Forester Rear Door

[Steve Almond]

I have just bought a 2000 Forester which I think is a great car.
The only, small, problem I have is with closing the rear door (I'm talking
about the big one at the back - hatchback?). Mine doesn't fully latch unless
given a firm push all the way. If I push it within 6 inches and allow
gravity/spring pressure to take over it doesn't latch.

Does anyone have an adjustment method for this?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[John Varela]

I have just bought a 2000 Forester which I think is a great car.
The only, small, problem I have is with closing the rear door (I'm talking
about the big one at the back - hatchback?). Mine doesn't fully latch unless
given a firm push all the way. If I push it within 6 inches and allow
gravity/spring pressure to take over it doesn't latch.

Does anyone have an adjustment method for this?

You have to close it firmly. It's no big deal.

 

[Jim]

Same problem with my 97 Legacy. And after that it developed
a problem with the locking mechanism where the unlock does
not always work unless you jiggle it between lock and unlock
one or more times. i think these are related. dealer replaced
the latch, but it did not help either situation.

Jim

 

[Hiver]

I have just bought a 2000 Forester which I think is a great car.
The only, small, problem I have is with closing the rear door (I'm talking
about the big one at the back - hatchback?). Mine doesn't fully latch unless
given a firm push all the way. If I push it within 6 inches and allow
gravity/spring pressure to take over it doesn't latch.

Does anyone have an adjustment method for this?

Thanks,

Steve

Hello Steve,

I feel the same way about my 2004 Forester. I need to give it a good
push, it never closes with only the springs. Often I need to re-open
and give it a harder push. I feel bad about pushing to mutch, it since
it is still almost new.

 

[D H]

"Steve Almond" <(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message

Hello Steve,

I feel the same way about my 2004 Forester. I need to give it a good
push, it never closes with only the springs. Often I need to re-open
and give it a harder push. I feel bad about pushing to mutch, it since
it is still almost new.

Folks, you are making a mountain out of a molehill, IMO. The Forester
rear hatch door needs to be shut quite firmly. So be it. Think of this as
another chance to get some needed exercise. Get used to it.
It is not an automatic, motorized door closer (which I personally hate
because you can damage them by forcing them, and since most doors are
nonmotorized, someone unfamiliar with your car is going to try to close it
by force sometime anyway.)
As another said, No big deal. Adjust your expectations and get on with
enjoying your car.
--
D N
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[Edward Hayes]

My 2000 Forester was very hard when new and softened up. I still must firmly
close it. What is wrong with needed to firmly close it???

 

[Steve Almond]

Folks,

I don't see it as a big problem. I thought it might be a matter of
adjustment for my particular car. Seems it's a general 'feature', so I'll
continue to give it a firm push.
Seems a pity when the other 4 doors close so nicely......

Steve

 

[D H]

Folks,

I don't see it as a big problem. I thought it might be a matter of
adjustment for my particular car. Seems it's a general 'feature', so I'll
continue to give it a firm push.
Seems a pity when the other 4 doors close so nicely......

Glad you worded it like this at the end; it made me think of one other
reason that the rear hatch may be more touchy about needing to be closed
firmly. These cars are quite airtight, and thus if all the doors/windows are
closed, there is entrapment of air whenever you shut ANY of the doors, which
sometimes causes a bit of resistance. (My wife and I have both gotten used
to the extra bit of "oomph" needed to make sure the doors shut, and when the
other happens to open a door just as one is firmly shutting one, it results
in more of a slam than was intended.)
This might apply on the rear hatch, since it is capable of moving (and
thus "trapping") much more air than the other doors do (as a function of its
larger area, of course.) Maybe this makes it even harder to fully engage the
locking mechanism because the compression of air fights you. Just a
thought..........
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[Steve Almond]

DH,

Good point. I'll try closing the rear hatch with one of the other doors open
to see the effect. Will report back tomorrow.

Steve

 

[Tony Burns]

yawn!

DH,

Good point. I'll try closing the rear hatch with one of the other doors open
to see the effect. Will report back tomorrow.

Steve

 

[Steve Almond]

Sorry it's so boring for you Tony. Perhaps you should move on to the next
thread? Or maybe you prefer to spend time demonstrating your tremendously
cool attitude? Whatever.

Answer (to anyone interested). The door closes perfectly when another door
is open to avoid trapped wind.

Steve

 

[D H]

Sorry it's so boring for you Tony. Perhaps you should move on to the next
thread? Or maybe you prefer to spend time demonstrating your tremendously
cool attitude? Whatever.

Tony who? Yawn... (good answer, Steve.) :-----)

Answer (to anyone interested). The door closes perfectly when another door
is open to avoid trapped wind.

Steve

Thanks for posting back, Steve. I had never bothered to check it out for
sure because the problem didn't irritate me that much, but I'm glad to know
our cars are that tight. Especially at 5 years old in our case. No one needs
worry too much about the frameless windows and gaskets being a real problem,
as many are when they first come looking at Subarus. (That includes me when
we got these 99 Foresters, our first Subarus.)
I admit to occasional windnoise from the front windows, but the fix that
has been posted on here infrequently really does help. (See below, since I
made the mistake of bringing it up, and now must answer the question before
they start.) Furthermore, I had MUCH more windnoise from the lousy gaskets
on our 92 Honda Civic; had them replaced under warranty twice, and then I
was on my own. They were designed so badly that the gaskets shrunk and
pulled out of their tracks and looked terrible after a while. One of the
poorest designed parts on those cars, IMO. Oh well, I'll stop bashing them
now. ... for awhile.

Here's the fix I mentioned above, can't take credit for it, just passing on
what I was given:
FORESTER WIND NOISE FIX, FRONT WINDOWS
This is usually caused by the gusset, not the seal, the gusset is the
triangular piece that holds the mirror.
First thing to do is to roll the window down, then with your hands squeeze
the inner and outer pieces together, narrowing the channel that the window
slides in.
The second thing to do, also with the window down and the door open, "nudge"
the gusset toward the car a bit; you won't feel it move, just give it a good
push.
Both these "adjustments" should get rid of the noise.

--
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[Steve Almond]

DH,

Thanks for the tip on wind noise. I'm not aware of a problem on my Forester,
but I'll file it away for future use.

Steve

 

[Tony Burns]

A big YAWN this time.

For gods sake post something constructive and useful.

A twelve year old could easily work out the problem in 5 seconds imply and
easily.

As for us waiting with baited breath for you to do another test and report back
to us...well I've got better things to do.

HTH

 

[Steve Almond]

Is that foam in the corner of your mouth? You ought to take it easy, that
sort of rage must really hurt........

I really am sorry I haven't posted anything which you find entertaining, but
like I say, "just move on".

For gods sake post something constructive and useful.

You're setting us all a fine example.

Steve

 

[D H]

A big YAWN this time.

For gods sake post something constructive and useful.

A twelve year old could easily work out the problem in 5 seconds imply and
easily.

As for us waiting with baited breath for you to do another test and report back
to us...well I've got better things to do.

Hey, Tony, I guess you've prefer a newsgroup that is idle and has maybe
one or two perfect posts per day or week. I'm sure you can find some groups
with very few posts if that makes you happy, but don't ever post to them
because if you do, they won't meet the "perfect" criteria any longer (ie.
You'll screw them up, in case you can't figure it out.)
Another suggestion: IF you don't care for his questions or other's
responses, I have a simple method for freeing you of the annoyance. Why
don't you add us to your killfile, O worthy one? We hate to make you stay
awake nights fretting about posts you find to be simpleminded. I know it
would hurt my feelings thinking I had caused such terrible stress to you.
Kiss me goodbye, eh? You'll feel so much better.
--
D N
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[Tony Burns]

Hi Dale

Good to see nothing has changed over time.

Hope the medication is working.

cheers

 

[Andrew Barrett]

A big YAWN this time.

For gods sake post something constructive and useful.

Physician, heal thyself.

 

[Tony Burns]

Thank you Andrew. You and I don't know each other.

However, I suggest you take some of your own advice before shoving your
ignorant views down someone's throat.

As a dedicated Subaru owner, 7 new vehicles in the last decade, I suggest
that I might have a "reasonable" understanding of the marque and it's model
line-up. As an automotive mechanic I might even have an idea about the
mechanical aspects of a Subaru.

Most of the posts here, IMO, are from posters who can't be bothered on
taking a personal investigative approach to a minor issue. They approach
"I'll go the NG" and post, it's a lot easier.

The fact some dickhead had trouble closing the hatch on a Forester and
didn't even try it with one of the other doors open shows his/her
investigative tools.

I haven't seen many posts at all from you, so you may be an expert, I'm not
always right, however I'll have a good look at the problem, detail the
symptoms and if I can't work it out I'll take to someone who knows. Most
information here is pretty useless. just like your response!

 

[Steve Almond]

As the 'dickhead' involved, I'm ashamed I don't have your wealth of
investigative knowledge and experience. Thanks for pointing that out.
Maybe someone as clever as you ought to think what they expect to find in a
thread called 'Forester Rear Door'. Some fabulous opportunity to air your
wonderful investigative abilities? Or some rather mundane request for help
from a newbie, looking to eliminate the one, small fault he finds in his
'new' car from people who will know these cars?

To the others who responded, I say - thankyou.
To you, I say - get a life. The web is full of sad people sitting at the end
of their telephone lines demonstrating how clever, cool, and tough they are.
You are one of them.

Steve