adulting stuff
Tuesday I went to the auto shop and got new back brake pads and rotors, new windshield wipers and got the oil changed. I had to go back home during it because it took 7 hours to get my car back.
This morning Alec and I went to the dentist. He did not want to go at all. He kept asking me, "can we go next week?" But it's good we went because has to get five fillings! I have to get two. Because I kind of forgot about the dentist for a while and time kind of just went by. Alec and I went a few years ago and they told him to get two fillings but he never got them! He's so silly. But now I'm going to keep up with it more, so cleanings twice a year from now, and I won't forget either. She also told us to floss.. of course.. and she told us to limit drinking sugary carbonated drinks. And if we do drink them, to drink from a straw. She told Alec if he doesn't want to floss the traditional way, to use a Waterpik, so he ordered a Waterpik and electric toothbrushes off online. I'm glad he's taking this more seriously now. He's just kind of scared of the dentist, from some previous bad experiences I think. I've been going to the same dentist for forever, and that's the dentist Alec goes to now too.
Tomorrow (technically today) I have to leave the house at like 7 to go to the Subaru dealership. I am just a little concerned about it because 1. It's probably going to take forever. 2. I don't really want to leave to discuss things over the phone because I feel like it's an in-person conversation 3. I'm going to try to get them to pay for the repairs which you know... they will do everything in their power to try to make me pay for it! What's going on is that my car is showing 3 diagnostic codes which are really common problems on 19-21 subarus and they extended the warranty for this problem, but when I called the woman over the phone said they won't be able to know until they do a diagnostics appointment. I printed out the service bulletin for the extended warranty to bring with me and the veriscan that I did myself. If, by any chance (which I can't see how because this is a legit faulty system and newer cars have an upgraded version now, good for them..) they say no, I will say "okay!!" and leave and never come back. lol.
which I don't get my car fixed there anymore anyway.
The issue is this: It's a failure or electrical short in the thermo control valve. Coolant vapor leaks into the electrical sensor housing or the internal motor shorts out. When it shorts out the 5 volt reference circuit, it causes the dashboard warning lights to display and various safety features to not work. "A new TCV has been developed with an enhanced internal stainless steel shaft providing optimized durability along with advanced water proofing for the sensor." It can also cause overheating or cooling of the engine, depending on what happened. "Subaru of America will reimburse customers who have previously paid for repairs or replacement related to the Warranty Extension due to conditions normally being covered if the vehicle was affected by the terms of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty." That's part of the bulletin I printed out. So, we'll see what happens...
An electronically controlled component that regulates engine coolant flow. Uses plastic components and electronic sensors. Housing cracks, coolant vapor damages electronic sensors inside. Valve fails open; temperature cools. Valve fails closed; engine overheats.
The Evolution of the TCV Problem The thermo control valve issue didn’t appear overnight. Here’s how the situation developed: 2019: Subaru introduces the electronic TCV system in new models to improve efficiency and emissions. 2020: Widespread failures begin occurring, prompting numerous complaints to Subaru and NHTSA. February 2022: Subaru issues Technical Service Bulletin 09-80-21, announcing a design change to address the failures. November 2023: A class action lawsuit (Austermann et al. v. Subaru of America, Inc.) is filed, alleging Subaru knew about the defect since at least 2021 but failed to adequately address it. April 2024: Subaru implements the comprehensive warranty extension through TSB 09-119-24, covering affected vehicles for 15 years/150,000 miles. 2025 Models: Subaru has abandoned the electronic TCV design in the 2025 Forester, returning to a traditional mechanical thermostat – a tacit acknowledgment that the electronic design was problematic.
Well this doesn't surprise me because basically my whole car is plastic and electronic and those things don't always work that well for cars...