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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

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Comments

  • joenhjoenh Member Posts: 11
    I don't know about other years and models, but our 2002 Forester came with P215/R16 94H's on alloy rims. I went looking for some used steel rims for snows and ended up with 15" steel rims. Tires are P215/R15 96Q Dunlop Graspic's. Haven't put them to any winter test yet, but they fit up fine with the same O.D.

    Joe
  • lbhaleylbhaley Member Posts: 91
    Jack, I called my Subaru dealer before I tricked Tire Rack into selling me the 16" steel wheel/snow tire combo package for my XT. He said that factory steel wheels were over $100 a piece but he could get me universal 16" steel wheels for under $50. He said a lot of the WRX guys were using them. I don't know if any dealers in your area are offering them, but it might be worth a call. The combo package from Tire Rack is working out great as I expected.

    -les
  • leo2633leo2633 Member Posts: 589
    Jack,

    FYI, the 16" wheels from the 2000-2004 Outback have the same offset as the 16" Forester wheels. I have a set of 16" steel '03 Forester wheels with Blizzaks mounted for my wife's '03 Outback.

    Len
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    FYI, the 16" wheels from the 2000-2004 Outback have the same offset as the 16" Forester

    That will let me expand my eBay search somewhat. But does this mean Legacy 16" wheels have different offsets than Outbacks?
  • m4ethm4eth Member Posts: 101
    Have had them on since day one. Zero issues.....very nice to have when you are stopped and want to crack a window without the water dripping in.

    Was meticulous in mounting them which I think was the problem with people woho complained of the noise.

    Bought them from a dealer in New Hampshire....IIRC...$125

    Please give me a brand name...and name of dealer in New Hampshire.

    Thanks, Mike
  • eb12eb12 Member Posts: 16
    We once had 29.8 MPG on almost all hiway and interstate driving in central and northeast Indiana.
  • rsay777rsay777 Member Posts: 100
    Now that the freeze/thaw of winter has turned our roads into a bombscape. I have found that the 03X is very good at doing the slalom around the pot holes. Bob L.
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    When the entire snow-packed road surface has been turned into a king-sized version of corrugated sheet metal by zillions of tire chains, no amount of dodging avoids the continuous bone-jarring impacts...
  • m4ethm4eth Member Posts: 101
    I finally found a frameless weather shield for the Subaru Forester...however the web site is located in Australia...the design is a one piece tinted plastic that inserts into the upper window frame allowing the window to be lowered slightly so interior can be vented for hot weather and during rain. Too bad the accessory is not sold in the US.
    Web site address is:

    http://subaru.com.au/explore/forester/accessorydetail.asp?item=17- - - - - 058&accessory=18673

    OK you US suppliers...why not here???? It would be an open market.

    Mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    ballistic: I'd be happy to let a local second-gen Forester owner *cough*bluesubie*cough* test-fit one of my car's 16" alloys. ;-)

    Ed
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sorry I've been away for so long.

    They showed an XS and an XT at Detroit, it was cool. Both silver. I've been focusing on the Legacy launch in the Future Models thread.

    Any how, one correction. 16" rims on pre-2003s were indeed alloys, but the spare was steel, so SoA does make an OE 16" steelie rim. I know because I got prices on a set of them when I was shopping rims.

    Kate - keep your rims if that's what you like. I have Jim in Texas' rims, from his Legacy turbo, the one from a few generations back. That makes it more than a decade old, and it still looks great on our Legacy.

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Lots of pic links from Juice and Bob's Excellent Adventure can be found in the Subaru Crew - Future Models II discussion.

    Steve, Host
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Okay, Jack's "pre-03 pre-2nd-gen Forester" statement got me thinking. Is the current Forester the 2nd or 3rd generation? I always considered 98-00 to be the first, 01-02 the 2nd and 03-04 the 3rd. Now granted the changes between 00 and 01 were modest. Of course some of the car mags don't consider the Forester changed enough to justify even a 2nd gen moniker (at least that was the case in 03 when the term "modest face-life" was frequently used).

    -Frank P.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No, I'd say the '01 model was a face-lift.

    I consider the '03 a new platform because it got substantial changes under the skin, including:

    * new aluminum front bumper beams
    * new aluminum rear bumper beams
    * aluminum roof rails
    * aluminum hood
    * head/chest side air bags

    Also note that no body panels are interchangeable when you look at '98-02 and then '03 and newer.

    Look at crash tests and the '03 got better scores, telling you the structure is stiffer.

    So for those reasons, I consider the '03 the first year of the 2nd generation.

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    In addition to the wheel width and diameter, make sure the wheel offset is the same or close. Very important! If it's different enough, it will put a load on the bearings and/or you may get rubbing on fenders or suspension bits. Not sure what the offset is on our 03 XS, but I can crawl under and look if it will help. It's usually stamped on the backside of the wheel, it will say something like "ET53" which means 53mm.

    Craig
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    The distinctions Juice described do, IMO, correctly categorize all Foresters prior to '03 as 1st-generation, whereas the '03 marked the first 2nd-gen. Another factor supporting this is that IIRC the windshield, door, and tailgate glass on all pre-03 units was unchanged, whereas no glass on the '03 can interchange with any glass on the prior cars. When all glass remains the same from one year to the next, I call any other superficial changes a facelift. When no glass carries forward, I call it an all-new body.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Legacy
    1st = 91-95
    2nd = 96-99
    3rd = 00-04
    4th = 05-??

    Impreza
    1st = 93-01
    2nd = 02-??

    Forester
    1st = 98-02
    2nd = 03-??

    -mike
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    ..the dandy interstate fuel efficiency posted via eb12...just under 30. Well done..ez
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    In the UK I've seen Foresters described as such:

    Mk I - our MY 1998-2000
    Mk Ia - our MY 2001-02
    Mk II - our MY 2003-

    Ed
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    and plea for using the model designations, since model years varied from country to country...

    So for Forester that's, what, SF, SG...is there a third?
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Loosh:

    SF = 1998-2002 body
    SG = 2003- body

    Ed
  • m4ethm4eth Member Posts: 101
    Quote from Craig...consider the '03 a new platform because it got substantial changes under the skin, including:
    * new aluminum front bumper beams
    * new aluminum rear bumper beams
    * aluminum roof rails
    * aluminum hood
    * head/chest side air bags

    Wow did not know that more and more of the structure is becomining aluminum...I assume the hood was always aluminum...Most auto manufactures have switched to high strenght steels allowing thinner sheets of material to be used mainly in the body panels to cut weight...Toyota has done this (you can flex the fender panels in the Corrolla)...Honda's Hybrid however is all Aluminum...VW has used Magnesium in components to cut weight...however corrosion can be a problem if not careful.

    I do know that Aluminum typically cost about 4 times that of steel. Magnesium is about 10 xs the cost of steels...hopefully the repair/replacement cost of a Subaru's bumper is similar to a stamped steel structure?

    Mike
  • m4ethm4eth Member Posts: 101
    Can someone tell me how often you need to replace your exhaust pipes to include muffler in northern climates ... salt use is extensive in Ohio and corrosion of the exhaust pipes can be a problem...

    I know that Toyota uses stainless steel pipes which slows the corrosion rate but they will eventually leak after about 10 years of exposure to the salt.

    I believe Subaru uses an aluminized steel pipe for there exhaust which may help reduce the bad effect of corrosive salts...what has been your experience for the frequency in exhaust component replacement, especially in northern climates where salt is used??

    Thanks,

    Mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That's when I replaced the exhaust on my SVX from Northern NY.

    -mike
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Don't today's exhaust systems normally rust from the inside out now? Or does that only apply to the ones that do frequent trips of short duration?

    -Frank P.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Frank, you're correct. I had a friend in Mass. whose Honda Accord exhaust rusted out after only 2-3 years. His wife had a 1-2 mile commute, and the water vapor never got burned out of the exhaust. So, it collected water and rusted from the inside.

    Craig
  • leo2633leo2633 Member Posts: 589
    My '92 Nissan Sentra has 240K miles. I changed the original muffler after about 7 years and 170K miles. All the rest of the system is still original. I concur with Frank about exhaust systems corroding from the inside out due to frequent short trips where the moisture doesn't get a chance to dry up. During the life of my Sentra (before I gave it to my son a few years back), it was used for my 100+ mile roundtrip daily commute.

    My '01 Forester's exhaust is all original, but I only have 80K so far. I'm expecting (and hoping for) about 150K before any changes are needed.

    Len
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    I have a '99 Forester and no muffler problems yet. It looks similar in construction to my Toyota van, which after 10 years still had the original muffler. My Hondas and Mazdas have all had to have exhaust system replacements after 3-4 years. I wonder if it has to do with how low to the ground they are as well as materials they are made of (for those of us who live where salt is used extensively in the winters). Both the van and the Forester have more ground clearance.

    An earlier post mentioned problems with engine hesitation. There was a recall for O2 sensors on some models I believe. Ours was replaced free. If the Check Engine Light comes on, it may be the coil pack. We just had to replace ours.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • rsay777rsay777 Member Posts: 100
    When I traded the 91 Legacy with 140k miles for the 03X, the exhaust system was entirely original. It spent most of the winters in salt country. I did visit the car wash with the under carriage wash quite frequently. The only problem I had with the exhaust system was a noisy heat shroud that liked to vibrate at 2.5k on the tach. Bob L.
  • m4ethm4eth Member Posts: 101
    Exhaust pipes can be affected both inside and out (the double edged sword...
    1. The exhaust pipe on short trips can build up moisture from the inside and this moisture resting on the metal will start corrosion. Short trips Bad...Long trips Better for pipe life.

    2. But the exterior of exhaust pipes exposed to salt and water spray for extended periods will also affect the surface but at a slower rate especially if you wash or spray your underbody during the winter months. Long and Short trips...doesn't really matter for the exterior...once you coat the pipe with salt its there until you remove it (wash it).

    Its good to hear the Subaru's exhaust pipes handle the salt spray well (Aluminizied steel must help)...or at least better than some other manufacturers.

    Mike
  • twofoldtwofold Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 L that runs overall quite well. Just one complaint. The transmission between 2nd and 3rd gear when shifting makes a noticeable bang noise as if the clutch fails to allow for a smooth shift. I had the car back two times to Fred Beans Subaru in Doylestown, Pa. They claimed that there was nothing wrong. Could this be a problem with the transmission control module or clutch?? Any inputs would be appreciated...thanks, Twofold
  • joenhjoenh Member Posts: 11
    Hi Twofold. As I mentioned recently in a couple of messages, we have had a loud bang when running on slippery roads. Our dealer gave us the run-a-round 3 times, then admitted that the factory had a new transmission module with different shifting characteristics to lessen or eliminate the bang. They installed that under warrantee. This is on a 2002 Forester.

    I bought a Ford van in 1995 and found that it was possible to talk to a regional rep if you were having a technical problem that the dealer couldn't pinpoint. I am disappointed that Subaru doesn't have the same. The 800-SUBARU3 customer service is worthless.

    Joe
  • leo2633leo2633 Member Posts: 589
    Speaking of exhaust systems, I noticed something interesting the other day. It was about minus 9 degrees F the other morning with windchill (in-dash temp gauge read 4 degrees). I went out to start my '01 Forester to give it a few minutes to warm up. After it was running about 30 seconds, I noticed that the inside of the tail pipe was grayish-white. I felt it and it was cold...the moisture in the exhaust was actually frozen in the tail pipe. I was surprised that it could do that in spite of the heat from the exhaust. After it ran for about 10 minutes, the inside of the pipe was black, and it was hot to the touch. I guess there is something to the idea of moisture in the exhaust contributing to the corrosion of the pipes from the inside-out when the car is driven on short trips and doesn't get time to burn off the moisture.

    Len
  • m4ethm4eth Member Posts: 101
    How does the new 04 Foresters behave in cold weather starting??? Especially when left outside in subzero temperatures.

    Mike Bohun
  • solowalkersolowalker Member Posts: 118
    I thought I'd ask here before I attacked the rear blade....

    I just replaced the driver and passenger side blades with Anco refills...$3.00 ea @ Pep Boys...

    Now, after a cursory inspection of the rear blade, there is no way it will take a refill that I can see. There is no clip/release and slide out visable...Do you need to replace the whole carriage when the rear blade wears out?

    There's nothing in the archives here about this task..

    Surly, someone here must have done a rear blade replacement.....

    thanx

    SOLO
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    ..sucks on the Forester. The OEM battery is a piece of junk. Get a real battery if you want norml cranking in 15 degree or below weather.
  • bokoboko Member Posts: 5
    Anyone have the full dog guard and care to comment on how it fits/works? Is it hard to remove and install? One salesman told me the full dog guard is screwed in and a real pain to try and remove when necessary. He suggested that I buy an aftermarket spring loaded version. Thanks, looking for any actual owner experiences.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    Is not screwed in, it sits in the slot for the cargo cover and is bolted into place with a brace to the middle infant seat latch in the top rear of the car.
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    Obviously, you'll get divided opinions on this. Where I live (Portland), we haven't had any subzero temps, but in several consecutive low-teen days including several 10-degree starts, the battery and starter in mine gave no problems whatsoever. While there obviously are stronger batteries available, I definitely would not categorize the OEM battery as "junk" or "POS". A number of cold-climate owners have reported 5+ year battery lifetimes.

    The manual gearbox on mine was very stiff at 10 degree temps, but it warms up soon enough.
  • lfdallfdal Member Posts: 679
    Is that new for 2004? I just moved the one from my 03 into the 04 because it fit. The 03's uses two brackets attached through the headliner and bolts to that...

    Larry
  • bokoboko Member Posts: 5
    So there's at least one if not two bolted brackets. With a socket and ratchet can you easily install/remove this guard. Sounds like a 5 minute job or am I missing something and it's a big pain in the butt. Thanks.
  • bokoboko Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the info.
  • ken_from_njken_from_nj Member Posts: 105
    don't know about the '04 forester but suspect same battery as the '03 one. our '03 forester XS
    OEM battery was a tad slow on the crank at -2 degrees F on Saturday morning @ 0800. but it did start generally w/o a prob all weekend where the temps were consistantly below 20 F. this is a 15month old battery w/15k miles. do think a stronger aftermarket one might be better in a REALLY cold environment.
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    using synthetic oil will help as it does not thicken to the same extent as dino. Also, to warm the battery before starting you can turn your headlights on for 30 secs or so. The current draw will warm the battery somewhat. This sometimes helps if you have a near dead battery.

    Greg
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    We leave our car parked outside all winter; it has never failed to start. We live in central Ohio and occasionally have subfreezing temperatures but more often 10 or above. Battery is now 5 years old and still going strong. Doesn't seem like junk to me!
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually Mike, you were quoting me, not Craig, but that's fine. :-)

    FWIW, the bumper basher test done by IIHS revealed that a 5mph impact actually caused less damage (less cost) with the new aluminum beamed bumpers vs. the first generation Forester, so they are better in every way.

    My OE battery was pretty weak also. Replaced it with one with far more CCAs. FWIW, the automatics have a beefier battery than the manuals, at least the ones I've compared.

    -juice
  • lfdallfdal Member Posts: 679
    I'd hate to think the one in my XT - auto, all 320 CCA or so, is heavier than what's shipped in the manually equipped ones :<)

    The 03 OBW - auto has 500+ CCA. A much better idea.

    Larry
  • ballisticballistic Member Posts: 1,687
    At least manual transmissions are more forgiving of weak batteries; they're easy to coast-start or push-start. I hate getting stuck with a flat battery and an automatic.

    Imagine life in the pre-electric-start era.

    The '49 MGTC my brother bought new and still drives has a self-starter, but it also has a hand crank. He uses that every so often, just for grins. It actually starts the engine quite effectively.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm sure that was their thinking. My OE battery had 260 CCAs, so yes, even more pathetic than your 320.

    My new battery has 535! Guess what? It starts better.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    Uhmmm - 1 CCA (Cold Cranking Arm)?
This discussion has been closed.