I have a regular mechanic that I use, except for a recent plug change. The car now feels like it is shifting awkwardly, and at speeds of between 15-25 MPH, it's as if it has a hard time choosing a gear. Can improperly installed plugs have an impact on this sort of thing?
View 1 RepliesOur 2006 Forester started shaking very hard while idling or driving. We drove it to the dealer asap, but the violent shaking had stopped. They hooked it up to the diagnostic machine and everything checked out as fine. This problem happens intermittently so the mechanics have not witnessed it. We've even let them keep the car a week and drive it home and back and it never gave them the shaking problem. There is no pattern to when it happens - hot or cold engine, hot or cold outside, just started or been running for awhile, it just doesn't seem to matter. If we give it some gas while at a stop sign it smooths out a bit but it doesn't stop the problem. When driving it still shakes but it's harder to tell how hard. I'm talking about shaking very hard, not just a rough idle.
View 1 RepliesFor longer than I'd like to reveal, my Forester has shifted extremely hard. This happens only when the engine is cold and disappears entirely once it heats up. Also, the RPMs go high just before the shift. When it does shift, it feels as if the engine is going to self-destruct from the sound and rough feeling --as if the entire engine or at least some part of it were going to fall to the ground. After it shifts, it feels as if the car shoots forward like a rocket. The Subaru dealer changed the transmission fluid and reset the computer. The problem persists.
View 1 RepliesI have a 2006 Subaru Forester with 115K miles. It's been well-maintained and well-loved.
For the past few months, the brakes have been inconsistently making a dragging/grinding noise when coming to a stop at low speeds (<5mph). It sounds to be coming from the front half of the car - I can feel it vibrating a little near the driver side. We've taken the car in to be looked at three times - each time, the mechanics think they've heard the noise and report there is absolutely nothing wrong with the brake pads or rotors. Twice they reported a shim was out of alignment. After the last shim adjustment, the noise got a little better - instead of grinding, it's more of a dragging sound now. Because the noise is inconsistent, I haven't been able to crack the formula of the conditions that produce it, other than that it only happens as I'm coming to a stop at very low speeds.
Is there something besides the brakes we should be having inspected? Does this sound safe to drive?
I have a 2005 Subaru forester. It's got 127k and when I turn at slow speeds (like from a stop sign onto a main road) it shakes/vibrates. I called into Vox Pop when a mechanic was on the air last week and he said to check the serpentine belt. We did and it isn't loose/rotting, etc. What this might be?
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.
My 2004 Forester (73000 miles) with 5-speed manual, is sometimes hard shifting into gears. The Subaru agency says that there's 'not much left' on the clutch and I need a new clutch @ $1300. Does hard shifting , no clutch slipping, indicate new clutch is necessary?
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 steering problem in my 2003 forester when i make an extreme right it scrapes and is hard to turn. I took it to morn and they said it was the timing belt, they changed the timing belts and the problem is exactly the same.
View 2 RepliesI 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 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 2006 Subaru Forester with a little over 119,000 miles.
For the past several weeks, maybe a month, it has been making a weird noise... it comes from the 'engine' area... my husband thinks it might be a belt or something. Sometimes there is a burning smell, especially if we're on a long trip, going uphill... but the smell isn't always.
The sound sounds like... a remote control car that you push with your hands, instead of using the remote control. So it's kind of like a winding/whining sound... the sound happens when it is in park, and drive, whether I'm driving or at a stop.
I have a 2006 Subaru Forester (auto trans) with 97,000 miles on it. It's behaving badly, and here are its symptoms:1. It is getting worse gas mileage now than it has in the past 5 years I've owned it. Up until the last few months, I've been able to get about 26 mpg on average. Since Sept. or Oct., I've only been getting about 21 mpg.2. It shifts rough on a cold start when it shifts into 3rd and/or 4th. No rough shifting is noticed when the car is started on a moderate or warm day (roughly 35 degrees outside or warmer).3. When doing mountain driving (specifically u to a hill at highway speeds that is about 10 miles long and a sustained 7%-10% grade), the engine temp rises to about 2/3 according to the gauge on the dash. (Under normal driving conditions it sits at about 1/3.)
I took the car to my mechanic and here's what they said:
1. The gas mileage on Subaru Foresters frequently isn't much higher than 22 mpg, so for the first 5 years, I owned the car I was just lucky.
2. The fluids need to be flushed and changed: differential, transmission, etc. - approximate cost $400
3. He's almost certain that the cause of the 3rd problem is blown head gaskets, and the cost of that is about $3000.
If the head gaskets are truly the culprit, is it a repair that needs immediate attention or is it something I can delay for a while?
I have 2006 Subaru Forester that is idling roughly. 90k – oil change every 3k miles. Per diagnostic codes I learned that the 2nd cylinder was misfiring. I replaced the coil, spark plugs, ignition wires, and an airflow sensor. Yet, my car still idles rough. The check engine light is solid and the cruise control is flashing. The idling problem only happens when stopped… after I get high rpms there is no shaking. I had someone disconnect the battery and reset the computer and the lights stayed off for about a week and idling was fine. Week later – the problem returned. I think this an electrical problem, but not sure if mechanical.
View 19 RepliesYou ever see the Bugs Bunny cartoon from WWII where the gremlin is sabotaging the aircraft? Well, the little bugger is working on my car, now!
The left front headlight -sometimes- does not come on when I turn on the headlights. I can easily make it come on by giving the lens cover a gentle "bop" with my fist; it's not even a hard rap, just a bump, really. Alternatively, if I drive with the light out and hit enough bumps in the road, it will eventually come on by itself.
On the contrary, if the light is functioning, it will NOT go out just from hitting bumps in the road. I've replaced the bulb, it's not that. I've checked the wires, they're free of corrosion. I've used dielectric grease on the connections, to no avail. I'm assuming there is a short or loose connection somewhere but I cannot find it.
The check engine light on my 2006 Subaru Forester with 92,000 miles came on recently. A scan revealed the engine was running lean. After three more trips the mechanic determined the rear O2 sensor was bad and replaced it. This was the only part replaced. Now the computer is sending code P2097; Post Catalyst Fuel Trim System Too Rich Bank 1. I have read it could be anything from the catalytic converter needs replacing to "resetting the adaptation values."
View 2 RepliesHad the oil changed in 2006 forester. They put 6 qts of oil in. The car was driven for 1 day, less than 50 miles and was blowing white smoke. Had the oil changed again with the right amount. The dealer is saying the car needs a head gasket. Did the oil overfill cause this?
View 10 RepliesI have a 2006 Subaru Forester with 115K miles. It's been well-maintained and well-loved.
For the past few months, the brakes have been inconsistently making a dragging/grinding noise when coming to a stop at low speeds (<5mph). It sounds to be coming from the front half of the car - I can feel it vibrating a little near the driver side. We've taken the car in to be looked at three times - each time, the mechanics think they've heard the noise and report there is absolutely nothing wrong with the brake pads or rotors. Twice they reported a shim was out of alignment. After the last shim adjustment, the noise got a little better - instead of grinding, it's more of a dragging sound now. Because the noise is inconsistent, I haven't been able to crack the formula of the conditions that produce it, other than that it only happens as I'm coming to a stop at very low speeds.
Is there something besides the brakes we should be having inspected? Does this sound safe to drive?
I have an 06 subaru forester with a little over 130k miles on it. The AC has now become intermittent and when running doesn't blow super cold air. I had it recharged but that didn't fix the problem. What happens is that it will run fine for like 15-20 minutes or if not hot. The clutch will start by attaching very firmly but then suddenly for no reason will disengage. It is not slipping the belt at all. I dont think that it is a matter of too much air gap because when it grabs it does so very firmly. Also when they were charging it i noticed that the for a moment it was kicking on and off rapidly and then he did something that looked as though he might have released some and it stayed more constant?
View 1 RepliesReplaced original clutch on Subaru Forester at approx. 130,000 miles because of slipping. Drove car for a few days and clutch would judder once warmed-up when trying to engage 1st gear. Took car back to repair shop, they said pressure plate was defective/set too stiff and replaced that. Whole car now shudders when trying to engage in 1st gear once the car has warmed-up and particularly on (even a slight) hill. What's not working correctly? Seen some discussion on throw-out bearings, master/slave cylinders and oil on clutch. Unsure.
View 5 RepliesI have a 2006 Subaru Forester with 95,000 miles on it. Earlier today the CEL (solid) and cruise (flashing) came on while I was driving. I believe it may have occurred as I was accelerating up hill. I filled up yesterday, so I tightened the gas cap when I stopped. On my way home, I stopped by my mechanic and they read the code; P0420 Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold Bank was the code that was read. They reset the code for me but told me that the catalytic converter is what needs to be replaced.
My question: Could the light coming on be incidental (i.e., is it possible that it was a "blip" and my catalytic converter is okay?)? My mechanic said he thinks it is, and that my car should last me quite a bit longer. I am asking because I've put in a bit of money into the car of late and I'm wondering if I should just jump ship. I should say that the majority of the repairs are maintenance (e.g., brakes, tires).