# Subaru that hates the rain and traffic **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 10, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-that-hates-the-rain-and-traffic/13829 "2008-05-10T15:26:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![judibn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@judibn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/judibn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-that-hates-the-rain-and-traffic/13829/1 "2008-05-10T15:26:03Z")
Hi everyone, I have a puzzling problem. My 2004 Forester with 82,000 miles has twice died in bumper-to-bumper traffic in heavy rain. ABS, air bag and oil temp lights came on, the insides fogged up, wipers and windows slowed down, it ran rough, then died completely and wouldn’t restart. After a while, it took a jump and then behaved fine. It only happened twice but at the most inconvenient times. The alternator and battery are fine but spark plug wires are original. Has anyone ever heard of this? Any suggestions?? ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-that-hates-the-rain-and-traffic/13829/2 "2008-05-10T16:19:42Z")
Change the spark plug wires and distributor cap (if equipped) and see if this resolves the issue. This is the cause of most poor running in damp weather issues. ---
**Author:** ![macfisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@macfisto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/macfisto)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-that-hates-the-rain-and-traffic/13829/3 "2008-05-10T16:33:18Z")
Who can blame your Subaru? I hate driving in rain and traffic too! GreasyJack probably has it right on with the wires and cap. ---
**Author:** ![judibn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@judibn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/judibn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-that-hates-the-rain-and-traffic/13829/4 "2008-05-10T17:02:15Z")
That is what we had been thinking … the car doesn’t have a distributor cap though, so just the wires then? Both times it happened was one of those monumentally horrendous traffic rain days, I think I had been sitting for 3 hours each time. Once on the Hutch and yesterday outside the Holland Tunnel on the Manhattan side. Miserable places to break down each time! I’ll get the wires changed. Thanks guys!!