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Comments
Sounds like a descrption of coquina. You wouldn't by any chance live in the coastal South, do you?...
Sorry for the delayed response...Southern Maryland, so coastal Mid-Atlantic. I guess it's possible...I'm not sure if I assumed Oysters, or if I heard that somewhere. It's not really common here, but this particular lot is in a historic area (but recently constructed). Of course, you can't catch oysters here anymore even though they used to be abundant, so I don't know where the shells would have come from exactly.
I was going to report that the warning bulb had burnt out next time I took it in for oil change, but a few tank-fulls later, it started illuminating when expected, just above the E.
I think there might be a design flaw or software glitch we are exposing here.
Bottom line is, low fuel light or not, be sure to fill your tank before it goes below E.
Elliot
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/automobiles/18warn.html
"... Sam Later, 36, a systems integration analyst from West Paterson, N.J., found that the automatic climate control in his Subaru Forester was letting him freeze in the winter and boil in the summer - despite a temperature setting of 76 degrees. After complaining to the company and being told "the system is performing as designed," he got out his toolbox and traced the problem to a badly placed temperature sensor. His solution: a 12-volt fan that blows air over the sensor. "It forces the sensor to react to the slightest changes in temperature," he said. Mr. Later has now sold 20 kits to other Forester owners, who can make the repair with a Phillips screwdriver, a 10-millimeter socket and some duct tape.
ANOTHER Forester owner, Peat Romano, 43, a thermal processing specialist for a pet food company in Lawrence, Kan., has tinkered with cars since he was 10. But he now arms himself with a fast Internet connection instead of a wrench. "I scour the Net for information on how to improve my 2004 Subaru Forester XT Turbo," he said. One handy trick he has learned is how to cancel his manual transmission's annoying hill-holder feature by adjusting some well-hidden nuts. The hill holder applies the brakes when the car is stopped on any grade with more than a three-degree angle. "If I had wanted an automatic," he said, "I would have bought one." ..."
Peaty doesn't post here, but same does. :-)
-Dennis
I think you're right about the Forester's sensor being designed to cancel out the effects of sloshing. On other cars I've owned, the light would initially come on when going up a hill or thru a sharp turn and then go out again. With the Forester, once the light illuminates, it invariably stays on.
-Frank
Elissa
however, in my odyssey i still have around 80 miles of range left when its lite comes on, about 4+ gallons left.
and on a not outta gas note.. i drove the FXT for the first time in a bit, and wow that power band is fantastic. makes driving the twisties so much fun. can only imagine what an STi must be like...
-juice
Yes that does sound pretty alarmist to me and I fail to see a connection. I've heard that letting the tank get too empty can lead to the fuel pump over-heating (theory being that the gas actually acts as a coolant) and I've also heard the theory that the emptier the tank the greater the possibility that the fuel line will suck up debris which could clog the fuel injectors. Not sure of the validity of either of these arguments but even if true, neither would damage the engine or catalytic converter. And although it's purely anecdotal, I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles on numerous vehicles, almost never fueling up until the low fuel light comes on and I've yet to experience any negative effects.
-Frank
-juice
I now notice that the bottle is empty and there is green liquid dripping out of the 3/4" long hard plastic tube next to the petcock drain. The liquid level in the radiator is so low I can't see it. Should there be a washer on the petcock? there wasn't when I removed it to drain the radiator. The petcock is tight. Any ideas? Bob L.
-Frank
29.4 mpg on my last tank '03 XS 5 speed. 90% highway through lots of rain and keeping up with traffic at 75 to 80 mph. Great car.
John
Craig
Press hard and the brakes are plenty effective, though.
robert: you think something might have cracked? I think mine is plastic, is yours?
-juice
First dealer said I needed to buy a new radiator to get a new petcock. (must think I'm an idiot) no business from me ever.
Next dealer got the measurement of the o ring from a radiator in parts and he has an o ring in stock. This dealer gets my business in the future.
How can these two dealers be in the same business? Bob L.
The low fuel indicator came on last night during the homeward commute. I was six miles away from the cabin. This morning I drove to work with clenched teeth, as the nearest gas station was 12 miles away.
The car conked out at mile nine - 15 miles after the light had came on the night before.
I was climbing a modest hill when I first felt the engine starving. As I passed over the top, it quit completely. I cranked it a few times as it rolled down the other side - nothing.
I coasted the next 1/3 mile to the bottom of a hill - easing through a stop sign into the parking lot of closed restaurant. It was here on flat ground where I was able to restart the car.
I drove the next 2 miles at 45 - 50 MPH on a flat straightaway without trouble. I "eased" through another stop sign, with the last mile before me. Climbing a small grade at 35 MPH, there was just a hint of starving. The car hesitated once as it travelled the final half mile downhill. A 300-foot flat stretch at the bottom - and the rise into the gas station - caused no trouble. A favourable traffic signal didn't hurt my cause, either.
So it appears the car can stall on low fuel going down a hill, as well. I wonder if the low-fuel signal fails to consider the new in-tank filter design. I'd be interested to know if the low-fuel indicator behaves this way with the previous under-the-hood fuel filter.
Any thoughts ???
Peace.
Marco
BTW...there was no backfiring or otherwise unwanted detonation from the engine either time I ran the tank dry. So I would think that the engine, oxygen sensors, and catalytic converter were not harmed.
*** Title edited for the benefit of njswampland ***
*** Formerly, "Yet another localised fuel shortage" ***
Steve, Host
Should I just sell it?
So it appears the car can stall on low fuel gowing down a hill, as well
My guess is that the fuel line started sucking in air on the uphill but there was still enough gas in the line to get you over the crest. Once you completely drain the line it takes a while for the gas to work its way from the tank back to the engine so it wouldn't immediately start again even if it was full.
-Frank
That's another of the Forester's quirks. You'll get only an additiional 1/4 gallon into the tank after the first click. It clicks every few cents after that. This holds true among several stations and the different pumps they use.
Peace.
Marco
BTW...mileage this time was just a tick over 24 MPG - a bit disappointing. Conditions were roughly 50% country roads, 15% city, 35% highway. I used the remote starter less frequently this time - about 30-minutes worth of idle.
You're kidding right? There are plenty of FXT owners who would LOVE to get 24 mpg! (there are a few who can't even crack 20 mpg)
-Frank
"There are plenty of FXT owners who would LOVE to get 24 mpg!"
I've a Forester X, not an XT. So I was hoping for a little better without the turbocharger.
Marco
-Frank
I changed the title of my post upthread - per your suggestion. Have a look.
Marco
You've read your owners manual, right? It states to NOT do this. IIRC, you can ruin your vapor recovery system and cause a CEL.
FWIW, I let the pump stop automatically and then round to the nearest nickel.
Interesting about the hills and low fuel. While I typically do fill up before the light goes on, I'll make a note to fill up immediately if the light does go on.
-Brian
FWIW...the owners' manual says that the tank holds 15.9 US gallons. I've run the tank "dry" twice. Each refill barely topped 15.0 gallons. It's a little disconcerting that one can damage the fuel vapor recovery system by merely filling the tank to its "rated" capacity.
I've never owned a car where filling to the nearest dollar wasn't always possible. The behaviour of this Sube is new to me.
Peace.
Marco
CEL = check engine light
I believe that manufacturers of all new vehicles caution against "topping off" the fuel tank.
-Frank
IIRC, Subaru states that 1 gallon is not usable.
DaveM
By the way, this is my first post. I started reading this board when I had my first Subaru,a '98 OB Ltd Ed. It was totalled while parked and unoccupied.
The Forester was bought used with about 96,000 miles already on it. Best car ever. I'm Still getting about 21 on the highway.
Also, thanks to the experts here, I knew to have the radiator treatment dumped in before I left town. SoA told me that the car had been in twice for warranty--a wiper blade and a new cigarette lighter.
Someone struck a note with me when they called the Forester a toaster--hence my name. That the thing is silver only makes the illusion stronger. My real name (as if I had to mention it) is David.
Yep once the CEL is triggered by a loose gas cap, it can take a day or two to reset itself.
-Frank
j/k
Actually our Forester was named by several of my daughter's friends, a few years ago, when she was in high school.
It's white, has a huge moonroof (for the toast to pop out of), and is boxy like a toaster; hence the name.
Bob
There's a link to a Subaru tech magazine that describes it, but I need to find it.
-Dennis
About those noisy engines (before they warm up): if you pump oil, it goes up and then falls down; it won't fall sideways.
But here's a more important problem: that little pin on the driver side floor that keeps the carpet in place doesn't seem to work well. I'm always having to rehang the rug on it. Any fixes?
Maybe rolling a rubber O ring over it?
David
-Frank
marco: I'll echo the advice to not top off too much, you might end up getting gas in the fuel vapor canister (and a check-engine light).
-juice
Last winter I had a problem with the gas gauge and low-gas light coming on way too soon after driving 300 miles instead of my usual 480-520 miles before fill-up. The repair guy put the car (old Beemer) on the lift and was amazed to see the tank look like a crushed soda can. The combination of extreme cold (5-10 degrees), low fuel, and possibly a clogged vent tube created enough of a vacuum to induce the tank to collapse. Short term result - a 22 gallon tank shrunk to 14 gallons and $200 to fix.
Long term result - I traded in the car (525i, 26.3 mpg over 118k miles) when I bought an '05 XS with stick-shift. The huge moonroof made the sale.
Observations on the XS after 5000 miles and a dozen light-just-came-on fillups: full tank to gas-low light is consistently 13.8 to 14.0 gallons; 27 mpg since Thanksgiving. I'd expect to see 29 mpg or so when summer arrives with 10k miles on the odometer, and 31-32 mpg for long hot-weather trips.
Given that you were able to pump 15 gallons into the tank, I'd wager that the tank level sensor is faulty. The specs for the Forester indicate that you should have 2 gallons left when the light comes on, which is what I'm seeing.
Chuck
Chuck
Len
-juice