felipe01forester

I drove a B9 earlier this week, and I was rather impressed by it. It handled well, accelerated well, and the sport-shifting added to the versatility.

Speaking of mods, the salesman who accompanied me on the test drive said that he was waiting for someone to supercharge the B9 to see if it can get more of an oomph than it already has.

Today, as I was waiting on my regular oil change/tire rotation, I test drove the new B9 Tribeca. If you overlook the aesthetic qualities (or lack thereof), it's a flippin' sweet car. The H6 engine and the sport-shift semi-auto transmission were amazing. I was barely touching the gas and the car was zooming down Lemmon Avenue. I also noticed that Subaru is starting to go back to the digi-dash. The engine temperature and fuel gauges were black/white liquid crystal, while the other gauges (tach and speed) were needles with electroluminescent backlight. The model I drove had an on-board computer display in the center of the dashboard, not the GPS as shown in the fully loaded models. It displayed a clock, outdoor temperature, and another section of the display that switched between average fuel mileage, instantaneous fuel mileage, and fuel range. The Tribeca handled well, braked well, accelerated VERY well, and is relatively cheaper than other SUVs of its class. In short, the Subaru B9 Tribeca is an amazing vehicle, and I highly recommend it.

It could be the clutch master cylinder. Subaru clutches are hydraulic. Look under the hood to the left of the brake booster (while you're facing the front of the car) and you'll see a small reservoir. Check the level. If it's low, it can be topped off with standard brake fluid.

Yup, it's the clutch. The late 90s early 00s used an organic material in the clutch that causes the stuttering because it does a lot of expanding and contracting. It'll also lead to the clutch wearing out a little faster. It's not really doing much damage, it's just a pain in the arse. I had the same problem on my Forester.

The D/Rs are on the late 80s wagons. And no, I wouldn't recommend that much NOS. Start small. If you put that much in an EA81 or 82, you're asking for an explosion.

Look in the fusebox under the hood. There is a fuse in there marked "FWD" that when inserted, disables the AWD system and puts the car in front wheel drive only. An amber light in the instrument panel will illuminate to show you that the AWD system is disengaged. However, it won't make much of a difference in the gas mileage because the driveshaft is still connected and will just drag things down. If anything, your car will have to work harder because the power is only going to two wheels, and you never know when you might lose traction on the road.

Those things are cool. It doesn't look like a Beemer as we know it, and that's why it's such a novelty. However, since the door is actually the whole front of the car, that's an extreme safety hazard. If you have a head-on collision, you're SOL. The stock Isettas don't have much get-up, but if it has an EA, that'll provide some extra oomph.

If you want to post a pic, you have to upload it onto the member's photo gallery, then type in "". It should show up on your post.

Take it to the shop and see what they say. It may just be a small adjustment.

Are you using the windshield washer any? When the windshield washer fluid is swept off by the wipers while the car is in motion, the fluid will be blown back to the driver's door window, and then dribble down the window whenever the car slows down or stops.

Finally getting our right place in the off-road world!

Tell your wife to avoid all trees whenever possible, especially on a hot day in direct sunlight. Instead of finding solutions to the problem, why not avoid the problem altogether?

Yeah. That's how a golf ball gets its aerodynamic ability. That very well might work. I get about 20-22 MPG on my Forester in the city anyway with 87 (the only stuff I can afford), but I have a standard.

75K sounds about right for a clutch. I had my clutch replaced at 73K. The Foresters between '98 and '02 had a problem because they used an organic material for the clutch assembly, and so they had that usual "stutter" whenever you had to quickly accelerate. I'd take it in and see what they say. I waited until my clutch was nearly bare before I took it in, and I had to cough up $850 for parts and labor.

I run regular 87 octane in my Forester, and I haven't experienced any problems. I've also tried gas from different places (Shell, Chevron, RaceTrac, 7-Eleven) and haven't noticed a difference.

Two Subarus on my street (my street is only 1/4 mile). Me and my gold Forester, and an indie filmmaker with a black Legacy wagon.

"CEL" stands for "Check Engine Light." It's a little amber light in the dash that says, "Check Engine." Whenever a sensor reports a fault to the ECU (Electronic Control Unit, the car's on-board computer), the Check Engine Light turns on. If the Check Engine Light is on, take it to the dealer and ask them to run a diagnostic on the on-board computer to retrieve the fault code. If it is knocking and pinging, try upgrading the gas. If you're using 87, go with 89. If you're using 89, go with the high-grade stuff. It may hit you in the wallet, but at least your car will run smoothly.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of new Soobs in Dallas. I rarely see a Wagon, Hatch, or Brat, but plenty of Foresters, Outbacks, Bajas, and Imprezas. The most Soobs I've seen in a city would be Boston, MA.

What's an up-pipe?

Has anyone else seen the TV spots for the Tribeca? It shows the B9 driving past all these other SUVs while they turn to dust or meet some other fate, all to the tune of Kansas's "Dust In The Wind." If anyone else has seen it, let's hear some comments. I've heard all the bad things about it on this board, and personally, I'd like to test drive it first to see how it handles before I'd comment on the Tribeca.

I accidentally rear-ended a Chevy pickup at about 2-3 MPH and the airbags didn't blow. You'd have to go into a straight cliff at around 20-25 for the bags to deploy.

$39 a piece? Get the tires. It'll be safer than winging it. If you have a blowout in the middle of nowhere, you're SOL.

Get it fixed right away before it turns into anything more serious. You'll save money in the long run. 120,000 miles seems right for a throwout bearing, so get an opinion on it.

Follow the routine service schedule. Every 3K miles for oil and tire rotation, then every 25K for the tune-up. Your car will definitely outlast you.