urabus retserof Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 I finally got to drive the 2000 Forester L in the snow. A couple of things happened that I didn't expect. The ABS did a slow grab and release, instead of the rapid pulsing that was expected. There seemed to be about 1 1/2 - 2 inches or so of travel, up and down, in the pedal while this was happening. Is this normal for these cars? When I accelerated, there was a slight pause, and then a clunk in the rearend, like it was only in FWD and the AWD kicked in with some delay and play. Again, is this normal? Besides these quirks, the ride was enjoyable, and the steep, snowy hills were no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattocs Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 Is it an auto? Because if so, it pretty much is a FWD car until it slips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urabus retserof Posted November 14, 2004 Author Share Posted November 14, 2004 Yeah, it's auto, but is that clunk normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattocs Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 I'm not sure. I have never driven an auto Subaru. Both mine and all the ones i've test drove were manuals. I don't think it should really make a clunk...but I don't know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 It could be excessive slack in the rear differential, or a worn rear suspension bushing. Both should be easy to diagnose at a dealer, on a lift. Once the ABS pump is working, your brake pedal will do strange stuff. Don't worry about. Worry only if it feels weird under normal, non-ABS stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outback_97 Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 A slight clunk and delay in engagement of the rear wheels is normal, especially when the drivetrain hasn't fully warmed up yet. Mine does it. I've heard other people w/ the 4eat describe the same thing. If you are more subtle with the throttle so you're not spinning the front wheels, it won't be as noticeable. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urabus retserof Posted November 15, 2004 Author Share Posted November 15, 2004 A slight clunk and delay in engagement of the rear wheels is normal, especially when the drivetrain hasn't fully warmed up yet. Mine does it. I've heard other people w/ the 4eat describe the same thing. If you are more subtle with the throttle so you're not spinning the front wheels, it won't be as noticeable. Steve Be subtle with the gas!?! I bought this car to have fun with, not drive to church on Sunday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Your brake should sound like a quiet little buzz saw, with barely noticable pulse in the pedal. Something is amiss there. Neither of our auto Legacies clunk at any time, and the shifting is almost unnoticable at any speed (did we just get lucky, twice?). In low and second you are locked into 50/50 on the AWD. Try that next time you're in snow and see how it goes ... good to at least fifty MPH in 2nd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outback_97 Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 mtsmiths: I think you did get lucky... mine makes a clunk or thump when the rear wheels engage if I hit the gas hard on snow, plus you can most definitely tell when it shifts. A kind word would be "firm" shifts. This is but one example of what I'm talking about, it's older but mentions an automatic Forester and a similar thing the driver noticed: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35151&highlight=rear+wheels+engage I've seen other people mention this too. Be subtle with the gas!?! I bought this car to have fun with, not drive to church on Sunday! I know what you mean... that's why I know how mine behaves when driven "aggressively" and more subtly... I've done both. Snow filled parking lots are just too much temptation. As suggested above, try putting it in "1" rather than "D", see the difference that locking it 50:50 front / rear does. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendly_jacek Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 I finally got to drive the 2000 Forester L in the snow. A couple of things happened that I didn't expect. The ABS did a slow grab and release, instead of the rapid pulsing that was expected. There seemed to be about 1 1/2 - 2 inches or so of travel, up and down, in the pedal while this was happening. Is this normal for these cars? When I accelerated, there was a slight pause, and then a clunk in the rearend, like it was only in FWD and the AWD kicked in with some delay and play. Again, is this normal? Besides these quirks, the ride was enjoyable, and the steep, snowy hills were no problem. Took you 4 years to loose virginity!? I snow-tested my 2000 legacy, well, in 2000. I liked what I saw. However, ABS totally sucked in heavy (deep) snow. Little stopping power with ABS buzzing (rapid pulsing) like crazy. My non-ABS FWD cars would stop easier in the same conditions. ABS is great for wet road though. From you description, it sounds like ABS does behave weird. Myself, never heard the clunk in the drivetrain, I guess I am gentle on gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urabus retserof Posted November 15, 2004 Author Share Posted November 15, 2004 Took you 4 years to loose virginity!? I just bought it this summer. All the snow has melted from the roads, so I'll have to wait for my next trial run. It's going into the shop for another head gasket check tomorrow. I'll ask them about these problems, while it's in there. It's still under warranty, so I'm sure they'll say it's normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urabus retserof Posted November 16, 2004 Author Share Posted November 16, 2004 I just bought it this summer. All the snow has melted from the roads, so I'll have to wait for my next trial run. It's going into the shop for another head gasket check tomorrow. I'll ask them about these problems, while it's in there. It's still under warranty, so I'm sure they'll say it's normal. As I suspected, they said everything is normal. They put the monitor on the ABS and found no abnormalities. I'll be taking it back, if it does it again next time it snows. As for the clunk, it may be normal, but it sure doesn't seem right. Anytime things clunk that hard in normal use, usually means early replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 Urabus, before I would let the warranty run out (and the dealership off the hook) I would pay for an inspection and take the results back to the dealer and DEMAND a field rep. I still say, from a total of 65,000 miles of driving in two different AT, AWD, ABS 'Roos ... sumptin aint right. And that's not counting the approx. 150,000 in three different MT 4WD 'Roos, of the older generations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urabus retserof Posted November 19, 2004 Author Share Posted November 19, 2004 The 50/50 lock is not available with an AT ( according to the dealer ). I'll have to make some calls to find someone who knows enough about the Subie AWD, before a dealer will take it seriously. You would think, that if there is always pressure on the shaft ( whether it is 30 or 70% ) a clunk wouldn't be heard, because it is already engaged. The dealer also said that the ABS applies braking to a spinning wheel. Wouldn't the wheel stop spinning on its own, when power is removed? What happens if all the wheels are spinning, because you're trying to go up an icy hill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outback_97 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Try another dealer, it doesn't sound like they have a clue IMO, regarding the 50/50 split in 1 and 2, and the ABS. The ABS will not kick in from wheel spin, it kicks in to prevent wheel lock when braking. I've been told the craziest things by dealers... including the one about Phase 1 engines not being prone to head gasket problems Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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