Subaru Forester 2013 2.5x Manual - Hard start
Asked by kate Jun 29, 2020 at 08:08 AM about the 2013 Subaru Forester 2.5X
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I'm buying a 2013 Forester from a reputable dealer in CT. It had a hard time
starting when we went for the test drive. The sales guy said it was probably
carbon build up from sitting for the past month. Is that legitimate? After we
drove it, it started right up after sitting for about 20m. Should I ask that the
battery be replaced before I take it? Anything else?
4 Answers
A new battery will not fix carbon build up. I would not buy a car with problems up front.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 3 years ago
A bit tricky here.... Subarus have bad batteries, so I suspect that it's already on its second one. If not, then insist that they provide a new NON_SUBARU battery, as they're all defective. Seriously! Get a nice Interstate at COSTCO for $85 if you have to. The carbon buildup argument is pure crap. Is it possible that you depressed the accelerator partially when initially cranking? That confuses the ECM and can prevent quick starting. Try to remember.... The '13 F has the newer 2.5i (unless it's a turbo...which you should avoid, by the way), and does not suffer from starting issues that are not battery related. It uses iridium plugs and reliable individual coil-packs and an in-tank fuel pump and filter that are durable and reliable. I suppose you could have a really clogged air filter, but that shouldn't prevent a clean start; check that the air intake plenum is not leaking if someone changed that filter. By hard start do you mean a long crank? Maybe some water in stale fuel if the tank was kept low (typical). I'd ask them to fill the tank, add a bottle of cleaner, and see if the problem repeats WHEN COLD...like the next day. But I think the likeliest cause was errantly depressing the throttle when cranking...the electronic wizards get confused. The very biggest risk that you're taking is that the CVT has either a defective valve body (stalls upon stopping instead of holding idle), or has worn out (bearing-like driving noise). So be sensitive to that risk. Good luck. Ern
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 3 years ago
Just saw that this is a manual trans, so forget the CVT info. The stick is a safer bet, although Subaru clutches are the weaker partner in the motor vs clutch wrestling match, so they are often shot. DO NOTE that you will NEVER be able to drive aggressively in urban dynamics off the line without significant clutch wear. Also, if you live on a hill do NOT by the manual trans! As well, the stick will cost about 30% more in fuel use, as the CVT is MUCH more frugal...despite its fragility. If you're a serene driver off the line, live in a flat place, and can't risk losing the tranny then the stick can be fun, but NEVER take off above about 1500rpm as you'll eat the clutch very soon. Decades ago when Subaru sticks were popular we'd see trade-ins that required a new clutch about 50% probability! Replacing one isn't that hard (5hrs+$250parts), but that's not how you want to initiate a new car purchase....Good luck.
@TheSubaruGuruBoston thanks for writing such detailed responses, both of which were very helpful! I ended up picking the car up yesterday. The Subaru service team said they checked the battery and there was a bad cell, so they did put a new one in. I haven't had an issue starting it since so fingers crossed. I do live in a flat area and won't be doing anything crazy -- will keep it below 1500rpm for sure when starting out. :-)
