Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with subaru

Nobody light a match!

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:55:48 -0800

Why do I smell gasoline when I'm in my car? I drive a 2003 Subaru Forester. Yesterday I started smelling gasoline inside the car. I haven't noticed any fluids or leaks under the vehicle, and the gas cap is tightly secured. My fuel needle doesn't seem to be dropping any faster than usual. I'm slightly past due for an oil change, taking it in for one this weekend. I've accidentally been a bit rough on my transmission and starter lately, grinding gears a bit harshly and quickly restarting the engine after a stall. These were brief but I'm paranoid because this is my first stick shift. Hopefully those are unrelated to the gas smell. I am mechanically uninclined.

I found this thread, which in interesting but beyond my level of car-maintenance skill. Any suggestions? How seriously should I treat this issue?

Last thing I need is more car trouble...

special-k — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:21:37 -0800

Why did my Subaru outback lose power steering on this rainy night? My car is a Subaru Outback, 2000.

I drove to work in torrential rain on a flooded, hilly highway (Hwy 17 in N. California). The car handled perfectly fine both ways but something weird happened on the way home. Right after I came down the hill, both my brake system warning light and my charge warning light came on. It also became very difficult to steer. Luckily, I was close to a left lane exit and I pulled off safely and parked.

Turned off the engine, waited and turned it back on but both lights were still on and it was still impossible to steer. I had to wait 45 minutes for a ride and the situation did not improve over that time. The car starts just fine, and I am able to move forward and backward, just can't steer.

What happened? Two things to consider:

a) I had my car last checked by a Subaru specialist in June. I had my head gaskets replaced and had him look over everything. Nothing obvious was wrong at that time.

b) My car has been fine since then.

c) I also drove through several deep puddles today (much of the hwy was flooded).

My car is fine overnight but I will have to get it towed first thing tomorrow. Did I snap something simple like a belt, in which case I can just tow it somewhere local and get it replaced right away. OR Is this something more complicated that I should just get it towed to my Subaru guy (25 miles away, harder to retrieve car etc)?

I appreciate any advice to minimize the inconvenience.

Outback Clock Wrong Twice a Day

icebourg — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:24:34 -0800

How can I get my elapsed time/"journey time" clock working again on my 2006 Outback? I bought this car used in June and it's been a great car with one niggling little annoyance: the "journey timer" as part of the on-board computer has stopped working.

Initially when I first got the car, it would work 9 out of 10 times and on that 10th time would just display three dashes.

Within the last few weeks or so, it's stopped working at all. It shows three dashes at all times.

A minor annoyance and the owner's manual doesn't have any information about this from what I can tell.

Anybody know what is going on? Hoping it's a quick and easy fix like reset the on board computer or something.

Instant clown car.

wg — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:03:33 -0800

Please help me fit three little ones into my car. I need recommendations for some skinny car seats. We are working on a foster placement of three siblings: ages 2 1/2y, 1 1/2y, and 4mo. Since it has just been the two of us, we still tool around in our hatchbacks, a '99 Subaru Outback Impreza and a '06 Toyota Matrix.

Seeing as people have been having kids far longer than the popularity of minivans, I imagine we will be able to make do with our current cars for at least a little while longer. If the placement moves towards adoption, or if we get sick of the cramped quarters, we can move on to a larger vehicle later.

We already have an infant car seat, so we will need seats for the two oldest. I know that the Toyota, which will be the primary kid car, has the Latch system, but I do not know if there are two or three. That car is with my wife, and I cannot seem to find the info on the net.

We both have spinning heads and will need to track down bedroom furniture and prepare our jobs for some time off, so an afternoon on google or all night at Babies 'r Us is not in the cards at the moment. I'd like to save some time shopping with recommendations. Naturally, I will make certain that everything fits and is safe. Thanks!

Can anyone diagnose by car problem?

WickedPissah — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:24:11 -0800

What the heck is wrong with my car? And no, you are not my mechanic. Alright so I have an automatic 2004 Subaru Legacy sedan. Just had some work done to it but a new problem just started to pop up. I should point out I first noticed this just before I had the work done, so it is not related. But if it helps I had some oil leaking onto one of the spark plugs causing hesitation.

I am asking in the hopes of softening the blow when I do have it looked at this week.

So when I am at a stop light or sign and I hit the accelerator hard there is a rumble/vibration right under my seats, maybe a little further back. It can be felt and heard. If I accelerate very slowly this does not happen. No problems turning wheel, no noises while turning so hoping it is not the differential. It only happens in the above situation. I do notice that when I am at highway speeds that there is an occasional rumble but much higher frequency.

Possibly related. There has been a rattling of what sounds like a heat shield when I am driving. I have looked under the car to find the culprit but don't see anything noticeably loose. The sound also seems to be coming from the center of the car, under the driver seat, center console. Think there is a cat converter under there.

So any suggestions? I have been looking online and the only possibility I came across was something to do with the drive shaft or drive shaft bearing if I remember correctly. Does that make sense?

I am really really really hoping it is not my transmission. Really. I don't notice any slipping when driving or other transmission red flags. For what it is worth.

What kind of bike rack should I get for my car?

MorningPerson — Thu, 07 May 2009 05:27:38 -0800

What kind of bike rack should I get for my car? We have a 2008 Subaru Outback and want to get a bike rack that will securely hold two mountain bikes on an extended (1000+ mile) trip.

So... should we get a roof rack or a hitch mounted rack? Are there other options for racks that don't require a hitch mount, but still hold the bikes securely on the back of the car? The car does NOT have a hitch right now, but we would consider getting one.

Thanks!

Aftermarket stereo in a 2006 Outback?

squishy — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:48:15 -0800

Can I install an aftermarket stereo into a 2006 Subaru Outback? The stereo/HVAC panel is a bit odd - integrating hvac and emergency light button - it looks like this. Crutchfield seems to sell a new face to fit aftermarket stereo receivers, but people are saying on blogs that it "could" disable the HVAC because the wiring is connected.

Does anyone know if that's true? Has anyone done it?

Do head gasket sealers in a bottle work?

bystander — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:58:33 -0800

Do head gasket "repair" liquids work at all? I think I have a head gasket problem (related 1, 2) in my 1998 Subaru Outback. The only symptom is an overheating engine that hasn't been fixed by a new thermostat and 'checked' radiator.
I don't really want to spend $thousands on replacing head gaskets if it can be avoided. Do the fixes in a bottle work at all? I don't particularly want to link them here if they are a scam, but the brands I have found are Thermagasket, Steel Seal and K&W Permanent Metallic Block Seal.
This wiki article at Answers.com says maybe, but is obviously vulnerable to bias.
A medium term fix would be a win for me.
I would rather hear about real world experience, rather than an apprentice mechanic saying they would never risk it.

Vrooom. Put put put put put.

gauchodaspampas — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:47:19 -0800

Is my car broken? I somehow managed to stall my automatic transition. WTF? Is it a crazy fluke, or possibly a sign of trouble? The car is a 2001 Subaru Forester. I was running quite late, and was driving in a way that is probably not good for transmissions when this happened. It happened when accelerating from a stop. I wasn't over accelerating, but rather, gave a teeny of gas in anticipation of the car ahead going, then rolled on that a bit while they got going, then tried to accelerate a bit more when they got going, but stalled (that is just my best memory of the sequence of events).

So is this a bad sign. I've never stalled an automatic, or heard of anyone doing so. Have you ever stalled an automatic? Was it a sign of things to come? Were you driving stupidly as I was?

Subaru motor of death?

SirStan — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:02:50 -0800

Girlfriend fell in love with a 1996 Legacy Outback. It has the 2.5 liter motor that everyone and their mother says died a horrible headgasket death.. The interwebs would have me believe that the 2.5 liter Subaru motor (generation 1, specifically) is prone to blowing headgaskets. My girlfriend needs an economic car (ie, <$3k.. more like $2500) and we found a really nice, well taken care of, private sale of a 1996 Outback, 145k for $2500. The stickler is it has never had headgasket work - but it has receipts for major service.

So hivemind -- is the 2.5 as bad as the reputation that precedes it?

Aftermarket lights for an old Forester

fleeba — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:01:06 -0800

I want to replace my 2001 Subaru Forester's signal lamps. Where do I go? I'm trying to clean up my Forester's exterior, so I'm looking at fixing my lights first. I've been googling for aftermarket lights, but I can't seem to find what I want!

1. Where can you buy clear signal/side lamps? After having a broken signal lamp for a year, I like the clear look :). However, I've only been able to find "universal clear stickers," which doesn't seem right.

2. Would OEM headlamps and tail lamps from an '04-'08 Forester work with an '01? My headlamps are yellowed and scratched, so I'd like to replace them.

Thanks!

Best economical 4WD car?

lalochezia — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:36:22 -0800

What's the best 1-2 yr old 4WD-capable car? Best for us means: fuel economy, reliability, non-behemoth-SUV-ness, aesthetic and reasonable cost (<$25k). Also: any knowledge about Subaru Outbacks and SoCal 4WD dealers. We're interested in getting a 4WD car to go to the mountains in winter and some minor desert-offroading in summer, but can also act as a daily driver in southern california. We don't need a huge (or medium!) SUV, and would like something that is economical and reliable as possible. I would think that having a selectable 2WD vs 4WD would improve fuel economy, yes?

Current frontrunner is a Subaru Outback: if you know anything about pros/cons/what to look for in these cars, please comment. If you have suggestions for other alternatives, those are welcome too. Things to look out for in general in 4WD welcome.

Suggestions for places to buy/avoid in SoCal a bonus....

Click and Clack, where are you?

jujube — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:59:21 -0800

Car Trouble Filter: Check engine light goes on. Mechanic says it the catalytic converter, cost = $1,500. Then the check engine light goes off, on its own. What should I do? I have a '99 Subaru Legacy. About 100,000 miles, maybe more. The check engine light came on, and I brought it in to the mechanic the next day. He says it's the catalytic converter. Apparently there are two in the Subaru, and he also needs to put in a new oxygen (filter? detector? I forgot, but something like that) because he can't replace just the catalytic converter. I could just replace ONE of the two catalytic converters, but according to the mechanic, the second one could go and take the new one I replace with it, which would mean that I might end up having to replace both again. . .

Here's where it gets convoluted. I had JUST brought the car in for smog inspection (legally mandated where I live), just a few days before the check engine light came on. The car passed the inspection, no problem. So I find it weird that the catalytic converter could be malfunctioning, and still pass inspection just a few days ago.

And even more complicated. . . So the day after I get the quote from the mechanic, the "check engine" light goes off on its own. Huh? Now I'm more confused. Two days after that, the check engine light comes back on again.

What's going on? Any mechanics or someone with more car knowledge out there?

Thanks.

Why is my Subaru stuttering after a fillup?

delfuego — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:13:32 -0800

Does anyone have any ideas about why my 2003 Subaru Outback stutters on acceleration for the ten or fifteen minutes after I fill it up with gas? For the past few months, I've noticed that in the short period after I fill up my car with gas, it stutters on acceleration -- not terribly, and not so much that I feel like I'm in danger of stalling, but definitely a noticeable stuttering that wasn't there before. Like I said, this only ever happens for the ten or fifteen minutes after I fill up, and then never again until the next fill-up. I don't have any stuttering or idling problems in the cold, immediately after starting my car normally, or any of that; my check engine light isn't on (and doesn't come on during these periods), my gas cap is nice and tight, and I was last serviced about 6K miles ago.

A few details: the car is a 2003 Subaru Outback Limited Edition with a manual transmission, I fill it up with 87 octane gas (as I always have), no major driving pattern changes in a few years. The car has less than 50K miles on it to date.

I'm not the most trusting person when it comes to my local Subaru dealer (long story), so I was looking for a little advice as to what might be causing the problem before I bring it into someone to take a look. Any auto mechanics out there who have a few ideas to toss into the ring?

Should I trade up from Corolla to Impreza?

ReiToei — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:09:23 -0800

Thinking about switching my 2005 Corolla hatchback for a 2007 Subaru Impreza sport wagon (non WRX version). Am I nuts? Hivemind,
I live in Ireland and currently drive a 2005 Corolla hatchback with a 1.4 engine. It's an excellent car and I love it to pieces. I also have a dog (called Rascal) who is slowly but surely destroying the back seats of said Corolla with hair, despite seat covers and towels.

I have been thinking about changing my car and will be in a financial position to do some in a few months. I've been looking at the 2007 model Subaru Impreza estate version so that I could put one of those dog barrier things into the boot. I'd basically be trading up from a 1.4 front wheel drive Corolla, to a 1.5 boxer engined, all wheel drive Impreza.

Which is the better car? Is it worth trading up or should I just hang on the Corolla?

Apologies for the long-winded post! I'd love to hear the thoughts of any Corolla or Impreza owners.

Thanks

How to make my car alarm stop?

Sheppagus — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:34:35 -0800

I bought a Forester without the key fob & the alarm won't stop going off. I bought a 2007 Forester from a dealer without the key fob. They gave me three keys, but no remote lock thingie.

When I unlocked the car with one of the keys, a bad thing happens and the horn goes off and the lights flash. I somehow made this stop but am afraid of it happening again. I used one of the other keys and it only chirped at me a few times, but I was able to start the car and drive it.

Can someone who owns a Forester tell me why this is going on? Is it connected to locking the car using the power locks? Do I need a replacement remote lock thing? Will getting a replacement lock thing involve a lot of money and a Subaru dealer?

Is there a trick in the meantime that will allow me to lock, unlock and drive my car without making the alarm go off?

Subaru running in stealth mode. Need help.

SECONDHANDSMOTE — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:31:16 -0800

What might cause the running lights of a 1992/3 Subaru Legacy to all be out. I can't seem to locate a blown fuse. I have a 1992/3 subaru legacy. I recently removed the FWD fuse from it's engine compartment and shortly thereafter got pulled over for not having running lights. My headlights work and my brakelights work. I have looked in the "main fuse box" above the battery in the engine compartment, but nothing there seems to be blown.

Primp my car

adamrice — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:48:09 -0800

Austin/SubaruFilter. I'm in Austin TX and drive a Subaru. It's time for its 30,000-mile tune-up, and it probably needs some work. Obviously I could take it to the dealer, but I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a local shop, particularly one specializing in Subarus.

Automatic climate control?

jal0021 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 07:25:20 -0800

First car with automatic climate control. How does it work? About a month ago, I bought a 2008 Subaru Forester. It's the first car I've owned that includes automatic climate control, and the owner's manual isn't particularly clear on how it works. I've been running it in "semi-automatic" mode, giving me greater control over settings, and since it's been hot lately and most of my driving is done during the day, I've almost always kept the temperature at its lowest setting (65F). However, now that's it's starting to cool down outside (I live in Colorado), I've been setting the temperature a bit higher (~70F) and have noticed that, when I do, the air flowing from the vents is much warmer than I'd expect.

While driving to work this morning, however, things got more complicated. I set the temperature to 70F only to have the heat itself kick in. The outside temperature at the time was 62F, but I was driving into direct morning sun, so it was warm enough inside the car that I wanted at least some cooling - not heat. Out of curiosity, I set the temperature even higher (~85F), and the air coming from the vents continued to increase in temperature. So, it wasn't like I was getting full heat at 70F. I continued to drive for awhile with the temperature set at 70F, and while the temperature of the air seemed to fluctuate some (there was a hint of cooling every so often), it remained warm until I got to the office.

So, my question... is this how automatic climate control systems work? Since the outside temperature at the time was 62F and the car had been sitting outside all night, I can only assume the ambient temperature of the cabin was no higher than 70F. By setting the temperature of the climate control to 75F, would it compensate by blowing hot air in order to bring the temperature up as quickly as possible?

For what it's worth, the owner's manual seemed to indicate that keeping the temperature at its lowest setting (65F) would result in maximum cooling, no matter what, and since that's where I've been keeping it until now, that would explain why I'm just now noticing this quirk... assuming it is a quirk, that is, and not a problem that needs servicing.

Help me find my dream car

blueplasticfish — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:43:37 -0800

Help me find and buy my dream car. OK, so maybe not my ultimate dream car, but one within my budget constraints.

This is the car I want and far as color goes. The year doesn't much matter (2005-2006). The problem is I cannot find one for sale in my area. I've looked all the usual places online, in classifieds, and at dealerships and I cannot find one for sale!

Are there auto brokers I can tell exactly what I want and they will find it for me? I live in Salt Lake City, if that matters.

2005 or 2006 Subaru Impreza Wagon (no WRX!) exterior colored as above (Urban Gray Metallic)

Any ideas on where to look? Who to call? What to search?

A lemon with leather seats and all-wheel drive...

ambrosia — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:19:47 -0800

What is the best way to unload a lemon-ized car? We have a 1998 Subaru Forester that has had mysterious transmission problems. In July we spent $5700 to replace the transmission after it failed. Three weeks and 200 miles later, the car downshifted quite suddenly while on the freeway, and then started to make horrible grating sounds at lower speeds. We took it back to the dealership that installed the transmission, who replaced it for free, as it was well within the 1 year warranty. And that's the pattern; transmission is replaced, a few weeks later the car downshifts suddenly on the freeway, and the transmission is shredded. The dealer has consulted with the Forester experts at Subaru but have not identified the problem. We are now on the fifth transmission failure, and have decided that we've given the dealership more than enough opportunity to get it right.

We want to ditch this car. We could cheerfully continue to bring the car back to the dealership every 6-8 weeks, but we are tired of this and just want a car that works. We don't think it is fixable, and we don't want the karma of trading it in and passing the problem on to someone innocent third party. At the same time, we put a fair amount of money into fixing it, and we'd like to get some of that back somehow.

What's the best way to get rid of this car?

Why the engine so far forward?

clevershark — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 13:06:59 -0800

AutomobileFilter: I was looking at a few cars in the office parking lot and I couldn't help wondering -- why are Audis and Subarus designed with the engine so far forward? I've heard that both these brands of cars generally have the engine placed in front of the front wheels. Is there a technical reason for this, or does it come down to legacy engineering?

Help me avoid car overheating in my Subaru?

Kickstart70 — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:34:23 -0800

Help me with my Subaru Forester overheating problem? About a month ago, my wife, our baby, and I decided to take a trip in our new-to-us 1999 Subaru Forester. Very hot day, air-conditioning was cranked, and we were fine until we started to head into an area where it was more hilly (between Chilliwack and Hope in British Columbia).

As soon as we started climbing hills, the temperature guage climbed high...almost getting into the red. Immediately I put down all the windows, turned on the car heater, and bled off the heat (that worked very well for the car, not so well for wife and baby). It kept happening though, and we turned around and limped home. While we drove after this on the way home, on level ground, the heat did occasionally rise and I took it slow and careful until we were home. Through all of this, fluid amounts were fine, both front fans came on ok.

I took it to a recommended car repair place and they did as much testing as they could, and found no reason for it. There also appears to be no damage to head gaskets or block warping, as I've been warmed happens occasionally with aluminum blocks.

Since then we've done a lot of in-city driving, including a few multi-hour trips without incident. On Thursday this week, we are going to head on a road trip (9 hours of straight driving, but we'll take lots of breaks for the baby). The forecast is for 21C temperatures for Thursday (way down from the 32C we experienced on the overheating day).

Other than not running the air conditioning at full blast, what can we do to avoid this? Recommendations much appreciated, but abandoning the road trip plan is not an option.

Is a universal oxygen sensor really universal?

Opposite George — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:55:12 -0800

ScoobyFilter: It's time to replace the oxygen sensors in my 2001 Subaru Outback. "Universal" replacements run about half the cost of the OEM version. Am I asking for trouble by taking the cheap way out? I drive a 2001 Outback VDC with the H6 engine. It takes three O2 sensors -- two before and one after the catalytic converter. They're all the four-wire type. The car has 165,000 miles already so the less money spent the better.

Surfing the 'net suggests I have two options -- go with OEM-style sensors for about $100 each, or "universal" 4-wire sensors for under $50. The OEM-style sensors come with a Subaru-style plug attached, while the universal ones require I reuse the existing connector and do some splicing. I have the car's electrical diagrams and pinouts so that shouldn't be a problem.

Financially, universal sounds like the way to go but I'm hesitant. First, I read an article suggesting some cars require slightly different sensor heater currents and therefore shouldn't use universal sensors -- this was in an article about BMWs, though and I don't know if this applies to Subarus. Also, universal sensors seem to be rarer than the OEM style (e.g., my local parts stores don't carry them.) If AutoZone has no problem selling discount replacement brake pads, why don't they carry discount replacement O2 sensors? I'm worried that it might be because they're no good.

So does anybody know if universal is good enough for my make/model, or do I have to spring for the OEM type?

Zoooooooommmm.... not so much.

metaculpa — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:05:05 -0800

Hey! Know a good subaru repair shop in Palo Alto? What about the Mission side of SF? Subaru's not doing so hot. Just put new heads on, and now the transmission feels... um... slippy. I know jack all about these auto-mo-bilies, but I also don't know a good shop on this side of the bay.

The symptoms, if you'd like to diagnose them yourself: occasionally the shift into 2nd will be a moderate (but silent) jerk; in general acceleration feels rather sluggish; and the tach. hops up to 5 or 6 between shifts on hills. These all seem, to me, to be signs of badness.

She's a 1997 Outback Limited, if you'd like to heckle my engine.

Anyone know a good repair shop? (I live in SF and work in PA, so either's fine.)