there are both national and local tire dealers here: Firestone, Sears, Les Schwab, Beggs, Big O. I have looked on the web, and it seems that the Michelin Pilot XGT V4 or H4 are good tires, but expensive. should I get these or are the local/regional companies as good?
I am coming up to the 30K mile checkup. It looks like they will change fuel filters, plugs, check brakes, and several other things I don't recollect. Are there items I should get or not get? It looks like they will change the air filter, but a friend recommended getting a K&N air filter which he says will last a lifetime. I don't know this brand, any comments?
Thanks for any help.
BTW, my previous problem with the Check Engine Light was because the gas cap was not on tight enough. The dealer also tighten the charcoal filter clamps and the fuel filter clamps.
Don't expect the pinging to completely disappear but it will be reduced to a much more tolerable level. When the weather cools off (<70) the pinging will again disappear.
Save your money - use regular gas. Higher octane won't correct your pinging problem.
Vince
In the Mid 80's I had a pickup that I took in yearly for servicing. They followed the schedule and nothing more. So with Tranny fluid they only inspected it. at 90K had to replace a transmission. On subsequent vehicles I have maintained a rigid 15K transmission drain and refill ever since without problems. and my Dodge has 175K on it.
In light of recent experience, I also change the PCV valve every 2 years regardless. I didn't change the valve regularly. At one oil change it was fine, then next time, when I checked the air filter it was filled with oil. PCV valve replacement completely fixed that issue, and not surprisingly, the rough running stopped immediately.
If you want to have to bother with regularly removing, washing and drying a dirty, oily air filter element, reoiling it and reassembling the whole thing, the K&N air filter is for you. I gave up that routine in the 1970's when ALL of the automobile manufacturers switched to pleated paper filters that filter out much finer particles of dirt much more reliably, with much greater convenience when they need scheduled replacement. K&N does do a great job of advertising though.
-mike
I'm in the same tire boat as you - my geolandars have gotten a pretty good workout esp on logging roads; also my wife parks a lil close to the curb at times.
Misaligned from the factory, warped rotors (twice), clutch chatter -- the last two of which, despite being widely reported by owners, Subaru won't own up to -- and now misfires, backfires, and hundreds of dollars out of pocket to make it right. This is the legendary Subaru reliability and bulletproof build quality? Hmmm. I sure hope all those people I recommended look at Subies fare better.
The good news, such as it is, is that the car has found its old punch once again. From approximately 3300 RPMs up to 5000, it really rocks.
I wonder how long it will last this time.
Miffed,
-wdb
-mike
They suggested since the car has a 36K warranty, that I amy want to make a list of things to check. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what else to have looked at?
Mark
I have a 2000 OB MT. My question is do I have to use different fluids for the tranny and Rear diff, or can I use just one? In that case, which one?
Thanks for the all the help.
Mark
Up here in Rockland County, our Environmental Protection / Health Department recently sent a mailing to every household, asking all of us to think more carefully about how much oil, fat and grease we put down our drains (including kitchen disposals). They are raising conciousness about how it accumulates, clogs sewer lines and wastewater treatment plants and of the costs to the taxpayer. That doesn't even address the potentially poisonous (to the environment) additives that may be in the oil that has to be cleaned from K&N filters. Another reason for me to question the K&N route for those of us who don't regularly ford streams in our cars. (Troopers with exhaust and intake snorkels may be an exception)
-mike
Well, at least the paper will be eaten by all those cellulose-loving bacteria in the landfill in time. That little ring of rubber or plastic gasketing is another question though. Hey, isn't that what Fresh Kills was all about?
-mike
being able to find common problems,and potential fixes works great for me..as i'm always driving someone elses trouble..(see broke)..
.not too far away is listed a subie wagon,(forgot witch style).with an automatic trans..says it "slips while taking off"..not shure if that's a filter or rebuild..any thoughts??whith the clock setting on 170,000..is it worth $1000??
have yet to own a subaru,but have recomended them to my broke friends who needed simple,reliable transport-their history of many miles with fewer troubles..seen many "road weary" sub's that seemed to run better with age..not unlike the old bug's with the boxer 4..with a cooling sys..(guess some designes work ,some not)..
what would it cost to put a aut trans in a -91 -maybe impresa??..could it be a easy fix??
many thanks
None of which makes me feel any better about Subaru reliability at the moment. I'm leaving today on vacation, with fingers crossed that the car gets me there and back without drama. I shouldn't have to think that way about a thoroughly maintained car with 45K on the odometer.
-wdb
I couldn't think of anything for them to check on my 60k. I didn't have any visible problems at the time. They found an oil leak on their own. Some o-ring thingy.
My wife's OB had a slight shake at 60K and they replaced the front axle under warranty because it was out of spec.
Have you met the owner? He's the white haired dude with glasses that's sits in the front corner of the showroom. Name is Ridge. Definitely a great guy to talk to.
K&N - Even though I have a K&N and Amsoil, the oil concerned me as well. Not so much with the K&N because it's cleaned every 50k miles. Slightly more with the Amsoil because it's cleaned annually. A very small amount of oil is used on both though. While I'm not trying to justify this, millions of gallons of oil is leaked by cars. :-(
Hmmm, maybe I can add enzymes to the bucket of water.
-Dennis
-mike
Thank you in advanced
Mike k
If you were to compare things like pour points, flash points, etc. you will see that a part synthetic is usually slightly better than a straight conventional (according to the numbers anyway).
-Dennis
Thanks for the help. How often does the differential and tranny fluids get changed? I'm just wondering if it pays to buy these fluids in bulk, or just as I need them.
I think I have spoken with Ridge a couple of times, I just never knew who he was. I've found all the folks there very helpful. I also found out yesterday, that if you mention you are a AAA member, there is a 10% discount for service.
Mark
Yeah, I know about the AAA discount. You have to show your card every visit since their new computer doesn't hold the info.
When I first met Ridge, I didn't know who he was either. He's such an easy guy to talk to. We just talked about Subes for about 20 minutes and I asked if he was the sales manager. He said, "Well, something like that." He gave me his business card (which I didn't even look at then) and it said President on it. I think he co-owns it with a guy that owns all of the Flemington dealerships.
He's a fan of old cars. He has an MG, Porsche, and two BRATS.
-Dennis
-juice
-juice
--been reading where some of the newer ones were getting bad mileage..sounds like a restriction in the exhaust..if it's TOO quiet,it may not be breathing right, also,maybe the air filter might be trouble,but most likely the muffler or converter..especially with the sulpher,"rotten egg" smell..maybe the long trip idea could help,burn off some of the gunk they pack them with?(platinum coated ceramic pellets)..a new car will smell like that,but after,say 10.000 mi,they don't as bad??maybe a long trip with good premium(i've had the best luck with marathon)might clean it out..some octane boost??the idea is to get it hot,the short trips to the market are harder than trips lasting over 30/45 minutes..might work.. good luck!!W
Mark
mike k
that's a little like making you pay for a new clutch if the whole tranny goes, since the clutch disc itself isn't under the 5/60 powertrain.
-Colin
Thank you for any help
no additives will help a mechanical problem of that nature.
-Colin
I mean, what Colin said. ;-)
Try the timing for the heck of it, since it's easy.
-juice
I have a 2000 OB Ltd that is approaching 15K. I average about 7K per year (relatively low miles). I have a question regarding what service you would recommend for the 15K service in addition to Sube's recommended service. The dealer pushes stuff like BGK(?) oil additive and fuel additive.
What do you think about trans flush and change? Any service to the front/rear differentials?
Radiator flush & fill?
Any other service that you would recommend for a low-mileage vehicle?
I'm particularly interested in what Juice, Mike & Colin would suggest.
Thank You,
Ron
At 15k, I'd do oil and filter, tire rotation, and top off all the fluids. Maybe the radiator coolant.
The rest I'd do at 30k.
-juice
Since I was home, I thought I'd give the local dealer, Carlsen Subaru in Redwood City, a try. I had been going to Santa Cruz Subaru for major maintenance and have been very impressed with their service. However, I heard the Carlsen had recently made efforts to improve and I decided to check it out. I did notice that the service area seemed a lot better run with service writers and techs all did seem a lot more courteous and professional. Overall I've been impressed with their service.
Ken
Ed
Ken
I also asked about oil consumption (I go through about 1qt every 3000 miles) and had them check the engine seals. Turns out they found a leak on one of the cam seals.
Ken
Yes, I'm pursuing the lemon law. In the meantime, it's really good information for folks who may be interested in buying a Subaru to know that this company doesn't honor their warranty. Why bother with the hassle when they can go to Honda or Volkswagen or Toyota - who actually does honor their warranty.
Patti, you disappoint me completely.
-woodsedge
I'm seriously beginning to doubt the wisdom of my Subaru purchase and Subaru service.
Crummy deal on the cam seals. Don't know what else to say. :-(
Ed
Yeah, kind of bummed. I'm now convinced my Forester was built on a Monday.
Ken
A quart of oil every 3,000 miles is nothing at all to concern yourself with. In fact, it's better than probably 80% of the cars on the road today.
get a borla header instead of any new factory exhaust manifold bits. they're ~$300 direct from borla now, link in the iClub's NA Powertrain forum.
-Colin
Ken