I have a 2003 Subaru Forester. It will cool just fine while not moving. It will also cool just fine if I'm coasting down a hill with my foot off the gas. However, on the highway I have intermittent cooling. It cools for 10-15 seconds and then it blows what feels like straight vent for 10-15 seconds. It has a new compressor, receiver/dryer, and expansion valve and is fully charged.
View 3 RepliesMy AC seems to function quietly and normally. The compressor kicks on and off like it should, the low side pressure is normal and the cores are clean. It all seems to work just fine. But, on a hot day (80+), the air being forced out inside just doesn't feel very cool, unless I'm sitting in a shaded place, when it's noticeably cooler (about like it should -normally- be). I starting noticing this difference about a month ago when the temperature started getting near 90 and seems to have gotten slowly worse. I bought the SUV 20 months ago as a Subaru Certified Used Vehicle and it's now out of warranty with 62K miles on it and is otherwise in overall excellent condition. Why it's not blowing snow, well maybe not snow, but COOL air?
View 7 RepliesI just bought a 2015 Forester Limited and have put about 1000 miles on it. I love it, and it's the first new car I've owned in a long time, as well as my first Subaru. I regret to say that I've had already had some trouble it, which I hope does not portend future issues. I have had some problems with the power lift gate not opening using the button on the dash- it beeps three times but doesn't open, regardless of the position of the key in the ignition (car is always in park when I attempt it, and the owner's manual indicates that it is supposed to beep twice before it opens).
If I first use the key fob to open and then close it, I'm able to get the button to open the gate but why the gate won't initially respond to the switch on the dash. It's worth noting that this doesn't happen every time I try to open the lift gate using the button, so I've been unable to reproduce the problem for the dealer. Is there a software reset that could fix this, or is it an electrical issue?
The second issue is another intermittent one: the entire heating and cooling system wouldn't turn on after being shut off. I drove a couple hours with the AC on, shut the AC off, parked the car and then restarted it after an hour. When I tried to turn on the AC, I was unable to do so- the entire heating and cooling system was unresponsive. The AC button wasn't responding, I couldn't adjust the fan level, and the mode selector (vent/floor/defroster) wasn't responding either. I pulled over, shut the car off and restarted it and was able to turn on the AC without incident.
I have a 2005 Subaru Forester with 88k on it. I bought it with about 70k on and have been doing a lot of the services myself.
I change the oil religiously. I recently changed the thermostat on the car, cleaned out the reservoir and now the car has new antifreeze. The reason I did this was because cars cooling fan is always going at full blast. This only started about 6,000 miles ago. So since it was a easy job I figured change the thermostat. I am in NY and it has been very cold out, but with my 10 mile commute to work by the time I pull into the parking lot the cooling fan is very loud and the noise is very noticeable.
I recently drove up to go skiing, ( the temp outside was 9 degrees) I was on the interstate going about 70 to 77 mph because the car was going uphill and the incline was significant , I would push more on the gas pedal and I would see the thermostat on the dash going up very closely to the red mark. I pulled over a few time, the fans were at full blast.
I have a 2002 subaru forester that will stutter and backfire without throwing a code, but not all the time. i have had it hooked up to a computer to check the O2 sensors and they are fine, it has a new Throttle position sensor, knock sensor, plugs, and catalytic converters (all put on in the last month). I have called a dealership and they have not heard of this happening, so this is my last resort.
View 15 RepliesI have a 2003 Subaru Forester, bought it this past January. Got 163,000 miles on it, and we've driven it mostly around town. Over the last month, it has developed an intermittent problem with stalling and rough "putt-putt" running, and will only keep running if the gas pedal gets pumped. This seems to happen about every other time we turn it on, but without a pattern. It can be running fine, and then switch mode, as it were, to running rough and tending to stall. I've gotten ignition codes (check engine light came on and I had my guy check it out on the computer) twice. My mechanic (a long-term Subaru mechanic) has checked out the injectors, and replaced the head gasket, but the problem has not changed. I'm thinking that this may be an electronics issue or possibly something in the gas tank/line.
View 1 RepliesI just took my 2009 Subaru Forester (80,000 miles) in to a mechanic because it was having an intermittent power steering assist failure during low speed maneuvering (i.e., parking lot). This is always accompanied by a loud rhythmic whining form under the hood (kind of like a whaawhaawhaawhaa). By intermittent, I mean maybe 50% chance of it happening when I am maneuvering in a parking lot. By failure, I mean I can still turn the wheel but it's much harder. The mechanic diagnosed it as the following:
dry rot in drive belts, recommended replacement
leaky rack and pinion, recommended replacement
2 leaky front struts
I checked my power steering fluid before I brought it in and the level/color looks great. The mechanic said in addition to the leak that there's a little bit of a catch in the steering at a certain steering position when going faster, but I haven't noticed it myself. I have trusted this shop in the past and had good experiences, but there has been a lot of turnover lately, so I'm unsure of what to do. I went ahead and had them change the belts, but decided to wait on the rack/struts until I did more research/got a second opinion.
I 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.
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.
View 7 RepliesI 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.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2003 Subaru Forester with 44,000 miles. How will I know when to replace the timing belt? Is it more a question of miles or age?
View 7 Replies2003 Subaru Forester automatic non-turbo. Vehicle stalls out at long red lights. No sputter, shudder, or warning. Idle just drops to zero. May happen twice in one day or once in two or three months. No rhyme or reason. Runs great otherwise. No drivability issues until I am stopped. I replaced the idle air control (IAC) solenoid valve last week and thought I cured the problem. But the vehicle cut out on my wife while she was stopped, waiting to yield into traffic this evening.
View 13 RepliesWith 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.
View 1 RepliesI have an '03 Subaru Forester and my mechanic recently replace the rear wheel bearings and seals. Afterward, I noticed a high pitch squeak from the rear right wheel at slow speeds. I brought it back for my next oil change and had them look at it. I watched them take off the wheel and brake drum. He hand-turned the wheel mount and it made the squeak sound from the bearing. Then he said that it's no big deal and put it all back together.
So, is it really not an issue? I'd rather not have noises coming from something brand new, but I also like my mechanic and don't want to make him do a lot of extra work if this thing is just going to go away on it's own.
The other day my 2003 Subaru Forester was getting its oil changed and when it was done the mechanic informed me that my struts were leaking and needed to be replaced. He didn't seem to think it was urgent or anything. He mentioned something about roll overs and the wearing of the tires, but I'm not entirely sure what this means for the car. It has 140K on it, and I drive it a lot on the high way. I'm also planning to go on a trip in Mid July that's about a thousand mile drive. So, how soon should this be done? What do leaking struts mean for a car?
View 14 RepliesI have a 2003 Forester, recently noticed the front brakes locking up, especially on hot days. Completely immobilized car, to get going again I would have to wait for them to cool and/or cool them with water if pads smoking from trying to drive with brakes engaged, and tap on calipers and master cylinder to allow pads to release. Problem got worse as it got hotter out, due to job I rarely drive car and didn't get in for service yet. Last time pads burned a whole lot and braking felt odd (less pressure and uneven like rotors were messed up or pads burned up).
Took it into brake place, they had never seen before. When they inspected, discs were in bad shape with one cracked, but I don't think that was original problem, just caused by driving with them hot. Shop at first said fluid seemed clean but I left and later they said it was contaminated but I don't trust them. Shop solution is replace everything: calipers, pads, hoses, flush system, and replace ABS (the most expensive part I am hoping isn't actually necessary). I don't trust shop for several reasons including because they admitted having never seen this and seemed content to take maximum amount of money just to replace everything without knowing what actual problem was.
When the weather gets really cold (below 30) I intermittently smell a gas/exhaust smell in the cabin but also on the exterior. I have on two occasions had my mechanic check this and each time he has replaced an "old and cracked" hose.
He has to use the smoke tracer to find where it is leaking and replacing hose. On both occasions he urged me to make the repair immediately as it could be extremely dangerous. (Makes sense if I am smelling gas.)
I am wondering if this could be an exhaust/heating system problem. The car is 11 years old with 120K miles and I want to keep it running a few more years. I am due for front brakes and new tires soon...
I bought my 2003 Forester a year ago from a friend with 90,000. I love this car, I put a new timing belt on it and off we went. The car worked fantastically from January to August 2011. One night I was driving to watch a show and rather then shifting into gear, it jolted. Pulled over, checked fluids and so on, car worked normally for a while. It started doing this more frequently. It has a hard time shifting into 2nd and when it does, (at about 40MPH) it jolts and same thing for third and so on. I took it to my mechanic but it never misbehaved for him sop I took it back and drove some more and dropped it off at a transmission shops. They get it to do what it does, ran many tests, decided it was the throttle sensor, replaced it, car worked great for two weeks and then reverted back to this behavior. Took it in again three times but they can't seem to figure it out. Anyway, I have taken the car to five different mechanics and no one can quite figure it out. So my car, the Diva, as I like to refer to her, continues to jolt to shift gears. If I put it into reverse it will shift normally until I stop again or slow way down. I am stumped and sad because I love my car. It now has 101,000 and I want it to be kind to me.
View 5 RepliesMy car is hesitating when I shift and accelerate, and revving up the tach after I shift into 5th but the speed doesn't match.Also, in order to start the car I have to press the clutch practically all the way to the floor.
It has 53,000 miles on it. I took it to the dealer, and they said I need the clutch and possibly flywheel replaced.
This seems low mileage to me. I have driven a stick for over 31 years. My previous car was a Honda CRXsi and it was over 110,000 miles before I needed a new clutch.
Is a clutch replacement this early normal for this car? Or is it me? I don't think I ride the clutch.
I have a 2003 Subaru Forester with 240K miles on it. When I start the engine in the morning, there's a squealing noise under the hood that lasts for a few seconds. (Usually goes away as soon as I pop the hood and look at the engine.) I think it's one of three things: AC compressor, alternator, or power steering pump, but I haven't been able to isolate the noise to one of the three. I don't want to wind up replacing all three.
View 4 RepliesI have a 10 year old 2003 Subaru Forester in "very good" condition....except that the transfer clutch assembly is starting to make noise and the repair shop (at the dealer) says, housing has to be replaced also. The car has 130K miles and has had all its regular maintenance for 10 years. The only major mechanical problem we've had are the head gaskets (which on this year's model were NOT part of the recall). Those were fixed 2 years ago. Some of what I see in the online chatter about transfer clutches suggests that this is a slippery slope and the next thing you know there's the "next thing" that needs to be worked on. We were hoping that the 2014 Forester would get really good mileage (this one got 30 when it was younger) but we hear it will only be 32 mpg so we're inclined to "keep waiting" if this car can be kept happy. Is a transfer clutch repair a big deal?
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