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Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

19283 messages,  Last post on May 01, 2013 at 9:15 AM

You are in the Subaru Crew Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Impreza, Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy, Coupe, Sedan, Wagon, SUV


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Messages Page 493 of 1929

#4915 of 19283 Re: Forester pinging - no help from dealer [garrett] by heyjude

Mar 15, 2005 (7:59 pm)

Replying to: garrett (Feb 16, 2005 7:58 pm)
Garrett,
 
I have the same problem with a 2004 Forester -- same conditions as you report, same dealer reply. Do you also get a strong odor of sulphur after this happens? Again, my dealer said "normal" and blamed it on the gas sold in the Pacific Northwest. My car is at about 11,000 miles. I'm going to contact Subaru directly if it persists, because so much ping is not "normal" for any car -- it leads to piston damage (no doubt AFTER the warranty expires!).

#4916 of 19283 Re: power steering fluid leak [jtom] by once_for_all

Mar 16, 2005 (9:57 am)

Replying to: jtom (Mar 14, 2005 4:16 pm)
Julie, if you keep it topped off it likely won't be an immediate problem. But, what is it dripping on? If it gets on hot exhaust or belts, it can create problems.
 
If it was me, I would get it fixed.
 
John

#4917 of 19283 Adjustable shocks by brasco

Mar 18, 2005 (8:47 pm)

Does anyone have experience with putting adjustable shocks on an Outback? I need some ride leveling assistance for my '98 Outback (towing a small tent trailer) and can't seem to find a product that will do the trick. Any suggestions anyone?
 
Brasco

#4918 of 19283 Well, that darn CEL came back again... by fibber2

Mar 18, 2005 (9:20 pm)

This time accompanied by some actual driveability problems, so I cannot just ignore it. I went up to my local AutoZone with the full intent of purchasing the Actron scanner I mentioned last week. I spent some time at the counter comparing it to the new mini unit Actron offers, and to CarChip. When I was just about to pull out my credit card, the asst manager & one of the counter clerks offered to read it out for free! And so we walked out to the car, retreived the code (front oxygen sensor undervoltage), and cleared it from memory (mistake...). From there I went to the dealer who said to come back when the light returned, for as far as they were concerned, there currently was no problem! Oh well, live and learn.... But is should be covered under the Gold Plan, so it is just a matter of time.
 
But my full thanks to AutoZone for outstanding customer service.
 
Steve

#4919 of 19283 Alignment / Steering Wheel??? by a_bum

Mar 19, 2005 (7:40 pm)

A quick question. I drove my wife's '05 Forester with ~5k miles on a road trip today. She has complained since it was new that it was out of alignment and pulling to the right. The mechanic at the dealership where we bought it, Mastro in Tampa, FL, told my wife all cars pull right because the roads were slanted to allow for water run off. Hmmm, I haven't noticed this on other cars. Anyway, after driving for a few hours today, I noticed that it does pull right AND if I set the steering wheel dead straight, the car really goes to the right. If I get an alignment, can I expect that the steering wheel will be able to sit straight without pushing the car to the right? An old Saturn of mine had an off center steering wheel that the GM folks swore was within spec and there was nothing that could be done. Any info. I can get before going to the dealer for an alignment is appreciated. Thx!

#4920 of 19283 Re: Alignment / Steering Wheel??? [a_bum] by jmtreetop

Mar 19, 2005 (8:24 pm)

Replying to: a_bum (Mar 19, 2005 7:40 pm)
If your car is aligned then you should be able to drive straight without input to the steering wheel. A road that is banked or has tire ruts in the pavement can cause the car to veer one direction or the other. Best way to test it is to find a really smooth straight highway and try it a few different times in possibly different lanes.

#4921 of 19283 Re: Alignment / Steering Wheel??? [a_bum] by francophile

Mar 19, 2005 (8:41 pm)

Replying to: a_bum (Mar 19, 2005 7:40 pm)
General comment: I *strongly* recommend that *everyone* get a full front and rear alignment done on *any* new car. This is something that should be covered 100% under warranty, at least by Subaru. It was covered when I had it done to my then-new '00 Legacy.
 
Subaru-specific comments: All Subies are sensitive to road surface, tilt/angle, and other road conditions, even when perfectly aligned. The factory recommended alignment is 0 degrees toe in and that setting, along with normal AWD tendencies and other factors, is going to cause that kind of sensitivity. You shouldn't be getting shoved around by every little road imperfection, but it is not unusual for the car to drift a bit to the right when the road leans to the right.
 
Get a full front and rear alignment done for peace of mind, and then drive the car so that you know what "normal" feels like for your Forester.
 
Cheers,
-wdb

#4922 of 19283 Re: Alignment / Steering Wheel??? [a_bum] by jfl

Mar 19, 2005 (9:07 pm)

Replying to: a_bum (Mar 19, 2005 7:40 pm)
An alignment will not guarantee a centered steering wheel. After my last alignment, my (previously) centered steering wheel is tilted slightly to the right. But the car doesn't drift or pull at all.
 
I don't drive my wife's car very often, but the last time I did, it pulled so much, it was practically making a right turn. Took it straight (relative term) in for an alignment.
 
Jim

#4923 of 19283 am radio by ryee

Mar 20, 2005 (1:40 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 14, 2002 2:54 pm)
i have an 04 fxt. it's great, but the am radio reception is awful on all channels 90% of the time. i know the stations should be coming in they're crystal clear when i drive the same stretches in my other cars.
 
the dealer said they drove it and weren't able to find a problem. I got back into my car and had the same problem as before.
 
any ideas?

#4924 of 19283 Re: Alignment / Steering Wheel??? [a_bum] by dougb10

Mar 20, 2005 (6:34 am)

Replying to: a_bum (Mar 19, 2005 7:40 pm)
It may not be alignment at all. I have had problems in the past, just as you discuss.
Turned out it was a bad belt in one front tire.
This is easy to check by rotating the tires to see if it makes any difference.
Doug

Messages Page 493 of 1929

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