14
votes
Accepted
Strange overheating behaviour
While the other two answers were ones that were going through my head while I was waiting for the service truck to arrive, the actual problem was much simpler (although much more expensive to fix)
...
- 18.5k
14
votes
Accepted
Why is a 12V outlet that provides 120W protected by a 20A fuse in my 2015 Forester?
The purpose of the fuse is to limit the current in the wire to prevent it from overheating. That could cause the insulation to melt or even start a fire. The other components in the circuit will (...
- 14.2k
11
votes
Why is a 12V outlet that provides 120W protected by a 20A fuse in my 2015 Forester?
The fuse is for the entire circuit. There may be other things on that circuit, sharing that 20A fuse.
Also, the gauge of wires used in a circuit is part of the "safe" current limits (maybe why your ...
- 12.1k
10
votes
Accepted
How much room do I need to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning?
Is your Check Engine Light on?
That's a rhetorical question, what I mean to say is that if your ’04 Forester is in good tune, it really should not produce that much carbon monoxide.
Also, there are ...
- 12.2k
9
votes
Accepted
Subaru Forester Power Tailgate won't open
From a technical service bulletin regarding the 2014 Subaru's:
If you receive a customer concern of a “beep- beep-beep” sound when
trying to operate the PRG, a likely cause is an incomplete
...
- 281
9
votes
2004 Subaru Forester black smoke oil not accelerating
It sounds to me like you 'windowed the block'. When you lost oil pressure, you were at highway speed, so your engine was spinning decently fast, and every revolution without oil does more damage. I ...
- 8,393
7
votes
Strange overheating behaviour
I am leaning toward the water pump. The cool radiator and heater core are a sign that the hot coolant is not being moved around. Coolant should always flow through the heater core while the ...
- 8,393
7
votes
2004 Subaru Forester black smoke oil not accelerating
My son had an engine failure on a 2015 WRX, same exact symptoms, connecting rod broke and punched through the engine block on the top side, breaking open an oil galley. 10K mistake after playing with ...
- 7,940
6
votes
Remaining life expectancy of brake pads and rotors
Paulster2 offers sound advice when he says the pads need to be replaced sooner rather than later.
I recently took a picture when I performed a brake pad swap that offers a stark comparison of what ...
- 38.9k
6
votes
Remaining life expectancy of brake pads and rotors
2mm of friction material is not much. I would suggest you change the pads as they have. They may last a bit longer, but at what point are they going to go metal-on-metal and greatly reduce your ...
- 139k
6
votes
Accepted
How did the tyre shop flatten my battery?
How old is the battery (if it has a date stamped on it)? If it is over five years old, I'd replace it as a maintenance item. Remember too, a healthy battery should actually be over 13vdc at rest and ...
- 139k
6
votes
Accepted
Should I let air out of my tires?
You might be misinterpreting your tire pressure indicator light. Usually the light comes on when the tire pressure drops below a certain level in at least one tire. I've not heard of one responding to ...
- 1,536
6
votes
Accepted
Are exploding axles common?
No, exploding axles are not a normal thing. Return to the shop that replaced them, there should be a warranty on them. Either:
the axles were defective
the axles weren't installed properly
the axles ...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Strange overheating behaviour
To me it sounds like your thermostat may be stuck in closed position.
Hints that point to this are
no heating in the car
top of the radiator was cool
radiator cap, no steam came out
,
A ...
- 1,005
5
votes
Accepted
Subaru forester electric window motor - part identification
Not to be contrary to @JoshCaswell, but I'm seeing as how the left front/right rear are the same motor, as is the right front/left rear. Using the numbers he gave, I'm seeing the following as ...
- 139k
5
votes
2006 Subaru Forrester overheating and no heat
Check the overflow tank on the radiator when the car is overheated. If that tank is full, you've probably got a blown headgasket - that's how I spotted mine.
For the thermostat; did you buy an OEM ...
- 8,582
5
votes
Malfunctioning Ambient Temperature Gauge - 2004 Subaru Forester
Sounds like the temperature sensor is broken. A new one is $40-$55, and it's a 30 minute job to replace if you've never done it before (it lives behind the grill in front of the radiator). Not ...
- 8,582
5
votes
Accepted
Subaru Forester power window stuck
Do you have a test probe? If so, check that the buttons are sending a current to the motor's relays. If you've left it in one position, it might be a good idea to use a silicon spray into all the ...
- 644
5
votes
Accepted
Strange vibration noise in Subaru Forester
It's the fuel EVAP system running a self-test. Quoth the manual (page 8):
Noise from under the vehicle
NOTE
You may hear a noise from under the
vehicle approximately 5 to 10 hours
after the engine is ...
- 9,674
4
votes
Accepted
revving sounds and the engine cut
Those symptoms could well be caused by an air leak allowing unmetered air into the engine. This would cause a weak mixture when driving which could explain the lack of power and the cutting out. It ...
- 20.1k
4
votes
Accepted
How can I secure the power block for my LED headlights?
The pictured tape, or any double sided tape for that matter, will fail quickly. Even the industrial 3M VHB tape isn't worth spit, under the hood.
Zip tie or find a natural crevice for it if possible ...
- 128
4
votes
Subaru Forester Power Tailgate won't open
Same problem affected my 2014 Forester XT. I followed Badpirate's advise except that I didn't short the two terminals: taking the positive lead off is too much work. I removed the negative lead and ...
- 41
4
votes
Subaru - seem to have broken a tooth in starter pinion or ring gear
The ring gear is more likely than the starter. Remove the starter, inspect its gear and then rotate the engine one full revolution while looking at the ring gear teeth. This is not a common problem.
...
- 11.5k
4
votes
Subaru Forester - Timing Belt
Yes, that should fit
O'Reilly's compatibility chart for the Gates TCK304 shows your vehicle under the compatible vehicles. In addition, Amazon's compatibility seems to say the same thing.
Are you ...
- 1,364
4
votes
I'm having a hard time visually inspecting brake pad wear
Your brakes are pretty much done. You won't truly be able to tell how much friction material is left until they are pulled apart, but really, there isn't much left. One thing you can look at is there ...
- 139k
4
votes
Why is a 12V outlet that provides 120W protected by a 20A fuse in my 2015 Forester?
On a properly designed circuit it should be safe to plug in a 20-amp device in the lighter port - the fuse is supposed to be the weakest link in the circuit so the port's wires should be able to ...
- 191
4
votes
Water leaks on passengers side feet when raining
Had a similar problem, open the hood and look under the wipers. If you have a plastic tray under the wipers, sometimes the drain hose gets clogged with trash and needs to be cleaned. In my case it ...
3
votes
Strange overheating behaviour
Thermostat stuck closed sounds most likely to me. Although...
I had this happen to me on an old Peugeot. I checked the thermostat, and it was open, so I went looking for other causes. Still couldn'...
- 1,509
3
votes
2006 Subaru Forrester overheating and no heat
OK - I see from your comment above that the overflow tank is still full. In most cases, if you have a blown head gasket, you'll be losing coolant.
In can go into the main crankcase, in which case ...
- 101
3
votes
How much room do I need to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning?
I can't really say "you'll be okay", because it's about how our body reacts, but I'd say yes, it's enough. There are underground parkings where engines are running all the time. Also you can buy a ...
- 1,438
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible