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Wagons Subaru Crew Subaru Forester 2009 Subaru Forester
3657 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 8:32 PM
You are in the Subaru Forester Forum. Your Host is kcram
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We were two hours into a 10 hour drive over the holidays when the Check Engine light went on as well as a flashing Cruise light and the VDC light.  I just had the oil changed and the car has 8000 miles. I quickly ran through the guidebook while my husband got us to a nearby town where I thought there might be a Subaru dealer. Of course, no Subaru dealer nearby, but I did phone several service departments near home. Two out of three service guys weren't too worried. But thanks to researching on Edmunds -- thanks also to the wifi in a Hilton Garden Inn -- I found that the Check Engine light could be evaluated at an AutoZone for free. There was one nearby fortunately. The AutoZone guy put his computer onto the dash connection and within a minute chuckled and told us that the only problem was that the gas cap was not on tight enough! He said this was common in new cars. That was also one of the possibilities in the guidebook. He thought the light would go off after 30 miles, after we tightened the gas cap. It actually took about 3 1/2 hours of highway driving for the light to go off and the emissions to be reset. But we couldn't use the Cruise control for all that time. My brother later also told me this was common problem in new cars. Thanks goodness this wasn't a big problem as so far the Forester 09 has seemed really reliable. You can get the CheckEngine light checked for free at any AutoZone. You can also buy the computerized tool used at Autzone for around $100 to $150. Anyone else experience this? I enjoy reading all your comments and have learned a lot here, so wanted to share my experience. 
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Replying to: prndldriver (Jan 10, 2009 9:29 am)  and is the first place you look when you think your engine is about to explode ) the refueling sction will has a warning to tighten the cap properly or you might get a CEL.
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Replying to: prndldriver (Jan 10, 2009 9:29 am) |
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Replying to: xwesx (Jan 09, 2009 5:59 pm) The first dealer I went to won't look at it...and I asked them about it and had the TSB. They said it was referring to another part of the car (which of course has no problems) With the second dealer it was a non-issue, they are taking care of it. Period. I have made them my primary dealer for service now, even though they are further away. Good point about the new piece being too small as now it is mentioned here, my "chips" cover a larger area then the new film. I'll see what I can have them do about that.... |
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Replying to: pharmd718 (Jan 09, 2009 8:39 am) |
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Replying to: sgloon (Jan 09, 2009 10:42 pm) |
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Replying to: prndldriver (Jan 10, 2009 9:29 am) I bought an OBDII scanner. You'd be surprised how often it comes in handy. I've probably used it on 5 different cars or so? Usually just a loose gas cap. Subaru uses a fuel vapor recovery system with a charcoal canister and all, which is why you also do *not* want to top off the fuel tank when filling up. |
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ateixeira mentioned NOT to top off tank due to fuel vaporrecovery system & charcoal cannister.Can you please explain why not & what the consequences would be,TY
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Replying to: irishrover2 (Jan 12, 2009 11:02 am)
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Subaru's customers are, the company admits, a little oddball. How else do you explain the fact that Subaru of America was the only car company to increase unit sales last year? Subaru buyers tend to be overeducated; they buy less car than they can afford and hang on to it forever. "They pay cash, and then you never see them again," says Tim Mahoney, Subaru of America's chief marketing officer. At least not for an average 7.3 years, when they return like migrating carbirds to buy another one. Recession or not. You know, of course, that Detroit is on its knees. But Stuttgart, Tokyo and Seoul aren't faring particularly well either. Toyota's U.S. sales were off 16% last year. Yet Subaru was positive to the tune of 491 cars. The company sold 187,699 vehicles last year, led by value-driven models like the Forester SUV and Outback wagon ($19,995 to $22,295) and the muscled-up Impreza WRX ($24,995), a small sedan. (Read TIME's biographies of Detroit's Big Three CEOs.) That's an increase of just 0.3% over 2007. But in a disastrous year for the industry, it boosted Subaru's market share to 1.92%, from 1.2%. In the auto industry, that's a huge increase — and a higher market share than Cadillac, for instance. Subaru did it without giving away the store too. For 2008, the company decided to roll back its list prices and back off the rebates. The sticker price of the 2009 Forester, for instance, was lowered to $19,995, from $21,295. "We had to bring down our incentive costs and stop selling based on the deal," says Tom Doll, executive vice president of the company, which is a division of Japan's Fuji Heavy Industries. Loyalty can help you do that, and Subaru has leveraged its existing customers, who identify more with their cars than perhaps is healthy. "If you stop a Subaru owner at sporting event, ski slope, shopping center, they'll tell you, 'I love this car,' " says Mahoney. And being the opinionated-bumper-sticker type, they are more likely to recommend the brand than even Toyota or Honda owners. Certainly, it's a perfect era for a car company that is green (it boasts zero-landfill production plants), safety-focused, and can deliver a fair amount of value and performance. In the snow belt regions of the Northeast and intermountain west, Subaru has long had a following because of its all-wheel-drive portfolio. But Subaru has successfully expanded both its geography and demography, becoming a more national car company and getting a broader customer base. To accomplish both, the company expanded its safety-first image to one that includes better performance and more fun. After all, who wants to motor around in the equivalent of all-wheel-drive bubble wrap? California, a vital auto market, discovered Subaru courtesy of models like the Impreza WRX. All-wheel drive is terrific in the Sierras, but in the Los Angeles Basin, it's more about performance, which the 265-hp, intercooled, turbocharged WRX could address. The muscle models scored well with younger drivers and allowed Subaru to get more exposure for its full line. Having more than weathered the dreadfully bad 2008, Subaru officials aren't planning on lowering sales this year. At Detroit's North American International Auto Show, Subaru unveiled a concept car that will likely evolve into a midsize sedan version of its Legacy. And on a broader note, Doll says that more available credit and Barack Obama's stimulus package should get additional buyers into showrooms. Of course, if all else fails, there are always those folks who bought an Outback 7.3 years ago — and are ready to return. |
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