Subaru - Forester - Starters :: 1998 - Won't Start - Only Radio / Air Came On?
Jun 3, 2011
I drive a 98 Subaru Forester with ~190,000 miles on it. This car is incredibly reliable and excluding the following incident I have never had a problem with it. The other day I went out to run some errands and when I came out of the store my car wouldn't start. I turned the key and nothing happened. There was no sound from the engine or starter whatsoever, but the radio, air, etc. came on. It had started perfectly fine just an hour earlier that day. I had a friend and with a few strikes from a hammer on the starter the car fired right up so that appears to have been the problem. It's been a few days now and it has started right up every time I've turned the key since. Was this incident just a fluke? Is this what they call a "dead spot" in the starter? Should I replace it or can I get away with just carrying a hammer and push starting if worse comes to worst?
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I 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?!
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Okay, I've been trying to diagnose this problem for ages. Whenever I top off my tank with fuel, the garage smells of fuel until I use up about a quarter of the tank. The smell stays mostly outside of the car. So far I have replaced the drain filter (a few years ago), fuel filler neck, hose leading from the filler neck to the tank, and had the system pressure tested. I'm fairly certain it's not the tank because the car has been undercoated since new and my mechanic saw no signs of a leak when he replaced the rear crossmember recently. My next guess is either the gas cap, the charcoal filter, or some hose leading to/from the charcoal filter.
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I can not get my car out of park. I must replace a fuse every time . 1998 subaru forester . 241,000 miles
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Recently, my car had started having cooling issues. It was running hot, into the danger zone, and it would not blow hot air. I took action and replaced the thermostat myself, drained the coolant, and bled out any air bubbles, filled it up with coolant and the problems still persisted.
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This past monday morning I got in my 05 Legacy GT w/ 82,000 miles. When I turned the key it acted as if the starter engaged for a second then disengaged and made the typical motor winding sound. I tried it several more times with the same result. So I reluctantly called my local repair shop and had it hauled over for what I thought was possibly a bad starter. The mechanic went out to check it to see what it was doing and when he did, it started right up…..!! He said that when it started it ran as if it had been flooded for a minute or two then cleared up. Throughout the day he drove it around and started it about 20 times and said it “appears” to be ok. It’s a small shop that I trust with my other cars but they don’t have the tech to pull codes on a subaru. So my question is, what was the cause of this issue? Neutral Switch? Cam Sensor? or a Fluke?
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I got a 98 Subi Forester L, stick, 130k mi.
I've been thinking about what gs ragtop & tester mentioned about the silicate stuff and I'm ready to take the chance, but there's one thing bothering me: If that stuff is supposed to be drawn into the combustion chamber where the silicate comes in contact with the super hot temps that solidify it, thereby sealing the leak, that assumes coolant is going into the combustion chamber, right? Well, I've been driving this car with a blown hg for at least 2yrs maybe 3, (that in itself amazes me), and I've never seen any sign of coolant in the exhaust, no smoke, nor any rough starting issues to speak of.
So, my question is simply, HOW THE HECK DOES THAT HAPPEN!! How in the world can I lift the hood and watch exhaust gases bubbling up in the radiator, yet when I park on a hot, 95 degree August day with a fully pressurized cooling system, the next time it's started there is no sign of coolant. The physics of that defy me! I mean, it says that the head gasket magically blew a "one-way" valve in itself? What do you think? Am I missing something?
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I have a 1998 Subaru Forester that is leaking oil through the head gasket. Repairs for the head gasket seem to be in high range, which is at or above the value of the car. Is trying any of the head gasket sealant products such as Blue Devil worth trying? Do they have the potential to do more damage than good? I love the car, but I'm also not sure if it is worth getting if fixed or if I should be looking to sell it for parts and buy a different used car.
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will it hurt my 98' forester to drive it when one cylinder has no compression? They tell me it needs a valve job for 2,500. They already put a mass air flow sensor in, and replaced plugs and wires. Still got the miss, but I need the vehicle.
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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?
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1998 Forester, 233,000 miles.. Two years ago it started running hot after 15 minutes of either driving or idling. Coolant seemed to vanish into thin air. The Subaru Dealership said that I either had a bad head gasket or a cracked cylinder wall. They said if the head gasket was bad then need to replace the head gaskets. They said if the cylinder wall was cracked, then we would need a new engine.
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Got a 98 Subaru Forester with 130,000mi. Good car so far. Just got a good deal on a scanner and it reports 1 code - PO0400. I see it mean EGR flow error. What is the most probable cause or a troubleshoot process to narrow it down? My repair manuals on the car are kind of lacking and I can't even find the blasted EGR valve! I thought I found it but I think it's the knock sensor.
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First & main issue: I throttle on, the RPMs jump, speed drops. I think I dealt w/ this before in my old Toyota pickup by replacing the clutch master cylinder. Is that right?
Secondly, I don't know if the engine of this lil car has been rebuilt, but the smoke from under the hood has been alarming. It smells of oil, and I've seen some spots that appear to have leaking oil dropping onto the exhaust, but the smoke keeps coming from various spots.
I really enjoy driving this lil car, it's my first Subaru and my first wagon, but if the trouble is just now starting for me, at over 210,000 miles... I've replaced a few things, but I've never owned a newer(ish) vehicle (except a Harley), and come to expect to do work every once in awhile. I'm fairly regular w/ preventative maintenance, but not strict about when to change fluids or flush things (i.e. transmission or radiator). Maybe I should just sell this one and move on.
I also hit a deer the other day going pretty fast and fortunately only busted out the passenger side head light, fog light, and blinker. The other day being over a month ago. I just don't drive at night and try to avoid right turns. Any thoughts on where to get cheap replacement parts? I can't seem to find anywhere that'll sell me those plastic bits for under a few hundred dollars.. strange considering a necessary part like a master cylinder is only $40..
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I have a 2003 Subaru forester w/ 148k and manual transmission. Recently I have notice two new symptoms, but am not sure if they are connected. First is some bluish exhaust just at startup. Second is a wining sound out of the front of the engine. It fluctuates in time with the rpm. When I pop the hood it sounds like it may by coming from the generator or AC unit which has a wired red powdery substance on it. The wining seem worse for the first 1/2 hr of driving.
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I recently bought an automatic 2003 Subaru Forester 2.5x. Great car but....... There is an intermittent problem with the automatic shift stick. It locks "Parking" mode. When I put the key in and put my foot on the brake, The dash lights up, radio turns on everything is alight but the car won't start. It locks "Parking" mode. I am forced to over ride the lock system by inserting a key into the slot on the right hand side of the stick, putting it into neutral then I can start the car. Its been to the garage three times and is scheduled for a forth visit. Because its an intermittent problem that never happens when they have it in the garage they are having a devil of a time sorting out the problem.
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My 2011 Forester makes a rattle sound each time I accelerate either uphill or on level ground. The sound is reminiscent of the pinging sound from cars from years ago when we were told to use a higher octane gas. It's only at the start of the acceleration, not continuous. The sound seems to come from below the car, either under the hood or under the body, not inside the passenger compartment. Most websites say loose heat guards, but this would mean I'd hear the rattle throughout the acceleration, wouldn't it? Brought It to the dealer twice and they couldn't hear anything. No surprise. I hear it with my 2013 Legacy also.
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I recently purchased a 2013 forester and noticed a slight shudder in the car once I start to accelerate but it only lasts until I hit 20mph or so then disappears. The salesman tried telling me it was a normal subaru characteristic and being new to AWD and subaru I was a suckered and listened to him but after owning the car for a week it's more noticeable than when I first drove the car off the lot. I'm not sure if its the tires out of balance or my half shafts or possibly drive shafts are screwy.
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With the very cold weather I'm having problems getting my car to start again after it's been running a while--starts okay initially no matter the temp, run it for ~15 minutes then go to my first work stop. One hour later sitting outside in 0F and I can't get it to start, won't turn over. Just got a new battery, had the spark plugs/starter/fuel line checked "looks okay". Starts after it gets really cold again, needs to sit out for a few hours in the single or negative digits. Dealer is 100 miles away and I have not been happy with the service there.
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2004 Forester does not always start when gear shift shows it is in park. Happens intermittently. Lights, radio come on (battery is OK), but nothing else happens. Car will start after shifting in and out of park and trying again. Have replaced and tightened bushings. Gear shift now moves easily. Mechanic is suggesting a new starter.
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I purchased a 2012 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium (automatic transmission) in November 2011 with 4 miles on it. Since the get-go it has had issues, but we thought that some of them might work themselves out as we broke the car in (which we were religious about). At the first oil change, we told the dealership about the issues we were experiencing and got the expected "the computer doesn't say anything is wrong" and "we couldn't replicate the problems" excuses. We were told to bring it back if the problems continued. Well, they've gotten worse. Here are what we are experiencing:
- Erratic shifting. I commute from the mountains to the city every day, so I need power from the car. Sometimes, when I'm heading down a hill and I tap the gas slightly to give myself a little boost, the car will suddenly downshift, even though it was sitting at 2500 RPM and didn't need to get any extra power beyond more fuel. Going up the hill is worse, as if you are not actively accelerating (including if you are trying to maintain a constant speed), it will upshift on you and you lose all power, so it will need to downshift to make up for this. It does this constantly for the entire drive home. Everyone who has driven this car in the mountains has experienced this.
- Jerky transmission. When the car shifts, it is super harsh and tends to throw you forward or back. Even when on flat ground it shifts roughly.
- Sluggish acceleration. If I give the car any more gas than I usually do, it hesitates before going anywhere. One day I needed to get over on the highway fast and floored it - it took the car about 2 seconds to respond. Then, yesterday, we were turning on to a highway from a side road and I tried to accelerate (gas about 1/2 way to the floor) and it didn't respond at all for about 5 seconds and the "Check Engine" and the traction control lights started flashing at me. We were on a paved road with no gravel, water, ice, etc and the traction control light began flashing on the straight, not while we were turning. There are also days when it feels like there is an anchor tied to the car and it just doesn't want to give me any umph at all.
- Rough starts. This is the really weird one as there is no rhyme or reason as to when it happens. Some times it takes the car several revolutions to turn over. Oddly, it's never on the really cold (under 20 degrees F) days, but it has happened when it is ~35 degrees and a couple of times when I have started it in the middle of the day to grab lunch and it is ~65 degrees out.
- Running rough. This usually happens after a rough start, but can also happen at other times. It just idles very rough and won't calm down. These are the days I have the worst time with the shifting issues.
I had a 2001 Forester that threw a rod, which forced me to get this car. Everyone who has driven both agrees that the 2001 was quicker, easier to drive, and had more gumption than the 2012. It also had less problems even though I purchased it used in 2005 (until the whole rod-throwing thing, of course). I really want to love my 2012 Forester, but I am so upset that, for the first time in my life I have a new car, and it runs terribly.
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I have a 2006 Subaru Forester automatic with about 40,000 miles on it. When it gets cold out, I notice that when I first start driving the car, it jerks/lurches and makes a loud noise when shifting from first to second and second to third. When the car warms up after driving for awhile, it doesn't do it anymore. It's much colder here (high today of zero), the car is doing this much more often. I brought it to the dealer and they completely flushed the transmission fluid (which they said looked yellow instead of red/orange??), but it is still making the noise and having trouble shifting in the cold. They said need to take the transmission apart, so I've been leary about taking it back. My husband thinks I should just drive it until it dies and then get a new transmission if needed.
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