2001 Subaru Forester L - Manual Transmission - Need Repair Or For Parts on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Common Nissan Maxima vs. Subaru Legacy breakdowns

The Nissan Maxima and Subaru Legacy are both popular sedans. Similarities can be seen in price, styling, and performance. What are some common repair problems seen in each model? When do they occur and how much do they cost to fix? What about how to pay for car repairs? Let's find out. Check Engine Light Both Maxima and Legacy owners dread the appearance of this little light. In the Nissan, it's most likely a failed ignition coil. This part transforms the car battery voltage into a higher voltage required for starting. This problem appears more often in Maximas with over 140,000 miles. The cost to replace the ignition coil runs around $400, parts and labor. The check engine light on the Subaru Legacy is more often due to a failed oxygen sensor. The O2 sensor measures the oxygen level in the exhaust and can affect fuel consumption. This part fails more frequently in models with over 110,000 miles. The repair costs around $200. Legacy Sound System Problems It's not uncommon for the Legacy to have sound system failures at 140,000 miles or more. The speakers might not work or only function intermittently. Hitting a bump might also cause the radio to shut off. Repair costs here can vary, but the typical charge is around $600. Nissan Check Engine Light Part 2 The Nissan check engine light also may appear due to oil leaking from the camshaft position sensor. Difficulty with stalling and acceleration might occur as well. The repair costs around $250 and is more frequent in models with over 104,000 miles. Big-Ticket Items Some repairs are especially costly. In Maximas with over 120,000 miles, the power steering pump may begin to malfunction. This produces a clunking or knocking sound when driving over uneven terrain. Steering might be affected with abnormal noises heard when turning the steering wheel. A Nissan Maxima power steering pump replacement costs around $1,250, parts and labor. Now, if you begin to feel your Legacy vibrating or shuddering at around 116,000 miles, it may be a transmission problem. It's more noticeable when the car shifts gears. Legacy transmission repair can be expensive, costing up to $2,000 or more. Even more costly is a Subaru Legacy head gasket failure, seen more often at 110,000 miles or more. AC malfunction, fluid leaks, and engine overheating can occur when the head gasket fails. The repair costs are around $3,000.

WRX Concept gets walkaround with Subaru design boss Osamu Namba

The Subaru WRX Concept was the only concept car to be mentioned among our Editors' Choice favorites for New York Auto Show debuts this year - snagging the No. 3 spot nonetheless - due to what it could mean to the future of Subaru if it indeed becomes a reality. Now that we've caught our breath from walking countless miles through the Javits Center, Subaru has released a brief video of design boss Osamu Namba describing some of the exterior styling elements of the sporty concept sedan.
While this video is just your basic walkaround that gives no mention of the concept's inspiration or what we can expect from the next-generation WRX, it is still fun to watch Namba explain many of the car's design elements including the more aggressive face, the quadruple exhaust outlets and the signature flared wheel arches and side outlet fender vents. If you liked the WRX Concept as much as we did, scroll down to watch this short video.

The 2019 Subaru STI S209 has an intercooler sprayer, here's what it looks like when you activate it

The 2019 Subaru STI S209 gets a lot of features that distinguish it from your average WRX STI including wide body work, a giant wing, additional chassis braces and an extra 31 horsepower. It also brings back a performance gizmo that hasn't been featured in a U.S. market Subaru since 2007: the intercooler sprayer. As the name implies, it sprays cool water onto the air-to-air intercooler when pressing a button. In the case of the S209, that button is one of the paddles on the back of the steering wheel. That triggers the water nozzles hidden in the hood scoop to spray water. You can see what happens in the video below. Note that when the car is in motion, air would carry the spray farther back covering more of the intercooler. Now why would you want an intercooler sprayer? Well, the S209, like all WRX and STI models, uses an air-to-air intercooler to cool off hot air coming from the turbocharger on its way to the intake manifold. The cooler your air, the denser it is, meaning more oxygen to combine with fuel to turn into more power. The effectiveness of the intercooler depends partly on the temperature of the outside air flowing over the intercooler. If it's really hot out, it's not as effective. So spraying water onto the intercooler can counter this to ensure that the car is making maximum horsepower even in toasty conditions. This also means that although this may feel like some special secret performance-boosting weapon, it's really only effective in specific circumstances, and will just get you back to normal power, rather than make the car noticeably faster on the street. Long track days in the summer and after waiting in line at the drag strip or autocross are the kinds of situations where you could see power diminish due to hot air and a lack of moving air. Normal driving won't necessitate its use nor will driving in cool temperatures. In fact, the S209's owner's manual specifically says not to use the sprayer in temperatures below 41 degrees Fahrenheit because of the risk of frozen water in the tank. That brings us to another aspect of the intercooler sprayer: maintenance. In fairness, there isn't much to maintain, but if you want to use the system, you do need to keep the tank filled. It's located in the trunk where the spare tire would normally be. Inside of course is a water pump that connects to hoses that run water to the front. There is a warning light that will illuminate on the instrument panel if it runs low.