The Dude

I sse that your original post was on 3.27.2009. You're working on five months and this situation still has not been resolved? I think if my Subaru ever needs a replacement engine I might just set it on fire and collect the insurance money. Just kidding It might be easier, though. Good luck.

My GF just bought a 2009 Impreza wagon. The car came with the type 1 factory radio installed. The radio has a CD/AUX button which does nothing when pressed. There is a rubber spacer in the console storage where the mini jack for the MP3 player is supposed to be. Frankly, it seems pretty cheap and petty for Subaru to cheat a customer out of MP3 player use for less than $1 worth of parts. The delaer said that the model she bought doesn't support an MP3 player. Is there a "hack' for the radio? I can always run wire and install ajck. Thanks.

The sunroof is probably not covered by the warranty because it's such a common problem. In my view, a sunroof is just an invitation to to a leak. Sooner or later, they all leak. Manufacturer, make, or model, it doesn't matter, eventually a sunroof will leak. So, is a sunroof worth having? Well, if you're leasing the car for three years, it's probably going to be someone else's problem when the sunroof starts leaking. Or, maybe someone likes sunroofs so much that they're willing to deal with the eventual leaks. A sunroof is sealed with synthetic rubber gasketing. Synthetic rubber is not a forever material, it has a rather limited useful life. Motors also tend to go out. Wet roof liners need to be replaced. Not my thing.

This a very interesting and informative thread for me. You can bet that SubiPilot just wants this nightmare to end. He has every incentive to have this process end with a dependable car back on the road. So far, SubiPilot has been plagued with out-of-box-failures. The rebuilt engines have not worked properly from the moment that they were installed into his car. "Bore wash" or "cyclinder wash" usually destroys an engine over a period of time. There's a limit on how much raw gas can leak into a cylinder before it misfires. What, turn the key for the first time on a new engine and thirty seconds later the engine is destroyed by "bore wash"? I think that it's more likely that the engine would hydrolock from all that raw gas before it was " instantaneously" destroyed by "bore wash".

You are correct , my mistake. I followed the wrong column on the spec PDF. The 2.5 GT is listed in the same document. The 2.5 i engine uses regular (87 octane) gas. There have been a lot chages since I thoroughly researched the purchase of my 2006 Forester. I corrected the original post.

The 2.5i engine use regular gasoline. I'm on my second new Forester, so I'm far from anti-Subaru. Right now, I am shopping for a new Suby for my GF. So far, it has been one disappointment after another. 2010 Impreza-1000 lbs towing limit, new CVT transmission unproven in the US market, and pemium gas. 2009 Impreza- TOWING LIMIT UNKNOWN. That's right, my GF was about to ink the purcahse conmtract when I asked about a genuine Subaru towing hitch. No Subaru hitch is available for the 2009 Impreza. The dealer had no info on the Impreza's towing capacity (Saturday). I called off the deal until I could get a definite answer. So far, not good. I own a big property. At the very least I need to be able to tow a utility trailer, let alone my Sailboat. Subaru seems to be abandoning many of the things that they built their reputation on. If I wanted just another yuppiemoblie I'd buy a Lexus.

Subipilot, I'm sorry to learn about your on going problems. First, it's great that CCR is at least picking up the additional install and de-install expenses. To my knowledge, this not the usual industry practice. With most rebulders, the CUSTOMER pays for the install and de-install charges when the rebuilt engines fails. So, at least CCR is stepping up to the plate. Rebuilt engines are not fully tested before they leave the rebulder. Rebuilt engines are "tested" after they have been installed in the customer's engine bay. The first person turning the ignition key on a newly installed rebuilt engine is the final "quality control" inspector.

The 2010 Outack still has the 4EAT or 5EAT. Obvioulsly, the CVT is a potential weak link, and probably the reason for the greatly reduced towing limit. Another thing, most other car manufacturers use a CVT with a pulley belt. The Subaru CVT has a pulley chain. That means metal to metal contact in what might be the highest wear area of the CVT. I'll let someone else be the guinea pig.

The 2010 Legacy has the 2.5L engine and the new CVT transmission. 31 mpg highway!!!!!!! But wait, there is a downside. Towing capacity has been reduced to only 1,000 lbs. People needing more towing capacity will have to opt for the 3.6L engine. Also, the US won't be seeing the Subaru 2.0 turbo diesel anytime soon. Reportedly, it won't pass US emission standards. Something had to give. At $4 gas Subaru's 26 mph highway was not competitive. Removing AWD would have increased mph, but the whole marketing concept of Subaru is based on AWD. Still, I bought my 2006 Forester expressly for it's 2500 lbs towing capacity. I may have bought my last Subaru. AWD, badly needed in Maine In South Carolina, not so much.

I don't like being an unpaid beta tester. This the first year for the new CVT tranny. Old guys, with good memories, can remember the last time Subaru installed CVT trannies. It was a horror show. The trannies were good for about 20,000 miles before they self-destructed. Sooooo... does anyone have any info on the new CVT tranny? I buy Subarus for dependable transportation, not to be an unpaid beta tester. Just got back from the dealership. CVT has a towing limit of only 1000 lbs. THe CVT is a sealed unit, no on site repair. If the CVT breaks replacement with a new/factory rebuilt transmission is the only repair option.

A recent incident with a friend's car (not a Subaru) got me thinking about timing chains. Among the advantages of a timing chain is longer life than a timing belt. A timing chain is usually supposed to be good for the life of the engine, or about 200,000 miles. But what about the water pump? It takes about the same amount of labor to change the water pump as it does to change the timing chain. You're probably looking at around $800 to change the water pump on a motor with a timing chain. So, is a Subaru water pump going to make 200,000+ miles? A mechanic usually replaces the water pump along with the timing belt on a Subaru. Does the H6 get a "special" extra long life water pump? I don't think so.

I wonder how SubiPilot finally ended up with his rebuilt engine? Happy, I hope.

So, is Subaru still losing money? You can't lose money one each car sold and make it up on volume. Undoubtedly many full size SUV owners are moving to Subaru for AWD, lower price, and lower operating costs. Increased sales in this economy are impressive. I wonder how CRV and RAV4 sales are doing?

Subaru now recommends flat bed truck towing for all AWD vehicles. But, an AWD manual transmission car can be towed with all four wheels on the pavement for a limited distance and speed. Once again, I believe that Subaru no longer recommends this practice. With a FWD automatic, you don't have the problem of the tranny pulling itself apart due to a locked multi-clutch pack. It's FWD, there is no multi-clutch pack. You still probably have the problem of the AT going without lubrication if the motor is not running. So, it's a matter of luck. How much residual oil is left on the internal parts, ambient temperature, and length of tow. Still, it's very cheap and easy to rent a dolly, why take a risk and flat tow a FWD AT even one mile?

Do huh!? It depends on the model and year. The XT6 came eqiupped with AWD manual transmissions, AWD automatic transmissions, AND FWD automatic transmissions. Also, most is NOT the same as all. An AWD automatic must be towed on a flat bed truck unless special measures are taken. You can tow most FWD automatic by the front wheels on a dolly all day without a problem. Subaru now recommends that ALL AWD Subarus be towed only on a flat bed truck, automatic or manual, just to stop the confusion. Quite a few posters have reported totaled AWD automatic transmissions when their Subes were towed by the front wheels. Further, a couple of posters have reported damage when their AWD manual transmissions were towed by the front wheels. At least with the MTs it's usually just the viscous diff that goes.

Nice picture of a classic car. But non-turbo XT6 models with automatic transmission were Front Wheel Drive only, so there wasn't even a place to put a FWD fuse. You can tow almost any FWD car by the front wheels all day long without a problem. The rear wheels are just along for the ride.

Don't take my word for it, do a search on this website. Towing a 4EAT car by two wheels kills the AT almost instantly. If you run a 4EAT car with unmatched tires, it kills the clutch pack. Some posters are confused. I do not know how assess the AT without a running engine in the car. It's kind of a Catch-22 at this point. It would be a miracle if your AT survived a tow of that length under those conditions. In theory, you MIGHT be able to front wheel tow a 4EAT car with the FWD fuse installed and the motor running. Although I'm not volunteering my Forester to test the theory. Removing the rear drive shafts is the easiest and surest way to go with a front wheel tow.

Fortunately, you only have $2,000 in this car, which is the cost of a decent moped. With no power (dead battery), the AT multi-disc clutch would be fully ENGAGED. Without the engine running, the AT fluid pump not be running and the moving parts of the AT would be spinning DRY. Until proven otherwise, I would assume that the AT is toast. It takes very little towing abuse to total a 4EAT. That's why Subaru says tow a 4EAT car on a flat bed tow truck only. I would want to assess the condition of the AT before even thinking about replacing the engine. THere's an excellent chance that you will replace the engine only to find that the AT has to be replaced too.

If you look through the archives you'll see that cam shaft seizure is a problem with 2.5 L DOHC engines. The oil passages to the cams are very narrow. Usually the failure occurs after engine work. The culprit? Almost always a piece of silicone sealant. Be very wary of slicone sealant ''squeeze out" when sealing any parts on this engine. Even a very tiny of stray silicone sealanr can cause cam failure. I thnk that the early 2.5L SOHC engines had narrow cam oil passages as well.

Some people might say that having only one cyclinder go bad is pretty good luck. It could have been much wose.

Yes, and no. The dog guard can be removed, but not easily. It is fairly heavy and cumbersome. An average man in reasonable shape can handle the task himself. Others may want a helper to install and de-install the unit. There are plastic screw inserts where the dog guard attaches to the interior of the car. Being made of plastic, these inserts can only be reused a limited amount of times before wearing out. . It is a well made unit. If it fits your needs as a mostly permanent installation, it is probably worth the money.

SubiPilot, if you don't mind me asking, how much do you have tied up in this engine? How much was the engine, how much was shipping, and how much was the install?

20% leakage means it's time to rebuild an engine. Your engine has one cyclinder that is at either 15% or 17% out of the box. Personally, I'd be a lot happier with a leakage of 10% or less. You already have 7,000 miles on your engine. The chances that two oil changes are going to "fix" your engine would appear to be extremely remote. In fact, if it happens you might call the Pope, because I understand he likes to hear about miracles that occur. I certainly wish you well. I hope the oil changes seat the rings and the blue smoke stops. But at 7,000 miles I'm not all that optomistic.

I hate to even think it. But if the bolt was stripped going in, it could be hell to get it out. Hopefully, that is not the case here. Also, dirt or grit on the threads could cause a problem.

Here's my immediate thought. Who pays for the diagnosis work? Seems to me a compression, or better still, a leak down test likely could give you all the information you need. It's not that hard to diagnose bad cylinder rings. It could be the valve stem seals, or something else, but you need to know.