Subaru - Outback :: 2003 - Idling Rough After Warms Up / Slight Shimmy At Stoplights
Apr 8, 2015
Have an '03 Subaru Outback Ltd. 184k miles. Great car all in all. Has been burning 3-4 qts oil between changes every 3-4k miles. Stated idling rough after warms up [intermittently], slight 'shimmy' at stoplights. Check engine light on always, flashes at times when warms up but even then doesn't flash all the time. Took it to dealer for upcoming smog check, have a bad oxygen censor and possibly bad catalytic converter, but also said low compression no.2 cylinder--which is what I'm wondering about.
Without further diagnostics they're talking about perhaps new pistons, and/or valve job and/or short block rebuild. My questions are 1-is there any more diagnostics possible to narrow it down without pulling it apart? and 2-is it worth a rebuild or should I sell? Great car otherwise, they're talking 3-5k range for repairs, blue book on the car is 4-6k rough estimate? Been a great car all in all, aside from clutch replacement this is the first major repair issue.
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I have been battling a big boost upon acceleration at stoplights for approximately 6 months. Now twice I have gone into limp mode and the tech reads: PO700 (Transmission) and PO731 (Gear 1). I just turned over 190,000 miles but only purchased it a year ago. What is the problem(s)?
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Recurring intermittent problem with the AC. It has been in and out of the shop three times in the past year. First time, a basic checkup with service to specs. Worked okay for six weeks or so. Second time, revolution sensor replaced. Worked okay for a little over six months. Next time, revolution sensor replaced under warranty. No change - problem still there. Dealer shop wants to replace compressor/clutch assembly. I'm not convinced. The problem only occurs in the morning after the engine has been at rest overnight .
No AC until the engine warms up and the engine is switched off and then on again. You can check it after a few minutes and no AC. Shut down the engine after 20 minutes or so, turn it back on, AC is good and will be good for the rest of the day, even if the engine is at rest for a few hours. Next morning, same drill. There is a three wire connector at the clutch with one black wire running to the clutch. I am unsure what voltage I can check there to see if the system is calling for clutch engagement. How I can narrow it down to clutch/compressor malfunction or some other sensor problem?
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My Outback has some squeaking coming from the rear end. The car is way too new (2014) to need shocks, but that is exactly what is sounds like. One side note, I drove it through the city at a very high rate of speed (family member emergency, long story) and was wondering if I could have damaged them in just one trip? The total drive time was probably 20 or 30 minutes / 5 miles, but the city roads contain plenty of potholes, etc.
The car isn't exhibiting any other symptoms, alignment is fine, etc.
The only other thought I had was the storage compartment around the spare. I actually removed everything and drove it around for a bit and still got the same thing.
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My Subaru Outback is dying on me when I come to a stop and has happened when just idling. I have been told it is the torque converter and replacement is 2 thousand.
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My otherwise fine-driving 2003 Subaru Outback with 155,000 miles offers an odd, rapid, click, click, click, click directly from the engine while idling. It goes away once you drive off and then returns when you go back to idle. Not loud, not knocking, just click, click, click, click...My mechanic had no idea...and while it hasn't overheated yet (knock wood!) the engine always smells like its threatening to whenever I idle for more than few minutes, even on a cold day.
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Whenever 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.
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This has been happening for the past 6 months or so. I recently had new ball joints, 4 wheel alignment, and 4 wheel balance. Even with this I'm noticing a very slight high frequency vibration at highway speeds. I noticed on one of the front wheels that a weight fell off, so this might explain the high speed vibration.
However - When I'm starting at 0mph, and accelerate to say 50mph for example, the car vibrates rather substantially as the speedometer moves from around 25mph to just past 30mph. After those speeds it goes away.
I've also noticed that it tends to be worse if I'm going up hill, which, according to the laws of physics, would tell me that going uphill would put more pressure on the front end, given it's heavier with the engine there. If I'm going downhill it vibrates much less.
When I drive I tend to not accelerate quickly, meaning, I don't 'punch' it, and accelerate gradually instead. If I'm driving on a level, well-paved road, and accelerate quicker than regular, the vibration seems to not be as heavy.
Any other tests for this? Struts, control arm, steering knuckle, drive shaft ?
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So I have been unable to figure this problem out and so had my mechanic, I am starting to think this car is cursed. I have an 07 outback with about 54000 miles on it, a few weeks ago it through a P0303 for a misfire in the third cylinder, thought nothing of it, light went off in the next couple starts and the car was running great. Had this happen a couple more times but only after the car had been out in the rain. Each time the problem went away. Now the car has sat in my garage for four days, I got out to start it and get an extremely long crank but no turn over. Try again and after 5-6 seconds car turns over but is running really rough and stalls out. Disconnected the battery checked hoses, everything looked normal, reconnected the battery and now the car is running fine.
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My wife and I recently bought a 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT with an automatic transmission. Last week, we had the timing belt changed by a mechanic I've gone to for the past four years and trust a great deal. He changed the timing belt, drive belts, water pump, pulleys, tensioner and a few hoses, and everything seemed to go off without a hitch. After picking up the car, though, we noticed that the idle seemed much rougher than it had in the past. We can't tell if it's also rough during driving, or when the car is in park or neutral, but there is definitely considerably more vibration when the car is stopped in drive and idling--you can feel it throughout the car. I haven't noticed it until the car has warmed up.
I asked my brother, who is a mechanic in another state, if he had any thoughts, and he said it could be that the belt is off a notch, a vacuum leak or an unplugged sensor. I brought the car back to the mechanic today to see if it he could fix it, and he said that the CEL would be on if it was a vacuum leak or unplugged sensor, and that the car has an automatic idle that the belt change would not have adjusted. He asked if the vibration was getting any better, since when the battery was unplugged it would take the computer awhile to relearn the correct idle, but we've driven it a few hundred miles and it hasn't gotten any better. I left the car with him to take a look at it, but he just called and said he couldn't find anything wrong.
I want to chalk this up to us imagining something, but we both have no doubt that there has been considerably more vibration at least when the car is idling since we picked it up after the timing belt change. Is there anything else that it could be or that I should ask my mechanic?
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A little about my truck. E99 F-350 crew cab long bed dually 4x4 223K miles. 4.10 gears with LS in rear.
I bought the truck June 2016. I ended up wrecking the truck on the test drive. Thought it was a 4 way stop and pulled out in front of a lady and she ran into the passenger side tire. Only damage that was on the truck was a busted tire, and the fender smashed in. Some how missed the door and the bumper.
I replaced all the front end: u-joints, ball joints, steering linkage, brakes, rotors, calipers, and all the u-joints in both of the drive shafts, also changed the fluid in both axles.
I have started to notice a slight "vibration" "shimmy" while driving down the road. Mainly while in a curve or changing lanes; applying pressure to the steering wheel one or the other. Tires have been balanced, and rotated several different times now with no luck at all.
While backing up, I can feel something "popping" "clunking" especially while turning. Like backing out of a parking space.
Insert troubleshooting:
Jack truck up and put on jack stands.
- Pull and shake all tires. --No movement
- Put in drive and watch all the rear end. --Nothing shaking or out of sync.
- Put truck in 4wd, hard to engage, watch front end. --Nothing shaking or out of sync.
- Turn tires to full lock. --Drive line starts clanking and shaking and rear tires acting funny.
- Turn tires straight. --Problem goes away.
- Put truck back in 2wd. --No problems when turning wheel lock to lock.
- Drive to empty parking lot. --Mainly feel problem while backing up, really have to feel for it. Most people call me insane.
- Lock the front axle. --No difference.
- Put in 4wd. Drive straight --No difference.
- In 4wd while turning. --Truck wants to act like it is fully locked in the rear and will bind up and slip a tire. You really have to give it some fuel to make it even try to move, and its almost like the truck wants to fold in half on itself. Cant keep the steering wheel in one spot as it keeps "jumping" on me.
- Put in 2wd. --Acts the same way until the truck fully comes out of 4wd then smooths back out to where you have to really feel for it. 4wd light stays on forever, before going off later in life.
- Put in 4low. --Gears grind and will not engage.
Would this indicate that the transfer case is messing up on me? Why would the rear axle feel like it is locked when in 4wd?
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Yesterday, I noticed a rattling sound coming from the entire car a 2002 subaru outback 2.5l 4 cylander (it seems a bit louder on the passenger side but it literally can be heard throughout the car). I was on the expressway and got off and stopped at a red light when the check engine light came on and started to flash and the rpm's dropped rapidly and the needle began to bounce up and down. I pulled into a gas station to check it out more and popped the hood to find that when the car is rattling it is also shaking and rocking the engine of the car from side to side slightly.
When I'm idling the rpm's drop and the car feels like it is going to stall out. Then, as I accelerate, the rpm's barely go above 2000 and jump up quickly between 3000 & 4000. It sounds like a metal on metal rattle with a very slight high pitched whistle and you can hear a fan kick on and the engine try to keep the rpm's up every couple of seconds when the car is stopped. I had the timing belts replaced 2 years ago and it sounds very similar to how it did when they needed to be changed, however, the engine never felt like it was going to stall until yesterday.
When idling the noise gets louder and when accelerating it can still be heard but barely. Also, the rattling has caused the entire car to vibrate all of the time. I noticed yesterday that the oil was low and topped it off, but I don't think that would cause such a hige issue so quickly. When I go uphill, i have a good amount of power but every 30 second or so the car shifts and the rpm's jump lurching the car forward because of the surge of power. Also, when I hit the brakes, my rpm's jump slightly to about halfway above the 1 but the engine does not accelerate.
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I own a 2003 subaru outback. Tonight when I took my keys out of the ignition my car kept running. It took several turns to get my car to shut off. I don't know if this is related but about a month ago a friend of mine started my car after dropping my keys in the snow and the next morning I found ice in the ignition. What caused my car to run without keys in it? Or how to fix it?
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I sold my older 03' Subaru Outback a few months ago and bought a 2013 Outback, 2.5 premium model. I really like a lot about the car, everything, except....the seats. When I test drove it, I noticed right away, that the seats were different, harder, a bit shorter. I thought, well, I'll get used to it. I haven't. I am always playing with the buttons to adjust the seat, and there are lots of ways to do so. I just don't feel comfortable.
I drove it for about 2 hours straight, and came out with a cramp down my entire driver leg. I am quite frustrated, I feel like maybe I should just sell the car, and get something else, but there is no guarantee that the new car will feel better. Is there anything that I can do to make the seat more comfortable. It's hard, and short, and I feel if there was not this hard cushion behind me, and the seat was about an inch longer, I could live with it.
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I have a Subaru Outback '03 wagon. About 4 months ago, I had a new driver side front axle installed. Right after that, when my car was stopped at a light, and my foot was on the brake, the car would have a vibration from the front end, I took the car back to the place that did the work, they checked the work don, and also the engine mounts, and bearings, and anything else they could check. They couldn't find anything wroing at that time with the car. I then took the car to another dealer who said the same thing, although he did not do a thorough inspection of the care.
I just had my oil changed, and took the car back to the orignal mechanic, and he checked the car out again as a courtesy, with the same outcome. They can't find anything wrong. The care still vibrates when I am stopped and in drive, but when I take my foot off the brake, the vibration dissipates a littel, and when I put the car in neutral or park, it goes away completely . I am hesitant to take it to the dealer and spend lots and lots of money to diagnose. The previous two mechanics said I should not be worried about the car's drivability, just wait and see what happens, although this vibration bothers me.
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I have an "03 subaru Outback, with 164,000 miles on it. I have had a bad cat convertor for one and a half years, but up until a week ago, the car ran fine. My mechanic(s) said not to fix it until inspection, and then decide whether to ditch the car, or repair it. One week ago, the car was very infrequently lugging and missing, but only for a few seconds. It only for about 6 times, smelled like gas coming out the rear of the car.
I don't know what to do about it. I took it to the mechanic, who said it could be many different things, but not the convertor causing symptoms . He said: fuel injectors, gas coils, plugs, all sorts of stuff. I am concerned now, because I just put a lot of money into it, and would like to keep it, but don't want to spend tons more on it. I LOVE my subby, but maybe enough is enough? Also the smell. I am concerned driving it because of the missing.
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Subaru Outback 2003 4 cylinder runs ok first several minutes then starts to skip. Appears to be maybe EGR related? Plugs/wires/dist ignition are ok. The car was double filled with oil the started, smoked. Could that affect the ECR or PVC? Could this damage the fuel injectors?
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I have had some slight rough running with a cold engine and stumble <2000rpm. Finally it tripped a CEL which was read as a misfire code.
The mechanic swapped the coil and plug(recent) and no change. He did a compression test and air blew out the exhaust. So.......the car needs a valve job which entails motor removal and fixing the head and reinstall. He rough estimates this at $2000 and rate is $65/hr.
He mentioned looking at pistons and may be a bit more if rough.
This car well maintained (170,000 miles 2005 Legacy turbo wagon with manual)...
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I'm looking for a car that is cheap to maintain. I have to have something that allows for interior cargo space.So far, I can find either of these two models for under $8k in clean condition.
I like the Subaru Outback (H6 engine), but I know that more parts can likely equal higher priced maintenance. AWD involves a front and rear differential and a transfer case that can go bad anytime and it has a more complex set up than a basic truck. Then, there's the computery crap that can go wrong.
The Xterra, if I can get a basic 2 wheel drive should, I'd guess, be fairly cheap to maintain, no? Sure, I loose out on the driving advantages offered by the Subaru Outback and gas will cost more.
I love driving the Subaru, but I'm guessing that once a bunch of rattles, leaks, and other issues start cropping up that I might not be so happy with it. The vehicles in my price range are all sitting at 100k - 120k miles. The Nissan Xterra is a truck. It drives like a truck. I might be happier with it, knowing I won't have to pay for high priced repairs. I drive rather conservatively with the intention of keeping my vehicle in good condition. It would be a daily driver for the next 18 months.
Even with higher fuel costs (Xterra will likely get 16-19 mpg), I'm thinking I'd be better off buying the Xterra than the Subaru, yes or no?
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I bought this Subaru outback with 100,000 miles- clean car fax, etc, did the timing belt, water pump, thermostat at 102,000. Now at 116,000, the head gasket is leaking ($2,200 estimate) so the repair shop is working on that and they called today to say the #2 cylinder is scored and the engine needs to be rebuilt. ($4,000 estimate). I'm not sure if I should have them proceed with he work- that's a bunch of money or look for another engine, or what to do !! Its a great little car- but geez- what to do-
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I have a 2003 Subaru outback and sometimes when I go to back into a parking space or straighten out after pulling into a parking space my steering wheel becomes incredibly difficult to turn. It used to only do this when I was backing into a space but now it has started doing it when I pull forward into a space as well. This happens most often when I am driving to multiple places and have to park several times over a period of a few hours. I've monitored my power steering fluid and the power steering pump was replaced not too long ago. What's causing this?
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