TLS Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 With the latest cold snap taking temps down into the single digits, and not getting out of the teens at times during the day, have any of you noticed the starter seeming to have trouble starting the engine? I haven't load tested the battery yet, but it just seems very weak. With a little 4 banger, and the rather LOUD gear starter that is on this, it should start a LOT quicker I'd think. No? Anyone have any comments on this? BTW....less than 5K miles on it. I did try a search, but didn't come up with anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-2.5-GT Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 yeah, a couple mornings ago, it seemed like it took a crank or two more before it started....but that night it had gotten down to like -10, so.... it does seem a little weak, but no signs of NOT wanting to start at all thats for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLS Posted December 26, 2004 Author Share Posted December 26, 2004 No, it never showed signs of NOT wanting to start, but for a brand new car just a few months old, I would think it would start up a bit snappier. I just am concerned that in 3-4 years, when the battery is approaching it's "marginal" stage, that the first cold snap will leave us in a NO-START condition without warning (well, not really without warning, since its warning us from the day we picked it up at the dealer!) I'm waiting for the voltage to drop so low during a start that we loose our radio presets/clock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edvig Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 The stock Subaru battery is not the greatest. The battery in my 02 WRX has gone through 2 NY winters and has ALWAYS started. It doesn't sound happy, especially after sitting around for 2 or 3 days, but the car has always started. Last winter's experiences did bother me enough that I swapped out the WRX battery a few weeks ago and replaced it with an Optima Red Top (bought from http://www.remybattery.com). I'll give the Legacy a another year or so before changing the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devobuzz Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 Yeh my cars turns over slowly too (2000 miles). I'm hoping the engine is still tight from being new and that as it wears the engine will crank faster but I don't know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbi012 Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 Try installing a block heater, I used to have the same problem but now igintion is alot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 Two items for our cold weather brethren and sistren that should be standard option purchases: Battery Warmer Block Heater It's amazing the difference these two items make; the battery retains most if not all of its CCAs and the engine retains both its warmth and its protective oil coatings on the internals. Definite plus is that the coolant is warm and the HVAC is putting out warm to hot air at start-up. Plug them in when you park the car for any length of time and you'll see amazing results immediately. Not so fast if the engine/system is cold but it will eventually get there. Stay warm and keep your ride snuggly warm too. SBT - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 With the latest cold snap taking temps down into the single digits, and not getting out of the teens at times during the day, have any of you noticed the starter seeming to have trouble starting the engine? I haven't load tested the battery yet, but it just seems very weak. With a little 4 banger, and the rather LOUD gear starter that is on this, it should start a LOT quicker I'd think. No? Anyone have any comments on this? BTW....less than 5K miles on it. I did try a search, but didn't come up with anything. Nothing unusual about this. At below freezing temperatures the battery has less electrical power to provide, and the engine has increased internal friction to overcome. If you want to start like it is summertime, use a block heater and battery heater. Or at the very least, use a synthetic 0W-30 oil in your motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 Yup, I had the same problem with mine when we had that single digit snap a week or so ago. I tried for a few minutes and the car wouldn't start. I finally gave it a rest, read the owner's manual on cold weather starts and after trying a couple of their tricks it finally started. It is a little disappointing, the car being all of 4000 miles old. But, it did eventually start. I haven't had a problem since then but it hasn't been as cold. I must say, I'm not a big fan of plugging my car in at night. I could see if it were a diesel... ...and by the way, in 20+ years of driving in this climate this is the first time I've encountered a problem like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deer Killer Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 It's the battery.. we just need a bigger/better one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc0032 Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 It's the battery.. we just need a bigger/better one. So I have been thinking of going with the Optima redtop too but which one? http://www.remybattery.com/350/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=171&subcat=166&cat=Red+Top%3Cbr%3EStarting+Batteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edvig Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 The Red Top 35 is the direct replacement for the WRX. I'm NOT 100% sure if the terminals are in the correct position for the 05 Legacy. More info here... http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=648964&highlight=Optima+battery However, as crappy as the stock battery is, I don't think anyone has to worry about their 05 Legover battery this winter. They should work fine since they are all brand new. Slow...but ok. I don't remember anyone having a problem with their Impreza battery during the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Angus Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 here in the chicago area, temps got down to 0-1 degree with negative windchill. my legacy spends it's park time out on the driveway, so it's outside all the time. anyway, i was interested to see how it would fare with the arctic blast baring down on us. to my delight, it took a 1/2 crank to a crank for it to fire up. granted it was a slightly slow crank, just the fact that it didnt take much effort for it to get started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *Jedimaster* Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 I'll echo Edvig's sentiments. The WRX was slow to start, but didn't fail in 2 northeast winters. I started mine today after sitting for a day and it didn't feel like it wanted to start, but cranked slower than usual and ultimately did start. I plan on keeping this car for a long time, so I may eventually get a better battery for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franklin Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 Im just north of Philly and TLS you nailed it. The car starts but sure sounds like its a challenge. Odd for a new car. Feels like my old Dodge Dart. Like wise wonder what it will do when the battery is a few years old. Subarus are big in snow belt. Is this common to all models or just our Legacies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ih8vtec13 Posted December 26, 2004 Share Posted December 26, 2004 It has been a rouhg start in the cold but the battery does the trick for the most part. As for Subarus in the snow belt, they will be way more likley to use block and battery heaters or it could just be Subaru wanting a bit more money selling those heaters due to a weak start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 It's the battery.. we just need a bigger/better one. Consumer Reports did a test of batteries in their Nov issue. But the results seem to be inconsistent, and are very dependant on the battery group number (25, 65, etc). For instance, the ACDelco Pro had one of the best cold weather performances among the group 65 batteries, but had middle of the pack cold weather performance among the group 34/78 batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLS Posted December 27, 2004 Author Share Posted December 27, 2004 Well, I checked the battery (visually) that is. It's a Johnson Controls 430 (yes four hundred and thirty) lowly CCA's. My freakin lawnmower has more CCA's!!! This is EXACTLY the problem. As I stated above.....it's not that I fear it won't start on us (it BETTER, or Subaru will hear it from me!), but that it seems to start very laborously. Like it's working real hard. When starters drain a weak (age/strength) battery, the voltage drops.....when voltage drops, the amps rise. This will fry a starter in no time at all. Seen it happen many times in several vehicles. Starters don't like to be lugged any more than our turboed engines. Still cant believe we got a sub-lawnmower rated battery in our $30K rockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deer Killer Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 It might be a process problem in the US as well. Who knows how long they were left partially discharged. On the other hand SOA probably just made a deal to take someone's crappy batteries for cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 Well, I checked the battery (visually) that is. It's a Johnson Controls 430 (yes four hundred and thirty) lowly CCA's. My freakin lawnmower has more CCA's!!! This is EXACTLY the problem. As I stated above.....it's not that I fear it won't start on us (it BETTER, or Subaru will hear it from me!), but that it seems to start very laborously. Like it's working real hard. When starters drain a weak (age/strength) battery, the voltage drops.....when voltage drops, the amps rise. This will fry a starter in no time at all. Seen it happen many times in several vehicles. Starters don't like to be lugged any more than our turboed engines. Still cant believe we got a sub-lawnmower rated battery in our $30K rockets. This is ironic. Johnson Controls is the battery supplier to Advance Auto. Consumer Reports rates 3 of the Advance Auto batteries highly in their Nov test. The smallest AA battery tested (group 75) had a CCA rating of 575 amps. A 430 CCA rating might be alright for southern California, where it never gets below 45 degrees, but it seems marginal for really cold climates. Not only did Subaru cheap out on the tires, sounds like they also cheaped out on the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 Alternatives to the stock group 35 battery, with 430CCA, would be the Optima Red Top with 720CCA and the Die Hard Gold with around 640CCA. Even better, if space allows, is to fit a physically larger battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franklin Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 thanks for the options advise. Guess this explains the labored slow cranking in single digit weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbi012 Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 I have a question for those who installed block heaters, the wire hangs out from the front bumper, does yours? Also, there's some kind of a plug that's in a black case, its not pluged, is this how it should be? thanks in advance. edit: I will post pics when I have a chance, just to make thing clearer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 I have a question for those who installed block heaters, the wire hangs out from the front bumper, does yours? Also, there's some kind of a plug that's in a black case, its not pluged, is this how it should be? thanks in advance. edit: I will post pics when I have a chance, just to make thing clearer. Not sure I recall this... pics would certainly help. SBT - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.