waldguy

nicely done.  Just curious, did you get an OEM or what for a starter?  Cost?

The only place that seems convenient might be a corner of the trunk, depending on size or type.  A simple battery isolator kit would ensure you never run down your battery too much.  

I'm sure you've also considered a lithium Ion battery pack, which would be totally independent and portable -- go sit at the picnic table by the lake if needed.

Very good point X-TSub.  Some wires may even be copper vs aluminum.  Most of us will also know from experience what head scratching and frustration faulty grounds will cause.

I tend to use lithium grease on connection I service from time to time, but connections like the one listed here would not likely make that list. 

Tef Gel looks better, particularly in salty environments, but then the price is dear too (over $75 CAD for 2 oz shipped on Amazon!).  I wonder if it's a mouse deterrent.... 

Thanks for the follow up.  I was curious!  Yes, that box makes it look like it does something -- why the insulation around the connection when it's just to ground!  Glad to hear you're making good progress.

Shouldn't be hard to open.  I'd wonder about what appears to be a red wire showing. That's not likely to be grounded.

Pretty sure I used some WD40, and some Kerosene another time.  Others say "Goo gone".

I used the dongle, and an app for the CVT temperature.  Relearn might be useful in a full fluid replacement, but not flush and fill of 5L or so.

I use Android and have the ActiveOBD installed for the data read.

7 hours ago, Beamercub said:

At 10K rpms, you should be going for jet fuel only, high octane

As for the battery, two years old isn't much.  Get it load tested before replacing.

 

 

 

 

I can't say where your smell is coming from but it's not likely the oil pan gasket.  That would just leak to the ground without burning.

I know that I had an oil smell and it turned out to be the front crank seal -- the oil would leak and drip onto the exhaust area.  It was repaired under warranty and I don't remember the hours of labor.

Wow, that must have been a headache.  I thought 2 hours of hammering and prying was bad on my rear wheel bearing.  My backing plate was bent a little, but recoverable.

High prices are the mother of invention.

One such video on a Subaru: 

 

Could be a case of a faulty connection, some surface corrosion perhaps? 

Also, sometimes the little prongs need to be bent back out again as well to create a tighter connection.

You're right about the partial CVT fill.  I did mine at 50,000 miles and intend to do it again at about 80,000 miles.  My drained fluid looked very good.  Blackstone is a good idea.  Any results yet?

TSB was done yesterday along with some others.  Tech at dealership didn't know why it happened either.  He just suggested keep turning the key off on off on off on lots of times.  He said it was typically more of a problem with the push button start.

Apparently with one of the updates, he said, the battery will not be charged at all if the voltage drops below 11.6V.  That hasn't been a problem.  Just the same, I picked up a cheap load tester for occasional use -- car, boat, truck, etc.

On 12/18/2022 at 3:08 PM, Tucsondave said:

I pretty sure I'll order out rear wheel bearings and give that a go. Should be able to get a slidehammer from  autozone tool loaner. Probably have to buy a new torque wrench that will go to 200, as I think the wheel nut is supposed to be torqued to 177?

 

Yep, just be aware that a slidehammer may be insufficient.  Prying and hammering with an experienced mechanic took over an hour before mine finally unseated.  Yours will hopefully be easier.

Thanks for the ideas.  The 2015 model battery charges not with necessarily with long runs, but with periods of deceleration due to the "smart" ECM management for fuel economy, or during night loads. 

On the night in question, the battery was likely at about 12.25 volts, perhaps just marginal enough not to crack the relays if "stuck" or frozen.  In addition I now found out that the plugin source breaker was turned off -- so the engine did not have the heated oil advantage.  The 0W20 flows relatively well regardless.

Nevertheless, the key turn at first did not engage the starter at all.  When it finally did, the engine turned over well enough.  So in this case I think I can rule out a faulty heater block cord.

How am I addressing this?  For the battery, I read and confirmed that a full charge can be force during daylight if I put on load like parking lights.  I may also get the battery TSB done (trip to the city and $75).  I also gave the battery terminals a slight wiggle and extra tighten.

I also confirmed that the relays are indeed the new ones (eg. M09) as specified in the relay update.

1 hour ago, ammcinnis said:

I keyed in on the cold temperature and your report the car started after "slamming" the driver's door shut. The vibration could be enough to free sticky relay contacts.  Relay failures are rare, but for most of us so are starts at temperatures below -20 F.

Wondering as well, if there's a neutral safety switch that might be affected by vibration?

Thanks for reminding me of this.  I have on record that the recall work was supposedly done by the dealer in April of 2018.

In this instance, the car would not have warmed up much on its way to the parking spot (300 yards), and then it sat for several hours before the attempted start.  It would be interesting to apply warming to the relay(s) in question to see if that would make the difference.

Correction -- the car was sitting just a few minutes before the failed start (new info from the wife).

Temperature outside: -34C (-30F)

Car mileage: 98K kms (60K miles)

Battery: 2 year old AGM Optima (800 CCA - turns car over fine in cold)

Condition:  Car was sitting outside, but plugged in.  The operator went to turn the key and got interior & dash lights, etc.  Turned key to start and nothing fired.  Tried shifting the transmission to N, still nothing.  Wiggled the steering wheel.  Nothing.  Went out, opened the car door, got in and slammed the door shut.  Turned key to "start" and it fired right up.

In the garage at about -8C (18F) the car has started every time.  I'm not sure where to begin with this....

Sounds like the procedure posted here:

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/low-oil-level-light-after-oil-change.23769/#lg=thread-23769&slide=0

I did the changes at the recommended time intervals and documented it until my drivetrain warranty expired. Now, I go by mileage, which will be about 2 times every three years. Oil lubricity (slipperiness) and viscosity doesn't break down significantly with time alone.

Just replaced my first (left rear) at 90K kms (60K miles). I bought the part for $225 CAD - Timken -- about $165 USD. It cracked loose with a 4 lb hammer hit, but took another 90 minutes of chisel prying, hammering, bolt pressure, etc. Glad I have a mechanic friend.

Anecdotally, I'm not impressed with having to do the bearing replacement -- none of my prior cars had a problem over a combined 500,000 miles or so (mostly Toyota, a Mazda, also Ford & GM). Only the Mazda was new when purchased. Whether Subaru bearing parts are inferior, to all current parts, I don't have the data. Could be a function of the newer weight and cost saving measures.

Guess I'll just wait for the next time my car whines and I'll whine again too !

Run a OBDII bluetooth scan tool while operating and read the volts. The alternator kicks in when the car is decelerating.

 

Historically, in some driving situations (eg. lots of highway), it wasn't enough to bring the car's battery to full charge.

 

In my situation, the battery was always around 12.15 volts or so.

 

TSB Number:11-174-17R addresses the issue (Aug 8, 2017) to ramp up the charging in normal driving conditions.

 

My original battery lasted 5 years, then I replaced it with an AGM. Never had a problem with the original but it definitely seemed sluggish starting in the cold.

Yup, do either, but the same thing all time.

 

 

BTW, a front to back is not sufficient. I did that a couple times before I bought an extra stand set. One tire ended up wearing a bit more than all the others. I started doing the cross pattern and all tires evened up.

My turn. Windshield cracked while sitting in the driveway. Started from the lower passenger side and traveled up about 16 inches.

 

 

No eyesight. Anyone know of non-Subaru replacements?