I have a really weird problem with my car. Every time that I apply the brakes, I get a bit of a shudder. It just started a couple of weeks ago and we checked the brake pads which were fine and the bearings were good as well. What could be causing this problem?
View 6 RepliesI have a 2000 Subaru Forester S model with 143k. I have been chasing a front end shimmy since we bought the car used a year ago. I have replaced the front rotors, and pads, cleaned and greased the caliper pins, made sure the calipers weren't stuck, and had an alignment done. There was a bent front passenger wheel that I changed and had the wheels balanced. I have also checked the fuse for the ABS thinking that may have something to do with it. After the alignment provided no change I am stuck.
I just realized that I left out a critical piece of information as I was reading the posts. The shimmy is only under braking and is more pronounced under extra load such as down hill.
I drive a 98 Subaru Forester and last month the village cop pulled me over for having no brake lights. It turned out to be a blown fuse for the brake lights so I replaced it, problem solved. Well, I got pulled over by the same cop, in the same place tonight. Blown fuse for the brake lights. It seems like a fuse should last more than a few weeks. Is there a problem which would over tax the fuse?
View 4 RepliesOK, so I have a 2010 Subee, 36K miles. Three events here, added in car monitoring from State Farm for Ins Discount, had a nail in back tire which I had repaired, it's been pretty cold at night here in GA. When I start the car, both the cold engine and the brake light are lit. Cold engine normal, takes it a few minutes then it goes out. Brake light is staying on until the car drives a bit (maybe 10 minutes?). No odd brake noises, brakes feel fine, emergency brake fully released. Recently had fluids checked and oil changed at Jiffy Lube. Have had the car for 3 years, this is new. It didn't do it last winter. So - do I need to go to the dealership? A brake place? Check the brake fluid.
View 3 RepliesMy door ajar light is stuck on in my 2000 Subaru Forester, whether the car is on or not. I had to replace the battery as it ran down the old one. Sometimes it goes off for a week or more at a stretch, but it always comes back on. As of now it has been on continuously for about 8 months. I have tried everything minus taking the door panels off.
View 6 RepliesMy 2000 Forester recently started shaking while driving at highway speeds or while under engine load (hills, accelerating, etc). My first thought was that it was a problem with the alignment so I took it to my local tire shop. The car has 164K on it and has been without a Subaru specific mechanic since my last guy got fired a year ago, though I am trying to get an appointment with the only other Subaru mechanic in the area, outside of the dealership.
The tire shop found an issue with cupped tires (naturally they'd want to sell me tires) and told me that my passenger side rear CV joint was bad and they'd have to replace the axle. Since this sounded credible for the symptoms it was showing and they found me an axle, I told them to go ahead and replace it.
When I got it back the first time, I didn't see any great improvement in the shaking. I also noticed that they'd forgotten to put the bolt back into the bottom of my shock absorber. o_O When I brought it back to them, they fixed the missing bolt and agreed to keep it for a week to troubleshoot where else the shaking might be coming from. In the process, they replaced spark plugs and wires (which it probably needed anyway) and did an oil change, but the shaking is still there after all their tinkering. They suggested the problem may be in the timing and that I should have that checked out.
I don't think they're right about that. The vibration feels (to me) even more like a CV joint problem now than it did before. It shakes more violently and at slower speeds the longer it runs so by the time I get to work (40+ miles) it's almost constant. It stops shaking when you pop it into neutral and let it coast suggesting it's not timing or alignment - and making me think even more that it's something to do with the drive train.
I have a really weird problem with my car. Every time that I apply the brakes, I get a bit of a shudder. It just started a couple of weeks ago and we checked the brake pads which were fine and the bearings were good as well. What could be causing this problem?
View 2 RepliesMy 2000 Forester has 96,000 miles on it. A few months ago, the CEL came on. At first it would turn off every couple of days but would eventually pop back on. I first thought it was tied to putting gas in the car, now I think it was just a coincidence.
Over the past two months, I have replaced the catalytic converter with a aftermarket piece (done by a mom and pop muffler shop) and replaced the front o2 sensor three times. The first two times, I used Bosch sensors from an auto parts store and had the code cleared. After about 50 miles the CEL came back on. Just yesterday, I picked my car up from the dealership where they installed a Subaru fron o2. After about 30 miles, the light is back on again. Code is P0133 - heated oxygen sensor, bank 1 sensor 1, circuit slow response.
Now, the dealership is suggesting I need to replace the catalytic converter with a Subaru converter before they can source the issue.
I have an 2002 Hyundai Auto.
My car has the clicking noise under the following situations:
1) rolling in neutral with/without brake applied
2) rolling/decelerating without gas pedal pressed (I guess the same as rolling in neutral) with/without brake applied
The noise is the most noticeable when going at around 20 to 30mph, and would be gone under very low speed <5-10 mph. The weird thing is when I press the gas pedal and the car is accelerating, the noise is gone too.
My mechanics said it is because the wheel cylinder which is noisy. But I don't quite understand why the noise is gone when the car is accelerating.
I have a 2000 F250 PSD. When applying the brakes, the rear end starts jumping and bucking. The effect is exaggerated when pulling a trailer and applying the truck brakes to stop. The problem does not occur when manually applying the trailer brakes. It was suggested to me that this problem is caused by a hydro boost leak.
View 3 RepliesWe have a '96 Subaru Legacy Wagon with about 175K on it. Bought used. Ran OK for 2 years and suddenly we get this: going up a hill, even a slight, steady grade for more than a block or two, the car starts shuddering...power ebbs...car slows...check engine light flashes madly...it turns into a cartoon car with tongue dragging out, then dies if you don't pull over and let it pant like a dog. If it dies,one can restart it in half a minute or so.
Our excellent mechanic cleaned engine, valves, checked fuel-related stuff, replaced things, even worked on it for free because he was so stumped. Consulted w/worldwide Subaru experts. Conclusion: some cylinder/valve or something has sort of carved itself a new notch and so doesn't seat properly, evinces itself under pressure of grade or hill, would cost 2-3K to fix...an amount we simply don't have.
I'm doomed to drive this thing for the next 2-3 years, finding grade-less routes in my hilly Northwest city--not an easy task, but got to keep it chugging. Works beautifully on the flat (should I move to Kansas?). Will happily charge up a one-block hill as long as you then go sideways on the flat for a block or two. Big Sigh Here. Whether it could be some other problem? One website yaks about catalytic converters breaking up and blocking lines.
My Outback gets the DTs in the steering wheel. 2003 with 300K highway miles. New tie-rods, brakes, brake master cylinder, alignment & balance (all from great shop with great rep) have failed to eliminate the problem. It comes on suddenly at highway speeds, usually in cold weather (below 20); but not necessarily in snowy conditions. Slowing down to 30/20 mph does not stop the shudder (though it slows and reveals itself as a fierce twitch to the right). Eventually the shudder is accompanied by a rhythmic scraping sound somewhere in the left front wheel well, which maybe is there all along but inaudible at higher speeds.
View 5 RepliesI have a 1962 ford falcon ranchero. The driver side brake light, goes out when brake pressure is applied, but is on when lights are fully on, but even then brake pressure is applied and goes out. Right brake light is fine. And turn signal on right works. But driver side back light goes out when brake pressure is put on and when turn signal is put for left side. Right makes a turn noise left side doesn't. I recently replaced the turn signal switch. So its brand new. But older wires every where else. No cuts anywhere on wires. Fine. And replaced the bulb also.
View 8 RepliesI have a 2004 Subaru Forester xs and the a/c goes out intermittently. I was told I need a new compressor clutch and that the whole compressor assembly will have to be replaced. I contacted another mechanic and he said that he would fix just the clutch but I should replace the whole thing. So, what do I HAVE to do? Are these prices in line? Can I get used parts or discounted parts?
View 2 RepliesI have an '06 Forester XT 2.5 turbo that has, what I can only describe as a stumble around 2500 rpm. The car's maintenance is always up-to-date, and never has anything under 91 octane run in it.This started out when you had the cruise set and now does it all the time whether or not the cruise is used. I've had it to 2 shops including a Subaru dealer that had it for a month and couldn't find the issue. We've been through injectors, coils, maf sensor, etc. to no avail. The trouble code that we're given is a misfire in cylinder 1. We discovered, while trying to find the issue, that there was only 30psi in that #1 cylinder and the valve guides were the issue. So the motor was pulled, heads planed, etc. and new guides installed. Also, put in a new timing belt, and so on, that is usually done when the motor is out.They have done a leak down test and compression tests as well. This is my wife's car and she absolutely love it, so I need to get this figured out.
View 2 RepliesI just bought this car for my daughter. It's in very good shape; runs like a top. But the gas mileage is a lousy 20 mpg. All of my trips are local (no stop and go stuff as we live in the country). A buddy of mine with the same car and similar driving habits says she gets 25-28 mpg. So far I have changed the oil, oil filter and air filter.This can't be the best I can expect, can it?!
View 10 RepliesAt 56,000+ miles on my 2006 Forester, I was horribly shocked to learn while having 60,000 maintenance done that my head gasket was leaking. inclusive of timing belt replacement required. I have read some discussions in this vein, but none regarding a car with this few miles on it. It does not seem right. I have had other issues with this car, my 2nd forester. I do not know what I should do.
View 12 RepliesI have a 2015 forester & the seats are not wide enough so my right leg rests on the front corner of the seat & after driving 70 miles my legs & back are hurting. I think the outback has seats 2 inches wider , that could work.
View 2 RepliesSometimes when the AC is on automatic control it will kick out of auto control into manual control and the fan will speed up. All this happens without touching anything. Dealer said it's working fine.
View 1 RepliesI have a 2003 Forester that has low air flow thru the vents if you try to use the AC or heater.
If you turn the speed from 1-4 you can hear the blower fan turning faster but the air coming out of the vents is very low. YOu can hardly feel it. I checked to see if there was a cabin filter and there was none.
Even though you can barely feel the air coming out, when on AC the air feels cold and when on heat it feels hot.
Sometimes the Subaru standard transmission just does not want to go into reverse. I don't see a pattern here, but when it happens I have to double clutch it, or hold the clutch peddle down and move from first to reverse.
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