2012 Impreza thread

[thom52]

Originally Posted by SleepNMnky

I'd call SOA & have them run the VIN. Maybe it was a dealer swap or they could've found one to fill your order in dealer stock somewhere rather than waiting on original production from the factory. That's done very often once dealer stock is available. But why wouldn't your dealer be up front if that was the case. I personally wouldn't care, but SOA should be able to give you more up from the VIN.

could it have been a "loaner"? Several people on this forum have mentioned they were able to get "new" loaners....and then proceeded to beat them to death, apparently thinking that was a cool thing to do.

I was glad to see only 2 miles on our car when we picked it up. The mileage you are seeing MIGHT be legitimate.......

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[ocellaris]

Originally Posted by thom52

could it have been a "loaner"? Several people on this forum have mentioned they were able to get "new" loaners....and then proceeded to beat them to death, apparently thinking that was a cool thing to do.

I was glad to see only 2 miles on our car when we picked it up. The mileage you are seeing MIGHT be legitimate.......

He should pay $10 for a the CarFax and it would show if the vehicle was originally delivered to another dealer.

Depends on how long it takes CarFax to update though.

[ST Eye]

I'm thinking it probably was a car that a few people test drove. That would make the dealer reluctant to tell you the truth. Could be a bunch of stuff!

[Karl in MN]

Originally Posted by Moonbear

Today I received a call saying the car had arrived. It had to be ordered and thus was build in Japan and shipped over. Because it is brand new I expected it to have between 1-10 miles on it. Instead, it had 46.9 miles. When I asked the salesman he told me that Subaru "randomly" picks some cars after they're built and tests them. The thing is, they can't provide any record of who tested it, where it was tested, etc.

I can't speak to Subaru doing this but I have heard of GM doing it to someone who ordered a Buick Enclave. I find it entirely plausible that Subaru does this as well. Why either manufacturer would do it to a car that has been customer ordered is beyond me however.

[grzydj]

Originally Posted by Moonbear

Today I received a call saying the car had arrived. It had to be ordered and thus was build in Japan and shipped over. Because it is brand new I expected it to have between 1-10 miles on it. Instead, it had 46.9 miles. When I asked the salesman he told me that Subaru "randomly" picks some cars after they're built and tests them. The thing is, they can't provide any record of who tested it, where it was tested, etc.

When I picked up my brand new '06 Forester it had 30something miles on it. The dealer did their own inspection and test drive of the vehicle, even though I had already paid for it etc. What's a few lousy miles on a car that you're going to own for thousands and thousands of miles?

[somebody else]

Originally Posted by BrysImpreza

I like mine so far, it helped with an extra 0.5 to 1mpg and the engine doesn't feel as slugglish, especially on those unexpected quick take offs to avoid getting smooshed by an 18-wheeler.

Sorry, but I have to call B.S. on this.

• You would have to have some pretty serious measurement equipment to accurately find a 0.5-1.0 MPG difference. Certainly more than your odometer and the vagaries of the gas pumps.
• And you can feel 1 HP as a difference in your car's performance? As the difference between life and death?
• In a car where every tiny detail has been shaved and tweaked to try and squeeze more MPG out of an intrinsically inefficient platform, you don't think they installed the most fuel-friendly air filter they could get their hands on?

Look, spend your money however you want, but don't make up B.S. reasons for it.

You are likely to get much more notable gains in performance and economy by getting a precision 4-wheel alignment and inflating your tires properly.

[BryanP5555]

Someone needs to find out how to shut off the seat belt beeping. this should be 1st on everyones list haha

[somebody else]

Originally Posted by pxpaulx

Maybe it is higher end, having the dual climate controls and finer digital adjustments...could just be user perception though!

The "fan" makes almost no noise at all; it's the ducting that makes the noise. With a dual-zone system there is some difference in the ducts, but the most noise will be generated right at the vent where the air enters the cabin. Fairing the vents would be your best bet on reducing HVAC noise. On more expensive cars, the vents are smoother. Smoothing a vent after it comes out of the mold would pretty much double its cost.

[Karl in MN]

Originally Posted by BryanP5555

Someone needs to find out how to shut off the seat belt beeping. this should be 1st on everyones list haha

There is a procedure documented elsewhere to do this. The easiest I have found involves buckling and unbuckling the seat belt 20 times within 30 seconds of turning the car to the on position. I believe you have to wait for the indicator lights so stop flashing and sounding before you begin the process. I did it on my 2012 but don't remember the subtle details dealing with timing.

[ocellaris]

Originally Posted by somebody else

The "fan" makes almost no noise at all; it's the ducting that makes the noise. With a dual-zone system there is some difference in the ducts, but the most noise will be generated right at the vent where the air enters the cabin. Fairing the vents would be your best bet on reducing HVAC noise. On more expensive cars, the vents are smoother. Smoothing a vent after it comes out of the mold would pretty much double its cost.

Well with mine, the annoying noise is definitely coming from the fan because its like a slightly audible clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

[SleepNMnky]

Originally Posted by BryanP5555

Someone needs to find out how to shut off the seat belt beeping. this should be 1st on everyones list haha

Turn the key to the ACC position & quickly buckle & unbuckle your seatbelt at least 20 times within 30 seconds. Then take the key out. Then start your car. The alarm (seatbelt "alarm") will sound for about ten seconds then go off never to be heard again. Took me 3 tries & on the 3rd I had my door open while doing the procedure but I'm not sure that had any bearing on it. If you ever get your ECU reset or change your battery you'll have to do it again.

[SleepNMnky]

Originally Posted by somebody else

The "fan" makes almost no noise at all; it's the ducting that makes the noise. With a dual-zone system there is some difference in the ducts, but the most noise will be generated right at the vent where the air enters the cabin. Fairing the vents would be your best bet on reducing HVAC noise. On more expensive cars, the vents are smoother. Smoothing a vent after it comes out of the mold would pretty much double its cost.

Interesting. I don't have the dual zone but have the noise issue too. Most noticeable on the lower 1 setting.

[nubsub]

fan: the limited (US) model is not dual zone, so i too wonder if there are...

- differences in perception
- differences in fans
- differences in control

i too don't know why they would choose a different fan for the different models, and perhaps the 7 vs 4 speed is just a matter of the controller itself. i do think the lowest setting, if my radio is off, is noisier than it should be compared to my old Honda Civic...i like leaving my fan on the lowest speed to get a little air in, and it was nice to have it virtually silent in my old car.

anyone out there got the full "official subaru" service manual for the car? perhaps that would let us know if the HVAC system is different/similar between the different trim lines.

BTW, that's question i've been meaning to ask:

Where can one buy the Office Service Manual? either in hard copy or PDF? i paid $70 for the official honda one when i bought my last car, and it was money well spent.

[Karl in MN]

Originally Posted by SleepNMnky

Turn the key to the ACC position & quickly buckle & unbuckle your seatbelt at least 20 times within 30 seconds. Then take the key out. Then start your car. The alarm (seatbelt "alarm") will sound for about ten seconds then go off never to be heard again. Took me 3 tries & on the 3rd I had my door open while doing the procedure but I'm not sure that had any berating on it. If you ever get your ECU reset or change your battery you'll have to do it again.

I think there are some subtle details to the task that are not necessarily understood. My Impreza I got to work on the first attempt but my 06 OB it took a couple of tries. Mine seemed to work if I made sure that the seat belt was buckled before starting the process.

[Siper2]

I might have to try that trick. I don't let anyone ride in my car without a seatbelt anyway, so that "idiot alarm" can get annoying when we're just sitting still, before leaving for the trip.

[Zeeper]

Originally Posted by somebody else

Sorry, but I have to call B.S. on this.

• You would have to have some pretty serious measurement equipment to accurately find a 0.5-1.0 MPG difference. Certainly more than your odometer and the vagaries of the gas pumps.
• And you can feel 1 HP as a difference in your car's performance? As the difference between life and death?
• In a car where every tiny detail has been shaved and tweaked to try and squeeze more MPG out of an intrinsically inefficient platform, you don't think they installed the most fuel-friendly air filter they could get their hands on?

1. a small MPG improvement would be hard to measure or credit to a new aftermarket filter.
2. I agree no one can probably cannot feel a big performance boost from 1-2 horsepower
3. However you are wrong on number 3.
   
   Paper filters are cheap and Subaru did not spare every expense to get better MPG's (think about how much better the MPG would be with an aluminum frame and body, like in an Audi A8. Sure it's expensive, but less weight = more fuel efficiency!).

Aftermarket filters and air cleaners are often sought after by car enthusiasts because they can be serviced and kept in service longer, they do a better job than the OEM paper filter at maintaining air flow over their service life (many varied opinions on the best style, but not many I've come across saying that paper is the best performer) which results in both better MPG and horsepower.

It certainly isn't required that you buy an aftermarket air filter, you can (and will need to) replace the paper filter regularly.

A Perrin foam filter will pay for itself over the life of the car in that I probably won't need to replace it, just service it (10,000 miles) and put it back in place. A Subaru paper filter costs about $20, so after a couple of service intervals the Perrin filter pays for itself.

If I get a MPG boost, good for me. I'm comfortable that it is better technology, will offer good protection for the engine, and end up costing less than the paper filters.

[SleepNMnky]

Originally Posted by Siper2

I might have to try that trick. I don't let anyone ride in my car without a seatbelt anyway, so that "idiot alarm" can get annoying when we're just sitting still, before leaving for the trip.

It shouldn't be going off when sitting still. It only goes off at speeds 10mph or higher. But I agree. It's annoying. Especially if you ever have a dog going for a car ride.

[somebody else]

I regularly carry a passenger who has a note form his orthopedic surgeon stating that he should NOT wear a seatbelt due to a few medical factors.

So I will try this buckle/unbuckle 20 times trick.

[Karl in MN]

Originally Posted by SleepNMnky

It shouldn't be going off when sitting still. It only goes off at speeds 10mph or higher. But I agree. It's annoying. Especially if you ever have a dog going for a car ride.

I did not even make sure the Impreza behaved the same way as my 06 OB. I just did it as a preemtive strike assuming it would do it sitting still as well.

[Zeeper]

Originally Posted by somebody else

I regularly carry a passenger who has a note form his orthopedic surgeon stating that he should NOT wear a seatbelt due to a few medical factors.

So I will try this buckle/unbuckle 20 times trick.

I can think of several million ways that the note might make an accident/injury lawyer salivate should your passenger ever get involved in even a minor auto accident -- most MD's would never expose themselves to that kind of liability.

[Karl in MN]

I am possibly having an issue with my 2012 Limited sedan. I am coming from an Outback so maybe my expectations are somewhat out of line for a lesser priced car, but I have what I would call an unsatisfying clunk when going over small road imperfections/potholes. I think it is either suspension or body flex related. It is not a rattle inside the passenger compartment.

Does anyone else have/think that they have unpleasant noises when going over bumps?

I would rather not go spend time at the dealer right now for something that is not a big enough issue for being the only reason for a visit.

[brockd]

I have zero clunks. Super quiet over bumps.

[cookcle]

Posting back after getting it washed yesterday. Opened the doors right after going through a touch free high pressure, no water was rushing out like in the video posted a few pages back. Windows rolled down and backup dry today. I feel like this is definitely a defect for those experiencing this issue, having their windows roll up wet days after washing. I hope SOA addresses it and makes it right for you all.

Got my survey the other day and gave pretty high marks, I'm a very satisfied customer thus far. Hope this car goes the long run as I've planned for it too!

[BryanP5555]

Originally Posted by SleepNMnky

Turn the key to the ACC position & quickly buckle & unbuckle your seatbelt at least 20 times within 30 seconds. Then take the key out. Then start your car. The alarm (seatbelt "alarm") will sound for about ten seconds then go off never to be heard again. Took me 3 tries & on the 3rd I had my door open while doing the procedure but I'm not sure that had any berating on it. If you ever get your ECU reset or change your battery you'll have to do it again.

OMG it worked! i left the door open when i tried it and i got it on the first time. i even took it for a quick spin down the block and no beeping. Ugh i cannot tell you how happy i am the that freaking beeping is out of my life

[somebody else]

Originally Posted by ocellaris

Well with mine, the annoying noise is definitely coming from the fan because its like a slightly audible clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick

That is also totally normal for economy cars. Economy cars that do NOT make noises are the EXCEPTION, not the rule. If you ever read reviews in car magazine, they always make a big deal out of it if a cheap car is relatively quiet.

But the whooshing whistle from the vents drowns out the fan noise on all the cheap-ass cars I've owned by one or two orders of magnitude.

Reference the dude who earlier in this thread hacked away at the foot-well vent opening and got reduced noise.