Getting used to Subes

There are some people that feel this forum is a Read Only place, but that's Their problem. Wonder what they are like in person?

Maybe it's me, which I Know a big part is, or maybe the car, but this07' Impreza is a challenge. I was telling a restaurant owing friend who has had a Lot of new cars, like BMW's, Mercedes, and Jag's and even an SVX about some of the things, like the lights turning off and on with the emergency brake, and he was surprized. Maybe that because of and for the daytime running lights. I used to feel I could get used to a car in the first mile, but this 07' Impreza 5M is taking some time. Granted I never drove an AWD, but manuals were my favs. Once getting familiar with the shift pattern, which usualy was, where is reverse, I was usually OK. OK, I have disabilities, and the heavier steering is giving me a workout, with all limbs working, but I think having to depress the clutch to the floor to start the car, and feeling that is probably the engagement point, and I don't feel very capable if I grind the gears, which has happened 2X in 1K mi, and I stalled it once, and a lot was stop/start driving in a big city. With a lot of ripples and repairs in the streets, and stiff suspension bouncing me around, and figuring the optimum shift points, while trying to keep the revs down till it has some miles on it, and in big city traffic, with people maing U turns out of nowhere, like from between cars parked in the center of the streets. It Has been a Challenge..

Yesterday I played with the seat adjustments, and raising and lowering it, and think I found a good position. Drove a snaking road along a river, with stone outcropings, that come to the curb, and tight tunnels, that I drove the Sube on before, at 3AM, so was more familiar with it even with More traffic since it was midnigh. The winding, very narrow construction cattle schute wasn't as stressing, though Still uncomfortably tight.

My Latest problem is the headlights. I though my vision problems were over or better, but I have a Hard time seeing people walking on, or crossing high speed roads, untill I am uncomfortable close to them. Usually something lets me see them moving, like a lighted area behind them, or something reflects on them. Picking up which way the winding or curvy road goes, even ones I know, is uncomfortable. I have heard that some new cars don't have bright enough lights, and heard that the new lights don't light like the old sealed beams,. The car was inspected, being bought out of state, so the lights Should be aimed right, but I have to do somthing, or I'll be driving the car well below speed limits. Maybe my height or the height of the wagon is the problem. Oncoming headlights don't help with seeing.

The dash mat works great keeping the sun from reflecting the dash into the windsheild, maybe I won't need a 26' Chevy like one poster suggested, just have to make the Sube Fit Me... Not me trying to contort and get beat up by a new car.))

VF

Reply to
houndman
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Wow, VF, not even sure where to go with this....! But Subarus ARE different than Hondas and Toyotas - if they were the same, they'd be selling millions of 'em like those guys. They are a little more rugged and less refined, therefore have a rougher ride. Then you add in low profile 17" tires, and you have a good-handling, less-good-riding car. As far as the lights are concerned, yeah, they may be mis-aimed but the current lights are MUCH better than sealed-beams from a few years ago. Does your car have driving lights? Maybe you need to invest in a pair, I'm sure you can get them from Subaru so they won't look added- on.

Dan D '99 Impreza RS2.5 (son's) Central NJ USA

Reply to
Dano58

I told Hound to buy a Honda....

Reply to
Jim Stewart

You 2-3 options for better lighting. Sylvania Xtravison or Silverstars (IIRC) are both a little brighter - though you WILL be changing them more often.

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you could investigate Kaixen or other (there are a LOT) HID lights. Slightly tricky to install but WELL within your comfort zone of DIY based on other posts. Personally, the 6K Kelvin would be fine for me, I don't need the ricer purple look! hah!
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Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Having to depress the clutch to start is a safety feature that comes on most stick shift cars. I had an '02 Imprezza WRX and agree the headlights were bad, especially in snow. But many modern headlights are lousy as they squeeze the reflector height down to achieve aerodynamics and modern styling. We have a Subaru Forester and the headlights are great, but the height of the reflector is large and the vehicle sits higher off the ground. We also have a current body Chev Malibu and the headlights are lousy. I find the squat headlights leave a dark area dead center ahead on high beam and scatter a lot of light to the side where it glares annoyingly off of luminous road signs. We also have an older pickup truck with sealed beams and much prefer that on our dark country roads. The light intensity is less, but it is broadly distributed and softer at the edges. You can put premium bulbs in your car but that might not cure the problems caused by poor reflector patterns. If you are going to keep the car, you might consider having auxiliary driving lights installed. No offense intended, but maybe you should consider limiting your night driving if you are getting up in years. Unfortunately it's the reality of aging.

Jakey

wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Jakey

Dan,

I know my condition probably doesn't help, but I compare the Sube to my 86' Celebrity, for comfort and convience. Not that That is ideal, but if I can see more, better with it, something isn't right, and I want it to be, and it Should be, so either something isn't right with the Sube's lights (adjustments), or maybe a pair of Sealed Beams mounted as Driving Lights will work.))) The driving lights Aren't my favs, with SO many people driving around with theirs on in an Oh So Bright City. I usually call them morons when I pass, or figure they are Legally Blind. I wonder what they do or need to on a dark road. I'll try adjusting the lights, and hope that helps.

I'm looking for a bar/line magnifier to put on the LCD readout on the radio, so I can See what station is on. The Subes is Too faint for me, while I can see my Chevy's fine. I need reading glases, but not to see other things, and don't think it is safe or convient to have to put them on to see the radio readout. I'm not that bothered by having to change things to Fit Me, I do it with anything that isn't right for me, since that makes things work For Me, which is what I want.

I have a 2.5i wagon so 16" wheels/tires. I prefer the look, and couldn't take the ride of the 17"ers, and stiffer suspension. I would have liked the bigger brakes, since I always went for the biggest I could get, but 10" rotors should be good enough.

Better go see if any clowns replied.))

VF

Reply to
houndman

Eat more carrots.

I'm 58 and my lumbar is having issues. The Forester is perfect for me. The seat is a few inches higher off the ground, the seat is heated and the visibility is unmatched for a compact. Those are the running lights that come on when you release the parking break, not the headlights. Are you manually turning on the headlights at night, or are you trying to drive on the running lights?

Reply to
David

often.http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/HighPerfo...> Or you could investigate Kaixen or other (there are a LOT) HID lights.> Slightly tricky to install but WELL within your comfort zone of DIY> based on other posts. Personally, the 6K Kelvin would be fine for me, I> don't need the ricer purple look! hah!>

Guess it is hard to accept that the type of lights that bother my eyes, and used to almost blind me, and make my eyes ache, when I was first injured, aren't bright enough and can be outdriven at normal/ legal speeds, but I'll look into others.

The velore dash mat is working great eliminating dash to windsheild reflections. It's a bit crude in that it sticks up or out where it shouldn't, and the cutouts for vent holes are off a bit and not round, but at least it gets rid of the eye fatiguing and distracting reflections.

VF

Reply to
houndman

I'm pretty sure it's required by one of the various US governmental safety agencies.

Reply to
Bonehenge (B A R R Y)

That's what I thought too. If he's having eye trouble, night is worse time to be on road.

Reply to
Frank

I wasn't turning on the headlights at night, because it looked like they were on, and I hadn't figured out the controls, but the headlights are just a little brighter than the daytime runners. My old Chevy with sealed beams lights the road better. I guess that is why many people drive around with their fog/driving lights on. They probably can't see, but in a Brightly lit City??

VF

Reply to
houndman

I can see better at night than in the daytime, even with my injury, and prefer driving at night. I could always see in dim light. The brightness of the new lights at least looking At them makes it hard, or irritates, so would think using them would be able to see more of the road. I have read that on some new cars, the lights weren't bright enough. I wanted Fog lights for fog, but found a combo fog/driving lights I'm going to get. I can have driving lights to have on All the time like others do.((

VF

Reply to
houndman

Driving in the city can fake you out. My wife was following our son to drop off his car last night and she messed up turning off turn signal on her Nissan and turned off lights. Area was well lit and wife did not know lights were off until son told her. She's tending towards cataracts and has trouble with glare. I've driven out of woods on hunting trail at night were running lights on my Forester light up whole area but hitting a country road, wondered why lights were so low until I realized I had not turned them on.

I leave all lights, including fog on at night for best visibility.

Frank

Reply to
Frank

In the city, you have to remember to turn on your lights. Not seeing the dash lights is the clue. The ones in my old Chevy are really getting dim, so have to check the switch. With my Chevy, I rarely used the sealed beam high beams. I think the Subes are aimed too low, or the type of lights just don't light the same. Searching fog/driving lights, I'm learning about lights.

I'm torn over doing something that may bother other drivers, even though their lights bother me. I don't like seeing daytime lights on, since they bother my eyes, and I have a car with them.((

VF

Reply to
houndman

I never wanted a car with running lights and my '98 Forester did not have them but that got wrecked and my '03 does. Since they are much dimmer than headlights they are not a bother. The idiot manufacturers that leave cars on full headlights are the bothersome ones.

Frank

Reply to
Frank

One thing I learned with my Subie is to dim the dash lighting...especially turn 'em as low as possible when driving dark unlit country roads. Amazing how much brighter the headlights are when you don't have that glare right in your face.

YMMV, Brent.

Reply to
blz

Not too sure about the output of your running lights (don't have them) but the normal low beam are usually HID (high intensity discharge?. This type of light produces a very white light and doesn't take too kindly to the thermal shock of frequent switching on and off. The main beam is something like 55 W quartz halogen and are aimed further down the road. However when seen together with the bright HID lights they appear yellow, insipid and ineffective.

Could it be that this is your problem?

Reply to
Bugalugs

It's rather easy to disable the DRLs: Follow this quick howto on ScoobyMods:

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Reply to
Ben Carr

Hi,

Ok, up to now, this thread has been entertaining, but on that comment, I've gotta call "BS!"

Humans as a species do not see better at night than in the daytime. Older humans see even worse at night. These aren't secrets: any vision professional can fill you in. IF, by rare chance, you DO see better at night than during the day, seek help. From a trained professional, not a newsgroup...

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

Hi,

The more I read of this thread, the more I'm leaning toward "mobility scooter."

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

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