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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Doesn't AutoZone scan it for free? Then of course try to sell you the part. :)

    -juice
  • lfdallfdal Member Posts: 679
    http://www.statefarm.com/insuranc/auto/veh_rating/subaru.htm

    This is how State Farms rates Subaru's.

    Makes me like my Forester even more. I noticed they call it a Sport Wagon, but don't seem to differentiate the XT from the X and XS. Thank goodness.

    Makes me rally like the OBW - best of the lot for insurance purposes.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The Forester and Outback both seem to do quite well.

    -juice
  • baydrivebaydrive Member Posts: 48
    I haven't been on the boards for awhile. I had bought a 2005 Forester X in November. So far everything is fine but I keep reading about head gasket problems on the Forester and how a special additive needs to be used. Does this pertain to older model years or this this something that I need to have added during maintenance? I have my car serviced at a local shop and not the dealership for regular maintenance.. So I would like to know if I need to be aware of having this additive put in and if so at what mileage?
  • mckeownmckeown Member Posts: 165
    I own an 04 XS and just did the 30K service myself. I went to the local dealer to get the Subaru Coolant (about twice the price from an auto supplier), but I did this and saved the receipt in case of future problems or questions.
    In any case, I had an 02 L before this and went for the sealer recall. Every coolant service on the 02 after that requires that sealer to be added again to ensure the Subaru warrenty up to 100K for external leaks.
    I asked about the sealer for the 04 since I was about to do the 30K service and replace the coolant, he told me the recall affected 99-02 Foresters and SOHC Legacy's only. My 04 did NOT need it.
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    Our '04 2.5X will need it's 30,000 Mile check soon and I'm planning on asking about TSB 09-42-05 (dated 04/15/05) that reads that “whenever coolant is changed, you must add Genuine Subaru Cooling System Conditioner”. It appears that it applies to all models, not just the '02s and prior. Our Forester has nearly lost the resovior bottle of coolant in only 12,000 miles and the dealers are clueless as to the cause. I'm lucky in that we can choose from three Subie dealers. I'll decide on who gets the work based on how they respond to my TSB question and their price. This is our first Subaru and I'm not liking my experience.
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    The same thing happened to my 04 XT. I checked the radiator fluid and it had disappeared from the reservoir around 6,000 miles. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't find any problem. Since then, the fluid has remained steady and full. Someone on this forum thought it might have been air trapped in the system when new that finally got a chance to excape after some use. It makes sense to me since it hasn't happened again and the dealer couldn't find anything wrong. Anyway, you're not alone.
  • lfdallfdal Member Posts: 679
    My 04 XT has been using coolant since I got it. Sometimes a little, sometimes a little more. Usually end up topping it off every oil change. Can't find a leak anywhere and I've been all over the car. The dealer swears he's pressure checked the system.

    Only suspicious thing I've noticed is a whitish residue around the bottom radiator hose, which could be from the clamp corrosion.

    One other trait its exhibited since new is that in the hot weather the smell of burning anti-freeze is so strong I can't sit in traffic with the window's open.

    The only thing I'm sure of is that its not getting in the oil. The rest just increases the nuisance factor. :mad:

    Larry
  • crashton6crashton6 Member Posts: 245
    I bought the DrawTite from etrailer.com. Took me all of an hour to install. Seems very well made to me. I also bought their wiring harness.

    Chuck :)
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    I have been looking at these also.. the OEM model is only 200lb rated hitch, plus is about $80 more.

    Even with Subaru Bucks to foot the bill, the aftermark units look way better.

    John
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The vehicle is limited to 200 lbs tongue weight, I believe. Getting a bigger hitch does not change this.

    -juice
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    but it is hard to turn down a heavier construction that is 2/3rd the cost.

    John
  • smittynycsmittynyc Member Posts: 289
    asa,

    Let me know how it turns out. I'm bringing my 04 2.5X (185XX) in tomorrow for an oil change and a follow-up on some warranty work that was done to the brakes (they replaced pads and resurfaced rotors, but now there seems to be an issue with the pressure). We just got back from a road trip through the Great Lakes and back, and I got heavy hot coolant smell at stops after 2-3 hours of driving.

    Interestingly, my coolant level didn't budge a millimeter until about 12,000 miles. It never lost enough to warrant a top-off until right before I took it in for its 15,000 mile service. I mentioned it to my dealer, and they said it all checked out fine (nor did they mention the TSB, which I'm hearing about for the first time).

    I am extremely happy with the vehicle overall, though. I didn't have a whiff of trouble for the first 15 months, which I figure is a pretty good accomplishment these days, and the dealer was fantastic about the brake fix.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yes and no, keep in mind you are weighing down the car and might even lose some of that 200 lbs tongue weight capacity. Basically it might be overkill.

    You can use a sledge hammer to hammer in a nail, but it can be too much for the job and you might waste energy.

    Same concept, but to a lesser extent.

    The real reason to get it would be to get a more universal 2" receiver instead of the 1.25" receiver that comes with the factory unit. To me that's a better reason.

    -juice
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    the aftermarkets are also 1.25" receivers.

    But a 2" would sway me.

    Agreed, properly loaded none of the hitch options would get into trouble.

    John
  • kavoomkavoom Member Posts: 181
    From what I have seen, the class I is 1.25", the II is 1.75" and the III is a 2" receiver. Correct me if I am wrong. I believe a class I (Subaru hitch) is rated at only 2,000 lbs and is rated below the towing capacity of a manual Forester X (2,400 lbs). A class II is rated at 3,500 lbs. And, the Subaru class I hitch isn't even rated for a 2" ball which is what you will need for most towables...

    Speaking of overkill, there would NEVER be a reason to have a class III on a Forester and actually the Class I hitch is too light unless all you ever plan on towing is maybe a motorcycle or something very light. Don't forget hitches aren't light... Class III's weight a ton (metaphorically speaking). Go Class II is my rec...

    Towing factoids Foresters
    American vehicle tow ratings include what you are carrying in the tow vehicle above the base weight and below the GVWR..in addition to what you have behind you. So, you have to subtract what you are carrying in the tow vehicle. Subaru's and some other European and Japanese vehicles are WYSIWYG on the rating.

    The Aussies don't have the class I hitch as standard on their version of the Forester. Towing is touted in Australia for the Suby and minimized in the U.S by Subaru. It is hypothesized that the litigous nature of the U.S. is behind this. They don't want to be sued. That may be why Subaru of America uses a Class I hitch (as standard) to emphasize they really don't want you to tow even though the vehicle is obviously set up for it. The Subaru Forester was rated the top towing vehicle in Australia in 04 per one of their big camping magazines...

    The "self leveling" rear end on LL Beans is standard equipment in Australia. It is interesting that in the US, the only vehicle you can get it on is an automatic which reduces the towing rating by 400 lbs. BUT, guess what... The "self-leveling" is all in the struts. There are special struts for the LL Bean (oil based?) that can be installed on any Subaru Forester... I hear they are at least $160 apiece before installation??? I have not been able to nail that down yet, but apparently they work great.

    The 50 50 ratio (very towable friendly I hear) for front vs rear traction on the manual Forester may have been done partially on purpose relative to towing.

    I got this stuff by researching and reading posts from some others (multiple different people) who seemed to know what they were talking about including one who worked on Subys in Australia. He noted the differences between what their Subaru dealers are told down under verses what American dealers are told regarding towing...
  • kev_xt_ownerkev_xt_owner Member Posts: 41
    Towing factoids Foresters
    American vehicle tow ratings include what you are carrying in the tow vehicle above the base weight and below the GVWR..in addition to what you have behind you. So, you have to subtract what you are carrying in the tow vehicle. Subaru's and some other European and Japanese vehicles are WYSIWYG on the rating.

    I either don't understand you or I'm not sure how you arrived at this conclusion for American vehicle tow ratings. My Forester manual says nothing about subtracting the tow vehicle's load from the maximum weight limit of the trailer.

    The GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is the amount of weight the tow vehicle can support vertically. It includes the driver, cargo in the tow vehicle, trailer hitch, and trailer tongue load. It doesn't include the trailer/cargo weight except the tongue load (less than 200 pounds)

    There are other terms, Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) which is the combined weight of the tow vehicle and trailer and Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) which is the maximum weight supported on an axle (used as a measure of whether the load is properly distributed within the tow vehicle). My Forester manual cautions about exceeding the GAWR but never mentions the GCWR; most likely this is because the GCWR is already satisfied by not exceeding the GVWR and the maximum trailer weight.

    Kevin
  • kavoomkavoom Member Posts: 181
    I didn't say you have to subtract the load in the vehicle. For a Subaru what you see is what you get WYSIWYG. Carry what you want in the vehicle. That has NO effect upon the tow rating. I always forget those acronyms just after I read them...

    Apparently, from what I read, the tow ratings on American vehicles are different in that you do have to subtract what you are carrying in the vehicle.
  • dfortydforty Member Posts: 1
    I have just joined the forum to find out about some issues I am having with my '99 Forester, I notice they have already been discussed here. I have two problems, one is the check engine light which comes on when the engine is started from cold, but goes out when its warmed up, ideas? I notice other people have had problems with various sensors & plug leads, do these symptoms seem familiar? Secondly, the overhead clock is going wrong, how does it come off? hidden screws or is it clipped on?

    thanks
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    This may vary, but I've never seen a 1.75" receiver, only 1.25" or 2".

    -juice
  • ozman62ozman62 Member Posts: 229
    Dforty, the clock bezel just pops out with some gentle prying. Very easy to fix, check wrecking yards for a cheap replacement. Apparently its a common Gen 1 Forester problem. I think I also read on another site about someone actually diagnosing the problem and fixing the clock. I think it involved re-soldering some resistor.
    Hope this helps,
    Owen
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    well, this is getting interesting. There is no indication that the OEM hitch is rated beyond a Class I (200lb tongue, 2000 lb tow load). The OEM hitch is 39 lbs shipping.

    The Hidden Hitch is a Class II (300 lb tongue, 3500 lb tow load). It is an indicated 40 lbs total weight.

    The Hidden Hitch must be a very well constructed unit to do 1 1/2 times the OEM hitch but only weigh 1 more pound.

    Or, the OEM hitch is very robust? but underated. Why would they rate the Forester MT at 2400lbs but only sell a hitch rated at 2000lbs?

    None of the OEM parts on-line have much detail. Anyone know?

    John
  • kev_xt_ownerkev_xt_owner Member Posts: 41
    I have the OEM hitch. I looked at the hitch itself and there's no specific listing as a "class I" hitch but there is a sticker that lists the weight bearing limits of the hitch with separate columns for manual and automatic. For the automatic it lists the maximum tow weight as 2000 pounds with the manual listed at 2400 pounds. Interestingly, it sticks with the 10% rule for the tongue weight -- 200 pounds gross tongue weight for the automatic and 240 pounds for the manual.

    I don't have much experience with other hitches, so I can't say whether it looks robust enough to tow greater weight.

    I do like that the OEM hitch is curved to accomodate the design of the Forester (curves around muffler, etc.)

    Kevin
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    Thanks Kevin. I am thinking that the OEM hitch merely restates the vehicle limitations, rather than its own.

    Did you install it yourself? It comes with the wiring kit and also the receiver?

    These are all separate items with the aftermarket guys and they bring the price up to close to the OEM unit.

    John
  • kev_xt_ownerkev_xt_owner Member Posts: 41
    I bought the OEM hitch as a dealer-installed option for my Forester; I didn't feel I had the capability to install it without buying additional equipment nor did I feel as safe installing it myself. It does come with the receiver (but no ball) and a small rubber insert to use when not using the receiver (to keep dirt out).

    It also comes with a wiring kit that seems to plug into the existing pre-wired setup of the Forester. I then took my Forester to a local trailer dealer to install a brake controller which used some of the OEM wiring kit from the Forester for lighting. I also bought a small cargo trailer with brakes from them.

    I haven't had any trouble with the hitch, receiver, or brake controller.

    Kevin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Mine is also OE except I installed it myself.

    -juice
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    435 miles on 14.5 gallons, for 29.9 mpg. There were 4 of us (2 adults, 2 kids) and it was a long road trip to the Uncle's at 75 mph.

    '03XS MT.

    John
  • jayne1jayne1 Member Posts: 1
    Yesterday I was driving on a bumpy rutted dirt road. I was parked for about an hour, started the car no problem, and after driving about 100 feet, noticed all the warning lights on the dash were on. I stopped the car and turned it off, then tried to restart it. It would not re-start.

    I got a ride back to my house, got my husband to drive back to my car, and he couldn't get it re-started either. When he tried to restart it, it sounded like the battery was almost dead, cranking slow for a few seconds. Then he said he heard an arc or snap sound, and the cranking (and battery) sounded fine. But the car still wouldn't start.

    We got back home and called Subaru roadside assistance and had the car towed to the nearest Subaru dealer, over 100 miles away. Talking today to the (non-Subaru-certified tech, as there weren't any working on Saturday), the car started just fine for them, and there were no computer codes to indicate anything was wrong.

    The car has 29,000 miles and is still under warranty. Aside from the aggravation of being car-less in the middle of nowhere for 5 days, and then having to drive 100 miles to pick up the car, my questions are:

    1)Obvious question: any idea what happened?

    2) If this happens again, should I pull over and stop the car, or just keep going?

    Thanks....
  • 10years10years Member Posts: 48
    Getting close to 40K miles on the 03 X and finally ditched the OEM Geo's before the weather changes. Ah but it's not that simple. I'd been checking around through local dealers and Tire Rack for information, ya know being an IT techno twit I couldn't help it. So happend this Big-O local dealer said he had a set of "Take Off" Michalen Harmony tires in my size will less than 100 miles from an 06 Nissan Sentra. OTD price fully warranted price was $418. Foolish me I was hasty and had them installed last Friday. On the highway drive home I noticed they weren't that much quieter than the Geos and had slight but noticeable squirming feel to them, not the dead-on steadiness I was used to with the Geos. Lesson learned, the Harmonys are only "S" speed rating and "B" temperature. After the fact began to feel really uncomfortable with "B" rating as I do have occasion a couple of times are year to do hot mid-summer driving up and down
    I-5 or highway 395 through the Mojave desert.

    So despite the rave review of the Harmony tires on Tire Rack and other places, I went back to the Big-O dealer explained my misgivings. Wow, their cooperation and professionalism to replace the Harmonys was outstanding. Ended up with their Falken 329's which from all I can tell is the same tire as the 512's. So had the Harmony's replaced with the 329's plus a 4-alignment, $490 OTD with full warranties. After a week on the 329's I'm happy to report these tires are very quiet, offer a solid feel on the open highway, and handle Sierra twisty roads confidently without the squeal we all learned to love with the Geos :shades:

    Have fun all.
  • goodyrlgoodyrl Member Posts: 83
    We have a 2005 Forester with a non-turbo engine. If we switch from 87 octane unleaded to 89 octane Ethanol what can we expect besides a dime less per gallon locally?

    Will it hurt the engine &/or performance? Thanks
  • kev_xt_ownerkev_xt_owner Member Posts: 41
    It shouldn't hurt the engine (your manual even allows for it, up to 10% ethanol). Cars today are made to interact with ethanol frequently found in gasolines (some states require all gasoline blends to contain 10% ethanol). You may notice a slight reduction in fuel mileage due to the lower energy content of the fuel (ethanol contains marginally less energy per unit volume than does gasoline) and you may also notice slightly more difficult engine starts in the winter due to the lower vapor pressure of ethanol. Your mileage will decrease approximately 2-3%, an amount not easily noticed.

    As an added plus, the ethanol will absorb any water in the gasoline tank.

    Kevin
  • joseph50joseph50 Member Posts: 235
    2001 Forester. Two new batteries in the last few months went into the automatic key opener/locker on the key chain. The buttons work OK for a couple weeks, then gradually lose effectiveness. Does anyone have a few suggestions on what to do for a remedy, before I take it into the dealer?
    Thank You!
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Sounds like something's draining the batteries. What about the other remote, does it have the same problem?

    -Frank
  • manamalmanamal Member Posts: 426
    Because of the high price of gas, we took our forester for the laborday weekend trip to the beach. It is an '05 LLBean. The car performed well. We kept it to the speed limit, and got 32 MPG of 380 miles!

    The only problem is that the radio was not turning on on the trip home: a significant problem because of the 3 yo in the back seat. This will be the fourth trip for repairs in 5300 miles. All minor though, and three dealing with the radio. Maybe I should buy an aftermarket radio.

    Oh, the radio works fine today.
  • eps105eps105 Member Posts: 216
    Try checking the battery terminal contacts. Rub them with an eraser head and then clean them with rubbing alcohol and let it dry for a few minutes before putting the batteries back in. Of course, you can verify if the problem is with the batteries or the contacts by checking the batteries with a volt meter. If the "dead" batteries measure full voltage, then it's the contacts. If the batteries are dead, then something is defective with the fob and draining the batteries.

    I've experienced on many occasions where dirty contacts show symptoms of dying batteries. Changing your batteries may have abraded the contacts enough to make the new batteries work OK for a while.

    I clean the battery contacts on my key fobs and garage door openers at least once a year, and I get at least 3-5 years of battery life from one battery!

    Elliot
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Your guess is as good as ours...

    What I would try is I'd disconnect the battery. That resets the ECU. Nowadays cars are computerized to that would basically "reboot" the brains and give it a chance to fix itself.

    -juice
  • joseph50joseph50 Member Posts: 235
    Sounds like something's draining the batteries. What about the other remote, does it have the same problem?

    -Frank

    Good gosh, I had forgotten I had the other remote tucked away in a hidden drawer over the years. :blush: Works perfectly, which means that EPS105 is probably right about the contacts on my current remote. I'll check into it.
    Thanks, I knew I came to the right place!!!
  • tekmerctekmerc Member Posts: 2
    Our 2006 Forester is just a month old now, but we have run across some "noisy" issues.

    There is a groaning noise that emanates from the muffler (as diagnosed by the service technician) whenever the car accelerates under load. The noise is louder if say you are start from a stop light on an incline. The dealer says that 3 other brand new foresters in the lot have the same noises. In such cases, it seems that the noise is determined to be a charateristic of the car and no repair is done!.

    Does anyone else with an 06 Forester have the same problem?

    Any suggestions as to how you go about getting something like this fixed?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Check if any of the heat shields in the exhaust are loose. Often it's just a quick weld to fix. Others remove them.

    -juice
  • toasterpilottoasterpilot Member Posts: 48
    You can probably afford a pretty nice aftermarket system with the money you save on gas. ;)

    BTW, I read a report on the new mpg guidelines coming out of Washington. It said that small "SUV's like the Subura Forester" would have to achieve 28 mpg. Wouldn't this be a step backward for some of you?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They might base the goals on size, i.e. a multiple of the wheelbase and track width. So that would penalize Subaru for using a very short wheelbase on the Forester (which is also why it feels so nimble).

    This will make manufacturers stretch the wheelbases, watch. Problem is it sort of penalizes smaller vehicles. They'll just make 'em all big!

    -juice
  • toasterpilottoasterpilot Member Posts: 48
    No sign of the Big 3 lobbyists meddling in the creation of this law, eh?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm sure, I bet a Suburban would be allowed to get 12mpg and pay no gas guzzler tax.

    -juice
  • devore420devore420 Member Posts: 30
    Hey everyone,

    I have a really frustrating problem I'm hoping someone here can shed some light on. In our city there is only one Subaru dealer, and their service center is absolutely atrocious. Most recently, I had the service center attempt to repair the moonroof action.

    Three service visits later, the moonroof works but now it rattles like mad even when the car is stopped, they broke the plastic wind breaker and didn't tell me, I found 5 or 6 broken metal clips on the floor of the car, the interior molding pieces they removed are loose and ill-fitting, they broke one of the interior molding pieces, left dirt and fingerprints all over the car, and so on. This is all AFTER the service center manager told me that considering all the work they had to do, I'm "lucky" they didn't break more.

    I love my Subaru but the dealer here in town in ruining my car. I plan to take it elsewhere for non-warranty work, but does anyone have any suggestions on what to do when I need the dealer? Can a differnet dealer than the one I bought it from do warranty work for me?

    Also, as I mentioned above, my car has damage the service center made when trying to fix the sunroof. The normal procedure would be for me to take it back to them for them to fix what they broke, but I'm pretty sure if I take it back there again they'll make it even worse. Can a different dealer repair damange another one created?

    Any information anyone can provide is totally appreciated, thanks.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Can a differnet dealer than the one I bought it from do warranty work for me?

    Absolutely, in fact I'd be willing to drive a while to get better service.

    Call 800-SUBARU3 and report their incompetence. Take photos to show evidence of that, ask if you can e-mail it to SoA. I'm sure SoA would want to know where they can improve, and there seems to be a *lot* of room for improvement.

    Good luck.

    -juice
  • devore420devore420 Member Posts: 30
    Thanks for the info. I did call 800-SUBARU3 and they listened to me, apologized, and explained they can't do much directly since the dealerships are privately owned. Still, they did seem genuinely concerned and made me feel somewhat better about things.

    They also confirmed that what I've done in the interim is what they would suggest: take the car to a differnet dealer.

    I called a different dealer about an hour a way that comes recommended, and explained the situation to them. They said they can continue the warranty work the other dealer did, although if they encounter parts that the previous dealer broke, it may get difficult (this is understandable, such parts wouldn't be covered under warranty.)

    We'll see how it goes. If any readers here live in Madison, WI, I strongly urge you to avoid the sole Subaru dealership in that city, based on my experience.
  • toasterpilottoasterpilot Member Posts: 48
    After reading the serious of unfortunate events above, it is good to hear a story like this:

    http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/8/191146/0209

    The link is to one of the best known political bloggers in America, who is converted to his Subaru.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Never heard of him (but bookmarked :-)) -- but he's driving a stick in the Bay area? Maybe he's not actually on the city hills that much; have to wonder, in spite of his disclaimer, if he knows how to shift.

    Chat starts in ~20 minutes!

    ooooh, Bob has harvested a good link from that blogger's comments too. :shades:

    Steve, Host
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Thanks for sharing that.

    Indeed, some dealers are great, and we should give credit where credit is due.

    My wife complained about a throttle that didn't feel smooth, they tore out the entire throttle cable and replaced it proactively. We had a Mercedes C240 4Matic wagon as a loaner when I asked for something similar to our Legacy wagon.

    We were not complaining. :D

    -juice
  • aggiejunaggiejun Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 06 Forester 2.5X premium recently. On the test drive, I noticed that as I started the engine, I can clearly feel engine vibrates very obviously -- actually you can see the vibration. I asked the dealer to try another new 06 forester, and it was the same. The dealer explained to me it was because the special setting of the engine (horizontal). I have read the discussions here, it seems to me this is typical for Forester. However, I am still thinking the vibration in my new car seems "too" obvious --- I mean you can physically see from the hood that the engine is shaking in some degree, most of the messages I have read here are talking about feeling from the gears...

    Can I say that my new car has a more serious vibration problem? I was trying to convince myself that there is no problem in my new car, anybody can help me out?

    The vibration do disappear once the car fully starts.

    Sorry for my poor English! Thanks!

    Also, I'd like to share my buying price for this one:
    06 Forester 2.5X Premium Option (no other accessories), automatic transmission, red color:

    diving out price: 22.2K. (no tax as I am in NH)
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