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Comments
- buzzing noise in the dashboard when accelerating (not always);
- periodically driver's or passanger's window rattles when it's closed;
- windows squeeks too.
The front suspension also rattles very noticeably on bumps.
Looks like Indiana SIA factory has quality control problems.
--
Sergey
I've always thought Subarus would make for excellent emergency vehicles. A few years ago, Subaru offered a police car version of the Legacy for the Indiana police departments. I don't know what ever happened to them. They may(?) still be in use. Recently Italy bought a whole slew of Subarus for police work.
I would think the new H-6 Outback VDC would make the basis for an excellent police vehicle. De-contented of course: no leather, no moonroofs, etc.; and add (5) high-performance street tires, mount the police roof lights on the roof rack, and you'd have an excellent police vehicle.
Bob
About that $20,000 sportscar, the only one that I would consider is the Integra, an excellent fwd car, very fast and ready to be tuned. But in my family we had one, and suffered the common fwd problem: after 2 years, the point of the axles has to be changed. But no Toyota, Mitsubishi or American car can deliver what the Integra or the Impreza 4wd can: lots of fun and reliability.
Pat88, my new Forester also has a cracking noise when going over bumps. But in general when I remember my former 98 Blazer this is music. Still I haven't look for the source, but now I have something else to do in the weekend.
-mike shaken by the lack of power...
I've got a persistent rattle at low speed and you can see where the shield above the muffler has been rubbing on the muffler canister. I've been meaning to get under their with a dremel and relieve it for some time now...
-Colin
Graham (#779)- Thank you for the note about what to have checked when we go to the dealer concerning the rattling noise. The information will help us at the dealers and hopefully we will get it fixed!
A message from my husband...
I have another question about the drivability of our Forester. When I drive at around town and I am moving at a steady rate (say at 30-35 mph) I feel
the car surging slightly. It feels as though the engine is doing this. The engine is otherwise very smooth on acceleration and extremely quiet while
idling.
This is our first AWD vehicle and I suspect that it is caused by extra drag on the drivetrain. When you press the accelerator just slightly the engine is very responsive and pushes ahead. When you let up just slightly the drivetrain tends to slow you down more than a non-AWD vehicle would do. So I think this is what we notice and there is nothing
really wrong. What do you think? Should we talk to the dealer about this one as well?
A message from me...I think it is abnormal. It feels like a chugging motion and it only occurs at speeds of high 20's to mid 30's.
Thank you for your help!!
~~~Pat
You're absolutely correct that the AWD system does cause some drag on the drivetrain, and as such the vehicle doesn't freewheel as readily. However, some AWD vehicles are worst in this respect than others. It depends on the type of AWD system and also on the transmission. Even some 2WD vehicles are better than others at freewheeling. But it's perfectly normal, so don't worry about it. I'd only mention this to the dealership if it gets noticably worse (doubtful).
Drew
Don't forget - with an airbag, you are better off further from the wheel when it deploys. I guess height does not tell everything because someone 6'5 said he had enough room in the Forester. I just can't picture how.
Funny thing, when you are shopping for a car, you look at them more closely when you see them on the road. I noticed that a lot of the Forester drivers I saw were short women. My girlfriend looked at Accord and Camry as well and the Forester provided her with far better visibility and seating position. In the Legacys that do not have height adjustable seats, she couldn't even see over the dashboard.
I really liked the '90 best -- it seemed by '92 they had cheapened things a bit (less lighting of controls on the dash, took out rear anti-sway bar [?], etc.). Of course the 2000 is a very different car with some nice new features and some other from the early years missing.
Overall, I've liked the handling, stability, sense of confidence that comes from the AWD and whatever else they engineer into the car. I don't drive off-road and so don't really need the main Outback features, but the power seat and adjustable lumbar are a draw.
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated...
Anyone more?
Mary
The only thing I really dislike about the 2K is the lack of power with the AT, soon to be remedied with the 6 cylinder.
I like the new cockpit, it flows more organically around the driver, IMO.
The visibility is not as good out the back, especially if you have to leave the rear middle head rest in place.
The ride is much more solid and quiet, feels like a move up to a more luxurious car category.
The only real negative I see for the 2001 with the 6 cylinder is that the pricing may take Subaru more explicitly into that luxury range; I hope SOA doesn't push it.
Randy
I have noticed something peculiar about the windows lately. All four power windows tilt down on an angle when rolled down fully. The front end of the windows are lower than the rear end of the windows. This is more noticeable in the rear windows since they don't go down all of the way. I am assuming this is normal since all four windows do it. If it is normal does anyone know why?
95 degree weather in SE PA yesterday. Boy does that air conditioning kick butt. My girl friend made me turn it down because the power of the blower motor was blowing her hair all over the place
Any comments about the windows would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Skip
Denice
I've always found it strange when a company doesn't boost hp in their sports models as compared to the rest of the model line. That's why I liked my Shadow ES. Many people looked at it and figured that the spoiler and bump on the hood were just for show, but there was a turbo charger under there that made it quite a fun pocket rocket. I don't think that standard Subarus are underpowered, but yeah, the GTs should get some extra oomph.
>>I can't believe I had the money ready to go and
after the test drive realized the car had Zero
acceleration when loaded.<<
You want zero accelleration? Back in the late 70's I drove my sister in law's automatic Toyota, I think it was a Celica. Anyway, just my brother and me were in it, and I turned onto a highway
on-ramp at about 30mph, floored the accellerator, and it took about ten seconds before I could tell that we were starting to go faster! Scary.
Note to Juice: Why did you black out my license plate on your page? I'm proud of that, it's why I posed at the front.
Dave
(A) Does the filtration system seem to work pretty well? And how often do you really have to change the not-exactly-cheap filters? (I live in a pretty high pollen and high dust area -- Central Texas -- so I'm pretty interested.)
(B) Do the side underguard bars really do much good? I can see that they might be marginally handy for reaching the roof rack (even though the Forester isn't all that tall), but I'm unclear on whether they'd really do much of anything to protect the sides of the vehicle. (I haven't seen them on an actual Forester, but in Subaru's promo photos, they seem a little low and narrow to afford much protection.)
Bob
1. Limited vs. base wagon. Are the leather seats, moon window and other upgrades worth it?
2. The 92 Legacy developed a smell when the AC was used. I was told that the outflow valve of the AC tended to get mold or mildew. Has this been a problem in last few years, or with Outbacks?
3. the Legacy rattled and was noisy. How is road noise on the Outback or Outback Limited?
4. Any advice on noise abatement?
5. Good dealers in Minnesota?
6. I think that we saw the 2000 models. When are 2001 models out?
Regarding #2 (air conditioning mold or mildew) -- this is pretty typical of all older cars, IMO, not just Subarus, especially in places (like Minnesota or Manitoba) where the AC isn't used for months at a time. Running the AC occasionally in winter can help delay this occurrence.
Randy
After yesterdays experience I'm confident I could drive 80% of the forest roads in the state without taxing the OB's abilities.
Also, the 6 disk changer never skipped once!
RE: steering rattle
The dealer checked/lubed the anti-sway and didn't get rid of the rattle.
The leather is comfy and easily cleanable, the moon roofs are fun. We know that we won't get as much of the extra money spent if we sell/trade-in, but we plan to keep if for years and we decided we were worth it!
The ride is very smooth and you can hardly hear the engine. No rattles for us so far.
2001 models will be around in a few months - I've seen everything from Sept to Dec. Prices will likely be near MSRP for H-6 at first. Design will be broadly the same since the 2000 MY was a major overhaul. Before we bought our 2000, I was concerned that the H-4 acceleration would be weak based on reviews but it is more than enough for me.
Good luck!
AC smells should have little to do with how much of the time the AC is used unless the AC uses totally different ductwork. This is not usually the case. If your AC is making a stink it may be due to using it in recirculatory mode where you suck air from inside the car instead of from outside; this may make it smell "stale" but should not result in a mildewy smell. If you have mildew you have some other problem, possibly a blocked drain in the interior air intake system., or even a windshield leak that is letting water in behind the dash and causing insulation to become "ripe".
Good luck,
WDB
1. Plan on shutting off the AC a few minutes before you park and run the fan on high to help dry out the coil.
2. Buy a can of LYSOL spray. Turn on your car, place the fan on high and turn on the AC. DO NOT turn on the recirc. (I do not own a Subaru YET, so I can not tell you exactly where to look for the next step.) Under the windshield there should be a grate-like area. This is know as the plenum. Outside air is drawn thru this to be used in the heating and AC system in your car. With everything running, feel for air being "sucked in". (Opening the hood may make this easier to do.) Spray half of the LYSOL can in there. The LYSOL will disinfect (kill) the mold, mildew and bacteria living in your AC system. Use this method once a year to keep you AC smelling clean. PLEASE BEWARE! I have only used the above method on autos with plastic plenums! I have always been careful to NOT GET LYSOL on the paint! If you need to, use a WD40 straw to better direct the spray into the air intake. Remember to air out your car for a while BEFORE driving. The level of LYSOL in it makes driving uncomfortable for a bit.
Dealers use a similar method with chemicals and charge around 100-200 dollars. A can of LYSOL is about 5.00. It really works!
Option 1 is something you can do on a daily basis to help change conditions for growing things in your AC system.
Option 2 is what you can do to get rid of the smell, until the next time.
One minor irritation. Brakes clunk when first applied after backing. Calipers are moving in their seats and dealer says there is no fix. Any ideas.
It is still raining here; atrocious road conditions and AWD and ABS seem reallly good ideas.
Cheers
Graham
Dave: I black out license plates on my web site so people can remain anonymous. Since you're not bothered, it said "I RUN26". Honestly, I'm not sure I quite get it, do you run?
tex: pass on the OE protector, but Irvine Subaru has a front skid plate for $60, and the rear diffy protector for $70. E-mail Ryan at scoobyparts@hotmail.com. I found the skid plate while surfing around several sube-directory sites.
Pat: that surge is 166 ft-lbs of torque answering its call
Are you driving a 5 speed? If so, try a lower gear (3rd or even 4th) around town for smoother acceleration.
Skip: never noticed that on the front windows, but have in the rear. I imagine it's because of the shape of the doors. The tilt probably allows the windows to go down further.
Denice: not sure about the stereo in the Legacy. If I recall the Forester has a 75 watt Clarion unit.
I recommend something with a low level output, so that you can later add amps if you want to upgrade. I'd swap out the 4 speakers in the doors, add my own tweeters, and put an amp with a subwoofer out back (no pun intended).
The head unit may be adequate, though. I'd start with the speakers.
Of course I have to listen to "Elmo's Song" over and over about 1,000 times, so the stock unit is almost TOO good to me!
-juice
-juice
I'm used to a short-throw, precise shifter. The Subarus have a longer throw, more wiggle room and seem to vary greatly from car to car. The stick is so crucial, am I ever going to get used to/like it?
Is it coincidence that I liked the '00 shift best or did they make improvements and can I expect to like most '00 cars?
Or is it just a matter of finding one that I like and not related to model year?
Francophile: If your '00 and the '95 loaner are 5Speeds, please comment.
Juice: I think you wrote about the possibility of changing the shift to a short throw. Did you or anyone try this?
Mary
You can get short throw kits, but it'll be a bit of work to get them installed. iSR has some here:
http://www.autocaresubaru.com/catalogue.html
-juice
One additive product that really does work to make shifting more slick is Molyslip. However, it is not supposed to be used with conventional limited slip differentials; not yet having a shop manual that shows whether the limited slip and front wheel/back wheel transfer elements are sealed separately from the rest of the trans/differential works, I haven't used this additive in the Subaru. Anyone have advice on this?
Norman
Point: the fine print on the 2001s says that they revised the 3rd gear synchronization, so perhaps comparisons with other years aren't appropriate.
That is correct sir! I RUN26 means 26 miles, the distance of a standard marathon. OK, it's really 26.2 miles but we usually round it down. It's been over a year now since my last one (I was planning on doing one this spring but got injured)so I better get off my butt or I'll have to change it to I RAN26.
Dave
I should get personalized plates. How about:
SOOBFAN
GR8BREW
SNOWLVR
-juice
Drew
It is pretty easy to do this yourself.
I used Quaker State Synthetic 75-90w for both transmission and differential. As I recall, the transmission requires about 3.5 l. and the differential, 0.8 l.
Changing the differential oil is dead easy. The drain and fill plugs are clearly visible on the back of the case. Both can be opened with a 1/2" ratchet without a socket. You might need a longer breaker bar to get the plugs loose, though, as Subaru put some gasket goop on them. Drain, clean the magnet on the lower plug, replace lower plug, and then fill until oil starts to flow out of the upper plug. Unless you can make oil flow up hill, you'll need an oil bottle extension tube, so that you can hold the oil bottle high and squeeze oil into the differential.
Transmission oil change is also straightforward. The drain is on the bottom of the trans., between the two exhaust headers. I can't recall, but it might be a 22 MM; in any case, a 13/16" socket fits it perfectly. Again, remove, drain, clean magnet, replace plug. You fill the trans through the hole wherein is placed the trans. dipstick. Again, you will need an oil bottle extension (whose hose fits the dipstick hole) to get the job done. Here, you check the dipstick to insure the right fluid level.
That's all there is to it.
Norman
I find that at least my new manual trans Forester has a very large amount of 'slop' in the drivetrain. This is to say that if the car is in (any) gear on the flat, with the parking brake off, I can move the car back and forth about 2". A comparable figure for my Honda Prelude is 1/2". When driving in 4th or 5th gear (with the transmission warm), this translates into a decided transition between foot-on-the-gas accelerating the car and off-off-the-gas engine braking deceleration that's almost enough to produce an audible clunk.
Do others experience this? If so, why would Subaru design this into the vehicle? Over time I would think it would stress drivetrain parts.
Norman
By the same token, thinner than spec oil can cause some additional wear, but mostly noise. I put in 5w30 this winter (my manual says 10w30 except when very, very cold, then 5w30) and it was fine when it was below 30F, but otherwise I had crazy valvetrain noise. 10w30 from here on out.
On thing is for sure, the thinner oil will get you slightly better gas mileage and thicker will negatively impact mileage. This is because the crankshaft has more resistance.
-Colin
Hey, Faye: Noticed that nobody seemed to have given you a reply and I was curious myself, so, even though this is probably too late to help ya, I e-mailed the Subaru.com folks myself and asked about it. Their reply:
"I have been advised that when you add the center console armrest it will cover the existing cupholder feature. The center console accessory does not have a cupholder built into this part. However, if you wish, you may order the 2001 double cupholder as a replacement part, which would replace the single cupholder you have now."
Of course, the bit about lacking the 2001 double-cupholder in the dash probably doesn't apply to you; I went ahead and posed the question for my '98 model, which only has a single cupholder in the dash, unlike the new models.
Oh, and my '98 Forester is red (I'm not sure if they called it "Sedona Red" back in '98 -- I've been to Sedona, Az., and it's not even remotely the same shade as the Forester), and I like it fine. Doesn't show dirt too badly. I might have preferred silver to help keep the vehicle interior a little cooler, but I think that means you have to go with the gray interior rather than the beige, and I much prefer the look of the beige interior. And the new interior cloth is rather more subtle than what they were using in '98.
If you're a roller coaster enhusiast, check the stats of the Millennium Force:
- 92 mph (faster than we drove!)
- 300 foot drop (yes, that's a football field on end)
- 80 DEGREE vertical drop (yes, you're weightless)
- 122 degree banked turn (steepest non-inversion banked turn on a coaster)
See stats (note there are no sides on the car and no shoulder harness; just a lap belt and a T bar pressing on your legs), ride video, and promotional video (long but descriptive).Excellent air time on the hills. Very smooth. In my admittedly limited coaster experience, Millennium Force is the best. It feels like you're flying (and I used to fly).
Toodles,
..Mike
..Mike
Colin: out of curiosity, why 10w30 instead of 10w40? Doesn't the latter withstand heat better?
-juice
I imagine a Forester with the Vector light rack (5 separate beacons in a "V" layout), strobes in the tail- and front turn signal lights, black front bumper push bar and siren/PA speakers in place of the fog lights. 15" steel wheels with cop tires and the 4 wheel disc brakes from the "S" series. - Add the H-6 and VDC and that would be real sleeper of a pursuit vehicle... Much more surprise value than a Camaro or Mustang.
Post pictures when you get them!
-Colin
Re sliding down biiigggg hills: Mike, you're an engineer; did you structural integrity cross your mind whilst peering over the abyss on that coaster? Just kidding, I'm a coaster lover myself. Was the road trip solely for the purpose of riding that coaster? Cool.
Cheers,
WDB
auto tranny owners: please don't make the mistake of putting gear lube in your transmission! I can't imagine what would happen. It wouldn't be nice.
Norman
-mike
And congrats on the new job (err, that's in the Event topic).
..Mike
..Mike