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I got mine from the dealer.
See post #5957 in "Subaru Maint & Repair II" for pricing on the 2000 manuals.
I prefer Haynes to most factory manuals...it's a shame they're not available.
Jim
Jon
Most mfgs try to put a pressure rating on the car that's a good compromise between whats good for the drivetrain (this seems especially true of Subaru's) and good for the tires.
Ford blew that (sorry - no pun intended) when they basically recommended underinflating the tires on Explorers to get a more car-like ride.
If you fill your tires to max pressure cold, remember when they warm up they'll exceed max. Plus, they're going to ride hard as a rock and handling will be none too wonderful either.
Ask that genius the source of his info - in black and white. I'll be happy to eat my words if he can prove it to you.
HTH
Larry
PS - To eat my words requires some mustard and ketchup.
AAA and others have sometimes suggested 1-2 lbs over the doorjam/glovebox sticker in the interest of fuel economy. It is also something to consider if you will have the vehicle heavily loaded or driving under very hot conditions. Both can raise internal tire temps, increasing the chance of delamination. Ultimately, the tire remains a bit cooler if the pressure is up just a bit as it reduces the contact patch. But too much affects wear patterns, handling, shock absorption to the tire carcass. And on an AWD vehicle there is the issue of matching circumference.
Steve
Try 30-33psi, experiment and see what you feel comfortable with. Just never go below 26psi on pavement, they'll heat up rather quickly.
-juice
Ever look at pickup tires - the more pressure you put in them the more load they can take.
Remember skinny little bike tires go up to 120 psi, 44 is really not that much pressure. Most H rated tires are 44 psi and most S rated tires are 35. Pickup tires can go up to 60 or 80 psi.
-juice
Jim
I've been driving my Outback H6-3.0 for a year now. I really love it!
The only thing bothers me - the fuel consumption is too high. It's about 15 liters per 100km (only 15-16mpg!) in the city.
I thought it might be because of my kind of aggressive driving and always working climate control, but I tried to switch the c/c off, accelerate more gently, and didn't find a big difference in the gas mileage. Used different brands of fuel (Esso, Chevron...) - all the same. I always use premium (91), tried regular just a couple of times.
I asked my dealer about this - they also blamed the climate control, but looks like that's something else. I'm having the next service soon and will ask them again, but maybe someone has an idea what's wrong with my car?
Thanks.
Jon
We're talking about tire pressures, and that should be the first thing to check. Try a higher pressure than you have now, maybe 32 or 33psi.
It's new so I kind of doubt a fuel filter is clogged. The plugs and wires should also be OK, have you had any other symptoms, i.e. hesitation, rough idle, etc.?
-juice
Steve
I didn't get first that's an answer to me The message board should have 'Answer' button with automatic subject substitution...
The traffic is not heavy in our city, I don't need to drive to downtown frequently, so I don't think this is the case.
I'll try a higher pressure as you recommend. Actually I already thought about that while reading this discussion
I think it might be something wrong with fuel filter or the pump. I already had a problem with the pump some time ago. Sometimes the engine could not start on the first try. The mechanics in the dealership could not resolve this for three months! Finally they replaced the fuel pump and the problem had gone. But I'm afraid something is still wrong there...
But the opposite does make sense, you've lent the car to your grandmother, who never exceeds 3000rpm or 25mph, which ever it slower. The fuel is leaned out to the max, she broke the record and got 34mpg out of your Subie. :-)
You get the vehicle back and want it to wake up. Then you would reset the ECU.
-juice
Gordon
I wouldn't say inflate to MAX, but I would say that 3-6lbs over suggested pressure should be std. I run my cars generally 4-8lbs over stock pressures.
-mike
Want to hear something amazing? When I say mostly highway I mean it!!!! At 50k we still have 70% wear left on all four corners. The original brakes will probably crack 100k.
Fuel economy on our OB has been poor all along unless you really take it easy. I mean FEALLY easy. For example 55-60mph (which is not realistic in the midwest) will get you 27-29mpg but driving with the flow of traffic 70-75mph will get you about 21-22mpg. City driving fuel economy has been horrid. I get about 16mpg driving around St. Louis when I have to. Its one of the few bad things about a nice wagon. So in summary the H4 gets about 16 city / 23highway. The annoying thing is that it was WORSE than the H6 LL Bean I drove around for a couple of weeks. That got about 24-25mpg highway and 17-18 city.
Seems like the consensus on tire pressure is a couple of lbs over the recommended pressure, i.e. ~34 to 36.
Jon
Jim
Ain't it funny? The grass is always greener on the other side. ;-)
-juice
After it is discharged, reconnect, start and allow to idle till up to temp, then drive away slowly.
Steve
-juice
BTW, my city is plain as a table and the traffic is quite low.
And I think I never had more than 22mpg even on a highway
Craig
-mike
Now that I did the conversion, that equates to only about 16 Mpg... I either need to lighten up on the pedal, or something is wrong.
Ideally, the Outback would be a great 3rd car (HA!) Use for the winter or for hauling around junk. Not the ideal commuter car.
Larry
I think its an excellant commuter car with some extra versatility to pick up some stuff at Home Depot on the way home.
I think I'm stating a shared and obvious sentiment.
Alan
98 OBW Ltd
-mike
Just back from a 2000 km BC road trip, 350 km on gravel. Haven't worked out the gas consumption yet. It isn't usually great because we tow a trailer, and the gravel won't have helped. Some of it was very deep, some full of potholes, and some very hilly (1st gear stuff). I longed for the dual range Aussie transmission.
I agree that Outback H6 is not a Civic, but from the people's comments I can see that mileage numbers provided by the manufacturer (19/26 - city/highway) are quite accurate. That's why I'm concerned about my car's 15mpg :-\
That's a good idea, but I usually measure it in liters per 100 kilometers...
Which "liters" should I use in my calculations to get a better fuel consumption?
Toronto Sun
Steve, Host
BTW, those of you who are complaining about this not being a commuter car... help me out please... I don't get it. I think it's great as such. In mixed driving I get 21-24mpg. I also have a 530 and just came back from a 360 mile all-highway round trip. Although the latter is a great cruiser on the road, my wife and I both got backaches. It was refreshing to get back into the Outback which I find to be much more comfortable. And in the rain (not to mention snow) this car is great. Does not fishtail where the bimmer does. My only complaint is the windshield wipers and water that drips in from the roof when you open the window.
Its comfortable, quiet, more than adequate power for the way she drives, and a really solid performer overall. What's not to like?
Larry
I convert to mpg as I find it a more meaningful measurement than L/100km. Typically I average 25-26 miles per Canuck gallon on a long (1500 km or more) trip with the trailer attached, over a variety of terrain including mountain passes. I rarely exceed 70 mph/110 kmh except for passing. The A/C is on a fair bit. In town my mileage is about the same, with trips ranging from a few km up to 70 or so. Erfie has 40,000 km on the clock. I try to drive in such a manner as to conserve gas, anticipating traffic conditions, lights, etc, and never roaring away from a stop (drives the SUV drivers and the boy racers behind me nuts). Vancouver is not flat but the weather is never really cold so that might help a bit. The car gets to operating temp (on the guage anyway) very quickly...about 1 km. If you are in a cold climate or your thermostat is faulty that might affect your gas mileage.
The most disappointing mileage performance came from my 01 Accord 4cyl (26/32). The lifetime mileage on that car was only 24.1 mpg. If the car was driven aggressively you could see 20-21 mpg, which is simply not acceptable for something with a 148hp engine. I think the problem is that Honda's engines have no low-end torque so you are always winding the things out to keep up with traffic. Maybe it's different with the new i-VTEC engines with the broader, flatter torque curves.
I regularly revved my Accord to 3500-4000rpm under normal acceleration but I can often shift the H4 before 2750rpm on every gear (except for 1st) and still get acceptable acceleration. It's weird that the OB weighs 400 more pounds and has AWD baggage to contend with, yet it takes only a 1.5 mpg hit compared to the Accord.
Sounds like my recent 2200 mile loop from Seattle to Yosemite and back. Got around 31 mpg overall with similar driving.
I attribute these wide swings in reported mileage to two factors (mostly): 1) driving conditions and 2) driver's style. Our worst mileage is invariably associated with very short trips (the one-mile drive to the Park and Ride is an example) in city/suburban conditions. We get in the low 20s in such circumstances (I should mention we have a 2K OB Ltd with H4 and 5-speed manual, now approaching 37K miles). Out on the open roads, often w/o AC here in the Northwest, I can get over 30 easily. A couple of basics I think also contribute are: tire pressure (I've run 35 psi on all my cars' tires for years), clean filters (mostly air, possibly fuel), and regular oil changes. Other than that, lightening up a lead foot is probably the best bet. With local gas prices just now dropping below $2.00 gallon out here, I do what I can to save a buck, pollute less, and screw OPEC.
Cheers from the [sunny, again] PNW!
Ken M.
Thanks, Jim
I'm pretty good about keeping my tire psi checked along with a clean air filter (to avoid restriction). Anything else to check? (ECU? - O2 sensor? )
Pop the cover off and there are 3 spare fuses (providing you haven't used any of them). You can use any of those 3, the rating does not matter. Keep in mind that this feature is only on the automatic without VTD/VDC, and should only be used for diagnostic purpose, or when using a compact spare.
That being said, I did place a fuse in mine to see what a difference the AWD made. On simple city streets, I didn't notice much of a difference, but let's just say that when cornering on a hill, or starting out on a hill and turning a corner at the same time, I would not want a FWD Outback.
I have yet do do that in the rain, need to find a quiet night with nobody around to see my OB's front wheels spinning uncontrolably, pointing and laughing.
A common complaint about the Outback, even sometimes the H6: Lack of power. Believe me, there is plenty of power, even with the automatic, to spin the tires. You just never notice it with the AWD. I (actually a friend in my car ^^ ) raced an RSX-S in the rain from a red light on the highway. Let's just say that while the type "S" was trying to overcome gross torque steer and point the car in the right direction, I (*cough* my friend) was hapily cruising along making the sporty thing in my mirror look like a fool...
Yes, the AWD system might add a little bit of weight and consume power because of the extra friction, but it is not without it's merrits.
Both cars are great, but the H6 gives you a little more refinement for a couple thousand bucks (or so). I really think the H6 approaches a luxury type market, in fact, it drove better than the Acura MDX and Lexus RX-300 I also test drove back in late 2001.
By the way, I seem to get equal or better gas mileage with my LL Bean compared to the H4 Outback.
Craig
Thanks for the help on the FWD fuse. Jim