Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Making Noise While Driving?

my girlfriend has a 2002 forester and it is making a very loud noise while driving, sounds like a helicopter coming from the front/right. when you let off the accelerator it changes pitch and sounds like more towards the middle...checked for axle play or anything rubbing and things look ok...very confused, i'm a former VW tech and i've never heard this noise before

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Subaru - Forester :: Knocking Noise When Make Slow And Sharp Turns

I have a 2010 Subaru Forester and it has started to make a weird noise when I make slow and sharp turns, like when I am pulling out of a driveway or entering a parking spot. It is not exactly a knocking noise, it is similar to the one when a small piece of rock is stuck on the tire threads, but it is in the center of the car.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2007 - Head Gasket Replacement

I have a 2007 Subaru Forester X Sport Model. I just passed 86,000 miles - much of that open road driving. My head gaskets need to be replaced. This seems somewhat early. I recently switched from using regular motor oil to a synthetic blend that the dealership suggested. Is there any history suggesting that switching lubricants might cause the head gaskets to deteriorate?

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Subaru - Forester :: 2003 - Leaking Struts / Replacement?

The other day my 2003 Subaru Forester was getting its oil changed and when it was done the mechanic informed me that my struts were leaking and needed to be replaced. He didn't seem to think it was urgent or anything. He mentioned something about roll overs and the wearing of the tires, but I'm not entirely sure what this means for the car. It has 140K on it, and I drive it a lot on the high way. I'm also planning to go on a trip in Mid July that's about a thousand mile drive. So, how soon should this be done? What do leaking struts mean for a car?

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Subaru - Forester :: 2003 - Hesitating When Shift And Accelerate / Clutch Replacement?

My car is hesitating when I shift and accelerate, and revving up the tach after I shift into 5th but the speed doesn't match.Also, in order to start the car I have to press the clutch practically all the way to the floor.

It has 53,000 miles on it. I took it to the dealer, and they said I need the clutch and possibly flywheel replaced.

This seems low mileage to me. I have driven a stick for over 31 years. My previous car was a Honda CRXsi and it was over 110,000 miles before I needed a new clutch.

Is a clutch replacement this early normal for this car? Or is it me? I don't think I ride the clutch.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2005 - Excessive Oil Burn After Replacement Of AVCS Solenoid

I have a '05 Forester XT with 135,000 miles, I purchased the car new and have always performed regular maintenance and oil changes. The car is my baby.On a recent freeway drive I heard a "pop" followed what sounded like a shredding accessory belt. This went on for several miles with diminishing power. There was zero smoke from the exhaust. I managed to coax it into the nearest Subaru dealership. They diagnosed a bad AVCS solenoid, with P0011 error code. They charged me $2200.00 to change the solenoid and clean all the oil feed lines! While they were at it, I had them clean the banjo bolts to the turbo, as this had never been done. The engine was removed from the vehicle for them to complete the work.

Today I went to pick it up, it started right up and idled fine. When I pulled onto the highway and accelerated TONS of blue smoke billowed from the exhaust and it had zero power. Before this the car burned one quart of oil every 3,000 miles. I turned around and the car is now back at the dealership.I'm at a loss as to what to do. The car is not driveable at this point.I hate to point fingers, but what could the dealership have done to cause this excessive oil smoke? Again, the car NEVER smoked before the dealership got a hold of it.

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Subaru - Forester :: Driver Side Rear Wheel Bearings Replacement

Have a 2000 Forester with 114K. Had to replace driver's rear wheel bearing at 100k & again at 110k; when replacement bearing started to fail, ABS light came on because wheel was not spinning true! Replaced passenger's rear wheel bearing at 105k (this one is getting noisy now).

Hard to believe I got 2 "bum' bearings! Not a difficult repair, but this will be 4 bearings in less than 2 years. The car's driven on paved roads & with little load, so it's not from harsh road conditions or heavy loads.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2009 - Car Battery Keeps Dying

I bought the car brand new in May of 2009. All was good until February of last year when the battery died. I kind of wrote it off as one of those things that's part of life in AK. But then the same thing happened in November - yes, it was cold again, but it died after I'd successfully started it and drove it to my husband's work. He was inside for maybe thirty minutes. Not wanting to waste gas, it turned the car off and listened to the radio. When hubby came back, I tried to start the car and ... nothing. We had to get it jumped. Hubby said I shouldn't have been listening to the radio with the engine off. Anyway, I had a service appointment at the dealership a few days later and mentioned that the battery died again. They checked it and said it was weak so they replaced it.

Now, of course, I'm super-paranoid about everything that could be draining the battery. I turn the lights off whenever I turn off the engine (even though that's supposed to be something the car does automatically), and only listen to the radio when I'm driving. I've made sure that there's nothing plugged in any of the power outlets, and I don't have anything that's aftermarket. Oh, and middle of last year the radio/CD player died too, and that had to be replaced. Don't know if it's linked, but it's still odd.

The only advice the dealership had was to drive it more. I guess I'm pretty severe on the car - work's maybe a fifteen minute drive (20 if it's snowing) and a fair few of my journeys are short ones, for a variety of reasons. Plus, it's Anchorage, AK. Severe driving's standard here. But I never had these issues with my other cars, and my driving patterns haven't changed at all. Could there be something that's draining the battery that I haven't thought of, or am I really stuck with driving around Anchorage aimlessly for at least 20 minutes each time I get in the car?

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Subaru - Oil - Forester :: 2002 - CEL Came On - Bad Catalytic Converter?

On my 2002 Subaru Forester (137,000 m), the check engine light came on. They diagnosed and repaired O2 sensor. About 300 miles later it came on again, this time they said the catalytic converter was cooked, and they blamed whatever caused the O2 sensor to fail (or the O2 sensor failure itself). After the repair (about $1300 and 30 miles later), I discovered that the engine oil was so low that it was not showing up on the dipstick (tho the oil light was not yet on). The shop (after admitting that they did not check the oil while it was in there) said it was related to catalytic converter failure. Does this make sense? I have only gone another 60 miles since the oil was refilled, but so far it looks OK. Should I be on the look-out for anything else?

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Check Engine Light Is On?

Engine light came on two weeks ago. Had the code read at Advance Auto Parts. Code = P0420. The only performance issue was that it stalled when I started it the other day for the first time since I bought it last fall. Are there any other clues to tell what it could mean (catalytic converter vs. 02 sensor vs. anything else)? Is it really worth trying some kind of catalytic converter cleaner product?

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Intermittent Stuttering And Backfiring

I have a 2002 subaru forester that will stutter and backfire without throwing a code, but not all the time. i have had it hooked up to a computer to check the O2 sensors and they are fine, it has a new Throttle position sensor, knock sensor, plugs, and catalytic converters (all put on in the last month). I have called a dealership and they have not heard of this happening, so this is my last resort.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Gear Shifter Is Very Loose

I've a 2002 Subaru Forester, manual transmission. The gear shifter is very loose. While in any gear, the shifter can move to anywhere. For example, when in second gear making a left turn, the gear shifter will flop to the right side near where third or fourth gear are. This doesn't change the gear of operation that the car is in. It just makes it a bit of a challenge to find where the gears are. Sometimes it is a challenge to find reverse.

We've had the shifter bushings replaced and that tightened things somewhat. But it is still very loose.

Mechanics have said that there is nothing wrong with the motion or the way the linkage operates the transmission. So the problem seems to be in the gear shifter.

Is this common on this car?Is it a sign of a bigger problem?What can be done about it?

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Headlights And Parking Lights Would Not Switch On

Out of the blue, our Headlights and Parking Lights would not switch on. Checked the fuses--OK. Tested the Relays--OK. Tried a used switch from my mechanic--no change. In the course of doing that, the Parking Lights came on and would not turn off. Tried disconnecting battery, locking/unlocking with the remote and starting it with the remote--no effect. Had to remove lightswitch 20A fuse to turn the P-lights off. Signals still work ok--with either switch. The car does have a HarmonKardon satellite radio which I've never used but have to turn off every time I start the car. I believe it has some sort of security system which annoyingly flashes a red button which sticks out of the dash.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - P0302 Code With A Miss Only When Idle

I have a 2002 Subaru Forester L with 178,000 miles on it. I just had the valves adjusted. I have replaced the coil pack, #2 injector, plugs, wires, and throttle position sensor. I have also cleaned the idle air controller. The car only shows sign of a miss when it idles. It gets great gas mileage otherwise. I am at a loss on what to do next as the car doesn't have a MAF sensor, I can't do anything with it.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 Needs Oil At 4500 Miles Intervals - Normal?

I have an 02 Forester that has 413,000 miles. It needs appox 2 qts of oil @ 4500 mile intervals. Is that too much? Is it going to start needing more oil sooner? I guess I am asking if the end is near?

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Clicking Noise And Unlocking When Drive

My 2002 Subaru Forester is making this weird clicking noise and unlocking as I drive. It seems to get worse at night, and especially when turning left, or braking. My mechanic can't figure it out.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Revs In Idle / Hesitation On Accelerating

My subaru forester, 2002, with low mileage (40K) had routine maintenance 2 mos ago. Now sounds like it revs when in idle, and today began hesitating when I accelerate (a few seconds or so). I plan to take it in but wonder if there's insight before I go in cold (I know nothing about cars). Read on forums could be 02 sensor.

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Subaru - Forester :: 2002 - Cannot Get Check Engine Light To Turn Off

I have a 2002 Forester I have take it to 4 shops and each shop tells me something different. First 2 say to take it to the dealer and have them flash the computer. The dealer says that it is a faulty drain valve and the fourth states he has never heard of a drain valve. Hook up to a scanner and can not clear light. Unhooked battery for 30 minutes light was off for a minute but came back on. Getting extremely frustrated!

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Subaru - Forester :: 2006 - Shaking Very Hard While Idling Or Driving

Our 2006 Forester started shaking very hard while idling or driving. We drove it to the dealer asap, but the violent shaking had stopped. They hooked it up to the diagnostic machine and everything checked out as fine. This problem happens intermittently so the mechanics have not witnessed it. We've even let them keep the car a week and drive it home and back and it never gave them the shaking problem. There is no pattern to when it happens - hot or cold engine, hot or cold outside, just started or been running for awhile, it just doesn't seem to matter. If we give it some gas while at a stop sign it smooths out a bit but it doesn't stop the problem. When driving it still shakes but it's harder to tell how hard. I'm talking about shaking very hard, not just a rough idle.

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