jon38iowa

Can I ask: What is an IAC? And what is that foam thingy located in the middle of the Vacuum line? Thanks!

Amen! The converters made in the 70s put a strain on the drive train. The new ones made today are most negligible in their negative effects. The layer above us that protects us from the solar elements is very thin! If you doubt me, go to Nasa and ask them. I am not a green peace tree hugger,but, I do think we all should do what we can to protect are Air and Water. Most of us want to leave this world a better place for those that follow.

Noah I have had a really really rough day, Subaru in the shop, etc,. Thank you for giving me a good laugh.

Ok here's the deal: I am very anal about my cars(poor care from former owner), and if there is remote possibility of the bottom pan being coated or otherwise dirty then I will clean it! I have to admit,the Transmission is the only flawless working part on this buggy. But again I can not rest until I check it out. The pan looks to have a seal, but maybe I am wrong. Subaru sent me the internal screen filter by mistake (mine requires spin on) and they did not include any seals. Thanks for the imput.

I had one OEM (block coolant type) installed an on '99 a few weeks back. It has been a real pleasure here in the Iowa cold! I plug it it at night, moreover it so nice to have heat after only a minute or two. If you go for this type of heater you will be removing a critical core plug from the engine block. Personaly I would not chance anything other then OEM on this one

Where does one find a pan seal for a '99 Forester; I purchased the external filter through Subaru, however they did not repond to my request for a seal. I went to Advance Auto and they were clueless. Thanks for any pointers.

I had mine rebuilt with all new Pistons and it still has this annoying startup noise! Brucey recomended I try raammat insulation. Moreover, since I have purchased and applied this product to my car, it is so much quieter! The sound from the engine is still there, but I have to try hard to hear it. It is though, an enormous amount of work to install. It takes rouhgly a day to install one doors worth of the material. I found the job kinda fun, but others might not. John

With this asking price I would see if you could have your mechanic inspect it. Just my 2 cents

I found one at Walmart, moreover, If you get a Fram I recomend going with the more expensive model, since they are not as good as OEM.

IF a person wants low range, is it possible to simply put the car in first gear?

You can buy Seafoam at many Automotive retailers: Napa, Auto Zone, Advance Auto, and numerous others. Google Seafoam, and on their corporate site you will find a Listing of stores that sell it.

I have a '99 as well. I think yours likely came with the remote door lock key fob. Everyone I have seen has had it. I bought a new one through Subaru when mine cracked, moreover, it wasn't terribly expensive.

Congratulations on finding the unusual 's 5 speed! I have the auto. I would also call the preveous owner to try and: find what has or has not been done to the car, if it had problems, etc,. If not done or unknown I would replace the: Tranny oil, differential fluid, radiator fluid, radiator hoses, pcv valve, air filter, and fuel filter as well run sefoam through the gas tank. None of these are expensive and on 7 year old car can prolong its life, and improve its performance. If you change the radiator fluid, be sure to add the Subaru Conditioner (costs only a couple bucks), this is to prevent head gasket leaks. I have never had any cooling related problems from adding it to the car.

I would avoid these iffy lube kinda places. Sometimes they are a little over zealous and add too much fluids to the car. They also like to sell ill needed engine cleaning services. I am not sure about the OEM filter... I do know with Honda of a few years back, one would have to use an OEM filter or risk losing their warranty coverage. If you decide on non dealer I recomend a chain business, though you might have to find one you through trial and errror. Car X,and Tuffy's are large in my area. They seem to do a really good job of basic repair and maintenance service. These shops are owned independly and so you will see differences in quality.

Hey Nipper: Awesome Trip Photos. I will have to do that my next road trip!

No, I asked, but although the part stores know what it is, don't yet carry it. I took a chance with the CRC electrical cleaner, moreover, I did a good job of drying it off as it is hard on plastic.

Hey Thanks for the advice! I did as you prescribed for the Mass Air Flow Sensor. Can hardly believe the difference, like night and day! This is even more surprising to me, because the sensor(what I could see of it) didin't look at all dirty. Thanks again!

Nipper: Could you elaborate on what a Hybrid rebuild is? Thanks

Hi, and Welcome! I never have had the much talked about HG issue; However, I did price having it done, around 1.5-2k for a quality job. Others may have different opinions, but I see no reason, short of having problems, to have it sone preemptively.True, it could fail tomorrow, and so might a multitude of other crucial parts. I do recomend using the Subaru Conditioner to the coolant, moreover, it has not caused any unwanted side effects on my car.

I have the Subaru hitch; If you get this kind, I highly recomend lightly sanding it and applying a rust proofer(por15 or Rust Bullet). This, as the Subaru hitches look great but, they rapidly rust out!

My Forester has 140K(hard use with preveous owner) with nary a 4EAT problem; The rest of the car has been another story. Cheep insurance to me is changing the fluid and external transmission filter every thirty thousand miles.

I would bet it is leaking through your sunroof. Perform a search here, you will find some valuable advice. Good luck.

Have you checked the spare tire wheel well? Do you have a Sunroof? You should most definately be concerned with rust! I would focus on where the water is getting in.

I had both mine(passenger side) done after a recent tear; They have lasted thus far with nary a problem. Knock on wood.

Well I took the money pit to the shop today- small drops on garage floor. At any rate the mechanic thinks the rack is likely leaking. They put a dye in the system and will recheck on Friday. I know very little about rack an pinion: Is it possible to have the seals replaced and will the average garage do this (before I ask them). BTW I am noticing a little shake in the wheel, but have always attributed it to the engine. Thanks for any advice.