Any Subaru owners?

[JB4310]

Well this is a little confusing, the door post says 29 front and 28 to 36 rear.

I thought for safety they say to always fill to max pressure listed on the tire?
Remember when the tires were blowing out on certain vehicles due to under inflation??

And especially with all wheel drive I would think it's important to keep all tires the same.

Anyway, I need to buy tires, maybe paint the rims, just got it registered today, so I'll get to drive it this weekend.

JB.

 

[Western]

How do you like it? I have never owned a Subaru small engine. Are you satisfied with it?

At the time I bought it I had a Lincoln and was thinking new one. Then I saw the Subaru in the Bobcat and I was sold. Thing runs like a champ. I bought it the 1st year Miller came out with the larger 250 and it hasn't missed a beat and that was one of their strong selling points. The small Subaru motors have a great rep and I don't think the welder will get near the abuse as a "Suby" with wheels.

I let it sit for 10 months, I had mixed Sea Foam in it. Went to help my neighbor build a bridge, thing fired up like it did the day I bought it.

 

[Redneck in training]

Well this is a little confusing, the door post says 29 front and 28 to 36 rear.

I thought for safety they say to always fill to max pressure listed on the tire?
Remember when the tires were blowing out on certain vehicles due to under inflation??

And especially with all wheel drive I would think it's important to keep all tires the same.

Anyway, I need to buy tires, maybe paint the rims, just got it registered today, so I'll get to drive it this weekend.

JB.

Front axle carries more weight so it has higher pressure. Since most people drive alone I would inflate the rear tires to 28 psi. Then I would increase the pressure only if the rear is loaded and the distance you need to drive is significantly long. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. My feeling is that over-inflating the rear tires while the car is not loaded is not good for the drive-train. If I remember it right the owners manual stipulates maximum difference in diameter between tires 0.25"

 

[EE_Bota]

Well this is a little confusing, the door post says 29 front and 28 to 36 rear.

I thought for safety they say to always fill to max pressure listed on the tire?
Remember when the tires were blowing out on certain vehicles due to under inflation??

And especially with all wheel drive I would think it's important to keep all tires the same.

Anyway, I need to buy tires, maybe paint the rims, just got it registered today, so I'll get to drive it this weekend.

JB.

In that case, they are telling you to adjust to the load you have in the car. If you knew for a fact you are going on a long journey heavily loaded, go up on the pressure. If you are virtually empty, go for the lower. Adjust for the best tire patch on the road.

 

[EE_Bota]

Front axle carries more weight so it has higher pressure. Since most people drive alone I would inflate the rear tires to 28 psi. Then I would increase the pressure only if the rear is loaded and the distance you need to drive is significantly long. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. My feeling is that over-inflating the rear tires while the car is not loaded is not good for the drive-train. If I remember it right the owners manual stipulates maximum difference in diameter between tires 0.25"

If I saw what you wrote, I would not have written, since your's sounds good to me.

I can't vouch for the 0.25, but I would not be surprised.

Also, for the OP, a manual Subaru like mine has a viscous coupling that must deal with what ever comes its way in a "thoughtless" manner, since is it uncontrolled.

An Automatic, unless they changed them, is smart, and it will use the same pulsers that inform the antilock brakes to also inform the CPU. The CPU decides how to actuate the viscous coupling and controls it with a duty cycle relay.

It is possible, though I do not KNOW this to be true, that the automatic tranny type is smarter, and more versatile and more forgiving, since it can "think." My manual, it must distribute the torque without the advantage of being controlled.

I am a stickler because I also have an additional issue: My Baja has a limited slip rear end, since it is the Turbo Model Baja. So, I want my rear tires to match well all the way around.

 

[RoyJackson]

Well this is a little confusing, the door post says 29 front and 28 to 36 rear.

I thought for safety they say to always fill to max pressure listed on the tire?
Remember when the tires were blowing out on certain vehicles due to under inflation??

JB.

Those tires blowing out were Firestones which had a recommended pressure of around 35 PSI when mounted on the mid-90's Ford Explorer. Ford wanted the SUV to ride better so they listed a lower pressure in the trucks' manuals. The lower pressures, combined with the trucks' weight, resulted in catastrophic failures of the tires and accidents.
There a number of articles on this, if you want to research the incidents.

Anyway, I suggest you go a bit higher then Subaru recommends (maybe 5 psi per tire). The higher pressure requirement in the rear tires is probably for load carryng capability (same as when you up the pressure in a pick up when you have a load in the bed).
Bit higher pressure will give you better fuel economy, anyway.

 

[JB4310]

Wow, I never adjusted tire pressure for the load always went by the max pressure, even on the family minivan etc. guess I missed the boat on proper tire pressure

Right now I got 35 in all 4, seemed to handle good not to bumpy or anything.

I have a question for Sackett2 because of your experience as a Subaru tech.
You may be able to tell me what the pair of wires under the dash that are disconnected are for. They are unique in that they have a green connector, none of the other wire connectors are green that I can see.
When I plug them together with car off but key in ignition dash lights start flashing, the electric cooling fan goes on and I hear clicking in the back, maybe fuel pump or something??

I did not try to start the car with them connected, If anyone else has a clue what it is I'd like to hear about it. the only other problem is the overhead clock does not work.

Thanks JB,

 

[Sackett2]

messaged you; leave them unplugged

 

[Sackett2]

An Automatic, unless they changed them, is smart, and it will use the same pulsers that inform the antilock brakes to also inform the CPU. The CPU decides how to actuate the viscous coupling and controls it with a duty cycle relay.

the Auto has no viscous coupling, the slip needed is all handled with the clutch packs. the manual, being directly linked from the engine to the driveshafts needs a "give point" between the front and rear wheels, and that's what a viscous coupling does. I disassembled a broke one last week, it is a series of thin clutches in a special oil.

 

[JB4310]

Thanks,

For someone who has driven standards all their lives from trucks, tractors, cars and motorcycles. I'm having a little trouble with this little 5 speed, starting in first gear I'm either slipping the clutch to much or bucking like a bronco. Stalled it a couple of times in busy traffic :ashamed:

May have something to do it being AWD ? Can't seem to find the sweet spot.

Been driving the car and I like it, I swear the gas gauge doesn't move. At first I thought it was going up, but the way the gauge is, empty is to the right instead of left.

Even driving the car hard I have not noticed the temp gauge rise from it's mid point, only heard the fans come on a couple times. and just for a brief moment.

Oh yeah, anyone have a recommendation on fuel octane? all it says in the book is 87 or above. I have no problem putting 91-93 octane in it if it will benefit the engine in anyway, since it is such a fuel miser.

JB.