28
votes
Why do cars have plastic shrouds over the engine?
Mostly the point is, to make it "look good".
There is arguably some protection for wires and pipes underneath against animals chewing on them, depending on how its implemented.
Also, on some models ...
- 1,062
18
votes
Is it absolutely necessary to replace all four tyres on a manual 2008 Subaru Impreza?
Driving around with tires of different rolling radii will cause the viscous coupling to get hot / overheat and eventually fail...
As it will probably happen long enough after the tire fitter did the ...
- 34.6k
18
votes
Accepted
Why do cars have plastic shrouds over the engine?
The cover is not purely cosmetic and serves several purposes, one is to reduce engine noise. You often notice there's foam on the inside and they fit over components such as cams and injectors.
A ...
- 420
18
votes
Car imitates dead battery but comes back to life ~30 minutes later and lets me start it
Since you lost power to your 12v accessory socket at the same time as the other systems, I can’t see this as being an computer malfunction. This sounds to me like you have a fault in your main fuse ...
- 24.9k
15
votes
Accepted
How exactly does Sport Mode work in an automatic Subaru Outback?
Sport mode will "increase pickup" by providing a more instantaneous response to throttle inputs. As akadian mentioned, the car will stay in lower gears as you accelerate, allowing the engine to stay ...
- 6,037
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)
...
- 18.6k
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 (...
- 14.4k
12
votes
Why do cars have plastic shrouds over the engine?
The other function can be to control cooling airflow, so yes, get them to put it back - even if they have to buy one...
- 34.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Have I caused engine damage by cranking it backwards?
As long as your timing belt was still attached you should be okay. When turning an engine in reverse, the only things it can damage are the oil pump and possibly the water pump. You'd have to do it ...
- 3,343
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 ...
- 12.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Is it worth replacing the entire clutch assembly when the clutch release bearing fails?
At ~110k on the clock it's quite likely that it's the original clutch, and if so you're going to be significantly closer to the end of the clutch's life than the start.
Given the big labor cost/...
- 9,999
10
votes
Accepted
Transmission damage due to uneven tread wear on AWD vehicle
They likely do hold some liability, since they should have known that an AWD should have matching tire diameters across all tires.
They may argue that you hold some responsibility since the Impreza ...
- 452
10
votes
2006 wrx overheats going slow but not at speed
I don't think there's any reason to suspect a head gasket right off the bat like that. The first thing that comes to mind is the electric cooling fans. They are on the car specifically to keep it ...
- 13.3k
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 ...
- 12.4k
10
votes
Accepted
Car imitates dead battery but comes back to life ~30 minutes later and lets me start it
You may have a loose or corroded engine ground connection. The next time you have the electrical failure, leave the ignition switch ON and, using a voltmeter, measure voltage between the negative post ...
- 5,510
9
votes
What's this part? Hanging from left rear of Subaru 99 legacy.
It's the EVAP vent solenoid. And I think you mean right rear.
- 10.7k
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 ...
- 8,443
8
votes
Accepted
Buy a car for cheap to avoid registration costs?
The rules depend on the state, but if you're telling the state you paid less than you did, that's Tax Fraud.
In Texas, they don't even let you do this, however. The state maintains what is basically ...
- 13.3k
8
votes
Accepted
2007 Subaru Outback 'Leak' ... what is it?
The oil seen is from the block to cylinder head gasket seam. This is a nearly universal problem on Subaru 4 cylinder engines from the late 1990s well into the 2000's. The average mileage that this is ...
- 11.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Torquing Strut Nut with Tire on Ground
You should leave them just about snug, if not just a little loose. If you tighten them before you put it on the ground, when you do get the car on the ground, there will be tension on the parts, which ...
- 153k
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 ...
- 8,443
7
votes
2003 Subaru Outback Legacy, Blown Head Gasket
Coolant can definitely leak into the combustion chamber with a blown head gasket. Whether or not this is the cause of your power loss is hard to say. The amount of coolant going into the cylinder ...
- 1,958
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 ...
- 8,010
7
votes
Bottom of Impreza banged driveway apron
If it hit directly under the front seats, there shouldn't be much to worry about - most of the important bits are further forward or further back.
as @spicetraders says, try to have a look underneath ...
- 28.7k
7
votes
Bottom of Impreza banged driveway apron
Your car is ten years younger (and has 1/10th the miles) but I suspect I know exactly where you hit.
Most likely, the scrape you heard was the plastic under tray. This piece does what it says on the ...
- 24.3k
7
votes
air pressure in low profile tires
You don't have to regularly put air in low profile tires. Have the tires checked to see if there's a problem - an ill-fitting bead or a nail.
- 8,672
7
votes
air pressure in low profile tires
Low profile tires tend to be installed on nicer alloy type wheels. Fancy alloy wheels are highly susceptible to sealing issues as it's easy for them to become damaged and have corrosion form causing ...
- 12.5k
7
votes
Accepted
High-mileage transmission with no known oil changes. Safe to change fluid now?
If this were my vehicle, I would change the transmission fluid and filter. There is a baseless school of thought, more like an "old wives tale" that you will just cause damage by changing ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
How do I apply dielectric grease to my battery?
Dielectric grease does not conduct electricity. Proper application is important! Do NOT get grease between the terminals! This will inhibit good connection and shorten battery life. Vaseline was used ...
- 61
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible