Hello, long time reader first time poster.
I have an '04 Forester XT, and about 2 months ago at 90,000 miles replaced drive belts. When I got my car back there was a bit of squealing and at low speed cornering I experienced shuddering through the steering wheel. I figured it was the drive belt tension that was off, but since my life was getting hectic with an upcoming work relocation and holidays etc, I didn't take it in for a while, but eventually I did and asked to have the belt tension checked/fixed, and that seemed to reduce the problem.
Last month I made the drive from California to Texas, and now I'm getting some of the same problems, but worse - at low speed cornering, there is no shuddering, there just doesn't seem to be any power steering at all, and it also causes the battery signal light to come on (which I think is actually a low voltage indicator?), and now even more recently, when the front of my car is pointed down hill (like coming out of my downward sloping drive way) or coming to a stop at a stop sign at low speed, or cornering at speed, the low oil pressure light comes on.
Are these all belt related issues? If they are, can the tension be adjusted, or will I need a new belt already due to wear from it squealing? I'm thinking another possibility is that the power steering pump or alternator is not turning freely maybe, and that causes the belt to squeal?
Also the oil pump doesn't run off the drive belt, so is the low oil pressure problem unrelated? I checked the oil level and it was actually so low it didn't show on the dipstick, but I had an oil change right before I did the 2000 mile drive... could it be that driving ... fast... for some stretches of that drive (hey there's not much out there in certain stretches of Nevada... and Utah... and Colorado... and New Mexico... and West Texas - and you gotta test the speed limiter sometime!) burns oil? Also since the oil pressure light has come on a few times (only for a second or so) while driving, should I be inspecting anything else? I'm thinking the oil might have just been low, and sloshing it when stopping and cornering made the light come on but hopefully that's not enough to actually damage the engine?
Any way, I would appreciate any advice, especially since out where I am now there aren't a lot of Subarus, so the more I know going in hopefully the better off I'll be.
I have an '04 Forester XT, and about 2 months ago at 90,000 miles replaced drive belts. When I got my car back there was a bit of squealing and at low speed cornering I experienced shuddering through the steering wheel. I figured it was the drive belt tension that was off, but since my life was getting hectic with an upcoming work relocation and holidays etc, I didn't take it in for a while, but eventually I did and asked to have the belt tension checked/fixed, and that seemed to reduce the problem.
Last month I made the drive from California to Texas, and now I'm getting some of the same problems, but worse - at low speed cornering, there is no shuddering, there just doesn't seem to be any power steering at all, and it also causes the battery signal light to come on (which I think is actually a low voltage indicator?), and now even more recently, when the front of my car is pointed down hill (like coming out of my downward sloping drive way) or coming to a stop at a stop sign at low speed, or cornering at speed, the low oil pressure light comes on.
Are these all belt related issues? If they are, can the tension be adjusted, or will I need a new belt already due to wear from it squealing? I'm thinking another possibility is that the power steering pump or alternator is not turning freely maybe, and that causes the belt to squeal?
Also the oil pump doesn't run off the drive belt, so is the low oil pressure problem unrelated? I checked the oil level and it was actually so low it didn't show on the dipstick, but I had an oil change right before I did the 2000 mile drive... could it be that driving ... fast... for some stretches of that drive (hey there's not much out there in certain stretches of Nevada... and Utah... and Colorado... and New Mexico... and West Texas - and you gotta test the speed limiter sometime!) burns oil? Also since the oil pressure light has come on a few times (only for a second or so) while driving, should I be inspecting anything else? I'm thinking the oil might have just been low, and sloshing it when stopping and cornering made the light come on but hopefully that's not enough to actually damage the engine?
Any way, I would appreciate any advice, especially since out where I am now there aren't a lot of Subarus, so the more I know going in hopefully the better off I'll be.
