Subaru - fuel door spring

I hate my wife's 2013 Subaru Outback. It is a terrible vehicle. There are significant design flaws that make it unsafe. One issue is the angle of deflection on the window (and height of the car) lead to multiple cracked windshield. We have had the windshield replaced multiple times. Another is the sunglasses holder is a known failure point that leads the holder to stay open, blocking the rear view mirror. Very dangerous. To make matters worse, the console is of a material that makes even duct tape not stick to it sufficient to hold up the failed holder.

The subject of this post is the issue with the fuel door. First, there is a mechanism where you have to pull a latch on the driver's side, which hopefully "opens" the fuel door on the passenger side. Then, if something fails in this operation, it is a two-person job to open it. Second, the "spring" is merely a bent piece of metal, that guess what happens after a short duration . . . it bends! Thus, the door remains locked, or, unsprung, and cannot be open unless you resort to the previously mentioned two-person operation. Very unsafe to get stranded and unable to fill the gas tank because the fuel door refuses to open.

For some reason I felt the need to give Subaru a chance to come through and took this problem into the dealer to see if they could deal with it. I knew what the problem was, the piece of shit piece of metal. Thus, if they could/would fix this without trying to steal from me, maybe I could let them handle larger issues. Alas, not so much. The piece was less than $5 (see below), but they tried to charge me $50. This unexpected charge was after a $0 promise on the diagnostics and a $0 promise on the labor IF it was the spring. Should only be a "couple of bucks". Then, they went ahead and did the labor without confirmation from me. If they would have told me it was $50 I would have told them no because we all know that it was a $5 piece.

In the end I went in, pitched a bitch because they performed work without my authorization after I had been promised no cost on labor and "a couple bucks" on the shit part that they only charged me for the part. Great.

The particular part from my invoice is a Spring Flap #57651AG00B. Or, you could just bend the spring back. I would recommend not buying a Subaru.

House - tub stopper

The tub was draining VERY slowly and it was fairly annoying to determine how to get the stopper open/off. Required two pliers and flat head screwdriver. First, pop open the stopper. Grab the stem under the stopper with one of the pliers and then the top with the other. Loosen and then remove. Then, use flat head inside the stopper. Pull the whole thing out. Remove wife's hair. Reinstall.

Very common household problem. Plenty of videos on YouTube that were relevant. None worth posting.

Tub pop-up stopper

Tub pop-up stopper

Tools

Tools and hair

GMC Sierra - Tail light turn signal

The turn signal on my 2003 GMC Sierra started to sound "aggressive". This sound is simply an indicator that one of the bulbs has burned out. Not sure if the same sound would come on for a different bulb, but in this instance, it was my back left turn signal. All you need to do is head to AutoZone, tell them you need a bulb for your vehicle, and they'll tell you which one to grab.

First, remove the two screws with a Phillips head. The turn signal is the middle bulb. Push down on the mechanism (pretty easy to see), and unscrew. Then, pull out the bulb. No turning, no latching mechanism. Then, pop in the new bulb. Redo everything you did. 

Not sure about bulb grease. I purchase some but wasn't comfortable applying it to this particular bulb, even after a lot of internet research.

Be sure to wear gloves, don't touch the bulb.

Good resources:

How to Apply Bulb Grease & Why

How to replace a tail light on a Chevy Silverado

Replacing Light Bulbs

Tail light

Tail light removed

Light bulbs

Subaru - Sunglasses Holder - Part 1

My wife has a 2013 Subaru Outback that is a complete piece of junk. This thing just loves to suck. Now, the sunglasses holder has decided to fail due to terrible design. From a quick internet check it looks like that Subaru will try to hose you for $250 to replace the entire roof console instead of replacing a $2 part that takes 10 minutes. Subaru's service has been TERRIBLE so this internet survey confirmed my suspicions.

Below are pictures of the holder and how it remains open and cannot click closed. This is a safety hazard as it completely blocks the rear view mirror. Just terrible design.

The best resource for how to fix this problem came from SubaruOutback.org. (source). This post was also helpful. (source). What you need to do is remove the two screws and pull out the center roof console.

More photos and direction to come.

GMC Sierra - Alternator

After replacing my battery I drove the truck around and got the "battery not recharging" warning again. Needless to say, my alternator needed to be replaced. I removed it following the videos below and took it to AutoZone for testing. It failed the tests and I decided to purchase a new alternator. Not cheap, but at least off the shelf with a warranty.

How to Replace An Alternator
This video was exceptionally helpful regarding more specifics as to my truck, a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500. However, it was a little "weak" on the what and why behind the serpentine belt. Also other relevant videos from AutoZone on whether or not to replace the alternator.

Replacing the Serpentine Belt
This video cleared up the questions about the serpentine belt.

Important note from this exercise is that AutoZone videos are great, but they often need to be supplemented with specific videos on the topic. Also, vehicle diagrams are generally awful. My manual is terrible. Even AutoZone has diagrams online that are basically worthless.


The battery location in the GMC is jammed in the corner. Difficult to reach. Also has a bar that seems pointless (see in the corner on the frame, moved in photo), and there is a bolt that is tough to reach. Great design GMC.


Battery removed, old alternator still installed.


New alternator and new battery. Required the mallet and hammer to get the alternator in. Luckily one of the videos warned about this possibility.


Check that the serpentine belt is on correctly. Huge pain.

You can see I removed parts in order to reach the tensioner for the serpentine belt.

At the conclusion the truck runs fine and there are no warnings.

GMC Sierra - Battery

My truck died on the highway while I was driving. A warning had come up saying that the battery was not recharging, then my dials and lights started to go dim, then go out, and then my truck completely gave up and I coasted to a stop. Seems like an alternator problem. First things first, need to check the battery, recharge it, check the alternator, buy a new one.

The goal is to start doing more of the work on my truck so here is a perfect opportunity. Also, I'll hope to record it all for posterity's sake. And by posterity, the future people I'm writing this for is me when I have to do it again.

We're in a great technological and DIY age where everything you need to learn is available online. Therefore, I signed up online for AutoZone, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and Advance Auto Parts to help determine my needs for my truck. They all have great videos, and provide specifics for my trucks. So far all the parts I need or want are literally off the shelf.

Replacing Your Battery
Really helpful video for knowing how to take out the battery.

How to Take out the Battery of 03 Chevy Silverado
Needed this video for the specifics of my truck, such as the the bolt that holds in the battery and the bar across it.

Duralast Ratchet and Socket set
Because I just started working on my truck I didn't yet have all the necessary tools. I went to AutoZone and was directed to this set to fit my needs, at least for removing the battery and bar. My 2003 GMC Sierra has metric hardware so needed the correct set. I also purchased an 8" extension in order to reach the bolt behind the battery.

AutoZone will check and recharge your battery for free. I remove the battery, took it to AutoZone, and it was being charged overnight.

Next step, the alternator.