'99 Subaru Forester Build

[casm]

First fuel economy report: 21.1mpg (295 miles of travel for exactly 14 gallons of 87-octane gas). This is mixed town and interstate driving, with about 50 miles of trail use. It should be pointed out that probably 50 miles of that mixed (e.g., non-trail) use involved travel to and from the trail on some very steep and twisty mountain roads, so it may be possible to improve slightly on that average; the computer was also relearning how to run on all four cylinders again for part of it. Still on stock (205/60R16) rubber.

I have to give this vehicle credit: on forest roads and two-tracks, it's really in its element and makes for a very competent, comfortable, and capable runner. However, it very quickly becomes apparent when it's starting to get out of its depth. I am being careful with how hard I'm pushing it right now (mainly due to the minimal lift and lack of skidplates at present), but even addressing those areas it's fairly clear that what is likely to result from all of this is a vehicle that is a really good AWD car with some extra ground clearance, but not a serious expedition vehicle.

Having said that, I'm setting an actual goal for this vehicle of being able to traverse the Mojave Road. I've done it in the Jeep, and think that there's potential in the Forester to be able to repeat that success. How much assistance it would need is something of an unknown (and travelling in a group would have to be a definite requirement, since I can think of at least two places it would likely need a strap), but it seems like that would be a good test of what it can be pushed out to do.

[Ozarker]

Hmmm, I'm disappointed in the mpg, each time I have filled up (three times now) I have not computed the mpg, but have the data and have to say I was initially hoping for mid 20s and 30 on the highway.

Your goal was much like mine I guess, wasn't hoping for a full blown mountain goat but a more capable vehicle for some longer travels and getting off the beaten path by tourists.

Watching your build closely to learn. Thanks for posting the update!

[casm]

Hmmm, I'm disappointed in the mpg, each time I have filled up (three times now) I have not computed the mpg, but have the data and have to say I was initially hoping for mid 20s and 30 on the highway.

Checking against http://www.fueleconomy.gov, the 1999 Forester is rated (under the revised numbers) at 19 city / 25 highway with the manual, and 18 city / 24 highway with the automatic. 21mpg puts me at 50% over what I'd average in my XJ, so it's a definite improvement but not a stratospheric one by any means.

My best guess is that this is down to the Forester's low-geared final drive (4.44:1 in the automatic) and worse aerodynamics in comparison to the Impreza it's based on. To be fair, though, my driving style hasn't completely adapted to it yet (I'm still using more skinny pedal to make up for the lack of torque relative to the Jeep), and I don't know the state of the oxygen sensors or coil pack.

Having said that, I'm trying not to second-guess what I think that I should be getting too much for right now. I'll stick the OBDII reader on it later in the week and see what it's saying, but I do need to give everything (myself included) a chance to get used to running properly.

Your goal was much like mine I guess, wasn't hoping for a full blown mountain goat but a more capable vehicle for some longer travels and getting off the beaten path by tourists.

That's pretty much exactly what I'm going for. It doesn't have to be able to go everywhere, but get me closer in to everywhere than a stock one would.

[LMarshall73]

I went from 11mpg highway in the H2 to mid 20's with my '04 Foz. On longer trips (SC to FL) and with a less 'spirited' driving style I can average in the high 20's. I'm also using an UltraGauge (cheaper version of the Scangauge) which helps me to monitor my real-time mpg.

[Ozarker]

These gauges, where do ya get em and what do they do and what do they cost and are they worth it and how do ya plug it in? LOL

I'll be happy with 20+ in town and mid upper 20s on the road, that will be better than my truck!

I usually drive aggresively, starting off the line (not like a 18 yr old) but I have traffic behind me. If I'm not on a mission, I can slow down and squeez a drop of gas too.

Again. if I can get my GF out of the car (she has it right now, said she had errands (again)), I'll top it off, get the pump receipts and odometer readings and figure it out!

[LMarshall73]

Ultra-Gauge.

Some people have complained about the rebate, but I didn't bother.

It plugs into the OBD II plug under the dash.

[Jnich77]

Ultra-Gauge.

Some people have complained about the rebate, but I didn't bother.

It plugs into the OBD II plug under the dash.

Thats like 1/2 the price of the scan gauge.... yup..I'm gunna get one!!!

[casm]

Thats like 1/2 the price of the scan gauge.... yup..I'm gunna get one!!!

One recommendation: if you've got an Android phone, the Torque app and a $29 eBay ELM327 Bluetooth OBD-II adapter from China is a hell of a combination. I've been running it for a while, and for $35 (counting the cost of the paid version of Torque) you end up with a scantool that does what the $300 ones do and substantially more.

My favourite feature: the ability to log ODB-II data in realtime, set it against GPS data, and upload it to a webserver. That feature's still in beta, but works well nonetheless.

No real progress on the Forester lately - I've just been putting it through some shakedown miles. There's an intermittent transmission issue when warm that I'm trying to narrow down - it doesn't feel like impending failure, but I suspect that either the filter (which is thankfully the external spin-on type similar to an oil filter) is clogged, or something electronic is slightly out of whack. Hoping that replacing the filter with an OEM one will be the cure; it's apparently not unknown for the aftermarket ones to have odd effects on fluid pressure.

[Ozarker]

Okay, great, not to get off topic, but I have had several cars with real time MPG, kinda funny watching them jump to 84 miles to the gallon going down hill and 4 mpg going up the next one. At the end of the day finding that they were not accurate when you filled up.

So, the Ultra Guage, how accurate is it? Another feature was air manifold pressure, assuming if the car is not already equiped with a sensor, the Ultra Guage won't be able to tell you either....? Engine codes, better than an idiot light, for sure!

How accurate are they in the functions claimed?

[casm]

The new (OEM) transmission filter is on. Only have about 10 miles on it so far, but the vehicle's running noticeably better with it in there - the torque converter doesn't seem to be as confused as to what it should be doing and shifts are considerably less abrupt. Performance also seems slightly improved.

FWIW, the filter that came off (some no-name one with a date of manufacture of 11/2008 on it) didn't have the same filter element construction. The best way I can describe it is that the centre section of the no-name filter was completely empty, but the OEM one appeared to have something else in that space. My guess is that there's possibly some sort of valving in the OEM unit that helps normalise the fluid pressure somewhat, but that's just a guess.