Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

cmuniz · July 2005

My bet is that the CEL came on due to a change in elevation, not any problem with your Forester. The same thing happened to me on a 95 Windstar driving from Dallas to Albuquerque, NM. I drove in to the dealer in NM and he said don't worry about it. It will go off by itself when you decrease your elevation. Sure enough the next day in mid afternoon it went off by itself never to return.

By the way, Boone, NC has a ton of Subarus since we get snow in the winter.

manamal · July 2005

One thing to remember is that, when the snow tires are on, the regular tires are not getting used. Thus, the cost in the long term in minimal (maybe just the steel wheels you probably would buy). Gut the snows.

So are you in Syracuse or one of the smaller towns closer to the lake?

sduford · July 2005

Twice during my trip, the CE light went on and reset the next day. Since I am scrupulous about getting plenty of clicks from the gas cap, I am looking for some other reason for the light to go on. Is there something about cruising all day and filling up my tank twice a day that affects the CE?

The click is the sound made by the torque release mechanism that prohibits you from over-tightening the cap.

So whether you do one click or 100 clicks, makes no difference at all.

Sly

ateixeira · July 2005

Now that's snow country!

A friend at work had a Villager van and wanted to downsize, I suggested a Forester and he got one. He makes the trip to upstate NY for the holidays and thanked me for a less white-knuckled drive up there.

He liked it so much he just got a Subaru Gold warranty so he's covered for the next 100k miles!

-juice

subiedubiedu · July 2005

The cost isn't really a concern. I just want to get good tires for what I do pay. What lake are
you referring to? The 'lovely' Onondaga or Ontario?

ateixeira · July 2005

In my never ending "what fits inside a Forester" quest, I can confirm that a dishwasher fits in the cargo area, hatch closed, rear seats in place!

This is not even close to my record, though. I hauled an oversize clothes washer home (seats folded), a large gas grille (big shiny one, kids in the car), and even 5 sheets of plywood, though those went on the roof.

-juice

toasterpilot · July 2005

I used to live in Asheville, but didn't have a Subie then. When it snowed it was a day off of work.

Sly: Thanks for the click wisdom--I'll still give it one extra click to be safe. I like the altitude theory because that sounds cheaper than the clogged valve. The CEL has only gone on three times and always when I was cruising on interstates. All three times I was coming or going to a mountainous region.

ateixeira · July 2005

My boss knows I have a Subie, so I'm expected to be in on time.

Bummer, we used to get a 1/2 day credit, so you took 1/2 day off but got the full day to go sledding.

Not with a Subie. The rule says you have to "try" to get in and can only take off if you fail. He ain't buyin' it.

-juice

onlysurfer · July 2005

juice, Just curious, your profile say Brazil and you drive in snow? Which part of Brazil gets snow?

p0926 · July 2005

Hey I can answer that! Although Juice lives in DC and is more American than most natives, he chooses to retain his Brazilian citizenship. That combined with the fact that he works for the World Bank enables him to weasel out of paying any income taxes

-Frank

onlysurfer · July 2005

no income taxes.....I wonder if World Bank is hiring?!!! That's not true, everyone pays taxes while in USA, isn't it?

toasterpilot · July 2005

..and it's the Washington Consensus that you make it into work in a snowstorm. Juice made a structural adjustment by buying a Subie.

ateixeira · July 2005

Only if you're not a US Citizen and don't have a Green Card. I'm a G-4 non-resident alien and technically I work on foreign soil.

Hey, I didn't write the law, your congress did. :P

But you now get to call me an Alien.

-juice

once_for_all · July 2005

can I find Falken tires on-line? Tirerack doesn't seem to carry them.

John

pert · July 2005

I understand the new Forester has 8 or 8.5 inches of road clearance? My 04 has 7.5 How did they do it? Bigger tires? Where do you measure that? Road to rear?

tazereli · July 2005

Take a look at www.discounttiredirect.com. I did a quick search by brand and they listed falkens. You can do a little more searching and probably find what you are looking for. Good luck. I got BF Goodrich Traction T/A's from Tirerack a while back. I read the reviews online and they seem to be rather positive. It will be my first attempt at owning directional tires. Anyone have any experience one way or another with either the BFG's or directional tires? I was just "tired" of the cheap futuras on the Subie.

Regards,
Kyle
'02 Forestor L

once_for_all · July 2005

my understanding is that they just tucked the exhaust pipe in a bit tighter but didn't make any actual suspension changes. The tires are the same.

John

once_for_all · July 2005

are only $240 for 4 delivered, compared to $297 + shipping for 3 new Yoko Geos that would bring in my new spare.

Lemme see--$100 less for 4 much better tires? Should be a no-brainer.

The question is though, can I get Falkens via Subaru and still use my Subaru Bucks. Now that would be a killer deal.

John

ateixeira · July 2005

Try Discount Tire Direct or VulcanTire.com. I bought from the latter for my Miata.

pert: slight suspension lift. XT is now 7.9" and others are 8.1". Only a small gain from taller springs I believe. You can see more fender gap.

Though some say it's the new engine being tucked in better, so the front cross member is higher up. Haven't actually measured though.

Dealers usually have a limited selection and Falken is not one of the big brands so I doubt it, but ask.

-juice

rsholland · July 2005

http://macleans.auto123.com/en/info/news/news,view.spy?artid=45169&pg=1

ateixeira · July 2005

due to a lack of reliability data on the other vehicles

I don't think the minor changes are the type of thing that make CR wait to forecast reliability for the 2006 Forester.

I have the current issue and the Forester is very much Recommended. Reliability forecast is better than average.

That article is just plain wrong.

-juice

gherman131313 · July 2005

That's just what I did. Got 4 new Falken Ziex 512's and used 300 Subaru bucks.. plus an oil change.. cost me only about 30 bucks!

once_for_all · July 2005

thanks, the dealer must be getting them from someone other than Tirerack. It is always nice to get free tires.

John

p0926 · July 2005

Yeah what are they smoking? CR has recommended other manufacturers' brand new models based on overall brand reliability stats and the Forester only got a minor facelift!

"Subaru's track record of reliability as a brand is not the best, if J. D. Power and Associates 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study results are called into question"

Oh boy! Here we go again dragging out that useless JDP survey :mad:

-Frank

manamal · July 2005

I was thinking of some of the small towns on the SE shore of Onterio. I know the metropolitin snow king is usually Syracuse.

(I learned about big snows in the 9 years as a grad student in Binghamton),

kavoom · July 2005

I have heard bad things about the original equipment Geolanders after a few miles. I had BFG's TA's as original on my 99 Outback Sport. Two sets lasted 147K and I wasn't going to change em out until this winter. When they resold it they still had two of em on there...

I bow to the TA's but don't know about them on a Forester.

tazereli · July 2005

I think that you may be referring to BFG "Radial" T/A's. I had a set of those on an old pickup. worked good in rain, not so good in snow. The "traction" t/a's seem to be a newer design. within the last 3-5 years. also they are directional whereas the "radial" t/a's were omnidirectional. I also had BFG all terrains on my new pickup. They were unstoppable in the snow but very noisy. Thanks for the input though. I think that BFG ends many of their tires with "T/A".

Regards,
Kyle

kavoom · July 2005

Yep on the "BFG "Radial" T/A's" Mine were not directional. But they were the best tires I ever had. I saw one review of tires once where the person said to look over tires carefully. He noted that by looking inside you could actually get a feel for the factory where they were made from the standpoint of quality. He noted the cleaner they were inside (no little pieces of rubber or not quite right overlapping???) were telling.

Has anyone else heard of the problems with the original geolanders?

joseph50 · July 2005

Does this make a difference in how the tires are to be rotated relative to the "by the book" recommedation? Last October I put Tractions on my 2001 Forester S (love them).

nickel · July 2005

My 01 Forester brought Bridgestone Dueler HT, after less than a year they were useless. Put BFG radials, taking that year Consumer Reports advice, and still running and looking very good, after almost 50K miles.

ateixeira · August 2005

Best deal in town. We had some body work done and they accepted $300 in Subaru bucks. We got money back from the insurance of the woman that hit my wife's car and basically profited $300!

I spent another $100 Subaru Bucks on accessories. Only problem is, I'm not accumulating any! LOL

-juice

leo2633 · August 2005

I use Bridgestone Blizzak WS 50s on my '01 Forester and my wife's '03 Outback. Each car has its own set mounted on steel wheels for quick installation in the winter. The combination of Blizzaks and AWD make snow covered roads seem like dry roads. They're mushy on dry roads, but they are INCREDIBLE in the snow!

Len

crashton6 · August 2005

Adding weight really isn't the best for winter as you've already discovered. I've used Bridgestone Blizzak WS 50 winter tires. They lasted me for four winters. When they wore out I replaced them with Hakkapolita 2 snow tires. The Hakka's are the best I've ever used. I highly recommend them. Best to get a spare set of wheels to mount your snows on. Breaking the snow tires off the rims twice a year is really hard on the tires.

Click here>>> Hakka Snow Tires

Chuck

joseph50 · August 2005

My steel-mounted Michelin Artic Alpins have, lacking the super aggressive tread, proven a versatile type of snow tire for my '01 Forester S from late fall to early spring.

zelenka · August 2005

I have a 1999 Forester L with 132,000 miles. I had a head gasket blow in October and having that fixed cost me $1700. Now the check engine light comes on and off. I live in a smallish town in Alabama and the nearest dealerships are 80 miles away. I have taken it to 2 Subaru dealerships. One ( which no longer was Subaru, having recently sold its franchise) said I needed a new catalytic converter, $720 and they would have to order the part. Another dealership did something that took 40 minutes and charged me nothing ( receipt said it was under warranty?) and told me that I shouldn't see that light anymore. they said if I did see the light, it might mean that I needed a new catalytic converter which would cost $1100!
Needless to say about 500 miles later the light reappears. It is unnerving and I don't know whether it is just a Subaru idiosyncracity, like some sensor gone wrong, or should I should I take it to a local mechanic, who has little experience with this car, for a better deal on a catalytic converter. I can't put $1100 into this car.
I have been shopping for a new car (believe it or not I love the scion XB), but all of my research tells me to buy another Forester. I'd rather not because the service issues are so difficult. Also I would like to get another car with better mileage. I am trying to wait until all of the 2006 models appear so I can make a decision. But I feel like I have the sword of Damocles over my head!
How much life is left in this car? If it is indeed some sort of catalytic converter, are there aftermarket parts that will fit this car? It drives great if I ignore the CEL. I really cherish reliability and peace of mind, but I don't want to get rid of a perfectly good car.

Your advice is desperately needed!

ateixeira · August 2005

Given you're out of warranty, yes, I'd look for aftermarket parts.

A cat can be as little as $80 for just the part. Labor is $85 per hour or so at the dealer, less at your indy mechanic.

The vehicle is still worth a few grand at least, so yes, I'd fix it. I bet you can get it done for $400-800, and that's just one or two car payments. Will it last you another month or two? I'd say yes, very likely a lot longer than that.

132k is a lot of miles, fix it and don't sweat it. I'd still consider it a very reliable vehicle is this is the first major failure. On some brands that would have happened at 80k miles or fewer.

-juice

pamela3 · August 2005

2005 Forester X....engine pinging on regular & middle grade gas...seems much better with premium but shouldn't have to use it...any ideas? rear brakes squeaking/howling...dealer cleaned/adjusted but just got worse?????

ateixeira · August 2005

Sorry to hear about your rough start. My '98 hasn't ever shown either symptom.

Brake pads can be scuffed to rid the squeeking. They get glazed over when they get too hot. Try to avoid panic stops, because the pads and rotors get hot, plus if you hold the brakes down they cool at different rates. Also check the torque on the lug nuts to see if they might be overtightened.

For the pinging, that's a bit odd. I would let the dealer diagnose that since it might be a symptom of some problem, perhaps a bad knock sensor.

-juice

p0926 · August 2005

There should be plenty of life left in your Forester. Why heck, it's barely entered middle age

You probably can get some place like your local Autozone to read the CEL code for free and reset it. If all it really needs is a new Cat, You will eventually have to fix it before you sell it but in the meantime I don't think you're going to hurt anything by continuing to drive it. It won't pass an emissions test but I doubt that you have to worry about that in Alabama

-Frank

asa · August 2005

We have exactly the same pinging problem on our 2004 2.5X 5-Speed, but only around 40 mph at about 2200 RPM and it's intermittent, so not one of three Subaru dealers admits to hearing it.

Our brakes are fine. Do you do a lot of local driving? That sometimes glazes the pad surface because of frequent, slower speed use. Just a thought.

joseph50 · August 2005

I have never once seen a Forester pulled over for speeding.
Could it be that their non-aggressive appearance makes them immune to electronic or human eye detection by law enforcement, Hmm?

dinosaur · August 2005

Well, mine isn't. A month ago the state trooper ignored the red Accord coupe passing me and pulled me over instead on the 4-lane highway.

dinosaur · August 2005

I've seen numerous complaints about this. My '04 X does it too, right at the RPM you mentioned. I believe it has to do with the ECU adjusting the fuel mixture around this RPM to a very lean mixture. I very much doubt that anything can be done. Mine started this at just under 30k miles. My theory is that as long as the fuel system is very clean and your gas truly is the octane rating it is supposed to be, ping will be minimal or non-detectable. As deposits form in the combustion chamber (which can happen very qucikly) the problem will manifest itself. I'm very skeptical of gas quality where I live.

I have found that a high dose of a strong fuel system cleaner (Techron concentrate, or possibly BG) does help. I added Techron for 3 straight tankfuls and the problem is much lessened, but still present to a small degree. The bad part is that doing this is nearly as expensive as using higher octane gas.

I must have bad luck with this. I've owned 8 new cars since 1984 and 3 have done this to one degree or another. Its certainly not unique to Subaru.

ateixeira · August 2005

You might be lugging the engine a bit, that's low rpms if you're pulling a heavy load or going up hill. Shift gears in those situations. Peak torque is in the 4000s so you want to be near there when under load.

I've manually advanced the timing on the Miata, but it pings like crazy if I'm at too low rpm going up a hill, e.g. using 2nd gear while coasting to go up hill. Sounds like a hammer banging on my block!

She's just begging for another gear.

-juice

dinosaur · August 2005

My Forester tends to ping when under just a slight acceleration at that RPM. A heavier foot doesn't cause it. That's one reason I think its related to ECU programming. The manual says a very slight ping is "normal", and with the cleaning I've done, its not bad. I wouldn't even worry about it, but for the 2.5's tendency to have head gasket issues. I don't want any "banging" to loosen things prematurely.

mnf · August 2005

I e-mailed Macleans regarding the artical they showed no artical showing this so I sent it to them there response was (" Sorry. This is a website add-on. Macleans editorial does not produce that.") I told them that they may want to look into who is using there name.... M/F

toasterpilot · August 2005

I agree with Dino--there is nothing stealthy about the radar profile of the Forester. I saw a Forester pulled over by the Ft. Collins PD (was that you, dinosaur?). When there are so many Subarus in town, the police have no choice.

IMHO, Forester drivers should be let off with a warning.

kgbs · August 2005

I bought a 05 Forrester (automatic) about 2 months ago. I could shift smoother in a manual....... Most of the time I can feel it shift and downshift. This isn't normal right? Also, it seems like sometimes there's a delay when I let up on the gas pedal, like a little surge before it slows down. Please help & advise. Thanks, kgbs

dinosaur · August 2005

Mine's a stick but from what I've heard, both conditions are normal. The delay in throttle response is definitely normal. It has to do with the emissions control system. My simple understanding of it is that it has to burn off whatever fuel is still in the combustion chamber before it begins to decelerate.

Don't feel too bad about the rough shifting - the manual isn't all that smooth either. Partly I think a result of the AWD system - alot of things to have to mesh smoothly.

ateixeira · August 2005

I was pulled over in the Outer Banks but I was let off when I told the cop I was just running to the grocery store in the wagon to get milk for the kids. I guess he perceived the Forester as pretty harmless and let me off with a warning.

Now, do you *really* think he would have let me off if I were driving my Miata? HA!

-juice

Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

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