05 outback xt ... I bought this car last October and don't know the history of what has been replaced and what is oem. That being said I have had a horrible smell (imagine a skunk eating rotten eggs) when I back the car up. I also have a problem with my car hesitating when i accelerate but it goes away once the car is warm. The check engine light has never come on when driving but I know it works.
View 6 RepliesI have a 2005 Subaru Outback XT with turbo. I have had a strange problem the last two winters and have stumped two mechanics, so far.
At this time of year, it is necessary to warm my car up for a few minutes in the morning. Last winter, when I warmed my car up, I would smell gasoline outside of the car and in the cab. It only happened when it is about 25 degrees or less outside. After about 10-15 minutes, once the car was warm, the smell would go away. I figured smelling gasoline was bad news, so, I took it to my mechanic who said he found a loose clamp in the engine. He tightened it and it fixed the problem. I didn't have any other issues that winter or through the next year.
But, this winter, the problem is back. I have moved, so, I took the car to a new mechanic (recommended by friends) and told him the issue. He said that he found a loose clamp between the engine and the turbo and tightened it. He said other than that, he can't think of anything. Well, that worked for a few days. But, now, the problem is back and with a vengeance. The smell is a bit different. Still like gasoline, but kind of like exhaust, too. And it is strong. I have to open the windows for a few minutes to air the car out before I can drive it. I took it back to the mechanic, but he is stumped and not sure what to do next.
I think my next step is to take it to a Subaru dealer, but with a 10 year old car, I'm hesitant to go that route. Though, I love my car and want it to last AND be safe to drive. What is going on?
I recently bought a 1997 Subaru Outback. There is a burning smell sometimes and can't quit put my finger on any specific time that this occurs. Also, I find the heat is really crummy. Takes a very long time to heat up and never gets really warm. I might add that when I bought this car the air conditioning "condenser" was not hooked up. It came with the car and looks like a small radiator. Could this have anything to do with either problem?
View 2 RepliesMy 2003 Subaru outback has a gas smell when i first start it on very cold mornings. I live in New England. It goes away after the engine is warm. Also, it never happens in warm weather.
View 3 RepliesI have a 2004 subaru outback that smells of gas when the tank is filled. The smell persists for a couple of days after the tank is filled. It started in the spring and I brought it to the dealer but they couldn't find anything. It seemed to go away during the summer but now that the colder weather has started the problem has returned.
View 6 RepliesI've got a 2000 Subaru outback with 170k miles on it. I recently pulled a code for a bad line pressure solenoid and replaced it. About 500 miles later the oil temp sensor light started flashing so I turned the car off and when I turned the car back on it wasn't flashing and hasn't come on since. No CEL. I'm now about 2k miles after changing the line pressure solenoid and now whenever I drive over 10 or so miles my car smells like the clutch is burning. He idle is a little rough, i.e. it vibrates a little more than usual and the car is a little slow to respond when I gas it.
View 19 RepliesI'm getting a gas smell when I start the car in the morning-especially if its cold. I typically blow the defroster which only makes it worse. It seems to be worse when its colder out and does not happen as the day goes on. My mechanic has checked for leaks-none. I thought it might be an oxygen sensor(?), he does not think so.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2000 Outback, 80K, and I've been having brake issues. The first thing I noticed was a burning brake smell. I pulled over and found that my two front wheels were very hot. I pumped the brakes a few times and let them cool down and drove on. Pulled over in a bit to check them and they were fine. Took the car to the dealer who said, "We can't really find anything wrong with the fronts, but the backs are sticking a bit and we fixed that." So, off I went. Of course, it happened again. Left front seemed the hottest, but this time I noticed that the rear wheels were warm as well. Took it in again. Again, "We don't know." "Could it be the calipers or the lines or the ABS chip," I asked? "Well, yeah, maybe the front calipers." So they replaced the front calipers.
Picked it up and noticed two things of interest on the print out: "Rear brakes hanging up," and the front pads are a 8mm and the rear at 3mm! Hm... Seemed fishy to me. I had all the pads replaced a year and half ago. The last set lasted 75K, so this is odd, as is the discrepancy between back and front. I had the dealer pull the service record. In May the rear were at 5mm. Two weeks ago they were at 3.5mm. Yesterday they were a 3mm. I asked, "What would cause that?" They said, "Well, probably whoever did your brake job didn't clean the brakes up well so they are getting stuck and wearing down." I took the car and drove 60 miles, mostly on the highway. Fronts wheels were cool. Rear wheels were warm to hot.
Why when I come to a stop with the heater on, the car smells like exhaust? I took in into our local Subaru shop and they couldn't find anything wrong. When I'm driving it's fine, but in town or in traffic, I have to keep shutting off the heater. If I forget, the car fills up fumes and I have to drive with the windows down or my daughter's asthma flares up.
View 14 RepliesThe problem with the caller from CA's Subaru smelling like burnt rubber is the actual tires are heating up due to an improper torque split between the tires. Subarus are very sensitive to changes in tire pressure and thus the diameter and will wear the tires down. The driver mentioned 8 sets of tires. He has a bad torque split in the AWD system.
View 13 RepliesWhenever the temperature is below 20 degrees F and am idling at a stop light, if I have the heater fan running I get a horrible exhaust smell inside my car. I have discovered that I can lessen the bad smell by turning off the fans when the car is idling and then turning it back on when I start to drive.
View 3 RepliesI believe that I have a leaking CV joint boot in my 2006 Outback. Occasionally smell something burning. Lifted hood and had some smoke. Saw leak and a friend stuck a finger into a hole in the boot.
View 9 RepliesWe noticed a burnt rubber/oil smell coming from our '01 Subaru Outback, no engine lights were on. When I looked under the hood, all the fluid levels looked good, but I noticed on the left side, about two thirds down the side of the engine, there appears to be a leak of gooey brown oil? from a hose running up over the engine. Do you think this is the source of the smell? What this is, how much it will be to fix or if we can safely drive it to the mechanic (we are about 45 min from town)? See photos here: [URL] ... I tried to zoom in slowly so you could get an idea of the location.
View 5 RepliesMy OBXT is running way too hot when heading up hill. Recently have had the caps and cooling system pressure tested and all passed. I had the head gasket replaced, water pump, timing belt, pulleys, etc. The engine was also pressure tested and passed.The Subaru techs and I are at a loss.
View 8 RepliesRiding on the highway to the summit of Vail Pass, car loses power, check engine light goes on, by the time I maneuver it past huge trucks to right shoulder, BAM!!!! White steam radiator fluid explosion dead car....mechanic says "small block" (I think) broken, need new engine. Towing it back to my guys who sold me the car about 2 months ago with reconditioned engine & brand new head gaskets.
View 19 RepliesMy wife has a 2005 Subaru Outback XT w/auto trans, about 135k miles. We live in SoCal.The car runs great...well, most of the time. During the summer, or when driving up steep mountains with the AC running, the needle will climb steadily north towards overheating. Call me timid, but I've never been curious enough to find out what happens if I let the needle get into the red.To let the needle drop, I have to turn the AC off. This isn't the best option now since we've been experiencing over a week of temperatures higher than 103.I also noticed that the temp needle will drop to normal within a couple of minutes if I turn on the heater.
I did open the bonnet when we returned from a trip and with the car running, checked to make sure both fans were running.
2005 Subaru 2.5 Limited Outback. If I drive my Outback for over an hour, when I make sharp turns at a low speed in a parking lot my front end doesn't seem to turn right. As a I turn it seems like maybe the front differential is not working right, both wheels want to spin a the same rate. what could cause this?
View 10 RepliesWhen I turn my 2005 Subaru Outback sharply, especially when in reverse, it seems to brake without my touching the brake pedal. About the same time it started, the automatic transmission would give a slight jump when shifting into or out of neutral. Took it to one shop, they said I needed a new transmission to install. Took it to another shop, they fixed my differential. But they didn't fix the seeming braking. The nearest dealer is 150 miles away and I haven't been able to get there at the right time on a weekday.
View 4 RepliesIn the last couple of weeks I've been getting a whistle or whining noise I think from under my car periodically. It doesn't happen when I start the car, not when idling and starts at about 20/30 mph. I've had the car in the shop for regular maintenance, just replaced front bushings, put on new rear brake pads and new rotors. I've checked the car for anything that might cause wind since it comes and goes even while driving. Seems worse in hot, damp weather. Back to the dealer today because it was loud and they say drive shaft, but there is no vibration and the car is running very smoothly. It's driving me crazy when it happens because it almost sounds like a plane landing.
View 13 RepliesI just replaced both front strut mounts on my 2005 Outback 3.0L. I was 100% sure that it would resolve an ongoing noise/rattle in the front end when driving over bumps and generally rough roads. It worked with some of the noise because the strut mount bearings were shot. But much to my disappointment after putting everything back together I still have a rattle (more like the sound when you shake a shoe box with a tennis ball inside it) in the right front suspension somewhere. When lifted the right front wheel is solid with no wobble left to right or top to bottom so I"m thinking it is not a tie rod but I am not a professional mechanic. Should I take the right front strut back off and check the new mount or is there an easier answer.
View 3 RepliesAbout 2 months ago, I noticed a high pitched whine on my 2005 Subaru Outback. It honestly sounds like a siren and is very noticeable. It occurs more often when the car is cold (1st thing in the morning) and around 20 mph. It sounds like it is coming from the rear of my car. It occurs whether or not I am pressing on the gas pedal. Once I get above about 30-40 mph, I don't notice it anymore (don't know if this is because other engine noises are drowning it out or what). It does not change or get worse when I turn. It seems to subside once my car is warm. Other people have heard it and some describe it like an airplane taking off.
I took it to the Subaru dealership and they said it was my alternator. Lo and behold a few hundred dollars later, it was still making the noise. A few days later, my CAM sensor went bad and I was back in the shop. Of course, I tried to get my car to make the noise for the mechanic, but it wouldn't cooperate. They didn't see anything wrong, but it is still making the noise. I have taken it to the dealership and they couldn't get it to make the noise. My rear wheel bearings were going bad and so I replaced those - under warranty, but it still makes the noise. I keep up with all my oil changes, services, etc. I just had the fluids checked and the power steering fluid is normal. The power steering pump has also been checked and it is normal. What this might be?