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| Author |
Message |
gregor
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Fixing a Subaru
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Oct 12 03:15 UTC 1993 |
There is a distinct possibility that I will be driving a car out to Seattle
for someone who was unable to do so. I want to be sure that the car is in
tip-top shape before I depart. So, I am looking for a service center for a
Subaru. Anybody know of a good place to get Subaru's fixed? If so, let me
know.
Thanx!
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| 39 responses total. |
aa8ij
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response 1 of 39:
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Oct 12 04:27 UTC 1993 |
Japanese Auto Professionals on Main/Madison is a pretty good place
I've been told.
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n8nxf
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response 2 of 39:
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Oct 12 12:44 UTC 1993 |
We've had pretty good luck with Jap. Tech Center on April Dr. off
Jackson near the Subaru dealer.
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gregor
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response 3 of 39:
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Oct 12 14:45 UTC 1993 |
Thanx for the pointers. Anybody else have suggestions?
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mju
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response 4 of 39:
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Oct 13 00:34 UTC 1993 |
I like Professional Automotive Technicians (PAT) off Industrial,
but I don't know if they do Subarus.
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n8nxf
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response 5 of 39:
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Oct 13 13:39 UTC 1993 |
What kind of work do you think this car needs? If it's in good shape,
all it may need is an oil change, fluids topped off, radiator flush,
etc.
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mjs
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response 6 of 39:
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Jan 19 06:56 UTC 1994 |
Three months after the original post I can't resist a response.
I had a Subaru I had to leave in AA with a friend before I left for Seattle.
The engine was fine after 120,000 miles, but the "pneumatic suspension",
a computer-controlled air-charged active suspension system, was inoperative
which left the car riding like a Conestoga wagon. It was hilarious watching
the car buck up and down over invisible bumps while he drove it to his house
with me following behind. The book value of the car was $3500, but it would
have fell to about $2500 with the high mileage, and Ann Arbor Subaru said
it would cost that much to fix it. Which bring us to the point: Ann Arbor
Subaru is a good place to bring the car if it needs a competent workup.
If you need any Subaru parts, I'll be happy to send you to my friend's
house...
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rcurl
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response 7 of 39:
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Jun 17 06:22 UTC 2001 |
I'd like to replace the non-working horns on a 1986 Subaru GL wagon
with a single horn mounted in a convenient location. I'm told by
my Subaru garage that this model has no horn relay, but the cables
are hard of access because they are in accordian tubes. But I should
be able to attach a new wire somewhere - the fuse block or even
the horn switch. Before I start taking things apart and measuring
voltages, etc, I'd like to ask if anyone already knows what might
be them most convenient to wire in a new horn?
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gull
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response 8 of 39:
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Jun 17 16:40 UTC 2001 |
I don't have any specific knowledge of Subarus, but...
The horn wire from the steering column is likely to be the hardest to
get at, so I'd look for it first. It probably comes out near the
steering rack somewhere. (Or near the steering box, if you have pitman
arm steering.) On *most* cars this will be a ground-switched circuit --
the wire will be grounded when the horn button is pressed. If that's
the case you just need to tap 12 volts off somewhere and you're in
business.
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rcurl
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response 9 of 39:
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Jun 17 19:31 UTC 2001 |
The serviceman said something that sounded like the horn switch going to
ground. Does this mean that normally the horns are always "hot"
(connected to +12 volts)? I wasn't sure I understood him correctly. The
problem with finding wires is that they are all in that accordion loom
(the correct term). I'm at least glad to get confirmation that I heard the
serviceman correctly. Thanks!
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gull
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response 10 of 39:
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Jun 18 00:07 UTC 2001 |
Yup, that's the most common way of doing it, since it means they only have
to run one wire down the steering column. In theory it doesn't have to go all
the way down the column to the rack -- it could split off at the dashboard
-- but it often does because the horn and the steering rack are both in the
engine compartment. This design is cheap but becomes a pain in the rear
when the wire's insulation gets worn through and causes a short to ground,
since the horn then sounds continuously. Ask any aircooled VW owner. ;>
I take it the current horn(s) are buried somewhere hard to get at? That'd
be the easiest place to find the wires. Just behind the grille used to be a
common spot, back when cars had grilles. ;>
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rcurl
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response 11 of 39:
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Jun 18 05:23 UTC 2001 |
The old horns are behind the bumper and under the wheel well structure.
They could be accessed by removing a car-wide underpanel screwed (and now
rusted) into place. To heck with that. I opened the dash below the wheel
and found all sorts of interesting wires. One nice single pair had a
connection I hoped was for the horn, but turned out, with the aid of a
trusty VOM, to be the ignition key. Another connector with nine (9) wires
was intriguing, so a little search of that found the horn wire - and it is
indeed grounded by pressing on the horn (switch). (The rest of the wires
are for the flasher switch and turn indicator, which are also on the wheel
housing.) Any original advantage of running only one wire from the
steering column has sure been compromised by the mess of other things that
are now fitted up there.
I find in JCWhitney that replacement horns come "one wire" and "two
wires". This would require a two wire horn - the catalog listed the one
wire horns for "older and foreign cars". I wonder if the dimensions of
these are still in inches....
This was a great "fathers day activity"... 8^}
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gull
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response 12 of 39:
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Jun 18 18:27 UTC 2001 |
If you want a really unique sound, go to a junkyard and get the horns out of
a Cadillac. My mom's '87 Sedan DeVille had a low pitched, three-tone horn
that was pretty impressive sounding. I've thought of putting one on my
Honda, in my stranger moments. ;>
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rcurl
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response 13 of 39:
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Jun 18 19:05 UTC 2001 |
Correction to #11: it is *two wire horns* that are listed for "older and
foreign cars".
I've toyed mentally with putting in some unique or musical horn, but
generally my way is the cheap way. Is there any special reason for
having two horns? I intend to fasten the replacement horn up on the
firewall under the hood, where there is space (and easy wiring access).
I believe a working horn is a legal requirement, but the law doesn't
require two units, does it?
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gull
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response 14 of 39:
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Jun 18 20:00 UTC 2001 |
Nope, only reason for it is it gives a more pleasing tone, at least to most
people's ears. My VW only had one horn, and my Honda also only has one.
Horns with two or more tones are traditionally used on larger, more upscale
cars; small economy car horns tend to be utilitarian.
Horn pitch seems to be partly a cultural thing. I've seen (heard?) European
rally cars that had horns pitched a couple octaves higher than what I'm used
to. They were in about the same register as those "canned air" horns people
sometimes bring to sporting events. (Used to be "freon horns", but I'm
guessing they don't have freon in them anymore.)
I would assume you need a two wire horn -- i.e., one that's insulated from
the body, and has a seperate ground wire. A one-wire horn would require you
to use a relay.
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rcurl
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response 15 of 39:
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Jun 18 23:57 UTC 2001 |
That's my conclusion too. I'll also probably just wire the +12 directly
to the battery with an in-line fuse (unless I can make heads/tails of
the fuse block under the dash - and if it has an identifiable separate
'horn' wire. I would rather like to take the juice off the non-working
horns.
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mdw
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response 16 of 39:
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Jun 19 01:49 UTC 2001 |
"Pleasing" isn't the only reason - if the horn *sounds* like it belongs
on a larger vehicle, or perhaps one owned by somebody with more power &
influence, people are more likely to pay attention than if it sounds
like it's on a scooter or bicycle.
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gull
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response 17 of 39:
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Jun 19 02:10 UTC 2001 |
Yeah, though that doesn't always work. If you put a really impressive,
truckish sounding horn on a small car, when you sound it people won't
associate it with your car. They'll look around for the truck that isn't
there.
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rcurl
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response 18 of 39:
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Jun 19 04:52 UTC 2001 |
Speaking of how horns sound, the JCWhitney catalog lists only "high"
and "low" for the sound of their (cheap) replacement horns. I probably
won't be able to test any in the store, so someones please describe
for me "high" and "low"?
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gull
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response 19 of 39:
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Jun 19 13:12 UTC 2001 |
I don't know, I've never bought a JC Whintey horn. If you buy one, let
us know. ;>
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rcurl
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response 20 of 39:
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Jun 19 19:40 UTC 2001 |
I bought one at Murrays today. I asked a clerk about "high" and "low", and
he asked if it is for a car or a truck, and then indicated the "low" horn
is most used for cars (if true - I wonder why). I now see it is stamped
with "HF 80 - 340 Hz". Must mean 80 to 340 Hertz. (I haven't stuck it on a
battery yet to hear if I "like" it...)
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gull
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response 21 of 39:
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Jun 20 00:15 UTC 2001 |
Some horns have a screw that adjusts the pitch, but usually you're not
supposed to tweak it because it's tuned for the particular pitch at which
the horn is loudest.
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rcurl
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response 22 of 39:
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Jun 20 00:35 UTC 2001 |
This one has such a screw - and the warning in very small print on the
package to not turn it. Boy, what a challenge to one's elan....
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scg
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response 23 of 39:
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Jun 20 00:42 UTC 2001 |
You could install a foghorn... ;)
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rcurl
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response 24 of 39:
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Jun 20 05:44 UTC 2001 |
Or "hysterical laughter"...there are devices where you can select
a dozen or so different horn modulations. The horn is then just
a special loudspeaker. But these devices cost a lot more than "cheap",
and I just want the car to be legal.
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