-June 2024 Special Lease Deals-
2024 Chevy Blazer EV lease from Bayway Auto Group Click here
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee lease from Mark Dodge Click here
2025 Ram 1500 Factory Order Discounts from Mark Dodge Click here
2024 Chevy Blazer EV lease from Bayway Auto Group Click here
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee lease from Mark Dodge Click here
2025 Ram 1500 Factory Order Discounts from Mark Dodge Click here
Options
Comments
Patti
You must have bought yours from Becker; they're well respected on this and other boards when it comes to sales and service - more so than the dealers in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. I may go there when the time comes to buy another Subaru.
Enjoy!
Ed
<
>
<
>
:-)
-juice
8500 Miles
I: My Clutch Vibrates.
Them: Normal.
I: Illinois? I thought Subies were made in Indiana or Japan.
Them: Consider it a feature -- free foot massage.
30k Miles
I: My clutch chatters when cold.
Them: Cannot duplicate.
I: Maybe you should buy a Xerox.
36k Miles
I: Still chattering when cold.
Them: Leave overnight.
Next Day
I: Well?
Them: We heard it. But we wouldn't do anything at this time.
I: What do you mean? With all that chattering, I think its trying to tell us something.
Them: Our teeth do the same thing when we are cold.
48k Miles
I: The clutch is STILL chattering, Now doing it when warm. Starting to chatter between 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.
Them: We have to tear it apart to see what'ts up.
I (Clutching my wallet): Will Subaru cover that under warranty?
Them: We won't know until we get it apart. If not, you pay.
I: How much to tear it apart?
Them: Almost as much as the entire repair labor.
I: Can't you call Subaru to authorize it?
Them: Only the service manager can do that, but he's on vacation.
I (having a litle pun at THEIR expense, or will it be mine): Trying
to avoid the chattering of customers, I presume.
49k Miles.
I: Chatter, chatter, chatter.
Them: Cease that infernal chatter. We'll cover it. But you have to pay for the pad.
I: You meant the lining?
Them: Same thing. Either way we line our pockets.
I: Well, I hope you don't pad the bill.
Later
I: Done?
Them: Yes, and we coverd it in full. No charge.
I (Charging out of there): Finally, thanks.
Start Car -- Drive
I: Rats! No foot massage. Anyone know of something in the aftermarket?
Must've been the weak pressure plate. Glad you finally got it replaced.
-juice
Thanks,
Mark
Maybe it's the A/C compressor?
-juice
-mike
-juice
I can't see it being the power steering pump since it only seems to happen when I first start out at highway speeds. I figure if it was the compressor I would be hearing it more often as well. I'll try the vacuming tonight when I get home.
Mark
Phone calls to SoA and a meeting with the District Service Manager took care of that!
Actually, I kinda miss the squeak too. It gave my car character. I even got it on videotape.
Dennis
Glad to hear that SOA covered your clutch under warranty. Your profile shows that you own a 98 Subaru -- which model in particular?
Ken
Ah, then you are in the same boat as myself. Had the same repair done on my 98 S too. It doesn't feel like it, but your pressure plate is now clamping down much harder.
The clutch pedal will get heavier over time, BTW. It was explained to me that as the clutch breaks in, you'll naturally get more friction from "stuff" building up in the fluid and lubricants.
Ken
-juice
If it's an interference design you could have some seriously damanged pistons, valves, even cylinder liners and crank.
As long as they replace everything past the tranny, it should be OK.
I still can't get over a chain breaking like that. How bizarre!
-juice
Other than the delay in repairs though I see no reason for a new car. This is a freak accident (or gross negligence, at any rate it's rare) and a brand new engine will fix it just the same as a brand new car.
If they can't fix it posthaste though I see your point-- it's uncool to be without such a new vehicle for an extended time. Maybe if they gave you a loaner just like it?
-Colin
I'd express my concern to the dealer to make sure you're taken care of during the repair.
Ken
If you get a chance, give us a call at 1-800-SUBARU3 so we can stay on top of the situation and make sure things move quickly and to your satisfaction. Please tell the Representative that you speak with that I would like to see your case.
Thanks!
Patti
Greg
maybe there is sufficient quench area so that the piston can't hit the valves at full lift no matter when it happens, but the valves will probably foul on each other.
-Colin
Patti
It made it through and was repaired with a patch.
I had the dealer do it. I do not trust anyone else yet with the aluminum wheels.
You guessed correctly, I bought at Becker. It was a good experience. Also was not used to being able to arange a loaner every time I asked for one. At the Ford dealerships I have never been able to get a loaner in the past. We really are enjoying this car. Had it 15 months.
Ed
Its my understanding that gas is gas, but the additives are what makes the brand names different from each other.
What is considered long?
Just wondering if I should make a 50 mile trip from San Jose to Oakland.
Ross
Thank you for visiting the Subaru Web site, and for your inquiries. 1.
The engine in your '98 Forester is a an interference type engine.
Damage will occur to your engine if the timing belt breaks. 2. If you
have a Federal Spec. vehicle, we recommend that the timing belt be
replaced at the 60,000 mile service interval. If you have a California
Spec. vehicle, we recommend that the timing belt be replaced at the
105,000 mile service interval.
If you do not know what spec. your '98 Forester is, please contact us
again with your VIN, and we will advise you. Best wishes!!
John J. Mergen
Subaru of America, Inc.
I sent them my VIN and was told that mine was a CA spec engine. I thought this odd, since I live in upstate New York. I will probably change it earlier, since my Owner's Manual says 90,000.
In my experience, I was able to tell a slight difference in some brands and a big difference in others. Fuel formulations vary by region so your car can run great on brand X in your state and run not so great with the same gas in other state or even another part of the same state.
I tried about 3 tanks of each major brand when I searched. Personally, I use Sunoco around home and Amoco or Exxon if I can't find it on trips.
My car definately doesn't like Hess, Texaco or Getty, but I've heard other people say these brands work great in their cars.
Good luck and have fun sampling.
Jeff - Maybe upstate cars don't have NY emissions. Could that only be near NYC? If you still have your window sticker it should be on that.
Dennis
The last time I heard this knocking-type noise was in Dec. 99, when I had about 20K on the car. The Subaru dealer said my alternator went bad. It was replaced under warranty. I hope it's not that again...
I called the dealer yesterday, and told them my problem. The service advisor said there are probably carbon deposits in my engine valves, and would need a "top engine cleaning?" Is this something that costs alot? Can this be resolved I/ a fuel additive? The dealer said they perform this on vehicles @ the 30K service mark. That wasn't done on my car I/I I took it elsewhere for that service.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
-mike
..Mike
..Mike
Does the knocking noise go away once the engine is warmed up? If so, what you might have is piston slap. The MY97-98 engines use a skirtless piston that can sometimes cause the piston to hit the cylinder walls when the tolerances are too big. I'd ask your dealer to look into this possibility.
Ken
Thanks, Greg
Ross
If the engine is interference, why would anyone risk going over 60,000?
My only complaint about my 1991 is that it chews the timing belt every 17,000 miles. However, it is a non-interference engine, and just stops.
Ross
I'm getting a little concerned because my wife's 99 OB lease is almost up and she wants to buy it. She has the tap occasionally and it goes away after warm-up. Of course this will never happen at the dealer and she's at over 50,000 miles. I would hate it if problems came after the Powertrain Warranty expired.
Then there's the head gasket issue.
juice or anyone - Are you concerned about these problems?
Dennis
For both california and non california vehicals the scheadule was inspect at 60 and replace at 105.
On on the 2L engine it was replace at 60.
When I had piston slap, I thought the noise went away after the engine warmed up. When I had an experienced tech listen to it, he could still detect it even after the engine had warmed up. The noise was most prominent when the engine was revving down from around 4K RPM.
Just my opinion, but I don't think any kind of slap could be good. It's being caused by the piston hitting the inside of the cylinder walls. The tech did explain that they're familiar with this characteristic and that engines they've torn into at 100K miles showed no damage, but I wasn't satisfied. I ended up having my pistons replaced with ones machined to tighter tolerances.
I don't want to get you paranoid. What you have may not be piston slap. I just wanted to let you know of a possibility and that there is a work around.
Ken
Someone also just posted this on the i-club. A reply posted this scoobynet recording of piston slap (I'll have to check this out at home).
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/Forum9/HTML/002674.html
Dennis
Chuck
Yeah, I saw that link too. The key to hearing it is, again, when the RPMs are falling. You can get a good sample of it on the 6th rev on that sound clip. There's a distinct rattling noise which I'm sure is the slap.
Ken
99 RS had SOHX 2.5l Engine
99->95/96 Legacys had DOHC 2.5l Engine (unless they had 2.2l engine)
00->present Legacies and OBs have 2.5 SOHC Engines (unless H6 3.0l)
9x->99 Foresters IIRC had 2.5l DOHC 00->present Foresters have 2.5L SOHC
-mike
Ross
Almost right except that only the 98 Forester has the DOHC engine. The Forester/Impreza RS have been sharing the same drivetrain/engine layout since they were introduced.
Ken
I'll probably just do the swap at 90k. May as well if you're going to pay for the labor to check it.
I advanced the timing on my Miata a couple of weeks ago. It is adjusted manuall on the 1993 models. OEM spec is 10 degrees BTDC, and I took it to 14.
It had never knocked before, and doesn't now under normal operation, but there was once that I forgot it was still in 5th gear after I had slowed considerably. When I hit the gas, it knocked like a woodpecker.
Pretty interesting, a driver error that I imagine you quickly learn not to repeat.
-juice
-mike
TIA, Guy