So it has been some years since my last Subaru purchase! Last one was a one way flight to New Jersey for the series.blue BRZ. This go round is a short road trip to the new addition. After much household debate and talks of selling the BRZ for something more family friendly, the decision to pick up a supplemental Subaru has been finalized. Heading down to Iowa this morning to pick up a 2010 Subaru Forester as a winter beater/family truckster/work vehicle! I will update along the way!
No Snidley Whiplash! I am picking up a beater so that my race car can stay rust free-ish. Lol Ok, so that trip was terrible on the way down! Snow, ice, white out conditions. A lot of emergency vehicles and automobiles in the ditches! But, after 4 1/2 hours, we made it! 2010 Forester 2.5X with rebuilt title 176,000 miles $2700 Now mind you, a $2700 Forester comes with some potential issues and we will get to those! She made the 3 hr journey back home though without any major incident. Pulls like you would expect and shifts pretty smoothly. Interior is good and the exterior is pretty good as well!
Well, here are the details. The salvage came from an accident with another vehicle in 2013. It was bought at auction and repaired. So it has had 130k of the 175k put on after the accident. So I figured that I’d take a shot on it. It has a multitude of codes right now. But it starts, idles, and shifts really good. Thinking of replacing the battery and checking some fuses. I feel like if any more dash lights come on, and I hit 88mph...well you know.
I like that it's lit up like a Christmas tree yet there's evidence of only one piece of tape. Haha. Any idea what the codes are yet?
I laughed when I saw the tape residue as well. PO741(torque converter clutch solenoid circuit performance or stuck off) and PO700(transmission control system-malfunction indicator lamp request) The weird thing is, the cruise wasn’t working and the cruise light was flashing. I cleared all of the codes and took it for another test drive. The cruise worked for awhile and then it turned off. Simultaneously the ABS light came on solid and the AT Oli Temp light started flashing. edit: @Chux
Sounds right. They turn off the cruise on newer cars (maybe 09+) so that you can't just drive with all the lights on. So as soon as the ABS light came on, the cruise control turns off.
On the newer cars basically any CEL will disable the cruise control. It looks like most if not all of the lights are related to a single issue.
On the Saabaru (05) it kicks the cruise off and flashes that light as soon as the CEL comes on. Pretty damn annoying. Yes, I know it runs like sh!t so why punish me even further?
Could all be from the transmission fault, as that will disable the ABS, stability control, and cruise. Is the torque converter locking? Get everything up to temperature, and do a steady accel from a stop to say 50mph or so and count the shifts. You should have a distinct 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear all with it unlocked, and then another "shift" as the converter locks. Converter solenoid failed on my mom's Impreza CVT. Driving on the highway for very long with it unlocked would cause the transmission to overheat (AT temp light flashing = trouble code, steady is overheating), but the 4EAT might not have as much trouble with that. Subaru does not sell solenoids, they only sell a complete valve body. We used an aftermarket solenoid, and it failed about 2 months later...I ended up getting my hands on a good used one, which outlasted the rest of the transmission.
IIRC, I would run almost exactly 3k at 70mph. Like Chux said, just up through the gears and and once you are over 50 and level off the acc, you should get what looks like another shift. I think it was 200-300rpm drop on lockup. Russ
Gotcha. That makes sense because I believe that is about when I felt a “clunk” of sorts and then the ABS and AT Oil temp light came on. Do you think that it’s an issue with the torque converter then?
Car wouldn’t start this morning. Definitely needs a battery! Going to throw that in in the morning and see how many lights go away.
The description of that code sounds like either the converter, or the solenoid (like the TCU is calling for lockup, but rpm/speed is saying that isn't happening).
I wonder if the “clunk” that I heard, something like a shift into “5th” was the torque converter locking?
It could be in the 6 disc charger! So, the wife took it to go roller skating in Coon rapids Tuesday night and it ran fine. I went to start it yesterday and it wouldn’t start or even turn over. Went and picked up a new battery and installed that. Went to turn the key and got the same results. No turning over, nuttin. I did have all lights, but no fire in the hole.*sadface*
Did you take the protective caps off the new batteries terminals? I kid. Definitely sounds like Subaru.
Sounds like starter solenoid contacts. They can be cleaned/replaced if you want to save a few bucks. Or just throw a starter in it.
does it "click" when you turn the key? Like the solenoid popping out? When I had mine, I always wanted to replace the main cable that goes from the battery to the starter. It never turned over fast and I always thought there was something with the power lead. If you have a voltmeter, you should be able to just check power.
They are amazing... and, mine is at 190k + miles. New struts and STi seat makes this ride like it has under 90k. Needs bushings.
My old 2007 even did this. If it had a CEL no cruise which sucked cuz it took me a while to fix it when my secondary air injection had a problem so I had to drive 1100 miles with no cruise control lol.
Wait people use cruise for less than 400 mile trips? I had no idea living in Bozeman, mt. (Cruise doesn't typically work above 90)
Update. I pulled the starter/ignition fuses and they looked ok. But I swapped them anyways. Then I pulled the starter relay out to inspect and reinstalled it. Tried to start it and got nothing. There is a quiet clicking which I’m assuming is the solenoid. This morning I went out with my wife to try the ol “hammer the starter” trick. I took a wood handled hammer and rested it on the solenoid/starter. Then took another hammer to give it a whack. When Vanessa turned the key I went to hit it but it turned over and cranked. It then proceeded to start! Which is super duper! Now the question is, is it as simple as replacing the starter? Or was it something else? I know that starters can be finicky when they are starting to fizzle out. Thoughts?
Starter solenoid maybe going bad. I swapped the solenoid only on that Veloster i rebuilt because we were having issues with the casting on the new remanned starter. conditions sound the same where it will click but not do anything then suddenly work. try another starter and see if you're still having issues? worse case you can return it.
Yeah, I’ll probably pick up a remanufactured starter and give it a go. I just didn’t want to have to crawl under the car in the snow and ice. I’m becoming a weenie in my old age. lol. On the plus side, it should be way easier on the NA than it was on my WRX.
I will say, there's nothing saying you're a weenie for not wanting to be bruised and cold. the Veloster starter I replaced in a subzero garage 2 winters ago, never again.
A subzero garage sounds glamorous currently. Hahaha! The temps aren’t too bad right now, just the moisture content levels.
I know I'm well out of the way but my heated garage is yours to use anytime. And if the starter is in the same place as the "old" WRXs I'd personally go in from the top.
yeah id just replace the starter to get it over with. Do these have auto start/stop? I always wondered if that kills starters more quickly.
