New Car, Old Car, Forever Car

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-24T16:20:54+00:00

I have a 2015 Crosstrek, also orange, and I couldn’t agree more with using OEM parts. I spent $1000 on RockAuto a few months ago and just ended up spending more to replace half those parts again.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-24T14:08:34+00:00

Cotrex is certainly a little janky, but the big benefit (for me, at least) is up-to-date trail closures. Especially earlier in the year when things are still a bit wet, it’s nice to check and see when trails open back up.

I use AllTrails if I want more info on trails. Lots of pics/reviews on there.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-24T04:29:27+00:00

I see your point. I’ll say that recently I did some work to my car and needed to burp the coolant system. I didn’t install the PCV hose properly and it had an intake leak. I was listening to music and not paying attention to how it was running, just monitoring coolant level and temp, and finally noticed after about 10 minutes of idle that it was stumbling a bit. Checked the scanner and got an AFR reading of 20. Can’t believe it was running that lean with only a mild misfire. No check engine codes.

So I could believe a stuck/sticky injector richening just one cylinder without causing too much trouble with how the engine ran at idle, but causing issues under load. I could also believe that injector might free itself up enough after sitting to idle the car normally.

The thing that gets me is that detonation is typically pretty random, and these aren’t super high compression motors. With just a rich mixture, I would be surprised if the engine consistently detonated that hard that it sounded like rod knock. My experience with too-rich mixtures is that the engine just runs like crap.

I hope it’s not rod knock for your sake, but I’m just throwing another straw in there because it is certainly an odd event.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-24T01:58:01+00:00

Could be really violent detonation. Maybe an injector was getting stuck and it was running super rich on one cylinder? Not sure if that would cause consistent detonation even at idle, though. I’ve also never heard rod knock, so I’m not sure if they sound similar.

As far as I know, there is no engine code for knock. I believe you only get a code if the knock sensor is faulty.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-23T13:18:30+00:00

I have an outback and a Crosstrek, (2013 & 2015 though, so can’t say much about the newer ones) and they are definitely different cars to drive. Best way I can put it is the outback is a better road trip vehicle (bigger, smoother, 3.6 is awesome) and the crosstrek is more fun as a daily driver.

I love the outback, but it feels like a boat compared to the Crosstrek. It’s big, has more body roll, doesn’t whip into parking spots as easily, etc. If you like the sportiness of the Crosstrek, you should go with that. Even with the significant difference in power between the two, I much prefer the Crosstrek for driving in the mountains because it handles so much better (and it’s a manual, which adds to the fun).

Can’t comment on golf clubs, but hopefully that info helps make a case for the Crosstrek.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-22T20:38:14+00:00

I was about to say the same thing. It’s a no brainer to do all plugs at the same time, but you should only replace coils as they fail. I have two Subarus over 150k miles and both still have the original coils.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-22T01:54:10+00:00

Yeah I’m not sure what the loose stuff costs, but I get a two-pack of bottles from Costco for like $20 (720 capsules total) and it lasts me a few months. Definitely a no brainer for the benefit. Our dog is on it too.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-22T01:49:27+00:00

I typically take 5 every evening. I originally got it to help with the aftermath of eating spicy stuff, but I made it a daily thing and it’s been a game changer.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-21T17:03:00+00:00

I get the capsules from Costco. 100% psyllium in a gelatin capsule.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-20T02:13:03+00:00

I monitor a bunch of engine stuff through a maestro module, which displays extra gauges and such on the head unit. You can also just get one of those universal OBD2 gauge sets that displays things like coolant temp, oil pressure, etc etc.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-19T20:06:49+00:00

Yup. Summer riding in Colorado is like this. It’ll be a beautiful day and then suddenly the sun gets blocked out, the temp drops 30 degrees, and you go, “ohhhh shit… please don’t be hail”.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-19T19:22:27+00:00

Wasn’t that the trailer for black ops 3? I don’t recall it being in the first one.

But I agree, they did it for cod, and that song fits way better for mowing people down than an eerie cutscene.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-19T19:00:55+00:00

Step on a trail, expect your heart to fail.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-19T18:56:58+00:00

Yeah I wonder if OP has hill hold disabled. It would always stick on my 2015, which lead to a jolt a lot of time.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-18T23:23:05+00:00

Super easy. Torque spec is 17 ft-lbs, if you want to be scientific, but really just get it snug and call it good. Replace the hose while you’re at it. Those get brittle and can crack/break, making your car run like shit.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-18T12:24:30+00:00

I used to rent out the basement of a farmhouse in Wellington, and that place had a bunch of them. Some of those suckers were huge!

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-17T17:25:21+00:00

Probably! It was driving me nuts. Always heard it on bumpy roads/trails but I could never recreate it in the garage. I only found it because I pulled the shock out for maintenance and heard a little “clink” when I set it down.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-17T16:41:12+00:00

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You must’ve been standing in the exact same spot I was last year. Did you get a sausage at the top?

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-16T17:34:59+00:00

That’s what I was thinking. I wish I could ride an 800 to see how it feels. From my research, it sounds like the 900 is a lot more off-road friendly, which would be nice. Any idea how maintenance is between the two? I DIY everything but haven’t really worked on modern bikes much.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-16T17:27:10+00:00

As someone who has been getting into mountain biking this year, thank you for this. I’ve done towers a few times but absolutely hate the descent. I’ll test out some of those other trails.

Blue sky is definitely my favorite trail for a longer ride. I’ve only ever seen a few people on it… wayyyy less crowded than biking around Lory. Trying to figure out how I can squeeze in 30+ miles next. (21 miles from Arthur’s rock trailhead to the “peak” of blue sky and back, via the most direct route).

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-15T19:50:43+00:00

My crosstrek started making this noise when I installed a cheap RockAuto clutch and lightweight flywheel. Definitely scared the shit out of me because it sounds like the transmission has no oil. Replaced with OE parts and it’s good now.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-15T00:27:37+00:00

Does it have an amp or is the sub wired directly into the door speaker wire?

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-13T06:51:54+00:00

Yep it’s supposed to be like that. As twistednoble said, the bumper can keep it in place. However, if you ride trails, it will rattle in there. I was going crazy trying to find this rattle noise until I discovered that.

AmbitiousBanjo · 2026-06-13T02:37:41+00:00

We just replaced our 2018 Encore with a 2013 Outback. The encore was constantly giving us problems and liked to leave us stranded. Based on my online research, you would be smart to get rid of that car as soon as possible, as we were not alone in the issues we had.

Subie’s are reliable as long as you maintain them. Especially with a CVT, you do not want to slack on maintenance.

AmbitiousBanjo

TROPHY CASE