My 2014 2.0 XT forester drives great, but I experience roughness and vibration in idle at a red light and particularly while in park. Dealership tells me it's to be expected from direct injection motors. I'm still a bit concerned about this. Any others with the same problem? Thoughts?
2-14 - Idle vibration - dealership says normal with direct injection motors - any others have?
('14-'18)
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My '14 2.0XT occasionally has a rough idle at a stop. It's very slight, but noticeable if you're really looking for it. It hasn't bothered me enough to take it in for a diagnosis yet...
When i get a chance, I'll connect my ScanGauge to see if it's caused by something like a slight shift in idle RPM.
When i get a chance, I'll connect my ScanGauge to see if it's caused by something like a slight shift in idle RPM.
Vibration Problem - 2014 Forester
I get a vibration while driving. It is noticeable in the foot rest on the driver's side and in the steering wheel. Do you have this vibration at all? I've had one tire changed and all the wheels balanced but doesn't make a difference. Any help would be appreciated.
I get a vibration while driving. It is noticeable in the foot rest on the driver's side and in the steering wheel. Do you have this vibration at all? I've had one tire changed and all the wheels balanced but doesn't make a difference. Any help would be appreciated.
Huh? The Subaru sales pitch boasts of opposing horizontal pistons that counterbalance and provide for smoother operation. I actually agree with that logic. As a comparison my personal drive is an 8 cylinder hemi that idles so smooth you don't know it is running but I'll give my wife's 2014 Forester credit for coming respectably close to that same feeling. The only place her Forester is a bit more rough is on cold startup. Once warmed up it purrs like a kitten.
Disclaimer: Speaking for my personal experience only. If you have a rough idle with your 2014 Forester just know that a smooth idle is not out of the question, we certainly get it in ours.
I have noticed the exact same thing. I also thought it was odd that one of the selling points for the boxer engine was it's "smooth operation". I authored a post asking the same question as you and I was also able to find a Technical Service Bulletin that references rough idle. See the link in my original post:
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f88/2014-xt-engine-shake-when-idling-233122/
Boxer engines are inherently balanced, which means they don't require power-sapping balance shafts to prevent them from shaking apart, but they aren't perfectly smooth in operation.
The Wikipedia article on engine balance briefly mentions this:
Subaru engines are nicely mechanically balanced, but the cars themselves tend to lie a bit towards the hollow rattle-trap end of the spectrum which does not really support their marketing.
Porsche engines are similar. Nicely balanced by design, but they sound like a bag of loose parts when driven in anger.
Feeling a little bit of boxer shimmy at low RPMs is a normal part of the Subaru experience -- especially with EJ engines sporting unequal-length exhaust headers, where it's very noticeable.
Lots of shimmy could indicate a misfire, malfunctioning idle control, or a broken motor mount. That would need to be looked at.
The Wikipedia article on engine balance briefly mentions this:
There are also factors external to the engine (like motor mount and exhaust design plus NVH-reducing features) that affect the perceived smoothness of the car.
Subaru engines are nicely mechanically balanced, but the cars themselves tend to lie a bit towards the hollow rattle-trap end of the spectrum which does not really support their marketing.
Porsche engines are similar. Nicely balanced by design, but they sound like a bag of loose parts when driven in anger.
Feeling a little bit of boxer shimmy at low RPMs is a normal part of the Subaru experience -- especially with EJ engines sporting unequal-length exhaust headers, where it's very noticeable.
Lots of shimmy could indicate a misfire, malfunctioning idle control, or a broken motor mount. That would need to be looked at.
I'm by no means saying it's true of ALL Subaru's, from my experience and others (including this forum) it seems to be something that happens. My car is not bad. I'm friends with the salesman I got the car from and he is a long time Subaru guy of all makes, he sat in it and drove it around and said there was nothing to worry about and that it was common. It's not exactly the type of thing your going to hear in a sales pitch anyway :icon_wink:
I can't speak for an automatic Forester idling in Drive, but warmed up, idling in Neutral, I feel absolutely nothing through the wheel of my '02.
Unequal length headers amplify it, then add a more free flowing exhaust, intake, tune...etc.
Mine gets the shakes at idle sometimes but others you can't tell. Lately I have been thinking it is the quality of gasoline more than anything else.
Mine gets the shakes at idle sometimes but others you can't tell. Lately I have been thinking it is the quality of gasoline more than anything else.
I had a 2010 FXT and I now have a 2014 FXT, they both are rough at idle. It does not bother me, I just think of it as a Subaru thing. I will say that the new 2.0 XT is a very good motor, much better than the 2.5XT it replaced.
Hi All,
Backstory: I also have a '14 forester xt. I experienced a very rough idle with only 100 miles on the odometer. I noticed it at red lights, was so rough that it felt as though it was on the verge of a stall. I posted about this 7 or so weeks ago, I think the thread was called "idle problem" or something like that. It turned out the oil distribution valves for the camshafts failed and were stuck open. No damage to the engine. After my local dealership spoke with subaru of Japan (at my urging) it was concluded that this was a fluke. This is a brand new engine design and it was believed that the part was installed incorrectly. That said I now have an internal gauge for a rough idle that's actually a problem. It has now been 1750 miles since fix and I've had no issues.
Here's my general thoughts on how this engine idles. I live in Southern California where it tends to be very nice weather. 60's at night low 80's during the day. When I start my car in the morning I find the idle to be a little rough, but normal for a boxer. However once the car has warmed up completely to its normal operating temp (about 195-210 degrees) I find it to be unbelievably smooth at idle. That is, in drive with my foot on the brake waiting at a stop light. Keep your eye on the digital temp gauge and really see if there is a correlation between your roughness and the temp of the engine. Between 100-165ish there is a subtle "roughness" that seems very normal to me however.
If you search through older 2014 Forrester postings with idle problems you'll find more details about the issue I had. This is the first Subaru I've owned, I really enjoy the car despite the initial problem I had. I find it to be a very unique vehicle that fills a niche. Fun to drive and a whole lot of utility (just my opinion)... Don't worry to much, it really is a well made car.
Backstory: I also have a '14 forester xt. I experienced a very rough idle with only 100 miles on the odometer. I noticed it at red lights, was so rough that it felt as though it was on the verge of a stall. I posted about this 7 or so weeks ago, I think the thread was called "idle problem" or something like that. It turned out the oil distribution valves for the camshafts failed and were stuck open. No damage to the engine. After my local dealership spoke with subaru of Japan (at my urging) it was concluded that this was a fluke. This is a brand new engine design and it was believed that the part was installed incorrectly. That said I now have an internal gauge for a rough idle that's actually a problem. It has now been 1750 miles since fix and I've had no issues.
Here's my general thoughts on how this engine idles. I live in Southern California where it tends to be very nice weather. 60's at night low 80's during the day. When I start my car in the morning I find the idle to be a little rough, but normal for a boxer. However once the car has warmed up completely to its normal operating temp (about 195-210 degrees) I find it to be unbelievably smooth at idle. That is, in drive with my foot on the brake waiting at a stop light. Keep your eye on the digital temp gauge and really see if there is a correlation between your roughness and the temp of the engine. Between 100-165ish there is a subtle "roughness" that seems very normal to me however.
If you search through older 2014 Forrester postings with idle problems you'll find more details about the issue I had. This is the first Subaru I've owned, I really enjoy the car despite the initial problem I had. I find it to be a very unique vehicle that fills a niche. Fun to drive and a whole lot of utility (just my opinion)... Don't worry to much, it really is a well made car.
While not a boxer engine, the 2.5 litre 4 cylinder found in the old Porsche 944 had a balancer shaft to smooth out its rough idle. The problem was simply that 600cc pistons are too big for a smooth idle. Also, granted, it's an engine from the 80's.
Direct inject motors are loud and sound off especially cold, I had a Mazdaspeed which has the DISI motor and that sounded ruff too, girlfriend has a reg 3 skyactiv and ya think it was a diesel on cold start up and well add the boxer factor in there .,........your good carry on 
My '98 Forester recently developed this (or a very similar problem). When I'm idling in gear, like at a red light, there is a pronounced (to me) vibration in the car. I've figured out that if I put the car into neutral the vibrations go away. It only started doing this about 2 months ago, shortly before having to commute 45mins every day. I highly doubt it because of the type of engine, as it's never done this before in the years of ownership of this car in my family.
peter
peter
Oddly enough, I just noticed this for the first time in my Forester today. I stopped for a train, then stopped at the lights after that, and the car was vibrating quite badly; I particularly noticed because it's usually quite vibration-free. It got better as the car warmed up, and pretty much went away if I put it in neutral.
Most of the vibration disappeared once the car went into 'normal' mode after the transmission warmed up; I'd noticed it was at 1500rpm most of the way home, when it would normally be at 1200. But I don't remember vibration that bad last winter even at much lower temperatures.
Most of the vibration disappeared once the car went into 'normal' mode after the transmission warmed up; I'd noticed it was at 1500rpm most of the way home, when it would normally be at 1200. But I don't remember vibration that bad last winter even at much lower temperatures.
I used to have a little bit of a rough idle. My change in the center console would shake pretty loudly. I complained about some intermittent sputtering upon acceleration at my last service and they reflashed my ECU according to TSB 11-140-14 and it seems to have made my idle a bit smoother.
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