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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Comments
One more question regarding the honeymoon/Subaru. After I had my fuel system fixed (see earlier messages -- don't know the number), I noticed that I didn't get more than 320 miles on a full tank during highway driving. Still a problem with the system?
Thanks,
burnsmr4
I symphathise (?) with you about the white chalk. But I have to admit that when I was younger, much younger, I was the one scribbling the wedding messages with a bar of soap onto my cousin's car. I heard in no uncertain terms that bar soap is also difficult to remove!
320 miles on a tank might not be so bad with the cargo carrier on top. 15 gallons on a fill? You would have over 20 mpg anyway.
Steve
I would say that next time around you should pick your groomsmen and bridesmaids a little more carefully but I am sure you and your bride will be together a good long time!
Good luck!
tidester
Host
SUVs
Despite your incident I hope you enjoyed Savannah, it's my hometown. I love the place but for my chosen profession it's a place to flee, not to be.
At least your photog didn't want to use the lighthouse that's partially submerged in water north of the island!!
As for groomsmen, at my wedding last year I made it very clear, in a manner most intimidating, that any shenanigans would be avenged swiftly and effectively (by telling stories to their girlfriends/wives that they, um, wouldn't want them to know about.). It worked like a charm...
It's the old "It's not what you know or who you know but what you know about who you know" thing.
Work has kept me on the road quite a bit; I've averaged 150 mi/week this month and last week put an easy 300 mi on the car. I've had my Forester since January 2000 (26 months) and I now have 37,000 miles on it. I brought this up in the Crew chat and a couple folks were surprised at my high mileage. Given that there are 4-year-old Foresters on the road now, there must be some that have hit 100K+ miles by now. So I beg the question: Anyone here have a high-mileage Forester? How's it holding up? Any long-term reliability issues? Should I be looking to the Legacy board for hints at potential problems?
Thanks,
Ed
area which dealer has given the best prices
and follow up service
I have read of some impressive sounding
deals - how have you negotiated them
RE:Subaru Forester
I have 93,000 miles on my '99 "S" in 3 years, mostly highway. It's been very reliable and feels robust. The dealer did brakes and cut the rotors at around 64K. The rotors then warped and I had my independent garage do 4 rotors & pads again at around 70K (Lesson: live with a little brake noise to postpone rotor replacement; let that second or third set of pads wear a little quicker and noisier to save $). Electrically, no problems at all except with cruise control which was fixed at 65K with $ help from the dealer & SOA. At 100K, I plan to replace timing belt & water pump, as well as getting my transmission shop to give the automatic a thorough checkup.
I too am curious about experiences of those in the 100K + bracket. Anyone out there?
- John
Brooklyn Contact Ira @ Manfredi Subaru
Service: Metric in LI, Flemington in Flemington
-mike
So, did you end up replacing all four rotors at the independent garage or did you just have them turned again? Re-surfacing rotors sometimes can cause warping so I wonder if it's just better to all out replace the rotors if they warp to begin with.
Ken
I ended up replacing all 4 rotors. The resufacing made them too thin, so they warped right away. Hence my cautionary tale about putting off resurfacing if practical.
I was just at the end of the warranty, and I took the dealer's advice, even though I had some doubts about the work being necessary at that time. I should have gotten a second opinion from my independent, whom I trust completely. In all fairness, the dealer was being very helpful working with me moneywise on fixing the cruise control. They ended up replacing the sensor and the steering wheel switch, with me paying only $100 out of pocket. I think that influenced my decision to take their advice on the brake work.
John
Donn: the rear speakers were dual cones, now that I think about it, even on the premium speakers. But they are higher wattage.
Try adding slack in the throttle cable (is there one? I think so) if you want more progressive throttle tip-in. I actually tightened the one on my Miata to get the opposite effect. I went too far and the idle was high, plus my gas mileage tanked. Later on I found a happy middle, but you do need at least some slack.
Brian: nice update, good to hear the headliner and especially the visor is better. What were the traction and heat resistance ratings on that new tire? The L actually got just 180BB tires, so 320?? ought to be a huge improvement, since 16" will become standard.
Glass chalk is nothing. My friends did my car with LIPSTICK! It was waxy and nearly impossible to polish off. They also used cake icing, shaving cream, and streamers. Lucky for me it rained all night, so it was pre-rinsed.
My suggestion? They didn't mean any harm, so cut them some slack. Close friends are more important than your car's finish. :-)
-juice
-mike
Still, 260hp, RWD, $27k MSRP for starters? I'm sure most will be $30-35k, but heck, a Marauder costs $30 grand, and a 530i would cost much more.
It will compete with the 3 series, IS, and A4, but it's actually much, much bigger than any of those. The wheelbase is 112"!
-juice
-mike
I showed my wife, and she hated the rear styling (me too). We'll look at the Pilot and Forester when those come out, probably the Mazda 6, too.
-juice
They are talking about the soon to be released coupe with 280-HP and an AWD in future. May be very interesting! Also, looking forward to what the M-45 looks like and if it has AWD like the Subarus.
OT-But is related to Subaru-AWD.
Jim J.
AWD on an Infiniti would push the price out of our target range.
-juice
Jim J.
Ken
I still think I will contact the dealer about the condition of the cones and see if I can either get some new ones or two-way replacements.
-Donn
Paul
Thanks,
Jim J.
The understeer is built in for the protection of the average driver since..for them ...it is a more predictable situation to deal with. IE keep you foot on the brake and hope you stop in time.
Oversteer on the other hand means that if you make the same move... the back end will swing out and a spin is likely. This is not as user friendly for the average driver.
Should we be concerned..depends on your driving style and abilities. The understeer can be reduced with the use of stabilizer bars. And at this point starts much discussion of how big a bar to use. You will have to sort out the input !
Thanks again,
Jim J.
The question I have is what, if anything else, do I need to safely and securely haul cargo?
It says the weight limit is 150 lbs. And I'm thinking of using it to carry camping gear like a tent, sleeping bags, maybe a couple of aluminum chairs etc.
Any suggestions or recommendations would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
-Donn
Bob
Oversteer is being "loose."
A tip from the racing world that helps in handling the not uncommon situation of finding yourself on a curving exit ramp going a bit too fast:
Many freeze-focus on the front of your hood in the effort to keep the car in the middle of the road, lock up there arms and then the wheels in a panic braking mode. Instead, get off the gas and look as far ahead/around the curve as possible. Natural hand-eye-arms-foot(on brake of course)-nerve-muscle coordination kicks in and does a pretty good job in getting you around in a smooth, controlled and relaxed manner to where you want to go.
Of course, this is not an invitation not to adequately slow down when coming off the turnpike.
They are a big mail-order outfit catering to sportsmen. Good quality, prices and service.
One of several Daves
The WeatherTech carrier worked great -- easy to install, and, although only water REPELLANT, it survived some heavy rain outside of Atlanta at the end of our honeymoon. The carrier made absolutely no marks on the roof (fleece bottom -- no separator pads required), and I was able to drive at speeds of 70mph to 80mph with little or no cargo shifting/wind noise.
The carrier is tall, so if you get caught in a crosswind, keep your eye on steering corrections.
Regards,
burnsmr4
P.S. - Thanks for the Cabela idea, folks! I wish I'd looked at them too before deciding on the WeatherTech. Always interested in cross-shopping before I buy. Another good choice might also be Bass Pro Shops.
Later,
burnsmr4
Donn: if you have a cargo box mounted to the cross bars, you can carry a total of 150 lbs, including the weight of the container itself. I use a Samsonite soft carrier ($40 at luggage outlets), but Target and WalMart have similar models for $30-50.
I like the new style Sears carriers, the black ones that look aerodynamic and should offer better protection from rain (mine gets damp in sustained rain, but it OK in light rain).
Mike: mention the tranny delay to the dealer now, and get it documented. Even if it's a very early sign, that would prove you brought it to their attention when it was brand new.
-juice
On mine, it's about a 2-3 second delay, which can become annoying if you have to back out onto a busy street. One thing to do though: don't gas it until it is in gear.
Mike, if you do have the dealer look into it, please post the results.
-Tony
'01 Forester L (22k miles)
The wheelbase remains the same at 99.4;" as does the width, at 68.3." The length is 175.2" which is .4" less than the current model.
Bob
-juice
Bob
I checked my literature and there's nothing mentioned about the Forester being less tall.
Ken
Thanks,
Nello
Nello: alignment is tricky to get right with AWD, so let them take a stab at it.
Are oil leaks common? No. We hear about a few because people often come here for advice. But if everyone had oil leaks then reliability data would show that. Having leaks on both your Subies is pretty bad luck, though.
-juice
Since I think it's a production problem, I wonder how many of you folks might have the same. Next time you go out to your Forester look closely around the nozzles and please report back what you find.
Paul
02 Forester L
71 VW bus
-mike