Am I just letting off of the clutch too fast? Also, the A/C is annoying

[starfox5194]

It's difficult to tell if this is really a problem or not, but I don't remember it always happening a few thousand miles ago.

 

1995 Subaru Legacy Outback EJ22 5M/T 136k miles.

 

basically when I try to get into first gear and the car is facing up hill, it works. I successfully get in gear.

 

The RPMs are normally just a tad below 1000 (once my foot is totally off off the clutch) and I have to press the gas pedal to the floor and pray that the car slowly rolls up hill. No matter how hard I press on the pedal the car does not really respond. It just very very slowly rolls up hill. Eventually the rpms get up to 1700 and the car starts to launch forward and act normally (due to my foot still being on the floor and the car being at the top of the hill). People are behind me so It's pretty embarrassing when this happens.

 

The RPM's match the MPH at a good ratio, so that leads me to believe that there is nothing wrong with the clutch except for a screaming throwout bearing above 4.5k RPMs. Clutch was replaced at 70K so it's not too old yet.

 

So my question is do I just need to give it more gas when I start in first gear up hill or is this abnormal behavior?

 

I don't always remember this happening but I don't always remember being able to get in gear at such a low RPM either. I used to be a lot more nervous of stalling on hills so I would rev to about 2K and try to start anyways.

 

My next issue:

 

It is summer time and I recharged the A/C on my own to make the cabin a little cooler. I bought a kit with a gauge from Advanced Auto Parts and it took about two bottles to get the A/C to the proper level. It's pretty cool, but not as good as a car made within the past ten years.

 

That's not the issue with the A/C though. My issue with the A/C is highway driving and parking lot driving. I can feel the compressor turn on and off in the gas pedal. It even causes the car to lurch on the highway and keeping a constant speed requires concentration. It's really annoying and the passengers can feel it too. But I need A/C so I just crank up the stereo and try to get my mind off of it. Also, If I'm driving around in a parking lot in first gear, the compressor turns on an off a lot too. The car literally chugs and it's a battle to keep a constant comfortable speed.

 

I've driven the car for a year and a half so I'm pretty comfortable driving It. I think I know what I'm doing and I don't think the issues I'm having are due to human error. I'm not keeping it out of the question though.

 

I look forward to hearing what you have to say about my issues.

 

Thanks everyone and sorry this is such a long post.

[Setright]

Sounds annoying! I could be the hill-hold is adjusted wrong and is causing the brakes to remain activated. I would start by unhooking the hill-holder cable to see if that helps get the car started uphill. If you look at the clutch fork, you will see the cable operated on by the pedal, and another cable leading to the base of the brake master cylinder...that's the hill hold cable.

 

The A/C is not very powerful. Agreed. It helped a bit on the jerkiness when I tightened the drive belt on my A/C compressor. Don't tighten it too hard..the bearing the compressor will wear out too fast.

As I recall, the threads are "backwards" on the drive belt adjuster for the A/C, so work slowly to make sure you aren't loosening the belt :-)