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Tribeca Care & Maintenance

PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
edited May 2014 in Subaru
Discuss the everyday care of your B9 here. Oil changes, wiper replacements, paint touch up, detailing products. All those little things you do to keep your B9 like new are fair game.
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Comments

  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    so as I mentioned previously, I made like one or 2 small little pin head size scratches when getting the Tribeca lettering off because I rushed it and used a putty knife after the floss (which was different then the kind I used for the Subaru lettering though there may have been other factors as well which made it not work) broke.

    I get this scratch touch up repair kit from pep boys and the Subaru Glacier White color. I prob didn't need the whole kit with putty and sand paper etc. but I figured it would be good to have and I had to buy the clear coat probably which was included. Well I follow the instructions to a tee and use the putty but I guess I really didn't need it for a couple super small scratches and its hard to use a little so i end up with too much and though i spread it , it just makes a bigger area to have to paint and is bumpy and raised.

    I followed all the instructions and waited the proper amount of time (sometimes 12 to 24 hours between steps) and used the gray primer on top of the putty making the area even bigger plus half seeing a few other black specks which might have been slight scratches but also could have been just dirt or something I made like i dunno 6 total small odd shaped areas of putty and then gray primer.

    Then the color turns out to be totally different white, what was I thinking. From far away its not noticeable but up close you can see each oblong shaped touch up area and that its a diff white. I even wet sanded it and clear coated and still looked like a mess so before using the finishing compound which may help blend stuff a little , i knew it wouldnt be a miracle so i went back to pep boys.

    now they tell me oh yeah they dont make paint color touch up for vehicles newer then like 2000 2001. You have to go to the dealer. I ask about paint thinner or something similiar and the guy says that will definitely strip your other good paint. Personally I think a light laquer remover as it says to clean the touch up pain ball point pen applicator would work to remove just the touch up paint and not the original paint job but the guy recommends a fine auto sandpaper.

    I get that and sand it down, get it a little smoother, not that I didn't do the other sanding and wet sanding but the included paper with touch up kit was too smooth and useless i guess to prevent scratchs.

    So i sand it down a little smoother but now I think the gray primer is showing but that wont sand away and I hope its not the metal underneath original paint now with a bigger bare area then the original pin head size i was trying to touch up.

    I then reapplied the subaru glacier white color and its a little better cus smoother, but the sand paper definitely wasn't removing all the touch up paint and was start to scratch the good paint so I jus settled for smoother and then re touched.

    I did all this each night in little to no dim lighting which prob didn't help. Now I have to wait another 12 to 24 to wet sand and clear coat or whatever steps are after the touch up pain. pain in the [non-permissible content removed] and I made a mess of it.

    will do the finishing compound once done this time but basically I made a mess and now have a more noticeable situation and larger area that needs touched up with the right color and by a pro.

    Hopefully I can live with it till next service and have the dealer do it or see if i can get my own satin white pearl touch up paint which I could prob make it look mostly blended myself with that as is just that the color is off.

    In hindsight, the couple pin head size scratches weren't as bad as it is now and if anything i didn't need the whole kit with putty and gray primer to make a mess with and could have just used the ball point pen side of the touch up paint and filled in the couple little scratches and even applied a dot of clear coat if i wanted to get fancy. the wrong color wouldn't have been noticeable for a dot or 2.

    Plus I bet there was a better color there possibly from another auto make that would be closer to the satin white pearl then subaru's old glacier white.

    So, can one get their own Satin white pearl touch up paint from subie dealer? anywhere online?

    When i got the sandpaper, i got universal black for the se grill backing plate from removed subie badge. oringally i used the gray primer to make more use of it and it didn't look good. then filled it in with a black marker like pen which was better but kind of grayish blue but still in low light conditions disappeared in the background of the grill.

    The black paint is much better and that is done and i'm satisfied. Prob will use the black on the hood deflector which i took the black elec. tape off and painted with the glacier white, heh, figuring i'd keep the contrast of the whitish silver subaru lettering on the deflector but it ends up looking like white out and i couldn't cover with a straight enough rectangle so yeah black may be better.

    though most of it was cheap, i prob spent too much at pep boys on stuff i didn't need and wrong color between the glacier white, scratch repair kit, adhesive to reuse tribeca lettering in other places (though the T and I on left side have stayed even through a car wash with what adhesive was already on) and now the sandpaper and the black paint all to mostly just make a mess (except the black was good and worked out)

    So, this was an example of how tinkering around too much (especially with touch up kits) can be a bad thing. The glacier white odd shaped touch up spots and covered up subaru lettering on hood deflector give it some character and effect but mostly look amateur and on the ghetto side, heh so I'm going to go for a plainer cleaner look.

    Again, anyone know where I can I get some Subaru B9 Tribeca Satin Pearl White touch up pain besides dealer if i even can get it there?
  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    found some touch up paint sites.
    this one seems to be best and cheapest for a paint pen with the correct Tribeca colors.
    http://www.automotivetouchup.com/

    but if you click the paint pen link and choose your make model year it wants you to know the paint color code and it says its 12.95 but from searching with google I got to some part of the site which lets you just choose the actual color name for the paint and the pen is only 10.95 though I can't seem to navigate to that from the home page of the site.

    this was one of the only other sites I found and its like double the price for a paint pen of the correct color
    https://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/place_order2.cgi

    was searching some of the Subaru parts sites but none of them seem to carry touch up paint though I did notice this one was has the se mesh grill for the best price i've seen so far of $544 where as i payed 569 plus shipping, argh. (msrp is $595)
    https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/product_info.php?cPath=73_94&products_id=1115- -

    This AWD badge might be nice to fill up some of that bare space where lettering was removed.
    http://subaruproparts.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_30_135&products_id=225
  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    I found the following funny @ http://drcolorchip.com/touchup-paint.html

    "THIS SCENARIO SOUND FAMILIAR?

    Maybe you've tried buying the cheap touch-up paint at the local auto parts store. You've pulled out that long brush that holds enough paint in one dunk of the bottle to cover half your bumper. You tap and maneuver the brush to get just enough paint on the tip to address the first few chips on your hood. Ever so carefully, you dab the tip on each chip, hoping to stay 'within the lines' while watching the paint ooze beyond the area you intended to cover. You figure the paint will magically blend in once it dries. The next day you realize you gave your car a case of the measles, which now stands out more than the unrepaired chips.

    That's just one home touch-up scenario, but they're all basically the same. Even with the new-fangled paint pens, the results are pretty dismal. If you need to repair more than a dozen chips, forget about it. It just can't be done. Until now....

    The proprietary Dr. ColorChip™ Paint Chip Repair system is guaranteed to leave no paint blobs behind, and make your touch-up painting experience a painless one. Whether you have just a few chips to fix or a few thousand, our individual paint chip repair kit will make the process a quick and easy task to accomplish."

    Least I didn't mess mine up that bad.
    Too bad its not worth $38 + shipping to me.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Heh, we're all learning some good stuff here - too bad it's on your dime. :cry:

    Most body shops buy or rent expensive computerized paint machines from a few big paint companies (like Sherwin-Williams iirc) so in theory all they have to do is look up the B9 paint code and they can mix up a small batch easily.

    I used to know a truck canopy dealer who would let his paint guys use the booth after hours to pick up some odd jobs like this.

    The truck caps would arrive dinged or the wrong color, but they would look perfect after a "paint to match" job.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I've heard some people thin the paint with thinner and then use a tooth pick to get only a tiny amount of product to paint with.

    The AWD badge is a great idea, I'd go with that at this point. It's cheap, too.

    Use two-sided tape (Gorilla Tape, perhaps?). Put it on the back of the AWD badge and then trim with an exacto knife before it ever goes on the car. Use blue painter's tape to get a straight line, and line it up with the tape. Voila.

    :shades:

    -juice
  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    http://www.subaruwrxparts.com/touchupsolid.html

    its a brush applicator not a pen like the one I got for $10.95 but its only $6.75. Sadly the shipping is double what it was for the paint pen from
    http://www.automotivetouchup.com/choosecolor/buypaint.aspx

    so its only around 30 cents less then the more expensive paint pen because subaruwrxparts.com has bad shipping rates. The lowest was DHL ground nad was like 8.89 for a little thing of touch up paint.

    Anyway, the toothpick idea sounds good and probably all I needed in the first place.

    Resanding dry, I made a mess and now some of the area surrounding the touch ups are slightly scratched up from the sanding. plus when i reapplied the subaru glacier white i didn't do it thick enough and you can still see some of the grey primer below, so i'll prob have to add some mroe glacier white for the time being and then wait another 24hrs to put the clear coat on, only to probably sand it some more later before putting on the correct satin pearl white when that comes.

    i think the pen i ordered only has the ball point applicator not both that and the brush like the dupli color stuff so i may need to order the brush from subaru wrx parts in additon.

    after all done the AWD badge may cover up some of it
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Man, that's rough. Your poor car. :sick: You're making me cringe! Maybe it's time to cut your losses and take it to a body shop.
  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    not sure if this the exact right thread for this but since they closed the main b9x thread and made it read only it sucks.

    I used to just search in there for what I was looking for like recently fog light bulb size which brings up the point that the sylvania silver star bulbs even in the fog lights didn't last two years and those aren't on all the time like the headlights being daytime runners.

    so overall it sucks that the tribeca doesnt come with a xenon headlight option and when you put better brighter whiter bulbs in like the sss they don't last. then the dealer service shop will put in an oem bulb for free and no charge for bulb (though I guess not supposed to if you have a non oem bulb in there but they don't care if you dont say) but who wants to go back to oem? so you have to buy the bulbs in the first place pay to have them put in then buy new ones again in a year or less (for headlights because of daytime running) and 1.5 years or so for the fog lights and pay to have them put in because its quite difficult to do and requires some disassembly and is generally a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] to try yourself.

    this alone is reason for me not to want to keep this car.

    now granted it could have been worsened by the crack in the foglight lense which caused air and water to get in there and cause the bulb to go quicker but I'm sure the other will go soon after the first foglight just as the headlights did one at a time and the other fog has a slight crack in it too.

    this was something discussed in the main b9x forum but who knows where it got moved to if it did already. ppl were getting 3m film for the fog lights and even headlights and clear bra for the hood etc. but the fog lights basically have to have some protective covering because its only a matter of time before they will get cracked by stones or whatever.

    I asked my dealership about this early on and they just acted like they hadn't heard of it and didn't do the 3m film and I would have to go somewhere else or do myself. as much as the foglights are nice looking and clear glass/plastic (which I guess is why many cars have a non clear thicker glass/plastic over the fogs)

    this really should be a warranty thing but the guys at other dealer were just oh yeah replacement fog light casing is expensive not mentioning anything about being under warranty. I felt like writing subaru about this and telling original dealer that I bought it from and mentioned to early on before it happened. I stopped going to them because they had attitude and weren't so good and overcharged me on the sale of vehicle which I told them I knew and that they could make it up with discounted service which they never did. other place won me over by changing a bulb for free once but now they have an old grumpy guy who didn't even know my tires were different and acted like I over inflated them in regard to the pressure when in fact they were clearly larger tires and wheels and later he realized and didnt apologize and when I told him the tire pressure monitor light was on so could they please adjust the air in the tires as I didn't get to do the back two and which was why the light was on, he acted like it wouldn't work even after I told him it hs for over a year fine, and that they just needed the proper air. he was wrong again and grumpy about it and never apologized even though sure enough once enough air/pressure was in the light went away. what an idiot service manager grumpy with bad attitude too. the other service manager guy is nice but the old guy seems to have seniority.

    makes me not want to go there anymore unless maybe I can say I don't want that guy but sometimes its only him. those are my two closest subaru dealers so this also makes me want to give up on subaru and I bet acura which I'm favoring will have better service.

    anyway the nicer guy told me it wasn't too late to put something like 3m film on the foglights to keep them from getting worse or water getting in so I will have to do that but kind of want to replace the one that is worse. but want to take this up with dealer and subaru as dealer said it wouldn't be a problem when I enquired early on before it happened and I knew I wasn't going on rock roads but I'm sure subaru knows about this by now. still should have ignored dealer and done it from the start at my own expense.

    will see how this might be handled by orig dealer (who I have no faith in) and/or subaru but I think I'm kind of done with them too(subaru & my too closest dealers)

    also funny how this thread was started with posts of mine moved from orig main b9 thread about paint touch up on the back of my tribeca, heh.

    how do I add the whole subaru b9 tribeca group of threads and get email notification? if I hadn't ever come in here I wouldn t know my posts were still in here to see responses and its still an ongoing issue that I might have wanted to see replies too.

    if I never came in here I wouldn't have ever known my post(s) were moved here or been able to track this thread. do I have to add that manually? I just want email notification of response to any thread I post in which is an option in most if not all other forums.

    is it fair/legal/right for them to move my posts to another thread unbeknownst to me and without telling me where they were moved? oh well.

    anyway let me know where the posts from others about cracked fog lights and 3m etc film for them are located if this isn't the right place. what a confusing mess.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    An adjustment for us all... try the Subaru B9 Electrical/Lighting Problems discussion.
  • tupintupin Member Posts: 71
    Wow...I just read your whole post X5killer.....um....do you drink a lot of coffee??
  • ktpklossktpkloss Member Posts: 28
    i've noticed strange rattle coming from the front of my tribeca for the last few weeks, so i've opened the hood and there it is.... as i open the hood i can hear something shifting INSIDE of the hood, in the space between the inside and outside sheets of metal that make the hood. there are only two openings in the hood itself, in front of it. what is happening is particles cought by the front air intake somehow get into the hood. and there's really no way to get it out, without removing the whole hood section and shaking it out...but that won't prevent it from happening again the next day....looks to me like a design flaw...:( should i go with it to a dealer? what do you guys suggest, the rattle is really noisy and annoying...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I bought one of those tools with an extending hand and a small magnet at the end of it. If it's a metal piece that might help you get it out. In fact any magnet can reach that, you may not even have to reach in.

    Mine looks like this:

    image

    -juice
  • ktpklossktpkloss Member Posts: 28
    Hey, thanks for a tip... i'm in vermont...and it's fall...almost all the debris that got into the hood assembly are maple seeds...i was able to remove most of them by prying the sound (?) insulation out a bit and shaking them out one by one --- it took me like 30 minutes... well vermont=tons of maple trees if this is going to happen every fall...i'll have to start thinking about moving south.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Don't think a magnet would work for those! :shades:

    -juice
  • wvroadswvroads Member Posts: 23
    I now have about 21K on my 06. I have been letting the dealer do the oil changes but decided to start doing them myself as I do my other 2 vehicles and have all the necessary equipment.

    Here is the question: After replacing the drain plug and OEM filter, I added the 6 qts of Mobile 1 that I just started using. When I checked the level on the dipstick, it was barely above the "low" mark. I had noticed that the level was never at "full" when I got it back from the dealer done service but just attibuted that to them not putting in a full 6 qts from their bulk dispenser.

    Has anyone else noticed this? Is the dipstick the correct one? Does the engine need more than 6 qts?
  • morey000morey000 Member Posts: 384
    That's strange. The capacity is listed at 5.8 quarts.

    Only 3 things I can think of, but since you regularly change your own oil you probably already know these things: (although #2 is unique)

    1. be sure that the dipstick is inserted all the way.
    2. and that the little oil symbol on the handle is in the right direction.

    3. wait a few minutes after stopping the car to allow all the oil to drain back into the pan.

    is your vehicle on a level surface? Garages are often tipped.
  • wvroadswvroads Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for the reply. It's none of the above. The vehicle is level, the stick is all the way in and the oil can symbol is upright.

    This is not just a little below full, it is right at "low".

    In all the years of changing oil, I usually find that the level is above the full mark if the recommended amount of oil is added, so I add the last quart based on the dipstick reading.

    My manual says the capacity with filter is 5.8 qt. I did see something when googling the issue that said the capacity was 7.6 qts ??????

    Specifications

    Can anyone measure their dipstick? Total length and distince to marks.
  • jpgolf55jpgolf55 Member Posts: 34
    I've had the same issue with my Tribeca plus one more. My tranny fluid level according to dip stick is low. Yet when I take it to the dealer they say it's ok. And yes the same issue with my oil dip stick. Perhaps the markings are at the wrong level? Very strange.
  • yoyodkyoyodk Member Posts: 28
    I've found that you've got to let the car sit for quite some time to get the maximum reading for the oil level. I've checked the oil level after the car has been sitting for a half hour and it's still low, but if I check it after it's been sitting overnight, it's at the required level. I'm not saying this is the right way, it's just seems to work with my Tribeca.
  • wvroadswvroads Member Posts: 23
    It doesn't matter how long it has sat, it still shows "low" on the dipstick.
  • megreyhairmegreyhair Member Posts: 154
    I think you should check it when its warm. Hot oil takes up more volume than cold. You definitely don't want to overfill as it will spill into the exhaust and kill the cat. coverter.

    I guess as long as it is between low and high, then you are fine. I have the same issue.
  • wvroadswvroads Member Posts: 23
    I have checked it warm after sitting for 1/2 hour or so and cold after sitting all night...not much difference. My garage is level. I did add 14 oz of oil which brought the level up to just under the "f" mark and well below the upper hole. So I have added 6 qts and not quite another 1/2 qt.

    I noticed on another forum that the H6 engine is listed as requiring 6 qts with a filter change - of course we all know that, but then it listed 7.4 qts capacity after a full rebuild!! Surprising how 1.4 qts of oil could hide in the engine after draining for over an hour. I did do my oil change with the car up on ramps. I see know that others have noticed the same low level dipstick readings after adding the full 6 qts, so I will just keep an eye on it.
  • tupintupin Member Posts: 71
    Just checked my oil level....changed at the dealer....and it seems to be a little above full. Is this bad? I'm not really near the dealer so I don't want to make a special trip for that. Will it hurt anything?
  • wvroadswvroads Member Posts: 23
    As long as it isn't way above the full mark, is shouldn't be a problem at all. In fact, most oil changes I have had done by garages or dealers have resulted in the oil level being slightly above full. I am probably making too big an issue over the oil level thing, but it just seems strange to me that the oil level wouldn't be on or very near full or even slightly above full with the addition of the specified 6 qts of oil. As I wrote earlier the, the addition of only 14 oz of oil brought the level up from the bottom or L mark almost to the F mark, so the L to F range is less than a quart. As long as your oil level after sitting awhile isn't grossly above the upper hole, you should be fine. Your dealer probably added oil until the dipstick showed full rather than just putting in 6 qts.
  • fred46fred46 Member Posts: 1
    Hope this can help. I just recently changed oil in my B9 for the first time and observed the descrepancy on the dipstick that is spoke of. So I collected the old oil and returned it to the six quarts of oil containers I put into the engine. The result that I retrieved just over 5 1/2 qts. of the old oil. So I feel the listed capacity of 5.8 qts. is probably correct since that is what the factory put in. Maybe a short dipstick?
  • occkingoccking Member Posts: 346
    Just turned 30k on my Tribeca. Got it as a demo in Aug & have put on 20K since that time. Mostly highway mileage. I am very good about having oil changed every 3000 miles (only cost $20 at the dealer + every 6th change free.

    I was planning on having major maintenance done next time at 33k, but was shocked that dealer gave me a form indicating a cost of $659! That seems quite high to me. I have accumulated enough Subaru Bucks to cover that, but if everything the list on what they do absolutely necessary? I have my tires rotated at no charge elsewhere so can save a little on that portion, but is it necessary to replace coolant, and transmission fluid & filter after only one year mostly hgiway driving?

    They say their prices are competitive, but when I had my 05 Outback 2.5 (non turbo) the cost of the 30k service was $479. Have services prices gone up that much?

    I would like to stick with the dealer I purchased the car from (Carla's in Pawtucket, RI) but those prices seem outrageously high.

    Any comments??
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Service in my region is also quite expensive, I think it's the salary they have to pay the mechanics. Plus, dealers don't really make any money on new car sales.

    [is] everything the list on what they do absolutely necessary?

    Probably not. Your type of driving puts you on the less comprehensive maintenance schedule, so ask the dealer what it would cost to do those things only. I don't think you need to flush the ATF already, for instance.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Get the ATF flushed anyway. It's worth it's weight in Gold to get it done early and often no matter how gentle you are on the car, unless you plan to sell it well under 100k miles.

    -mike
  • sweetpetesweetpete Member Posts: 15
    Guys,

    Ok, stupid problem.

    I used a Windex Wipe to clean the clear plastic lenses covering the speedo and rpm dials - worked perfectly. I then used the same wipe to remove the dust that had accumulated on the inside of the black bezels surrounding said gauges - and I was left with a big mess of minuscule fibers from the wipe all over the inside of the bezels. I then tried to remove some of the fibers with my finger, which ended up leaving dry skin particles on the bezel. It would seem that the inside bezels are very mildly abrasive.

    Any suggestions for removing the fibers and skin cells?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    My wife used Windex once to try to clean her steering wheel, and it did the same thing - made it worse and also made the paper towel she was using flake off on the steering wheel. :sick:

    IIRC I used a product called Super Clean, something like that, along with a cotton rag that was less likely to fall apart, and that helped.

    Basically use Windex only for glass, and specialized products for the car's interior plastics, is what I concluded.
  • flgirlaolflgirlaol Member Posts: 51
    I forget to turn my headlights off and the next day I'm driving with my headlights on. Isn't there some reminder that these are on when the car is shutting off? I have a 2007 Tribeca. Oh yes, can I turn off the daylight running lights without turning off the navigation lights at the same time?

    Thanks
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Your headlights will turn off with the car so no real need to let you know they are on since it won't kill the battery. Your DRLs can't be turned off except if you pull the relay or fuse for em (or otherwise tamper with them).

    -mike
  • jerrys2jerrys2 Member Posts: 189
    Should we rely on the dipstick and add oil ... to bring it to the full level? Or do we wait until it indicates some level below the add level? Seems like there should be a service bulletin on this situation. :confuse:

    Jerry
  • mecantseemecantsee Member Posts: 6
    Anyone else have this problem? I am a new Tribeca owner (less than 2 months) Here's our story, can anybody shed some light on this? I have never been so dissatisfied with a car over such a simple function! Read on....we had a snow storm in which I was an hour away from home. My passenger wiper blade completely clumped up with snow and would not clear the windshield at all. I stopped several times while traveling to try and clean the wiper, but even when the wiper was free of all snow; it still did not clear the windshield. I chalked it up as being a freaky thing and that perhaps the ice was building up in the wiper for some reason. (Yes the blade defroster was on)
    The following week we had a couple of days of rain. The wiper worked better but still did not clear the windshield 100%. There were several areas where the wiper left a streaked appearance, similar to wipers that are old and need to be replaced.
    On March 26th I brought the car in for service due to an error light that kept coming on indicating that the car was overheating. I was told later that the error message was due to the car needing to be jump-started at some point. I reminded the service department that it was jump-started at the dealership prior to my purchase. While I was there, I also requested the wiper be replaced and I expressed my concerns about its lack of clearing ability. The passenger wiper was replaced with a refill.
    Ten days later on April 4th, 2007, we had another storm. Low and behold, the wipers did not clear the windshield. Now this time this includes the driver’s side wiper, which is imperative, as you know. I immediately drove the vehicle to the dealership and asked for both wipers to be replaced. The dealership replaced the entire wiper on the passenger side and did a refill on the driver side, since they didn’t have any driver’s side wipers in stock. They were very accommodating and sent me on my way. I got in the car, drove home and, although not as bad, the wipers still streaked.
    As lovely New England weather would have it, we had another storm on April 15th. I attended my son’s hockey game and planned on shopping after. However, due to the condition of my wipers, I was unable to do so. SO back to the dealer again to have them changed.
    Now, living in NH, I am not one to sit home because of bad weather. That’s why I bought this vehicle. However, not being able to see when I drive it is a huge factor.
    Anyone else experience this problem with the wipers? It appears that it's the snow that it has the problem in, no matter what type of snow. Then it wrecks the wiper for rain clearance. I am at my wits end with this simple function!
  • cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    Since it sounds dangerous to drive, I would suggest this. Give yourself 10 mins BEFORE driving away.

    1. give the car about 10 mins to warm up the heater on defrost
    2. confirm that you have the Wiper Blade defroster on. Not the rear defroster. let it sit for 10 mins before hitting the washer fluid. (give you time to brush off the snow).
    3. the wiper blade defroster is NOT for driving and only works at slow speeds. designed to defrost your blades while parked.
    4. get the higher grade wiper fluid ( i am sure the dealer just installed standard blue fluid). Get Preston Winter Washer fluid.

    if you do the above I doubt you will have issues. I have driven to and from the ski slopes here and no issues with wiper performance IF you let the car warm up first.
  • mecantseemecantsee Member Posts: 6
    I have done all of the above. It is not a case of defrosting...the wipers do not clear the whole windshield and where it has cleared, it is streaked as if the wipers were old and needed to be replaced. To th epoint that the windsiled is so blurred you can not see. I have never owned a car with this problem before. My thought is that it is a poor design of the windshield and wipers. :mad:
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Very simple fix to the problem. Get some WINTER wiper blades. Chances are in the cold NH weather, there are 2 problems happening, first the blade material is likely getting stiff from the extreme cold, which makes it harder to clear you windshield because it doesn't flex when cold, 2nd is that there are no boots over the springy area of the wipers to keep even pressure on the blade and are getting iced up. This is very common on most cars driven in snowy conditions w/o winter wipers. Just like you wouldn't drive with summer tires in the snow in New England, thus you would not drive with summer wipers in the New England winter.

    -mike
  • mecantseemecantsee Member Posts: 6
    Yes, that does sound simple doesn't it? Don't you think Subaru would have suggested that after three times in the shop for the same problem? Doesn't stick with me...sorry, but I have lived in New England all my life and have never had winter wipers on any of my cars and have NEVER had the issues with blades like this. It's pretty bad when you have an AWD vehicle and you can't drive it in snowy conditions because you can't see. Not to mention the safety issues when you have to keep stopping, get out to clear the wipers every 15 minutes!! ;)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Could you tell us what cars you had?

    I'm not trying to be arguementative, however with the angle of today's windshields there is a tendancy for ice and snow to build up on them w/o winter wipers. I've had the same issue on the following cars in upstate NY winters:

    Nissan Armada
    Isuzu Trooper
    Subaru SVX
    Subaru XT6
    Subaru Legacy
    Nissan 240sx
    Dodge Ram Charger
    Oldsmobile 98

    Just about every car I've owned would do this in the snowy/icy conditions found here in the New England Area.

    -mike
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    Could there be a film on the windshield? I had a Camry with similiar problems. It wasn't the blades. There was an almost invisible film of something on the glass causing streaks. Changed the blades, no improvement. Cleaned the glass many times. Finally got rid of it with ammonia.
  • mecantseemecantsee Member Posts: 6
    No problem...
    Hyundai Sonata
    Chevy Trailblazer
    Ford Expedition
    Plymouth Grand Voyager
    and 3 Honda accords
    Let me be clear here...when it snows, no matter what kind of snow, the windshield just doesn't clear. Then after each snow, if it rains the wipers are streaking as well (almost as if there is a coating of something greasy/waxy on the windshield) just to give you an idea of what I mean about the streaking. Then the dealer replaces the wipers, they'll work fine in the rain...until the next snow storm. It's very strange!!
  • mecantseemecantsee Member Posts: 6
    There doesn't appear to be a film. Also, that wouldn't make sense, since they clear fine as long as it's rain, until, as I said before....it snows.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well I'd say that it's 1 of 2 things...

    Either the wipers themselves or there is something coating the windshield. In either case you aren't likely to see snow for another 6 months or so, what I would say is get some quality (ie: not dealer) wipers like Bosch Micro Edge come winter time and/or winter blades and see how they work. If it solves the problem, it's a $20 solution, not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.

    Complaining about wiper blades is akin to complaining about tires, they are a wear item and often times remedied with a far superior aftermarket set.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    For me, that makes snow less "sticky", so the wipers push the entire pile of snow off to the sides.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    As I'm reading Juice, the problem is that the snow is getting caked up on the springs of the wiper and/or the wiper blade is too cold to conform to the window properly.

    -mike
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,762
    I will second that suggestion, as well as the suggestion to try winter blades that have a "boot." Also, I noticed that my new Outback does seem to have a glaze on the windshield, similar to Rain-X when it gets old/less effective. The rain beads on it, but does not flow very well.

    If I want to have a nice, smooth wipe from my winter blades, I would have to replace them several times during a single winter because they suffer ice damage from the constant cycling of ice, manual clearing, wiping, ice, etc. Granted, one occurrence is quite extreme.

    Other than that, I cannot offer you any suggestions.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I hear ya. Less snow build-up in general should help to prevent that, though.

    I had winter wipers with the boots mentioned, as well. Those worked well for a year or so.

    I change wipers every year, to make sure they're soft and don't streak.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I put on 2 sets a year. Once in the spring and onces in the fall. Rinse and repeat.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I just don't get to all 3 cars that often. I'll replace any that are streaking, though.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah I drive, A LOT. :)

    Probably close to 20k+ a year.

    -mike
This discussion has been closed.