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The buttons are illuminaed from behind. It's a do it yourself project requiring just moderate skills and patience. Have a look at this thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2498&highlight=climate+control+lights

My experience is almost a carbon copy of yours with a few differences. I've had the same year and model of car for more than four years. Never left me standed, never was unavailable when needed. Did all my maintenance and a few repairs myself. Hauled a full size fridge and at another time a full size electrical stove, and tons of other things. Never put a hand on a shovel during the winter. Lots of pep. Love the car and will get another used Subie when this one gives up the ghost (not expected soon...) My first experience was with a 92 Loyale and that made me a Subaru fan right then and there.

Winter city driving with winter gas in Montreal (real city driving: short distances, idling at stop lights, never above third speed, etc.) gives me about the same fuel mileage as you get. I put that on the account of driving conditions and not on the car since I regularly get 8L to 100 km (around 30 miles to the US gallon) when on the road during the summer.

My scan tool gives me the exact coolant temp values and this shows that the gauge (my recollection is not exact) gets in it's «normal» position (at the bottow of the thermomete icon) at around 165°F and stays there until the temp rises to around 195°F or until the fans kicks in. So it's possible for your coolant temp sensor to sense a slight overeated situation without the gauge needle moving up.

If the old ones were that gone, it's normal for your steering to have become a little tighter. Torquing the ball joint has no effect on the joint's movement. Even if you had overtorked it would'nt have any effet on the joint's movement. As for the ease of removal, my first experience will ball joints (on a Loyale) had much in common with yours. The ball joint is the moving suspension part closest to ground and to salt in winter that there is. This has some consequences.

Trying to answer two questions asked in this thread about O2 sensors. 1) How does one know he needs a new one if there is no CEL code to that effect? Here's how I do it (it's just me) a) I check for unusual soot build up in the tail pipe, sign of an overly rich running engine. You have to know how "usual" looks in order to use that as a clue. If it has'nt been replaced for the last 100,000 miles c) Using my Harrison's OBDScan tool ( software for the Palm computer) that gives real time output of all the sensors. The O2 sensor voltage output must flutuate rapidly between 0.1 and 0.9 volt and must cross 0.5 volt at least 5 times in 10 seconds. 2) How easy is it to replace? In my case (2.2 L engine and MT) I just bend over the right fender and go at it with an open wrench. The sensor is just under and behind the right inner cv joint boot. My 2 cents.

Without a specific code pointing to the downstream 02 sensor, you only need to replace the upstream one. It's the one that controls the fuel trim. The other one only checks the cat's operation.

I would replace the O2 sensor is it has not been replaced for a couple of years. They often get lazy without triggering a CEL.

People using those same engines as airplane engines say they rev them at 4,500 rpm all day with no ill effects. Granted the stress put on an airplane engine is not exactly comparable to what happens on ground (acceleration, load, etc.) it nevertheless gives credibility to the opinion that these engines can be reved.

Since the coolant is being sucked back in, it does'nt sound like there's a leak in the coolant system (head gasket failure). I would vote for an air pocket. Heated air expands a lot more than fluid, so it could account for the pressure that's pushing the coolant into the overflow reservoir. I might also be as simple as a faulty rad cap. I would begin by replacing that cause it's cheap. Some people here have explained a method of burping the cooling system. If you make a search along those lines, you will find info to that effect. Just an amateur's opinion. Good luck!

Did that happen suddenly or progressively? Is it possible it's very cold outside and the cable has shrunk? I would give the cable adjusting nut (where the cable join the release fork on top of the bell housing) a couple turns of slack and see what happens.

it's 236$ at 1stSubaru Parts.

Find out what that CEL code is. It probably has something to do with what's happening. And there might be more than one fault code stored in the ECM. Sometimes the CEL gives advance warning of trouble to come. Never take it lightly...

Temperatures here being what they are during the winter, the mechanical components of my car should last for a very long time...

On my 96 Brighton, there was only one horn (dont remember if it was on the right or left side) but wires to connect another one on the other side (which I did: nothing truck like but it gets attention). Look behing the head lights near the wheel wells.

If it,s a manual and was towed with all FOUR wheels on the ground, you're OK. If they lifted the front, then it's another story. If it's an auto then only way to tow is four wheels OFF the ground.

It's usually written on a metal plate on the driver's door center pillar, or in that vicinity. Look around on the inside or that door's frame and you'll find it.

What I know: 1) H4 is 9003 2) You have to keep same wattage if you dont want to take chances with wires burning and plastic melting (65-45 or 55 ?) 3) I recently bought a pair of Sylvania Xtravision at Canadian Tire (14$CND each) Same wattage as OEM, claim 30% brighter, street legal. Shorter life than standard but not by much. 4) Dont buy the Silverstar claiming «The look of HID». Whiter light and much shorter life span (by their own admission). Hope that helps.

The area you circled is right above the cat and the right side inner cv boot. A few possibilities: 1) The boot is torn and fligning grease on the hot cat. 2) A rear cam seal or the rear crank seal is leaking. 3) The infamous separator plate (between engine and trans) is leaking on the cat. 4) The oil pan is leaking and oil is blown on the cat when car is mooving. 5) ?

Maybe others will be able to give you more precise advice on this since I have never raised nor removed the engine on my car. But I remember a friend of mine doing this with a Loyale: he just gave slack to the engine mounts retaining bolts (frame side or engine side? I dont remember) and could then raise the engine just enough to clear the rear bolts. Maybe give some slack to the trans mounts also.

You can also just buy the software if you already have a laptop or a Palm computer. I have the sofware for the Palm computer from Harrison's and am very satisfied. Not only does it give you the codes but real time outputs from all the sensors. Compare the prices and maybe you'll find it even cheaper than the Scantron tool.

On my 96 2.2L I got to the back corner bolts with a swivel extension, and to the two center ones thru two holes in the cross member. I had to enlarge these holes with a rat tail file and a Dremel tool. Not easy. Takes patience. Be very careful when replacing the two back center bolts, very easy to cross thread due to the uneasy access. Begin by using an extension with the tips of your fingers before puting a ratchet on it. I know others unbolt the engine mounts and jack it up an inch or two. Hope that helps.

The coolant level in my car's overflow reservoir is always spot on the fill MAX line when everything has had the time to cool down EXCEPT when there is a sizable change in outside temperature. If it gets a lot colder the coolant level will be a little lower. At the same temp range it's always at the same place. Hope that helps.

Of what flange are you talking about? Rear first cat to second our second to pipe going to the muffler?

(1) I've had a «misfire on cyinder #2» that went away after a dose of fuel system cleaner. (2) I think the way the ECU «knows» that is that it detects a slight deceleration after a given cylinder is supposed to have fired and interprets this as a «misfire». That's why even a misfire caused by a mechanical component (valve for ex.) can be detected by the ECU.