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So bought our new Forester about a year ago. Bought it with 9 miles on it. We have never serviced the car at any shop.
The other day was detailing the car and saw wheel weights on the car. Found this odd as I assumed they didn't need to be balanced when built new from manufacturer. Thought they balanced with high/low points from tires.
I'm not sure I follow the logic as to how the car being brand new would eliminate the variances in weight/mass distribution that necesitate wheel balancing. It's still a wheel that likely has a few imperfections, as does the tire that gets mounted on it.
So bought our new Forester about a year ago. Bought it with 9 miles on it. We have never serviced the car at any shop.
The other day was detailing the car and saw wheel weights on the car. Found this odd as I assumed they didn't need to be balanced when built new from manufacturer. Thought they balanced with high/low points from tires.
Subaru didn't make the tires. They probably didn't make the wheels. Tires are molded from rubber and steel. It is almost impossible to make a balanced tire.
New from the factory or not a wheel/tire combination must be balanced. When you replace the tire eventually you will buy a new one. The wheel/tire combination will have to be balanced again.
So bought our new Forester about a year ago. Bought it with 9 miles on it. We have never serviced the car at any shop.
If you really mean that it has never been serviced by any shop in approximately one year, I hope you realize that you have voided the warranty--at least as it pertains to the engine.
Subaru's oil change schedule is "every 7,500 miles or 7.5 months, whichever comes first". For reasons that I cannot fathom, many people can't seem to understand the either/or and the "whichever comes first" proviso, and instead focus strictly on odometer mileage.
The result of that failure to comprehend the information has--in many cases--led to severe engine sludging for folks who drive only locally and who accumulate miles very slowly. That type of usage is actually the worst thing that you can do to an engine, and under those circumstances, the oil should be changed every 6 months, regardless of how few miles were driven in that time span.
So...instead of worrying about the absolutely normal presence of balancing weights on your wheels, you should worry about what you have done to the engine and to your warranty protection.
You can get perfectly balanced wheels and tires from the factory... but expect to pay >$150k for a new car to have that, and it'll be an exotic sports car.
Wheels are easier to make balanced than tires, but tires can be inherently balanced too, but usually you only see this on low profile tires with a very narrow sidewall.
If you really mean that it has never been serviced by any shop in approximately one year, I hope you realize that you have voided the warranty--at least as it pertains to the engine.
Subaru's oil change schedule is "every 7,500 miles or 7.5 months, whichever comes first". For reasons that I cannot fathom, many people can't seem to understand the either/or and the "whichever comes first" proviso, and instead focus strictly on odometer mileage.
The result of that failure to comprehend the information has--in many cases--led to severe engine sludging for folks who drive only locally and who accumulate miles very slowly. That type of usage is actually the worst thing that you can do to an engine, and under those circumstances, the oil should be changed every 6 months, regardless of how few miles were driven in that time span.
So...instead of worrying about the absolutely normal presence of balancing weights on your wheels, you should worry about what you have done to the engine and to your warranty protection.
Meaning I do it myself. Why would I take it to the shop for a simple oil change. Nice of you to jump the gun there.
I use OEM oil filters and Pennzoil 0W-20 Full Synthetic Oil. Thanks for your concern.
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