Ask the Mechanic: What is your take on Subaru Exiga?

Hello Paul, I seek your opinion on the Subaru Exiga. I intend to purchase one as my first car. Richard.

Hello Richard, the 2008 Subaru Exiga is a compact multipurpose vehicle and crossover utility vehicle. The sharp front curves and long lines to the flat tail gate are playfully bold and adventurous in a subtle way. This station wagon is built around the concept of exciting family travel. This theme underlies the theatre style seat layout with rear passengers seating higher than the front ones.

The panoramic glass roof and eight cameras around the car add to the all-round visibility status. Its leather seats and comfort amenities such as air conditioning and power mirrors and windows also add to its overall comfort.

The interior, though plasticky, remains stylish. On the road you can enjoy an exciting drive with 221 horsepower from the 2.0 litre turbo engine. This feels like driving an Imprezza, which shares the same engine.

Handling of the Exiga is different from the much more youthful, agile and nimble Imprezza WRX. The long stature of the Exiga does not accommodate rally type antics such as drifting around corners.  However, the Exiga offers reasonable road holding and good steering response on our windy and straight highways. You have a choice of two gearboxes; the simpler easy to maintain four-speed ATF auto gearbox or the more fuel-efficient but delicate five-speed CVT auto gearbox.

As a first time car owner, beware of the challenge of having a unique crossover car in the event that you lose a taillight or headlight courtesy of the errant boda boda motorcyclists who bump into you. Although engine service parts are easy to get through multiple Subaru parts dealers, body parts will challenge you a bit.

However, this should not discourage you from buying this excellent car.

HOW CAN I AVOID GETTING STRANDED?

Hello Paul, I have had my Toyota Ipsum for a year-and-a half without any trouble. This week , I have failed to start it twice and my engine was not turning at all. My neighbour had to help me jump start the car and suggested that my battery may be spoilt. How can I tell if my battery is dead?

Joseph

Hello Joseph, a car battery is a storage device which supplies electric power to start the engine and power electric accessories. The battery is charged by an alternator which is run by the car engine. There are wet type batteries with serviceable sulfuric acid or lead and deep cycle dry cell batteries with long life maintenance free gel led electrolyte. A car battery can discharge either because of a breakdown of the charging system (alternator), due to poor maintenance or ageing of the battery.

When you have a weak or bad battery, your car will hesitate to crank (turn the engine) or not crank at all. A quick inspection of the battery terminals should confirm if they are not loose or dirty with corrosion buildup. A faulty alternator or charging system can prevent your car battery from charging fully. When the alternator fails, a red fault light with the image of a battery will display on the dashboard. You can tell during routine service inspection if the car battery is bad by checking that the electrolyte volume has not decreased.

If the electrolyte has reduced, it should be topped up with good mixed acid or de ionised water as deemed necessary. A hydrometer can be used to assess the charge status of each cell in the battery in comparison with the recommended values on a chart. This is a glass tube with a rubber bulb to draw the battery electrolyte and floating balls to show whether a battery has completely discharged or not.

The maintenance free gel battery has a built in hydrometer which shows colour green if the battery charge is okay or colour black and white if it needs charging or replacement. A voltmeter can also be used to tell the current voltage of a battery and this can help to tell if it is fully charged or not. Regular maintenance inspection of the battery will help you avoid getting stranded.

WHY DOES MY HAND BRAKE WORK FACING DOWNHILL BUT NOT UPHILL?

Hello Paul, my 1996 BMW 3 series emergency parking hand brake is not working normally. When I park downhill, facing downwards the hand brake works well. However, when I park facing uphill, the hand brake does not work. What could be the cause of this problem?     Timothy.

Hello Timothy, you need to have the rear brake shoes kit of your car inspected to replace worn out components or adjust the latching mechanism. Your 1996 BMW 3 series has a set of parking brake shoes inside the rear brake disc rotors. When you use your hand brake, it pulls a cable and lever which presses the brake shoes against the brake disc to secure the car.

Inside each brake disc are two shoes; the primary and secondary. One of them holds the vehicle to prevent forward movement while the other holds it to prevent rearward movement. When either of the two fail, you may experience failure of emergency parking brake either forwards or backwards.

The brake shoes need to be inspected to confirm their width or determine if the system needs to be adjusted. That should fix the problem.

WHY DOES MY ENGINE STOP WHEN GEARS ARE ENGAGED?

Hello Paul, I have an old RAV4 I bought from a friend. Whenever I start it and engage any gear, the engine stops. In order to drive it, I either have to ask someone to push it a bit then I engage the gear or step on the acceleration immediately I engage the gear. When I slow down to near stop, it stalls and I have to go through the same process to move. What is wrong with my car? Wilfred

Hello Wilfred, this is probably due to an engine tuning issue. There are a few issues that cause an engine stall or the engine tuning problems your RAV4 is facing such as a faulty idle control valve, leaking vacuum, faulty sensors, fuel delivery problems, ignition system malfunction or mechanical faults such as engine compression loss.

Briefly, the idle control system, attached to the throttle unit, helps to maintain stable idle of the engine when you engage gear or during running. If the system is faulty or clogged with corrosion or deposits, it will not work well and can cause engine stall when you engage drive.

Vacuum leaks on your engine will affect the air-fuel ratio, which in turn causes engine stall or poor running. Faulty sensors such as the throttle position and mass air flow sensors which help the engine management system monitor and regulate fuel and spark delivery. When these sensors fail, they can cause engine stall. Restricted fuel delivery due to failure of the fuel pump, dirty fuel filter or injectors can cause engine stall.

A faulty ignition system, which includes coils or spark plugs will cause poor performance and engine stall. If your engine is suffering from low compression due to worn out piston rings, it will lack power, especially when you load it with gears. To verify which one of these issues is causing the engine stall, find a suitable garage with the diagnostic tools and expertise necessary to isolate and fix the problem.

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