forester2002s

Oh boy, Oh boy! Here we go again. This question comes up with monotonous regularity. Just check down the page, and you'll see the most recent one. Or else do a search for 'synthetic oil', and you'll find more info than you can digest.

A piece of advice when downloading from the Subaru site: - There are literally hundreds of individual files to download. - All of the downloaded files have incomprehensible file-names (e.g. MSA5T0222A21517.pdf). - As you download, add a text description to the filename (e.g. 'MSA5T0222A21517 Engine Oil.pdf') - As you download, create the relevant folders (e.g. 'Engine Section'), and also sub-folders (e.g. 'Lubrication'). and put the downloaded files in the right place. This is a lot of work, but worthwhile in the end. You end up with an excellent manual. Wait for a rainy day; fill the coffee pot; and be ready for an extended stay at the keyboard. You must have broadband to do this; don't even try it with dial-up (it would take you days!).

Here is link to a Consumer Reports article (July 1996): 'The surprising truth about motor oils'.

To buck the trend..... I have been using dino oils in all of my cars for over 40 years. I usually buy the cheapest API tested oil that I can find. I change the oil and filter religiously every 3000km. I do the work myself, and so the cost is minimal. I have never had an oil-related problem on any of my vehicles, some of which I have kept for many years.

"A grinding sound when you depress the clutch pedal"? This could be the clutch throw-out bearing wearing out. If so, it will need changing soon. Get a clutch kit and do the whole clutch at the same time, bearing, clutch-plate and release spring. I've done this on other cars, but not yet on my Subie. Maybe others have some advice....

As mattocs says, the RPMs go up, but sometimes it can be quite subtle at first. The car may drive normally, and the clutch may not appear to slip at low throttle positions. But if you accelerate under load, either driving up a hill, or with slight brake pressure, the clutch may slip and the RPMs go up. This shouldn't happen on a properly adjusted clutch. So if it does, it tells you that the clutch is wearing out. And there really isn't any alternative except to replace it.

Does the car have an Automatic Transmission? I had the same symptoms (trailing thick smoke, going up a long hill) on another vehicle (not a Subie), a few years ago. It seems that the AT had been overfilled with fluid. This hadn't caused a problem until the long uphill haul with a full load. The fluid aerated (or something), and escaped via an overflow pipe, directly onto the exhaust pipe. You wouldn't believe how much smoke this created. No apparent harm. I drove on a few minutes later, and it never reoccurred.

What happened to Alias20035? He/she used to post all the time and very helpful posts too. Then he/she went on a cross-Canada trip in the middle of last winter. And hasn't posted since then. Where are you Alias20035?

Do what 'mattocs' has suggested: Carry a gas can (with a known amount of gas in it), and run the car empty. If the 'low-gas' light comes on, record odometer reading, and keep driving. When the car stops (or starts to miss), fill her up from the gas-can, and read odometer again. Head for a (hopefully nearby) filling-station and fill the tank to capacity. You should then know two things: - actual fuel tank capacity; - distance from 'low-gas' light to 'empty' (40km for my 2002 Forester).

If the fault has cleared itself, then the CEL should go out after a few runs in the car. If the CEL stays on, then a fault still exists.

Sounds like a good idea. What type of 'nylon/fiber screen' do you use? And how do you fasten it in place? And presumably the screen doesn't reduce the air-flow significantly?

Crocodile hunters.

http://www.subaruforester.com/viewtopic.php?t=411&highlight=location

Is the radiator fan working? Does the fan come on when the temp. gauge reads 'H'?

I take a Cod-Liver Oil pill every day. Never thought of giving one to my Subie. Would it be best to administer the pill via the oil sump, or into the gas tank, or should I let the Subie suck it in through the air intake?

What you are experiencing may be what others have called 'hesitation'. I also get this on my 2002 Forester, in first gear in slow traffic. Try running a search on this board for the word 'hesitation'.

My 2002 Forester (bought new) has 50,000km on it. It is great in the snow, and on slippery roads. In general I am very happy with it and plan to keep it a long time. I have taken it on some mountain logging roads a few times, and it has behaved OK, but there are a couple of points to note: 1. 1st gear is not low enough for really steep or rocky areas, and so one has to slip the clutch sometimes. 2. The wide tires (215/60R16) don't have enough 'depth' to cope with impacting rocks on the road; I had one flat that destroyed the tire, from running over a 4" rock (my fault entirely). The engine 'hesitates' at slow speed (in traffic); this phenomenom comes and goes; try searching for 'hesitation' problems on this board. I have learned to live with the problem (my wife doesn't even notice it). I fixed one annoying design fault: The power-windows were wired to only work when the ignition key was set to 'RUN'; that meant that if I was sitting in the car with the engine off, and listening to the radio with the key set to the 'ACC' position, then the windows didn't work. Most annoying. Soon after I bought the car, I rewired the windows to the 'ACC' circuit. Maybe Subaru have changed this on later models. One other minor fault: The seat heaters (which are a nice feature) are energized using a toggle switch (wired to the 'ACC' circuit). The problem is that the switch does not turn itself off after a pre-set time, nor does it reset to off when the ignition key is removed. This means that if I forget that the toggle-switch is 'ON', then the seats get hot all the time that the ignition is set to either 'ACC' or 'RUN'. Just a minor inconvenience, that Subaru could easily fix with timer. Other than that, the Forester is great for my needs. There are so many Subarus near where I live, that some wag has put up a sign on his road reading 'Rue Subaru' (Subaru Road in French).

This question has been asked before. Try this thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12249&highlight=manuals or do a search for 'service manuals' on this board.

Try taking the other (the one that works) wiper arm off. Then compare the two drive shafts. That should give you an idea whether one is worn more than the other. Also, try operating the wipers with both wiper arms removed. It won't do any harm, and you should be able to see what moves and what doesn't. Good luck.

A few months ago, someone posted pics of their Subaru engine being dismantled, with a gloved hand visible in the corner. After many years (close to half a century) of getting dirty grease under my fingernails, and embedded in my fingerprints, I tried some disposable gloves for my next oil change. Wow, how easy these disposable gloves are to use; not bulky at all; I hardly noticed that I had them on. At the end of the job, just toss them into the garbage. Maybe that I am the last back-yard mechanic to start using disposable gloves; if so, forgive my new-found excitement. Otherwise, I recommend that you try them.

Are these letters only being sent out by Subaru of America? What about owners outside of the States? Has anyone in the ROTW (rest of the world) received one of these letters?

Does the letter from Subaru mention which VINs are affected?

Yes the $20 for 24-hour download time is a good deal. One word of warning: the download can be quite time-consuming, even with a fast internet connection. The Factory Service Manuals consist of hundreds of indivividual PDF files. Be sure to rename each PDF file with a meaningful description (the original file names are just a string of numbers), and download into a set of appropriately-named folders. This makes retrieval and reading much easier. Expect to spend several hours at the keyboard, but you'll get an excellent manual out of it.

Any debris caught under the car? Wedged again the exhaust system perhaps?

A while ago someone posted a method to reduce wind noise from the mirrors. "Place a piece of folded-up cardboard to fill the vertical-gap between the mirror housing and the mounting piece on the door". Haven't tried it so don't know if it works.