obikenobi27 Posted May 5, 2016 Author Share Posted May 5, 2016 So I (hopefully) am done with the dealership. They did eventually do something to the car. From what they told me (which wasn't much), there was quite a bit of grime in some filter or intake. Whatever it was, they did treat it and clean it out. I was told that the grime may have either been restricting the flow of air to the engine, or delivering dirty air to the engine. Either way, they did something, and I don't think I want to deal with dealership service again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 5, 2016 Author Share Posted May 5, 2016 Well, the dealer did not fix the problem. I didn't expect much, but it seems to have gotten worse. I've moved on from blaming the electrical system to thinking it might be an idling issue. My engine cuts off randomly, but all incidents have happened at stop lights, stop signs, and center lane turns. The picture is what happens when the engine shuts off. It used to be just the battery and BRAKE lights, but now there is a bit more. I'm gonna cough up some money and take it to a reputable mechanic for some diagnostics. Hopefully I can bug the dealer into taking care of the costs. Ignore the turn signals. I had my hazard lights on while I was trying to contact the dealership to tell them they had screwed up. No success with that. Also, I did check the oil. It's not low. Bit brown, but nothing out of the ordinary. I can post a picture of the paper towel stain if needed. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G7kXmFUu7nhyOrePkIChrczCLePcmo7i2A/view?usp=sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I'm not sure I would move on from the electrical system being the cause. A weak electrical system can manifest itself in many mysterious ways. Since you measured 10 volts there is definitely a problem. I would recommend resolving that before anything else. As to what to do the first thing I would do is check the battery. A weak battery could be drawing too much power from the alternator thus the system is not providing sufficient power to the rest of the vehicle. Easy thing to check since you have a volt meter. A quick and dirty test you can perform at home (since you have a volt meter) is to disconnect the negative battery cable and measure across the battery terminals. Anything less than 12.5 volts is suspect. To test the alternator start the car, disconnect the negative battery terminal, and see if the car continues to run. You can also measure the voltage at the battery terminals. Be careful not to anything together. Always disconnect the negative battery cable first. If you're uncomfortable doing either of these then any auto parts store can test the battery and alternator in or out of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldsoda Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 a bad battery can cause a lot of issues. not saying I have enough internet mechanic knowledge to say that will fix your issue, but a bad battery is havoc to the car. also - a picture of dipstick oil on a paper towel wont help. not sure what that would tell anyone.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Those lights come on when the car stalls. It's just like turning the key to the on position but engine off...Christmas tree. If you have been driving the car with a bad alternator, it's only a matter of time before the car dies. 13.7-14.2 volts is acceptable for the charging system output. It's odd your charging system light (little battery) isn't on if you are only reading 10v with the car running. Start with being 100% sure your charging system is correct before you do anything else. I would not recommend disconnecting the negative terminal as a way to tell if the alternator is working properly. That method was okay with older cars that had much less electronics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 What kind of battery is in the car? Maybe the negative cable isn't very snug, it's a long shot but who knows. The negative cable was snug, but would easily pop off the replacement autocraft gold battery I got a few years ago. I ended up having to take this little black spacer out of the negative terminal to get it to tighten down onto the negative post more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofan Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 About the brakes...stock brakes are capable of locking up the wheels with stock tires. Going to bigger brakes (Brembos) won't help you stop any sooner unless you have super sticky/wide tires. My method of testing to see if the alternator works is to put a wrench or some steel object in front of the alternator pulley while the engine is running. If the alternator is working it will behave like a magnet, pulling on the wrench or whatever. Not very scientific but it's easy and will tell you if your alternator is completely dead:) I put something here like all the cool people, except there's nothing cool to put here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 6, 2016 Author Share Posted May 6, 2016 I'm not sure I would move on from the electrical system being the cause. A weak electrical system can manifest itself in many mysterious ways. Since you measured 10 volts there is definitely a problem. I would recommend resolving that before anything else. As to what to do the first thing I would do is check the battery. A weak battery could be drawing too much power from the alternator thus the system is not providing sufficient power to the rest of the vehicle. Easy thing to check since you have a volt meter. A quick and dirty test you can perform at home (since you have a volt meter) is to disconnect the negative battery cable and measure across the battery terminals. Anything less than 12.5 volts is suspect. To test the alternator start the car, disconnect the negative battery terminal, and see if the car continues to run. You can also measure the voltage at the battery terminals. Be careful not to anything together. Always disconnect the negative battery cable first. If you're uncomfortable doing either of these then any auto parts store can test the battery and alternator in or out of the car. I thought I said this. Maybe not. I got advance auto parts to check the voltage. It was 13.9 under load. No problems. Here is a picture of my tachometer when stopped. Seems kinda low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I thought I said this. Maybe not. I got advance auto parts to check the voltage. It was 13.9 under load. No problems. Here is a picture of my tachometer when stopped. Seems kinda low. What did they test? The battery, alternator, both? Also I don't see a picture attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 6, 2016 Author Share Posted May 6, 2016 What did they test? The battery, alternator, both? Also I don't see a picture attached. Both. I'll give some drive links to the test and tachometer. Sorry, phone doesnt seem to want to upload. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K7rD6Xps55jBVnwXNojnXs9mJxSR8-PVWg/view?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k3iBIWfrQ9uuG7pmLqYSBr1MAShGciiy4Q/view?usp=drivesdk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 6, 2016 Author Share Posted May 6, 2016 Brought the car to an actual mechanic (instead of the cheapskates over at the GM dealer) . They're going to replace the terminals on my battery and alternator. Also letting the car relearn the idle. Real nice guys over at Jason's Tire and Auto. They've done more in an hour than the dealer did in a week. No cost to me either unless I can get the dealer to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 What do you mean by replace the "terminals on my battery and alternator"? Do you mean the cables? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I wouldn't expect a GM dealer to work on a Subaru either. Replacing battery terminals isn't unusual especially if they don't tighten up but I've never replaced an alternator end. Sunny- You can replace the terminals without having to replace the whole cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 6, 2016 Author Share Posted May 6, 2016 What do you mean by replace the "terminals on my battery and alternator"? Do you mean the cables? The terminals had a bit of corrosion. I'm talking about the contact points on the battery and alternator. They are covered with a red piece of plastic. On another note, I also replaced the A/C belt based on a recommendation from the mechanic. The drive home seemed much smoother with the rough idling not being noticeable. It may be a good idea to replace the timing belt as well, but that's for a free weekend. I need to check out some of the maintenance walkthroughs to figure out that procedure. Probably will replace fluids and stuff as well. I thought the dealership might have done minor maintenance (change fluids, check tires, etc) before they put the car up for sale, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It also seems like the car missed the 37,500 mile maintenance. I will probably get to replacing the oil filter, fluids, and anything else later this month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I wouldn't expect a GM dealer to work on a Subaru either. Replacing battery terminals isn't unusual especially if they don't tighten up but I've never replaced an alternator end. Sunny- You can replace the terminals without having to replace the whole cable. Ah, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 The terminals had a bit of corrosion. I'm talking about the contact points on the battery and alternator. They are covered with a red piece of plastic. On another note, I also replaced the A/C belt based on a recommendation from the mechanic. The drive home seemed much smoother with the rough idling not being noticeable. It may be a good idea to replace the timing belt as well, but that's for a free weekend. I need to check out some of the maintenance walkthroughs to figure out that procedure. Probably will replace fluids and stuff as well. I thought the dealership might have done minor maintenance (change fluids, check tires, etc) before they put the car up for sale, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It also seems like the car missed the 37,500 mile maintenance. I will probably get to replacing the oil filter, fluids, and anything else later this month. Thanks. Did you replace or just have them cleaned? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Thanks. Did you replace or just have them cleaned? They just went in and replaced them. I've had some comments on them from Advance Auto Parts about the corrosion. I was going to clean them with some Coke, but Jason seemed to think they were corroded a bit excessively. They have a pretty good reputation around my area, so I respect their recommendations. It's not like the cars are pretty standard around my area either. People drive a wide variety of old and new cars from various areas around the world. The other day I saw a 1987 BMW M3 that someone probably bought new and kept for the 30 something years they've owned it. The older generation around here doesn't really buy new cars, and most of them have owned the same luxury car for 15+ years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 To keep the battery terminals from corroding, you can coat them with grease to keep moisture out. Just kind of make a seal covering the top bottom and sides. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tehnation Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Brought the car to an actual mechanic (instead of the cheapskates over at the GM dealer) . They're going to replace the terminals on my battery and alternator. Also letting the car relearn the idle. Real nice guys over at Jason's Tire and Auto. They've done more in an hour than the dealer did in a week. No cost to me either unless I can get the dealer to pay. A wire brush, 10mm & 12mm wrench was all you needed! FYI inspecting your battery terminals for corrosion and being secure is pretty much auto care 101! I couldn't imagine the terminals being so bad to the point of replacing, how much did they charge to "replace" terminals lol? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tehnation Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 If you bought the car from a gm dealership it was probably a trade in and sat in the lot a long time. None of these issues during test drive ? Make sure your battery is bolted down and not sliding around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 A wire brush, 10mm & 12mm wrench was all you needed! FYI inspecting your battery terminals for corrosion and being secure is pretty much auto care 101! I couldn't imagine the terminals being so bad to the point of replacing, how much did they charge to "replace" terminals lol? No charge whatsoever. They even gave me a dummy receipt to try and get some cash out of the dealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tehnation Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 nice guys! but now you know! your first lesson! be happy it was free , you don't get to many of those with this car!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 nice guys! but now you know! your first lesson! be happy it was free , you don't get to many of those with this car!! I was honestly just tired of trying to figure it out. Any future maintenance will be done on my own, but since this was a new car, I was trying to get the dealership to fix it. From here on out, the car will be better taken care of than the previous owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obikenobi27 Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 If you bought the car from a gm dealership it was probably a trade in and sat in the lot a long time. None of these issues during test drive ? Make sure your battery is bolted down and not sliding around. No problems during the test drive. The problem began a day or two after the car was purchased. Two days later the power steering belt shredded. I wasn't even driving abnormally. The problem kept occuring until I brought it up to Jason's Tire and Auto. Haven't had a issue all weekend. Hopefully it stays that way. The car idles better and runs smooth. Like I said in a previous post, I think the car missed a couple maintenance schedules while in the lot. On top of that, I'm coming of to the recommended 45,000 mile maintenance. According to Subaru, Clutch operation Disc brake pads and discs, front and rear axle boots and axle shaft joint portions Engine oil Engine oil filter Inspect brake lines and check operation of parking and service brake system Rotate and Inspect Tires Steering and suspension So, it was a bit rough when I got it. Now it's pretty nice. I probably should have taken a closer look at the engine before purchasing the car. Maybe could have gotten all the belts replaced and fluids changed ahead of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Do you plan to check or change (the oil and filter) list of items yourself ? I guess you realize you don't have a clutch... Do you know if the diff fluids were changed at 30,000 miles ? Here's a link to the service manuals, http://people.csail.mit.edu/ilh/vacation/ 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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