SebP10

It was with the panel connected so the voltage will be inflated slightly. If I remember correctly the voltage was around 12.55 V on first checking (after the 10 A spike of unlocking the doors and then interior lights whilst popping the bonnet) but rose steadily to over 12.60 V in 30 s as it recovered. The sun was high enough that the bonnet did not obsure the panel. We're fortunate that the dashboard gets sun from around 1030 until 1900 at the moment, so I think it is breaking even over 24 hours at the moment (on sunny days.)

I left the XV alone, apart from occasionally opening the door to pop the bonnet and check the battery voltage, for three weeks and it started on the button without fuss. The battery voltage was generally around 12.6 V, so the 4.8 W panel seems ok at this time of year, althought the car is pointing almost south so gets a decent amount of sun (when available!) I agree it won't give a net charge to the battery, but if it buys some time then holidays (when allowed) will have one less thing to stress about! I may look at a higher power panel (size dependant) for winter use (Mrs could be working from home until the New Year so the car may be stood for a while.) Overcharging won't be as much of an issue once the nights draw in and the sun is lower in the sky (and sorry to bring winter up before the longest day)

Yes, I'm still here! I measured the tread depths with a set of vernier (actually digital) calipers at work on Monday. The fronts have ~5 mm tread left and the rears have ~6 mm. (I was expecting it to be the other way round as it was serviced on Friday and the tyres should have been rotated 🙄) The OSF was lowest, but I swapped them across a couple of months ago so it was the NSF and so hardest hit here in roundabout country (not far from MK.) It's a little worn on the outside edge of the tread (from the roundabouts), but there are no cracks in the sidewalls. I'm going to swap them around at the weekend (huge fun with no spare!) to get the lowest tread on the OSR and the greatest on the NSF to even out the wear.

The tyre pressures were checked and set the previous evening to the normal low-load pressures. It was the floaty feeling on a dual carriageway that was unnerving. A sort of half-way to aquaplaning, if that makes sense? It was the feeling you get when the tyres need replacing at around 3 mm, not when they've got ample tread left. And for A/S tyres, I've gone for Vredestein Quatrac Pro on my Levorg, as they generally come second to the Cross Climates in tests, but are assymetric so tyre rotation is far easier. They're also "3PMSF" marked. The XV may now get a set of these (more likely the 17" equivalent Quatrac 5) or Cross Climates this year after yesterday's excitement! The prices are similar so I may go Cross Climates and compare. (Reviews on here seem positive!)

Well this is rather good timing! Whilst driving back from the service yesterday the heavens opened and the XV was not at all stable. It's still on the OE Geolanders with 5-6 mm of tread left. The tyres are dated 10/17, so just over 3 years old and not cracking, so it took me a bit by surprise by how twitchy it was. Likewise, they've been great up to now (although I don't drive it that often), but they felt as if they were down to 3 mm or less. Maybe they are beginning to harden? As you've got a summer and winter set I would do as suggested above and look for something with an A-rated wet performance for the summer wheels.

The Levorg is going in for a service in a couple of weeks so I'll mention it to them. If it's Subaru approved and nets them a few quid I'm sure they'll give it a go!

Well the A/C was checked at the service today and they found a leak in the condenser. The service sheet says "no damage, manufacturing fault" so it will be getting one fitted under warranty in July when it goes in for its first MOT. Interestingly they said the leak was near the bottom, so I have no idea what all the oily residue is coming from the top connections. (Note to self - check new condenser once fitted and compare with the Levorg as it is clean and dry.)

That sounds like excellent service. The XV had it's third service today, and they had set-up a one way system in the showroom and sanitised the controls and key when finished. I thought they'd done quite well. (No bomb though!)

Not according to the instructions with the kit. It says that after filling, the car should be driven for 5 km / 10 mins so that the gunk is distributed around the whole tyre and doesn't pool at the bottom. After that the pressure should be checked and then the tyre can be used for a maximum of 200 km at no more than 50 mph.

They've come up a treat; Well done! And lots of useful tips on greasing the calipers too, so thank you both for that too.

Euro NCAP has just updated the XV to include the eXV models. Video below... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqg2uvds3t0 I used to test seatbelts for an OEM many years ago, when pre-tensioners were just becoming the norm, so I'm interested in how things have progressed over the years.

The corrosion in the seal groove looks quite bad to me. I've seen industrial brakes (that are similar to automotive brakes) with 100 bar MWP leak with less crud in the seal groove. It may clean up, but I would get a re-con caliper, as there is no guarantee that a donor will be any better.

Thanks for the heads-up on this Wulbert and Mr B; I'd not heard of this until now. The AutoExpress link above has another link to a document with manufacturer statements on which cars are compatible with E10 fuel... https://www.acea.be/uploads/publications/ACEA_E10_compatibility.pdf Cut-and-paste from said document (below) reaffirms the compatibility of most Subarus... Subaru E10 petrol is cleared for use in all models with petrol engines manufactured from 1st January 1991.

Pulled into Morrison's jet-wash at around 08:15 on Thursday, 21st May. That's two spots in 6 weeks! They're almost common now. Almost.

I bought an AA 4.8W panel for the wife's XV because it came with an OBD connector. It's not going to keep the battery topped up for long, but it should buy a couple of weeks and negate the need to nose it into the garage for a charge. I took some current readings (detailed in the XV forum), but unless the panel is pointing directly at the sun (which is tricky as it has a habit of moving!), and angled-up at around 45o (so the sun is 90o to it), the output is far less than the peak rating. Knowing this now I would have gone for a 10W panel, as long as there was an OBD connector available. But, as you say, anything more and a regulator would be required, as a flat battery is easier to fix than a fire!

Removed these from one of the other vehicles this afternoon.. Took two hours. 1:15 to undo the clips / brackets / hoses, and talk to the neighbours and then another 45 mins to get the throttle cables undone. It was a right royal pain in the !Removed!! Refitting, once the jets are cleared and floats, er, floating, will not be fun!

I've been wondering about what systems could be active when the car is parked to cause such a current drain, and I started thinking about the keyless entry system. This appears to be constantly "looking" for a key so therefore using power. The handbook (page 2-16 for both the Levorg and XV) alludes to a battery drain issue, recommending that the function is disabled "When the vehicle is not going to be used for an extended period of time", so I thought I'd give it a go. Since the original post I've discovered an average function on the meter so I don't have to estimate the current from the fluctuations. I used the Levorg as it was already nose-on to the garage after being on charge overnight. Results were: Keyless enabled, locked, alarmed - 71 mA Keyless enabled, locked with key (no alarm) - 67 mA Keyless disabled, locked, alarmed - 60 mA Keyless disabled, locked with key (no alarm) - 56 mA So disabling the keyless entry will reduce the current draw by around 15%. The drain is still high but should buy a few extra days before it dies. But, as stated above, the best bet is to buy a decent battery charger with a long lead and plug it in if possible.

From what I have read from the pamphlet in the box, the voltage peaks at just under 18 V. I measured the panel voltage in full sun on Saturday and it was around 17.5 V, dropping to 14.5 V when a handy cloud passed over. Although seems high, my Optimate charger will kick out 22 V if it decides the battery is very low. I struggle see that 18 V will cause anything to "blow" when the current is only 300 mA. The connector is only going to battery positive and negative, not any sensitive ECU outputs, so shouldn't cause an issue at these low currents / voltages? (Note: I'm not an expert in auto electrics, it's just my considered view on this.) I also measured the voltage across the battery (in full sun) and it was around 12.2 V (with ~17.5 V at the panel.) The pamphlet also states that it won't overcharge. With only ~300 mA peak output, which it won't achieve as the sun has a habit of moving around the sky and the panel is in a fixed (more technically, plonked on the dash) position, coupled with the ~70 mA system draw, it will struggle to keep up, let alone overcharge. When I used my 1970s (possibly earlier, as it was my Gran's) "Daviset" charger it was indicating a 2 A charge. As this is nearly 7x the output of the panel (in optimum conditions), I'm not overly concerned! I haven't noticed any problems yet. But then, I've been "experimenting / playing / having fun" with it a lot so it hasn't really had chance to sit there and do its thing! However, I've connected and disconnected the OBD plug many times, in cloud and bright sunshine, and neither cars have seemed upset. Let us know how you get on with yours, @kash0613, please. Useful to know that there are OBD - 12 V socket adaptors out there for quick permantent-live solutions!

I've cobbled up a patch lead to monitor the current output from the panel. This way it's easier to see the amount of charge the panel is providing without having to worry about how much the car is drawing. I pointed the boot of the car (I used the Levorg as the XV is covered in bunting!) and propped up the panel to face the sun. The output with the boot open was 270 mA. When I closed the boot (I had to move the panel slightly to keep it in full sun, but kept the angle the same) the output dropped to 65 mA through the privacy glass. This was at about 12:30, so the sun was nearly at its zenith. It's not worth getting one of these for the parcel shelf as the glass blocks too much light. The output drops off depending on both the angle of the sun's height and direction, so if it barely provides enough at noon it will be worthless for the rest of the day.

Also, the white with black roof and mirrors looks very good 👍

I've been on here for two years now (had the car for almost three) and there have been very few Levorg posts, and they were generally a passing question. As we've also got an XV I've mainly been bothering that section! But two more Levorg owners in a week? Wow! 😁 I've seen four other Levorgs on the road in three years (and one of those was a mile from home, when I was on the way to the dealership to have a look round to check they were as good as they seemed on the Subaru website.) I even waved at a white WRX STI one evening as I thought it was a Levorg! Mine is a Series 1, non-eyesight model. I think it is a great car. Yes, the gearbox could be better (and was improved for the Series 2 "Eyesight" models, as stated above), but it's great to drive (when you get used to it) and handles well, especially in sport-mode. I find it deceptively quick, as in it's only when you glance down at the speedometer on a fun road you realise how fast it's going! It's not quick off the line (I'm assuming it is programmed to protect the gearbox; the XV feels like it sets off quicker, and it has 50 Nm less peak torque), but once rolling the flat, turbo-torque characteristics get it shifting nicely. It's no Turbo 2000 or WRX, but it's quicker than the 0-60 suggests. It's a keeper!

Ahh, sorry for the confusion. I'd been playing all day so it had become second nature but I realise now how the results could be misunderstood. I was recocrding the current draw, not the current provided by the panel. Please accept my apologies. I'll present them again to highlight the (calculated) current that the panel produced in the aforementioned locations: Panel disconnected - 71 mA draw. (This is the (revised down from 80 mA due to finding a better setting on the ammeter) current draw when the car is parked and locked, no charger connected. Anything less than this value indicates charge; the lower the number the greater the charge.) Panel on parcel shelf (Boot SW, panel propped up on centre headrest) - 70 mA, draw, so only 1 mA produced from panel. Panel under sunroof (it just fits between the shade and glass, directed slightly NE as the drive is on a slope) - 66 mA, so 5 mA produced from panel. Panel on dash (bonnet NE) - 40 mA, so 31 mA produced from panel. Panel on dash (bonnet SW) - 40 mA, so 31 mA produced from panel. When I checked the current draw earlier in the day, with the cloud thinner and the sun higher, the reading on the ammeter was -3 mA, indicating that the panel was charging the battery at a (revised) current of 74 mA. So in the conditions here this afternoon the panel only produced 1 mA when placed on the parcel shelf. The tint is quite dark (I could barely see the panel once I'd shut the boot) and the sun obsured by reasonably thick cloud so the fact it produced anything was a bonus! Once again, sorry for any confusion. I'll try and rig-up a set of leads to put in the circuit before it gets to the battery so I can measure the output from the panel and get a definitive reading. This will also save a lot of time by negating the need to disconnect the battery negative lead each time and therefore resetting the time / date / auto-window, so probably worthwhile! It's funny you mentioned the dealers, as my wife informed me that she'd received an e-mail from ours on Saturday regarding the service and MOT on the XV. Apparently they're hoping to open, with safe "SD" measures, on the 11th, which is handy as I booked it in for the 15th when we went to the Subaru openday that they held in August, thus getting £75 off!

No problem! I've enjoyed pottering about outside testing various configurations. Note that it is now more overcast than earlier so the performance of the panel has diminished somewhat. The drive runs approximately NE - SW, and it is usually reversed in with the bonnet pointing SW (215o according to the compass on the phone.) The net current draw results are: Panel disconnected - 71 mA (I've found the "average" function on the meter so revised down the 80 mA, which was an earlier estimate from the current fluctuations.) Panel on parcel shelf (Boot SW, panel propped up on centre headrest) - 70 mA. Panel under sunroof (it just fits between the shade and glass, directed slightly NE as the drive is on a slope) - 66 mA. Panel on dash (bonnet NE) - 40 mA Panel on dash (bonnet SW) - 40 mA My initial interpretations are that the panel, in these fairly overcast conditions, can provide 30 mA when placed on the dashboard, which will reduce the battery drain by approx. 40%. But placing the panel on the parcel shelf, facing through the privacy glass, makes practically no difference to the battery drain. And through the sunroof is not much better. I'd check how much light your car gets on the dashboard before purchasing one of these, as I doubt putting it on the parcel shelf is worthwhile unless it is a very bright day. (It is supposed to be nice on Thursday, and I have the day off, so I will check again in (hopefully) full sun.)

The cable is 4 m long (3 m on the panel and 1 m on the OBD connector), so more than ample. I've just tried the panel on the parcel shelf, routing the cable loosely along the sill, and the cable on the panel reached the driver's footwell. The rear window is quite heavily tinted, so it would probably lose a lot of efficiency through the glass. I'll give it a try and let you know how it performs.

I've just checked the current draw with the charger connected. Even though there is full cloud cover today it was reassuring to see that it was providing enough juice to overcome the 80 mA drain and give a net charge of 3 mA!