Why buy a Subaru? (story)
01-17-2005, 12:33 PM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 101
Why buy a Subaru? (story)
I'll tell ya why. It wont stop running.
Last week temperatures reached -50f averaging at about -45f for 2.5-3 days in North Pole, AK. So I go into work, im a bit late because of driving slow, Icefog makes it so you cant see 20 feet in front of you. You cant even see tail lights 20 feet in front of you. Anyway I notice that only 3 out of the 7 people are in the office. Over the next 30 mintues more start showing up. So everyone is complaining about problems with there cars and how cold it is. Turns out that in my office if you didnt have a subaru your car was broke in one way or another. Heres the run down of the cars in my office and what happened to them in the cold.
04' chevy cavalier - dealer didnt winterize it properly. Freeze plug blew, antifreeze all over the place.
99' chevy suburban - right rear window shattered from the cold
01' chevy 1500 - strange fuel problem, its more serious than just running a bottle of Heet thru your lines. Its a common problem up here that most 1500's have. Were still boggled by it as are dealers(or so they say) and it only happens below -40f the truck idles but dies when you hit the gas. Sputters sometimes too.
90' Jeep cherokee - cold soaked even though it was plugged in. (its 1990 or so model year so not too unexpected it is 15 years old pretty much
93' Ford Ranger - Heater broke, drives fine but the windshield fogs up non-stop
My 03' WRX - no problems, well my windows roll up and down at about 5 inches per minute in that temperature but that is to be expected.
00' Impreza wagon - no problems at all
During the day I made 3 trips into town for people. once to pick the guy up from the window repair place, once to pickup a guy because the freezeplug was toast and he couldnt drive. And the third trip I followed the truck home after we warmed it up with big heater for about 20 minutes.
Yeah my car is newer than most and shouldnt have any problems but I just started it last night at -35 without being plugged in for 3 hours while I was at the movies and it started like a champ. Sure I heard all kinds of strange noises for the first 30 seconds as the fluids started moving but every car does that here. Subaru's really are designed well for extremes. I coudnt be happier with my purchase. Its a great feeling to be the dependable one and have people owe you favors all because your car worked and theres did not.
Last week temperatures reached -50f averaging at about -45f for 2.5-3 days in North Pole, AK. So I go into work, im a bit late because of driving slow, Icefog makes it so you cant see 20 feet in front of you. You cant even see tail lights 20 feet in front of you. Anyway I notice that only 3 out of the 7 people are in the office. Over the next 30 mintues more start showing up. So everyone is complaining about problems with there cars and how cold it is. Turns out that in my office if you didnt have a subaru your car was broke in one way or another. Heres the run down of the cars in my office and what happened to them in the cold.
04' chevy cavalier - dealer didnt winterize it properly. Freeze plug blew, antifreeze all over the place.
99' chevy suburban - right rear window shattered from the cold
01' chevy 1500 - strange fuel problem, its more serious than just running a bottle of Heet thru your lines. Its a common problem up here that most 1500's have. Were still boggled by it as are dealers(or so they say) and it only happens below -40f the truck idles but dies when you hit the gas. Sputters sometimes too.
90' Jeep cherokee - cold soaked even though it was plugged in. (its 1990 or so model year so not too unexpected it is 15 years old pretty much
93' Ford Ranger - Heater broke, drives fine but the windshield fogs up non-stop
My 03' WRX - no problems, well my windows roll up and down at about 5 inches per minute in that temperature but that is to be expected.
00' Impreza wagon - no problems at all
During the day I made 3 trips into town for people. once to pick the guy up from the window repair place, once to pickup a guy because the freezeplug was toast and he couldnt drive. And the third trip I followed the truck home after we warmed it up with big heater for about 20 minutes.
Yeah my car is newer than most and shouldnt have any problems but I just started it last night at -35 without being plugged in for 3 hours while I was at the movies and it started like a champ. Sure I heard all kinds of strange noises for the first 30 seconds as the fluids started moving but every car does that here. Subaru's really are designed well for extremes. I coudnt be happier with my purchase. Its a great feeling to be the dependable one and have people owe you favors all because your car worked and theres did not.
01-17-2005, 07:55 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coloradoan banished to ND
Posts: 81
Car Info: 05 2.5RS Wagon Royal Blue Pearl
Here in Grand Forks ND, our highs have been around -10 with lows getting to less than -30. And as a result I have found I've been giving ALOT of rides. Most the people I've been picking up have block heaters, garages and auto starts. My little wagon sits in a parking lot exposed to the wind via an acre of open field. The Suby turns over a bit slower, and is certainly cranky, but it goes every time. I previously owned a 92 Legacy with 200K+mi, and it also started every time.
01-18-2005, 12:11 AM
#7
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 101
I use mobil 1 5w-30. What was recommened to me by many people who have been up here a long time.
The only other thing that I changed out of factory specs is the battery. The stock battery gave me some trouble the first winter so I went to a maintenance free and I notice a difference. I probably would not have let my car out for 3 hours unplugged at -30 last year.
I do have heating pads on my battery, transmission, oil pan and a block heater. As do most people up here.
A friend of mine had an 02' wrx and went thru 2 or 3 power steering pumps so I am considering changing that fluid thinking maybe it was the problem. But I baby it pretty well, letting it warm up and not turning quick or sharp for the first few miles till the bearings feel a little more normal. The worst part is that when driving at highway speeds your clutch feels like its in glue that hasnt set yet. Actually now that you asked that I may change some other fluids out as well.
The only other thing that I changed out of factory specs is the battery. The stock battery gave me some trouble the first winter so I went to a maintenance free and I notice a difference. I probably would not have let my car out for 3 hours unplugged at -30 last year.
I do have heating pads on my battery, transmission, oil pan and a block heater. As do most people up here.
A friend of mine had an 02' wrx and went thru 2 or 3 power steering pumps so I am considering changing that fluid thinking maybe it was the problem. But I baby it pretty well, letting it warm up and not turning quick or sharp for the first few miles till the bearings feel a little more normal. The worst part is that when driving at highway speeds your clutch feels like its in glue that hasnt set yet. Actually now that you asked that I may change some other fluids out as well.
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