In this day and age and due to the hectic pace of life many of us are forced to deal with.

There just isn’t enough time to take a few hours and read through your cars owners’ manual. But in this case exceptions really need to be made.

I realize that the Owners manual for your Subaru or any other car you own is not going to be very exciting reading by any stretch of the imagination. There is such a wealth of information in the manual, with regards to obtaining as much value out of your vehicle investment as possible.

I am often amazed at how many people still think the check engine light comes on at a predetermined mileage interval rather than indicating a problem. A quick read in the owner’s manual in the right section should clear up that myth. The check engine light comes on only when the vehicles computer commands it on as a result of a potential problem mostly in regards to the vehicle emissions system.

Also in the owner’s manual will be the section that spells out that anyone can service your Subaru or any other car for that matter including yourself! With no affect on the warranty.

But more importantly the manual is filled with vital information with regards to how often fluids and filters should need attention. How to safely operate the vehicle, how to change a flat tire, fluid requirements, on newer models there will be information about the alarm and keyless entry systems. This list can go on forever.

Knowing about these things can really save you money and keep you informed about your car.

Under maintaining or over maintaining your Subaru can really be costly as time passes by.

With gas prices at historic levels it is especially important right now to try and get as much out of your automotive dollar as possible. An hour or two spent reading your owners manual can go a long way in not only keeping you informed, but can also greatly reduce your costs and keep you safer.

If you own one of the affected models you should set up an appointment with your local Subaru dealer service department to make sure everything is ok.

At All-Wheel Drive Auto we believe that customer service is much more than just servicing your Subaru it’s also keeping you informed.

NHTSA RECALL BULLETIN
Reference Number(s): 08V135000
Related Ref Number(s): 08V 135000
ARTICLE BEGINNING

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
Model(s): 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA
2003 SUBARU IMPREZA
Campaign No: 08V135000
Number of Affected Vehicles: 36791
Beginning Date of Manufacture: 2000 SEP
Ending Date of Manufacture: 2002 SEP

SYSTEM
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: TAILGATE: LATCH

DESCRIPTION OF DEFECT
SUBARU IS RECALLING 36,791 MY 2002-2003 IMPREZA WAGONS. THE STUD BOLT(S)
OF REAR GATE STAY MAY HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED WITH INSUFFICIENT TIGHTENING
TORQUE AND A GAP MAY HAVE RESULTED BETWEEN THE REAR GATE PANEL AND
STUD BOLT BASE. AFTER REPEATED REAR GATE OPERATIONS (OPENING AND
CLOSING), THE REAR GATE INNER PANEL AT THE WELDING NUT MAY BREAK,
WHICH WILL LEAD TO DETACHMENT OF THE REAR GATE STAY, AND THE REAR
GATE DROPPING DOWN.
CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT
IN CASE SOMEONE IS UNDERNEATH OR NEAR THE REAR GATE, THERE IS A
POSSIBILITY THAT A DROPPING REAR GATE PANEL MAY HIT THEM INCREASING THE
RISK OF INJURIES.

CORRECTIVE ACTION
DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY GAP AT THE STUD BOLT OF THE
REAR GATE STAY INSTALLATION. IF A GAP IS FOUND, THE STUD BOLT WILL BE
REMOVED TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE TO THE WELDING NUT. IF THE WELD NUT IS

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: TAILGATE: LATCH -2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Page 2 of 2
CRACKED, THE REAR GATE STAY WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE
RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE .TUNE 2, 2008. OWNERS MAY
CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

When it comes to your and your passenger’s safety as well as drivers of other vehicles on the road, why would you evertrust your brakes to the lowest price and does a lower price really save you any money?

This is not to say that you should pay the highest price quoted but you should know what you are paying for. As I have mentioned in other articles not all repairs are created equal as there can be a significant difference in parts quality and the experience of the technician working on your car. When it comes to your brakes and your safety don’t you want the best and safest repair possible?

I am often amazed at how many times I have had to take off one year old brakes done at a tire store or franchised automotive repair chain, for various different reasons such as pulsation, vibration, noise or just a poor stopping experience.

Having started my career at a tire store that offered total car care as well I have seen first hand the problems that come up from cheap parts and cheap labor.

Your Subaru or just about any other Japanese import uses stainless steel brake caliper pistons helping prevent rust that will build up, as there can be a lot of moisture in your brakes hydraulic system. A lot of the calipers that are put on your car by the tire stores and large chains have sandblasted cores and use cast steel pistons which rust very quickly. It is as simple as leaving a cast iron pan and a stainless steel pan out in the rain and seeing which one rusts first.

The original calipers in your Subaru, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. Should rarely ever need to be replaced, they just do not fail that often but yet we constantly see advertised brakes stating “we do brakes right” that includes replacing your calipers regardless if they are ever really faulty. This repair will be ok for a while but will never last as long as the original calipers would be capable of lasting. Worst yet is when not if the aftermarket calipers fail it will be very expensive to put true O.E. quality calipers back on the car.

On a Subaru the right way to replace the brakes in most cases is to replace the pads and hardware as supplied in the box of pads when you buy the parts from Subaru. Add to this the rotors should either be machined until true or replaced if questionable as a result of being close to the minimum thickness allowed, severely warped, delaminated or pitted and rusty.

The way to save money replacing brakes is to use O.E. quality parts and find an Expert like All-Wheel Drive Auto who will charge you less labor than the dealer but always insist on doing your brakes like his or her own family is in the car with.

Have a Summer trip planned with Your Subaru or Japanese import?

Mention you read our blog when scheduling in a brake inspection and save 10% off of your brakes on our already lower than the dealer prices.

 This is what comes in the box when you buy the Subaru pads. 

 These are typical  high end aftermarket pads that do not come with any hard ware and only one set of shims that are already attatched to the pads.

So we have had a few questions about how the project is coming so here is the first update.

Due to the Subaru Legacy having ABS (Anti-Lock Braking) there really isn’t a whole lot of room in the engine compartment. The book we bought specs out a generator that won’t really fit where I wanted to put it. So based on the available room we have I am currently looking for a suitable alternative location, or I will look for a used Legacy without ABS and enlarge the generator and thus problem solved.

Due to the precision involved in some of the design and build. I have had to send the stainless steel tubing to a machine shop as I want this to be perfect.

The gap in between the inner and outer electrodes seems to be pretty crucial to the function of the generator. Rather than hack it up myself as I am better at repairing than building this seems like a better way to go. I am also at there mercy as the machine shop I am using is very busy as they are well known for working with precision air craft parts.

We have had a lot of interest and I appreciate the support but this is probably going to take a little while to finish as it is just to hard to dedicate a large chunk of time as we do have a shop to run and families as well. We will do our best to have this done in a couple of months so keep checking back for updates

While we don’t yet know the true answer to this question, we will in the not to distant future.

After a friend asked me what I thought of the internet hype and you tube videos showing a “in the vehicle hydrogen generator” that creates browns gas or hho, I decided to look into it further.

One of the common arguments I have observed is that it will take more energy to create the hho than reaped in producing it in the first place. But how can anyone really know this for sure in a car with an alternator.

I want to be sure to point out that I am not a scientist or an engineer; I am merely just a Technician, business owner and concerned father of two boys who I want to have a bright future and I often worry that there are just not enough people truly trying to come up with ways to decrease the amount of fuel used in cars and thus decrease the emissions they produce.

Whether you believe in global warming or not you must realize by now that as the rest of the world becomes more like the U.S. and consumes more commodities such as oil the price of gas may fluctuate a little, but is on a steady rise to much higher prices in the future.

So I look to what I know to be true, If HHO can truly be produced in a hydrogen generator mounted in a car, I can figure a way to decrease the total amperage draw of the car to compensate for the increase in amperage draw from the generator.

So here is what we are going to attempt. We are going to build and install the system as outlined in a book bought online. As the project goes along I will provide updates to our progress as I can. What is learned and achieved as well as any failures. Since this is somewhat of a departure from what we normally do, I am not sure how long this will take. I am optimistic that from research into materials, supply to design, build, installation and finally testing that we can have this done in a few months time.

It is not our intent to try and “cash in” on any hype and the reason for posting an article on our blog is to try and bring about awareness. We might want input from someone in the scientific community if we were to get stuck on one or more particular aspects of the hydrogen generator build.

Here is the vehicle we are going to use as the test car. A 1993 Subaru Legacy, with almost 300,000 miles. Two reasons for choosing this car. One, we know Subaru’s very well and once the Generator is installed it should be immediately apparent to me if it is helping or hurting the car. Two, if it damages the car, it has had a good life and I wouldn’t be out to much.

If we are successful, it does indeed work and offer real fuel savings, than we may offer to try and replicate it and offer the systems to be installed.

Again we didn’t event the technology being installed here we are only out to see if it really works. If it does is it practical, reliable and stable.

If we ultimately don’t end up with a success, there is that old saying. Out of failure breeds success and maybe we can have a part in it.

Wish us luck, please send us your feedback and we will keep you posted as we can.

Justin

If you have a car that has a warranty that is about to expire, you should really have a good thorough inspection done by an independent shop. Even if you aren’t having any problems there may be minor things that could turn into major issues after the warranty runs out.

Having someone who specializes in one particular make such as we do with Subaru is even just that much better. We can look at things we know to be common with the vehicle, and report back with our findings. This is especially helpful if there are any campaigns that we are aware of.

A campaign is somewhat similar to a recall except the driver isn’t ever made aware of it in many situations. If a car manufacturer wants to cut their warranty expense and provide good service they will provide the technicians with information to help speed up the process of diagnosing and repairing a problem. Sometimes the process involves updated parts that you can get for free if you know how the system works. A good independent shop like All Wheel Drive Auto stays up to date on common issues with your car.

This gives the driver an opportunity to go back to the dealer armed with factual information as to items that need attention before the warranty is up. The service department at the dealer is not going to call you and schedule an appointment for an inspection and offer to fix it all under warranty before it is too late. You must take the first step yourself.

Chances are your car cost you a lot of money and you may still be making payments on it. The only way you can get as much value as you can, is to be proactive with your car. This means not waiting until something happens before addressing it.

When you buy a new home, often times the builder schedules a time to walk through the house and take care of items that have come up such as cracked sheet rock due to settling. Why should you approach your car any differently? With as much as you spent you deserve full value out of your hard earned money.

At All Wheel Drive Auto we pride ourselves in offering the best relevant information about your Subaru, as well as quality fixed right the first time repairs and service.

With gas prices once again on the rise, there is a good chance that the thought of owning a hybrid vehicle will cross your mind.   There are significantly more choices now then there were just a couple of years ago and the number of hybrids on the road is on the rise. 

We will break down the first real service on this 2007 Toyota Highlander.

The current trend is to offer the same vehicle in two different versions one being an all gasoline internal combustion engine and the other a “hybrid” of a internal combustion engine and electric vehicle combination. When looking under the hood of this 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid one of the first things you will see is the heart and soul of the hybrid system.   While it is important to observe precautions when servicing the vehicle, the maintenance may be easier then you think. 

This vehicle has a separate inverter cooling system.  The level and condition must be inspected in addition to the engines cooling system.  

Most of the maintenance of this Toyota Highlander Hybrid is pretty straight forward, such as the removal and installation of the air filter.

This vehicle utilizes a cabin filter which is located in the dashboard area behind the glove box and we can see that at 15,000 miles it is ready to be replaced.  The purpose of the cabin filter is to help clean up the air you breathe while in the vehicle.  It is important if your vehicle does have a cabin filter that the filter is inspected at least once a year and replaced as necessary as a restricted or dirty cabin filer can reduce the amount of air coming into the cabin.

This is a cabin filer that is just one year old.

Changing the engine oil on this Hybrid is just like changing the oil on any other vehicle and as is rotating the tires.

One thing of note here is that the main vehicle battery is very small and this should be observed if leaving one of the vehicle accessories on such as the radio or a light for an extended period of time. 

Here is one major difference, the rear drive system of this vehicle is all electric and where there used to be a mechanical differential assembly that only required the fluid to be changed, there Is now instead an electrical drive device that does not have the same maintenance requirements as its predecessor.

Over all this Highlander hybrid 15,000 mile service is no more challenging than a 15,000 mile service on an all gasoline version of the same vehicle.  While there are vast differences, the minor maintenance intervals are still pretty straight forward.  And the overall cost of the early maintenance requirements is relatively the same.   Stay tuned for the 30k service and we will continue to try and keep you informed.

A special thanks to Scott Chytil of Scott Chytil photography for these exceptional pictures.  http://www.chytilphoto.com/ 

Your only real defense against higher gas prices is to get as much out of every drop of fuel you put in your car, or to just stop driving, but unless you don’t need your car to get to work, chances are the later isn’t going to work out.

Keeping your car in tip top shape can help save you money over the long run and has the added benefit of being better for the environment as well. Cars need periodic maintenance to perform at their peak and if your car isn’t running at its best then you can bet it is costing you money.

Today’s computer controlled cars have built in programming that will allow the ECM (engine control module) to try and compensate for a problem with an individual cylinder due to a dirty fuel injector or worn sparkplug. But sometimes it does this with sacrifice to the overall fuel economy of the vehicle.

Check our archive for articles http://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-fuel-economy-101/ for specific information on fuel economy tips that will help ease the pain at the pump and keep your Subaru as green as possible.

As a specialist we know your car better, especially when it comes to the right way to make economical repairs that a general repair shop wouldn’t know about or a Subaru dealer would never consider. Sometimes a vehicle will develop a pattern failure and a real solution needs to be found or a more economical repair procedure can be had.

Through the years we have found solutions to replacing expensive parts by making repairs to existing components rather than just blindly install new ones. We have been able to become very good at repairs and service work by specializing in Subaru and we try to share this experience with our customer with lower labor prices.

We know what parts we can use on your Subaru without sacrificing longevity. Most automakers have become pure design and assemble companies leaving the parts manufacture to other companies. These auto parts companies are free to sell the same parts in aftermarket channels with out the Subaru logo. While in some cases in only makes sense to stick with Subaru parts especially when it comes to slower moving items that may have not been introduced in the aftermarket by the companies that originally made the parts for Subaru. There is also a good chance that the exact replacement part can be found at a 20% savings if you know how to look (we do).

From top to bottom we really know your Subaru well and want to help you get as many trouble free miles out of it as possible. We have seen these cars go well over 300k and I am the owner of a 1992 Legacy with 292k and counting. We take pride in servicing cars with higher miles and often have suggestions to help keep them going. Even though your Subaru may be getting up there in miles don’t discount just how long they will run.

With gas prices already as high $3.45 in some places and it isn’t even spring yet the quicker your Subaru is in tip top shape the more you will squeeze out of every drop of fuel you put in it.

From now to the end of March you can save 10% off our already lower than the dealer prices on a 30/60/90k service up to $50.00

Or 10% off of labor on any other service, such as brakes or Head gaskets up to $75.00.

The fine print

This offer cannot be combined with any other offer and must be presented or mentioned at time of vehicle check in to be valid.

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