Subaru AC Compressor Clutch Air Gap

[HowAboutThis]

AC worked for about 5 minutes then started blowing warm. Stopped a few minutes for errands, got in, blew cold for about 5 minutes then started blowing warm. Repeat.

Long story short, after some Internet searches, popped the clutch off the compressor and removed the smallest shim to get the air gap back to 0.35mm and it seems to be blowing cold again. Aside from needing figure out what tools I needed, about a 15 minute job. But, of course, took some tool shopping and about 2.5 hours

 

[charbaby]

I’ve done the same on other vehicles as they aged.

 

[HowAboutThis]

I’ve done the same on other vehicles as they aged.

I've never done it before. Maybe just lucky? I knew they wore, but this Subaru seems to be wearing bearings, axles, lug studs, batteries, AC gap, etc. every 75-125k. That's sooner than any Honda or Nissan or Toyota I've owned in the past from my memory. We'll see what wears out next. I don't expect things to last forever, but I feel like other Japanese brands I've owned go well past 150k before things start nickel and diming. Even the early 2000s Forester we had---head gasket--- but I can't recall anything else wearing and we sold it near 200k. Same bearings, axles, lug studs, batteries lasted reasonably long, etc.

Just seems early to me from what I can recall ever messing with on vehicles I had previously. I can't imagine other brands are much more "needy" than this Subaru for some of these things.

 

[IndyIan]

Which one is this? I do find the lug studs are fine as long as I'm swapping tires, or my local mechanic, but the one time I get winter tires put on the car at a tire shop, the tech stripped 2 lugs on the same wheel before he learned to slow down the impact. At least you can change them easily without removing anything else.
I've done the two rear wheel bearings in our 2018 Outback at 130k, and a rear diff axle seal, and front ball joints at 120k. The rear strut mounts are creaking now, but spraying some rust proofing oil up there seems to have quieted that down. Also there was a battery recall for it, as it was a bit small for the electrical loads and how the charging algorithm is programmed. Also the muffler rusted out.
My parents 2016 Forester has 110k on it now and hasn't needed too much other than a valve body replacement, for a bad solenoid.
I have a 2016 Impreza with 50k miles and it just needed the AC condenser done, front sway bar links(bad design) and a couple A arm bushings.
Heat shields are becoming rusty and rattling, on all of them, so I've done some hose clamping. But that seems pretty common at this age up here with our other cars, just the subarus have more of them than our inline 4 cars.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Which one is this? I do find the lug studs are fine as long as I'm swapping tires, or my local mechanic, but the one time I get winter tires put on the car at a tire shop, the tech stripped 2 lugs on the same wheel before he learned to slow down the impact. At least you can change them easily without removing anything else.
I've done the two rear wheel bearings in our 2018 Outback at 130k, and a rear diff axle seal, and front ball joints at 120k. The rear strut mounts are creaking now, but spraying some rust proofing oil up there seems to have quieted that down. Also there was a battery recall for it, as it was a bit small for the electrical loads and how the charging algorithm is programmed. Also the muffler rusted out.
My parents 2016 Forester has 110k on it now and hasn't needed too much other than a valve body replacement, for a bad solenoid.
I have a 2016 Impreza with 50k miles and it just needed the AC condenser done, front sway bar links(bad design) and a couple A arm bushings.
Heat shields are becoming rusty and rattling, on all of them, so I've done some hose clamping. But that seems pretty common at this age up here with our other cars, just the subarus have more of them than our inline 4 cars.

17 Forester for us.

Reading your list, and other Internet forums, seems to be the trend...at least the online trend. Much of what you mentioned (and I've experienced) just feels "too soon" to me for such a highly rated brand for "reliability".

Just talking with two neighbors with caravans. I think they replace fewer parts than I have on this Subaru and often those minivans get rated mid level for reliability.

Or maybe with all the magazine hype for reliability, my expectations are just too high so there's nowhere for me to be but disappointed

 

[IndyIan]

17 Forester for us.

Reading your list, and other Internet forums, seems to be the trend...at least the online trend. Much of what you mentioned (and I've experienced) just feels "too soon" to me for such a highly rated brand for "reliability".

Just talking with two neighbors with caravans. I think they replace fewer parts than I have on this Subaru and often those minivans get rated mid level for reliability.

Or maybe with all the magazine hype for reliability, my expectations are just too high so there's nowhere for me to be but disappointed

Yep I do agree they seem to have been elevated to a high perception for reliability, and especially in the used market, I think they are overpriced. Subaru doesn't have engines or transmissions on back order since about 2014, and many others do, so maybe they are doing reasonably well? If people change the fluids semi-regularly and not tow heavy, they seem to be pretty good for not have catastrophic engine or transmission failures.
In 2017-19 though, what were the options? Probably the CX-5 and RAV4 turned out to be the best picks for long term ownership? Probably overall, the Outback/Forester were just behind them? RAV4 used transmission go for same price as Outback CVT's though, so I suspect they fail at the same rate?
Caravans are good until 90-120k then they seem to lots of problems, and lots of people will just run them until they stop, then sell at scrap price... So it needed no maintenance!
I do like that Subaru cares about the market segments they sell in, and they seem to consistently hold to a few design and engineering principals, and AWD isn't an afterthought. But if we didn't use/need AWD, I wouldn't buy any AWD car, Subaru or not.
I'm likely going to sell the Impreza(its a sedan) and just get a 2015-18 fwd mtx CX-5 for a simple wagon to put 200+k miles on until it rusts out, just like I did with Focus wagon.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Yep I do agree they seem to have been elevated to a high perception for reliability, and especially in the used market, I think they are overpriced. Subaru doesn't have engines or transmissions on back order since about 2014, and many others do, so maybe they are doing reasonably well? If people change the fluids semi-regularly and not tow heavy, they seem to be pretty good for not have catastrophic engine or transmission failures.
In 2017-19 though, what were the options? Probably the CX-5 and RAV4 turned out to be the best picks for long term ownership? Probably overall, the Outback/Forester were just behind them? RAV4 used transmission go for same price as Outback CVT's though, so I suspect they fail at the same rate?
Caravans are good until 90-120k then they seem to lots of problems, and lots of people will just run them until they stop, then sell at scrap price... So it needed no maintenance!
I do like that Subaru cares about the market segments they sell in, and they seem to consistently hold to a few design and engineering principals, and AWD isn't an afterthought. But if we didn't use/need AWD, I wouldn't buy any AWD car, Subaru or not.
I'm likely going to sell the Impreza(its a sedan) and just get a 2015-18 fwd mtx CX-5 for a simple wagon to put 200+k miles on until it rusts out, just like I did with Focus wagon.

I'm with ya on a lot of this. I "talked" with a couple of AI bots and, if they're accurate, 2014-2018 Subarus had non-Denso suppliers for some things that were Denso and one of their other suppliers was bought out by Valeo...which probably explains the Valeo compressor and the issues with it that AI and the Internet speak to. AI supported my removal of 1 shim but basically warned me the Valeo with over 120k miles is on borrowed time for the rest of it as they're known to fail in every way imaginable around 100k.

At this point, this Subaru has started falling apart around 75-125k so that's where, in my head, I'm like, "why would I pay $45-50 for an Ascent when I can get a Pacifica for $35-38?" This as we slowly ponder the next car choice.

I'm definitely not sold on Subaru as I expected it wouldn't start nickel and dime - ing until closer to 150+ (like most every other Nissan, Honda, Toyota I've owned).

 

[IndyIan]

I'm with ya on a lot of this. I "talked" with a couple of AI bots and, if they're accurate, 2014-2018 Subarus had non-Denso suppliers for some things that were Denso and one of their other suppliers was bought out by Valeo...which probably explains the Valeo compressor and the issues with it that AI and the Internet speak to. AI supported my removal of 1 shim but basically warned me the Valeo with over 120k miles is on borrowed time for the rest of it as they're known to fail in every way imaginable around 100k.

At this point, this Subaru has started falling apart around 75-125k so that's where, in my head, I'm like, "why would I pay $45-50 for an Ascent when I can get a Pacifica for $35-38?" This as we slowly ponder the next car choice.

I'm definitely not sold on Subaru as I expected it wouldn't start nickel and dime - ing until closer to 150+ (like most every other Nissan, Honda, Toyota I've owned).

I think the 2015+ N.A. built subaru's had good AC systems, the ones from Japan didn't until after 2018?
I'm not a big fan of the Ascent, as it does have the highest demand for used transmissions of any of the subaru's. It does drive like a slightly larger Outback which is fine, but I would be careful of a used one, and if you bought new, change the CVT fluid on the severe service schedule.
I'd have to do some more investigating to decide which 3 row SUV is good at the moment? It seems nearly all of them have some reliability issues, and if I didn't do tons of miles, I might just go with a simple bench seat crew cab pickup, if hauling more than 4 people was more rare, or a Durango or rwd based Explorer.

 

[HowAboutThis]

I think the 2015+ N.A. built subaru's had good AC systems, the ones from Japan didn't until after 2018?
I'm not a big fan of the Ascent, as it does have the highest demand for used transmissions of any of the subaru's. It does drive like a slightly larger Outback which is fine, but I would be careful of a used one, and if you bought new, change the CVT fluid on the severe service schedule.
I'd have to do some more investigating to decide which 3 row SUV is good at the moment? It seems nearly all of them have some reliability issues, and if I didn't do tons of miles, I might just go with a simple bench seat crew cab pickup, if hauling more than 4 people was more rare, or a Durango or rwd based Explorer.

It's interesting. As I read and review, I'm gathering 3-rows all seem to be the most problematic of the options. I figured a Durango is probably similar to a Pacifica. I have pondered a pickup, as they can seat 6. The gas mileage and price is what holds me back as it'd be a travel vehicle and intermittent commuter when needed. Probably 15-20k miles per year.

 

[IndyIan]

It's interesting. As I read and review, I'm gathering 3-rows all seem to be the most problematic of the options. I figured a Durango is probably similar to a Pacifica. I have pondered a pickup, as they can seat 6. The gas mileage and price is what holds me back as it'd be a travel vehicle and intermittent commuter when needed. Probably 15-20k miles per year.

A Mazda5 is probably the cheapest to run, and the later ones solved most of the early problems, and there's a few around with a manual even. But when seating 6 there isn't much cargo space at all. I guess there's no perfect solution, available here at least.