While my 98 Forester was in the shop, I had the opportunity to drive a 2001 Outback for a couple of days. It seemed to corner flatter and faster than the Forester (It was also a lot quieter).
I have been thinking about putting a heavier bar on the rear of my Forester, but what I would really like is to be able to put a stiffer bar on the front also, to reduce roll on cornering. If the rear is kept proportionally heavier, that should help to reduce understeer as well. Does anyone know of a FRONT bar for the Forester?
Jeff- You can put a strut tower brace on the front of your Forester. It isn't very expensive and is an easy mod to do. Juice has one and can give you more details.
(Please forgive me, I posted this in more than one forum, but I thought it was appropriate)
8500 Miles I: My Clutch Vibrates. Them: Normal. I: Illinois? I thought Subies were made in Indiana or Japan. Them: Consider it a feature -- free foot massage.
30k Miles I: My clutch chatters when cold. Them: Cannot duplicate. I: Maybe you should buy a Xerox.
36k Miles I: Still chattering when cold. Them: Leave overnight.
Next Day I: Well? Them: We heard it. But we wouldn't do anything at this time. I: What do you mean? With all that chattering, I think it's trying to tell us something. Them: Our teeth do the same thing when we are cold.
48k Miles I: The clutch is STILL chattering, Now doing it when warm. Starting to chatter between 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. Them: We have to tear it apart to see what'ts up. I (Clutching my wallet): Will Subaru cover that under warranty? Them: We won't know until we get it apart. If not, you pay. I: How much to tear it apart? Them: Almost as much as the entire repair labor. I: Can't you call Subaru to authorize it? Them: Only the service manager can do that, but he's on vacation. I (having a litle pun at THEIR expense, or will it be mine): Trying to avoid the chattering of customers, I presume.
49k Miles. I: Chatter, chatter, chatter. Them: Cease that infernal chatter. We'll cover it. But you have to pay for the pad. I: You meant the lining? Them: Same thing. Either way we line our pockets. I: Well, I hope you don't pad the bill.
Later I: Done? Them: Yes, and we covered it in full. No charge. I (Charging out of there): Finally, thanks.
Start Car -- Drive I: Rats! No foot massage. Anyone know of something in the aftermarket?
New '02 Foresters come with dual mode rear window wiper (single speed and fixed intermittent).
I'd like to retrofit my '98S with that. Seems like that might be possible.... But then, it would be more than just changing out the rear wiper motor, wouldn't it? Also would have to change the switch on the steering column...
Jeff: my tower brace is the metal SPT unit sold by Subaru. It was $113 at wholesale cost. My rear 18mm SPT bar was $82, bushings included. The combo works well in unison.
Glad to hear they fixed your clutch. Way to put the pressure on and fix that pressure plate (pardon the pun).
Kim: I've only seen people swap out the spray nozzle to get a better spread of the washer fluid.
I spent a week in a 2001 OB earlier this month. I agree that it's flatter if only because of the lower CG. I don't think it turns faster than my Forester, though. Due to (most likely) the shorter wheelbase I get the seat-of-the-pants sense that the Forester turns a lot quicker than the OB. I liken it to trying to turn a whitewater kayak cf. a sea kayak.
I did upgrade my rear sway bar to an 18mm unit. Haven't done anything up front yet.
One thing you should note when upgrading to a heavier sway bar is that it will cause your suspension to be less independent. Something to think about if you take your Forester off-road.
Also, sway bars do make turn-ins quicker, but it won't reduce body lean. For that you'll probably need to use stiffer springs. Again, the trade off will be a harsher ride.
As the undeserving owner of both an OB (2000) and a Forester (2002) I will concur that the OB offers the driver a bit more confidence during hard cornering, while the Forester is arguably more "fun" to throw around. I found the slightly more pronounced body roll of my spanking new Forester a bit disconcerting at first, but now that I'm used to it its fine. I may swap the rear sway bar for something heavier in a few months, but for now I'm content. Along with the difference in handling its also quite obvious that the OB is, overall, a more solid and refined vehicle (which may not suit everyone). Still, it seems to be the new Forester thats getting most of the miles these days. Now, a question for you experts:
Since day one my Forester has been prone to the occasional "burp" during above-average acceleration. To be more specific, every so often I hear (and feel) a muffled pop as I back off the gas to shift (especially if the rpms were at, or above, 3200). I have the sense that its caused by unspent fuel combusting in the catalytic converter, but I'm probably dead wrong. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet because the problem occurs so infrequently and I've yet to find a way to reproduce it at will. Have any of you folks noticed anything similar? Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated.
Loving my Forester, burps and all! Dave (naturally)
To go off road, you can always temporarily detach the sways and use a tie strap to let them hang loosely. I've seen plenty of Jeep owners do this.
Dave: (watch, two thousand people think I'm talking to them) An occasionaly kick-back is no big deal. It's common with aftermarket exhausts, is yours stock?
Actually, I should have written that sway bars won't reduce body lean a whole lot. My understanding is that the sway bar transfers some of the compression force on the inside tire to the outside tire to increase traction. This action may help reduce lean a little but I think you need to go with stiffer shocks/springs to make a big difference in lean.
I've compared my Forester to my friend's who has the stock bar and I perceive the difference to be in the turn-in response rather than reduced lean in turns.
Dave (naturally): Are you hearing any pinging along with that "burp"? A number of Subaru owners have been - it may have something to do with quality of fuel and the conditions under which you drive (altitude, e.g.). Earlier Foresters and Subes generally were recently recalled for faulty oxygen sensors; I don't know that any '02s got part of the bad batch, however. The only time I experienced pinging was after swapping in an Amsoil drop-in panel air filter, and that went away after the first tankful of gas (the ECU was relearning my driving style).
Dave, I think your theory is exactly right. My '01 MT does the same thing, my wife's '01 AT does not.
MT vehicles have always given manufacturers fits, with respect to emissions, because of the very quick transition to high vacuum, very minimal airflow, when you lift suddenly on the throttle. This is especially true if you just started to "go" and have to back off, because the system had started to give the extra fuel it thought you wanted. AT cars don't have this problem because of the torque converter, and design.
The way they "solved" this was to put a dashpot on the carb to dampen the return of the linkage. This allowed the engine to get the extra air it needed to keep the balance. These were lousy for a "driver" because when you took your foot off of the gas you didn't get the "back pressure" you expected, kind of like the linkage sticking open a bit.
As we "adjusted" these we got some popping in the exhaust, very similar to what my Forester does, only much more so. With the advent of multi-port fuel injection and computer controls things have gotten a lot better all around. I think they let the small amount they can't control through, and let the much better catalytic converters of today deal with it.
If I accelerate to about 3.5K in first gear, back off, and then throw in the clutch, I get the pop. I have also had it in 2nd and maybe third occasionally.
If the dealer tells you it is "normal" I would agree in this case.
Dave- Funny you should mention the "burping". I just recently noticed my Forester occasionally doing the same thing. I'll 2nd what others have said regarding it being nothing to worry about. As far as the body roll being more pronounced than the Outback, everything's relative. My previous vehicle was a Cherokee and in comparison the Forester corners on rails!
lol, if you hadn't said something lark6, I might have skimmed right over it. Please repost, rwilke. Steve Host Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Hello, My 2001 Forester S with automatic has a bit over 14,000 miles. Recently I've heard an occasional "humming" or "moaning" sound from up front. It only happens when I'm stopped or moving slowly at idle speed. It lasts for a few seconds, then stops. This happens randomly whether I'm braking, sitting at a complete stop, or moving slowly without brakes -- but only at idle speeds. I'll ask about it at my 15,000 service, but was wondering if anyone else had experienced this or had any ideas. There are no other symptoms when this happens; no loss in power, change in RPMs, or any other change I can notice. Scott
We discussed this a few days ago, so I wanted to give you all an update. Hutch had been having problems after mounting some Goodyear Aquatred 3 tires. I had a set mounted on my wife's Odyssey van. Although there wasn't any of the pulling that Hutch described, I did noticed a "thumping" noise that got louder as the speed increased. There wasn't any vibration or other indication of mechanical problems. I took it to another shop, and had the wheel balance checked. All 4 were exact. However, the mechanic showed me that three of the tires were visibly "wobbly" as they ran on the balancing machine. By this I mean that you could actually see that the tire had a portion that was higher than the rest of the tread. (I've only had them on a week, and about 400 miles, so it most certainly was not any kind of normal wear.) I contacted Tire Rack, where I purchased them from, and they graciously offered to send me three replacements and then pick up the defective ones. My concern is that I may get one or more with the same problem again. I have asked them to replace all 4 with another tire, for which I will pay the difference, and they are supposed to get back to me on that. I'll keep everyone posted as to how this shakes out (no pun intended). Anyway, I just thought that this might shed some light on a possible problem with Hutch's Aquatred 3's.
could it be the ABS? The ABS in my OB seems to be particularly quiet, although it hasn't kicked in much. My Sienna has a definite hum when the ABS kicks in or during test at startup.
Len - Sorry to hear you're having problems too. The final (I hope) chapter in my Aquatred 3 problem is .. Goodyear is replacing 1 "bad" tire today. I had, and continue to have, high expectations for these tires. All the ratings I've seen speak highly of the A.T.3's. If this corrects the problem I'll be happy. - hutch
please keep us posted. I am sort of planning to try the Aquatred 3 myself since tires are extremely important to me (I've never used more than 1/2 tread life of an OEM tire) and on paper they seem perfect for Vancouver driving (wet, wetter and wettest).
Frank, thanks for the insight re. my Forester's reflux problem. I'm sure you're right. Interestingly, my Y2K Outback (also MT) has never yet burped in public (knock woodgrain trim), or perhaps all that spiffy sound insulation is just keeping me happily unaware of it. Anyway, thanks to all for the speedy replies.
Here's the poop, for all interested parties. Just got back from the Goodyear dealer. They replaced the right front and all is right with the world!
There was no arguement, or even discussion for that matter, about corrective action. They just replaced it .. gave me a receipt with $0.00 on it and I was off. I took that as a good omen. Stuff goes wrong in any industry. What matters is, if you'll excuse the pun, where the rubber meets the road. There was a problem and they fixed it.
I've been impressed with the tires otherwise. They grip both wet and dry roads tenaciously and are supposed to be capable in the snow. Plus, they have an 80k wear warranty. If the unknowns, snow handling and tread wear, turn out to be "as stated" then this is a great tire. - hutch
Can you guys recommend your favorite snow tires for a 2001 Forester S????I plan on using the stock 16" Toyos until they need replacing, but want and NEED (I work in a hospital, and MUST be able to get into work on snowy days!) a set of the best snows I can afford for winter use. Also, dumb question...... do the snow tires go on all 4 wheels with AWD?Thanks Kris in NJ
You absolutely must use a set of four snow tires with AWD, two would be much worse than none. Actually you really should use four snows with any drive configuration, but with AWD you would not only destroy the handling but also the differential. As to brand I'll plead ignorance although many speak highly of the Blizzak.
I keep reading that there are 5 cupholders in the Forester. I have a 2002 s premium and only see 4. Two in front of the vents and two in the rear. Where is the 5th one?
Kris - I have the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 snow tires on my '99 Grand Am and the new Dunlop Graspic DS-1 snow tires on my '01 Forester. Both kinds give greatly enhanced traction on ice and in snow. The Dunlops are relatively quiet and are a good deal at $54 each from TireRack. Last Nov. I bought the tires mounted and balanced on Subaru 15 in. alloy wheels, delivered to my door in 48 hours for $600 from TireRack. I got through 13 in of snow when most people couldn't even get out of their driveways! Jim
The fifth one is in the console between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. If you have the arm rest extension, it is under the extension (i.e. you can't use that one).
is the scheduled date for the total redo of the Forester. There has been extensive speculation as to the changes that will be made but no answers so far. Most seem to feel that the wheelbase will be increased and the engine will be upgraded (at least as an option). Details should become available by next March I would think.
I took delivery of my 2002 S Premium (Sedona Red Pearl) on 7/23. WOW!!! ... what a car!!! After several Nissans - Maximas and 200SX's..THIS is an upgrade! No disappointments..save one.. the literature shows a lot more gold on the wheels..I have to look close to see any gold. The stock S+'s on the lot were the same. Any comments?? Also, is the Igloo cooler/warmer worth the price? And... why did SOA remove the sports grille from the literature when it is still available? So many questions, so little time .. gotta go look for dirt roads and puddles today!!
Igloor cooler/warmer is nifty . . . if you really do a lot of camping, etc. Just don't buy it from Subaru! You can get it much cheaper at WalMart, Sam's Club, or a Coleman dealer. (I think Coleman makes a version as well.) Somewhere around $79.
Automatic transmission. Around 2800-3000 RPMs or so, there is a sound almost like a whistle. The pitch increases with RPMs. It's not very loud, just enough to hear it. It sounds like engine or transmission. I turned everything off, stereo, AC, fan etc., the noise is still there. Any guesses? By the way, I paid $23,800 (including everything except for sales tax. I bought it in Kentucky but am a resident of Ohio so I'll pay sales tax in Ohio) 2002 Forester S auto with premium leather package, tweeter kit, interior upgrade group, upgraded security system, custom tailpipe cover. The delaer was Oldham Subaru in Kentucky, among the better car buying experiences.
I spoke to Tire Rack and they agreed to take back all 4 Aquatred 3's and replace them with a set of Michelins. All I have to pay is the difference ($14 per tire). The salesman at TR told me that he intends to stop recommending this tire, as he has gotten complaints from several customers about them. Hopefully you'll have better luck with yours, Hutch.
I'm planning to upgrade the speakers in my '02 Forester L.
I fall into the "data is data" camp when it comes to CD sound reproduction, so I'm not planning to do anything to the OEM CD player unless this speaker upgrade leaves me disappointed.
The question is: have others who have upgraded gone for upgrades of all four in-door speakers as well as new tweeters? Or just ignore the tweeters? This might even suggest that a good upgrade of the in-door units should be accompanied by a disconnection of the OEM tweets. Or just go all the way with six new speakers?
Also, the extra: I cut a hole in the main splashguard, and now have greatly simplified access to the oil filter. Who let this model go out with the need to remove the splashguard every time you change the filter?
Bill-- Congratulations! I will be taking delivery on an S+ in Platinum Silver sometime next week. My feeling on the gold trimmed wheels are just the opposite of yours; I'd rather have no gold trim at all, lol.
I'm not much on that sport grill but my salesman mentioned in passing that the reason that they didn't list the sport grill in the 2002 brochure (it does show it in the 2001 brochure) is that because of the impending Sport model being introduced in Canada, that Subaru thought that they might be caught short of inventory. I don't know how true that is but I notice that it is listed on their web-site currently and is still available for order at most dealers.
Did you end up buying it through the VIP Partners Program? Were you able to negotiate some of the holdback?
Hope you have continued enthusiasm with your Forester. I hope I'll be able to develop some excitement over mine for right now I still not sure if I'm making the right decision.
Ken H.-- I'm thinking of doing some changing of speakers once I get my S+ even though it has the upgraded speaker package. I wasn't really impressed with the sound of the one that I sat in at the dealer. Please keep posting on what you end up doing... thanx.
OT: You're in the Seattle area too? Swept the Twins again! yay! ...Garcia with a complete game, Ichiro on another hitting streak... man, it just keeps on going!
I gonna get the Clarion PSW160 Subwoofer as yrs. I gonna do the installation by myself and I wonder where yr unit get the 12V power and the sound signal. I heard someone saying those wires are pre-wire even those we didn't buy the stock subwoofer unit (Is that U, Juice?) If so, it would be much easier for me to install it.
Well, dispite my previous post all is not right with the world. Lynn told me the replaced tire corrected the problem and I reported same. When I drove the Forester this weekend I noticed that the "pull to the right" is still there. It's wierd .. when the car is coasting it tracks straight. But, when you step on the gas .. it pulls to the right. Anyway, I was on the phone with Goodyear and tomorrow we'll try again. They admitted that they didn't road test the car after they replaced the right front tire. Ah .. yeah good thinking guys. I let them know that while I appreciate them standing behind their product, I don't have time to waste while they diddle with the correction. It needs to be fixed this time. I'm beginning to question my decission to buy these tires. - hutch
Comments
I have been thinking about putting a heavier bar on the rear of my Forester, but what I would really like is to be able to put a stiffer bar on the front also, to reduce roll on cornering. If the rear is kept proportionally heavier, that should help to reduce understeer as well. Does anyone know of a FRONT bar for the Forester?
-Frank P.
(Please forgive me, I posted this in more than one forum, but I thought it was appropriate)
8500 Miles
I: My Clutch Vibrates.
Them: Normal.
I: Illinois? I thought Subies were made in Indiana or Japan.
Them: Consider it a feature -- free foot massage.
30k Miles
I: My clutch chatters when cold.
Them: Cannot duplicate.
I: Maybe you should buy a Xerox.
36k Miles
I: Still chattering when cold.
Them: Leave overnight.
Next Day
I: Well?
Them: We heard it. But we wouldn't do anything at this time.
I: What do you mean? With all that chattering, I think it's trying to tell us something.
Them: Our teeth do the same thing when we are cold.
48k Miles
I: The clutch is STILL chattering, Now doing it when warm. Starting to chatter between 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.
Them: We have to tear it apart to see what'ts up.
I (Clutching my wallet): Will Subaru cover that under warranty?
Them: We won't know until we get it apart. If not, you pay.
I: How much to tear it apart?
Them: Almost as much as the entire repair labor.
I: Can't you call Subaru to authorize it?
Them: Only the service manager can do that, but he's on vacation.
I (having a litle pun at THEIR expense, or will it be mine): Trying
to avoid the chattering of customers, I presume.
49k Miles.
I: Chatter, chatter, chatter.
Them: Cease that infernal chatter. We'll cover it. But you have to pay for the pad.
I: You meant the lining?
Them: Same thing. Either way we line our pockets.
I: Well, I hope you don't pad the bill.
Later
I: Done?
Them: Yes, and we covered it in full. No charge.
I (Charging out of there): Finally, thanks.
Start Car -- Drive
I: Rats! No foot massage. Anyone know of something in the aftermarket?
I'd like to retrofit my '98S with that. Seems like that might be possible.... But then, it would be more than just changing out the rear wiper motor, wouldn't it? Also would have to change the switch on the steering column...
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Jeff: my tower brace is the metal SPT unit sold by Subaru. It was $113 at wholesale cost. My rear 18mm SPT bar was $82, bushings included. The combo works well in unison.
Glad to hear they fixed your clutch. Way to put the pressure on and fix that pressure plate (pardon the pun).
Kim: I've only seen people swap out the spray nozzle to get a better spread of the washer fluid.
-juice
I did upgrade my rear sway bar to an 18mm unit. Haven't done anything up front yet.
Ed
-juice
One thing you should note when upgrading to a heavier sway bar is that it will cause your suspension to be less independent. Something to think about if you take your Forester off-road.
Also, sway bars do make turn-ins quicker, but it won't reduce body lean. For that you'll probably need to use stiffer springs. Again, the trade off will be a harsher ride.
Ken
Since day one my Forester has been prone to the occasional "burp" during above-average acceleration. To be more specific, every so often I hear (and feel) a muffled pop as I back off the gas to shift (especially if the rpms were at, or above, 3200). I have the sense that its caused by unspent fuel combusting in the catalytic converter, but I'm probably dead wrong. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet because the problem occurs so infrequently and I've yet to find a way to reproduce it at will. Have any of you folks noticed anything similar? Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated.
Loving my Forester, burps and all!
Dave (naturally)
To go off road, you can always temporarily detach the sways and use a tie strap to let them hang loosely. I've seen plenty of Jeep owners do this.
Dave: (watch, two thousand people think I'm talking to them) An occasionaly kick-back is no big deal. It's common with aftermarket exhausts, is yours stock?
Even so, no biggie if it's not frequent.
-juice
I've compared my Forester to my friend's who has the stock bar and I perceive the difference to be in the turn-in response rather than reduced lean in turns.
Ken
Ed
MT vehicles have always given manufacturers fits, with respect to emissions, because of the very quick transition to high vacuum, very minimal airflow, when you lift suddenly on the throttle. This is especially true if you just started to "go" and have to back off, because the system had started to give the extra fuel it thought you wanted. AT cars don't have this problem because of the torque converter, and design.
The way they "solved" this was to put a dashpot on the carb to dampen the return of the linkage. This allowed the engine to get the extra air it needed to keep the balance. These were lousy for a "driver" because when you took your foot off of the gas you didn't get the "back pressure" you expected, kind of like the linkage sticking open a bit.
As we "adjusted" these we got some popping in the exhaust, very similar to what my Forester does, only much more so. With the advent of multi-port fuel injection and computer controls things have gotten a lot better all around. I think they let the small amount they can't control through, and let the much better catalytic converters of today deal with it.
If I accelerate to about 3.5K in first gear, back off, and then throw in the clutch, I get the pop. I have also had it in 2nd and maybe third occasionally.
If the dealer tells you it is "normal" I would agree in this case.
Regards,
Frank
Dave- Funny you should mention the "burping". I just recently noticed my Forester occasionally doing the same thing. I'll 2nd what others have said regarding it being nothing to worry about. As far as the body roll being more pronounced than the Outback, everything's relative. My previous vehicle was a Cherokee and in comparison the Forester corners on rails!
Frank P.
Greg
Ed
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Ken
Ed
On, man, what did I miss? Can you e-mail me Ed?
-juice
-juice
My 2001 Forester S with automatic has a bit over 14,000 miles. Recently I've heard an occasional "humming" or "moaning" sound from up front. It only happens when I'm stopped or moving slowly at idle speed. It lasts for a few seconds, then stops. This happens randomly whether I'm braking, sitting at a complete stop, or moving slowly without brakes -- but only at idle speeds. I'll ask about it at my 15,000 service, but was wondering if anyone else had experienced this or had any ideas.
There are no other symptoms when this happens; no loss in power, change in RPMs, or any other change I can notice.
Scott
bit
We discussed this a few days ago, so I wanted to give you all an update. Hutch had been having problems after mounting some Goodyear Aquatred 3 tires. I had a set mounted on my wife's Odyssey van. Although there wasn't any of the pulling that Hutch described, I did noticed a "thumping" noise that got louder as the speed increased. There wasn't any vibration or other indication of mechanical problems. I took it to another shop, and had the wheel balance checked. All 4 were exact. However, the mechanic showed me that three of the tires were visibly "wobbly" as they ran on the balancing machine. By this I mean that you could actually see that the tire had a portion that was higher than the rest of the tread. (I've only had them on a week, and about 400 miles, so it most certainly was not any kind of normal wear.) I contacted Tire Rack, where I purchased them from, and they graciously offered to send me three replacements and then pick up the defective ones. My concern is that I may get one or more with the same problem again. I have asked them to replace all 4 with another tire, for which I will pay the difference, and they are supposed to get back to me on that. I'll keep everyone posted as to how this shakes out (no pun intended). Anyway, I just thought that this might shed some light on a possible problem with Hutch's Aquatred 3's.
Len
Greg
- hutch
Ross
Davo
There was no arguement, or even discussion for that matter, about corrective action. They just replaced it .. gave me a receipt with $0.00 on it and I was off. I took that as a good omen. Stuff goes wrong in any industry. What matters is, if you'll excuse the pun, where the rubber meets the road. There was a problem and they fixed it.
I've been impressed with the tires otherwise. They grip both wet and dry roads tenaciously and are supposed to be capable in the snow. Plus, they have an 80k wear warranty. If the unknowns, snow handling and tread wear, turn out to be "as stated" then this is a great tire.
- hutch
Glad to hear all went well. So is the problem gone as far as you can tell?
Ken
Chuck
Ross
Two in front of the vents and two in the rear. Where is the 5th one?
~~~Pat
Ross
WOW!!! ... what a car!!!
After several Nissans - Maximas and 200SX's..THIS is an upgrade!
No disappointments..save one.. the literature shows a lot more gold on the wheels..I have to look close to see any gold. The stock S+'s on the lot were the same.
Any comments??
Also, is the Igloo cooler/warmer worth the price?
And... why did SOA remove the sports grille from the literature when it is still available?
So many questions, so little time .. gotta go look for dirt roads and puddles today!!
Ross
By the way, I paid $23,800 (including everything except for sales tax. I bought it in Kentucky but am a resident of Ohio so I'll pay sales tax in Ohio) 2002 Forester S auto with premium leather package, tweeter kit, interior upgrade group, upgraded security system, custom tailpipe cover.
The delaer was Oldham Subaru in Kentucky, among the better car buying experiences.
I spoke to Tire Rack and they agreed to take back all 4 Aquatred 3's and replace them with a set of Michelins. All I have to pay is the difference ($14 per tire). The salesman at TR told me that he intends to stop recommending this tire, as he has gotten complaints from several customers about them. Hopefully you'll have better luck with yours, Hutch.
Len
I fall into the "data is data" camp when it comes to CD sound reproduction, so I'm not planning to do anything to the OEM CD player unless this speaker upgrade leaves me disappointed.
The question is: have others who have upgraded gone for upgrades of all four in-door speakers as well as new tweeters? Or just ignore the tweeters? This might even suggest that a good upgrade of the in-door units should be accompanied by a disconnection of the OEM tweets. Or just go all the way with six new speakers?
Also, the extra: I cut a hole in the main splashguard, and now have greatly simplified access to the oil filter. Who let this model go out with the need to remove the splashguard every time you change the filter?
Thanks (and go Mariners!)
Ken
I'm not much on that sport grill but my salesman mentioned in passing that the reason that they didn't list the sport grill in the 2002 brochure (it does show it in the 2001 brochure) is that because of the impending Sport model being introduced in Canada, that Subaru thought that they might be caught short of inventory. I don't know how true that is but I notice that it is listed on their web-site currently and is still available for order at most dealers.
Did you end up buying it through the VIP Partners Program? Were you able to negotiate some of the holdback?
Hope you have continued enthusiasm with your Forester. I hope I'll be able to develop some excitement over mine for right now I still not sure if I'm making the right decision.
--'rocco
OT: You're in the Seattle area too? Swept the Twins again! yay! ...Garcia with a complete game, Ichiro on another hitting streak... man, it just keeps on going!
--'rocco
Rgds,
Jack
I'm beginning to question my decission to buy these tires.
- hutch