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me too! I was concerned before too Good grief sorry if you read all that. My goodness that’s long. But that’s sort of a condensed version of what happened for me to get over my own uncertainty and what I was hearing from many others including professionals. 20 years ago most of what I heard locally or online was dire warnings about high pressures and death and AC systems getting filled with debris from failures caused by AC DIY attempts like I was trying to do..... I was concerned too the first time or three replacing AC stuff. So I think I know what you mean. eventually I did a bunch of them, let my engineering mind wander into what was actually going on inside: amounts, surface area, recommendations, etc, and it simplified things.

I used my phone to video the flashing code. Then I could turn off the ignition and decode it without rushing. Its very helpful to keep as a record for later.

thanks for the clarification on the oil side of things, @idosubaru - the thought had crossed my mind as well... especially considering that my AC compressor kicking in is pretty much unnoticeable when driving - at idle, yes, you can tell when it kicks in or out, but driving down the road, cant tell at all. Granted, mine could use a little bit of a charge boost - it is struggling a bit on those really hot, sticky days, but does ok for the most part.

A couple thoughts on this: Those "dead Subarus on I-70..." Are those newer, well-maintained vehicles, or are they older 90's models? I'd wager they "died" from having older radiators that crack the plastic end tanks or a failed thermostat when flogged in extreme conditions (steep grades, high loads, high ambient temps, A/C usage, etc.). Radiators are a wear item. My WRX's radiator popped at 120k miles and we JUST replaced a cracked radiator in my dad's STI at 75k miles. These cars are durability tested by Subaru during summer in Death Valley, so they SHOULD have no problem climbing Eisenhower Pass in summer with the A/C on. You need to inspect all these components to ensure they're working properly. A dirt-filled or gravel-pelted A/C condenser will restrict airflow to the radiator, so put eyeballs on that, as well as the radiator. Make sure BOTH radiator fans come on. Ensure your cooling system is properly burped (Front end off the ground as high as you can safely get it and while the engine is running, massaging the radiator hoses until the thermostat opens and no more bubbles are seen in the radiator top tank.) If you're dead set on upgrading the radiator for piece of mind, buy an aluminum "racing" radiator for an MT, and add an external, auxiliary transmission cooler. Easy-peasy done.