Rooster2

My 98 OBW has the flashing light alarm system. I never knew that the light is also a push button. Pushing the button does what in valet mode?

I have read reviews on both Discount Tire and Tire Rack. Some good reviews, some bad, most sound legit, but also some reviews read more like ads written by the marketing department of the tire company or the store. Those reviews sound too good to be true, so glowing in virtue, with no down side. It makes me wonder how legit the review really is.

You have a higher threshold of anger then I have. I would be plenty mad at the first shop for the mess they have caused you. It seems to me that their poor work has caused multiple issues. As Imdew pointed out, take all your receipts from them and from second shop, and have a strong sit down discussion with the shop owner. Tell him what you have told us, and point the finger (be sure to use only your index finger, not the middle one) at him, that his shop has caused all your problems. Ask him how he is going to make things right. It may call for a replacement engine due to repeated over heating. Threaten legal action if need be. My favorite line is " I would hate to take you to court over this, but will do so, if we can't resolve this problem". I applaud that you were wanting to get your car into the best mechanical shape before taking a long trip, however, I think you waited to the last minute to get the work done. If the work had been done earlier, a series of short around town trips would have brought to light all the problems you encountered before you started the long trip. It is not a good idea to start a big trip right after major work has been completed without field testing the car first, but this hind sight doesn't help you now. Keep us posted on your progress on getting your car repaired. A lot of people on this forum care about Subarus, and want to help owners get the best service from their cars. Welcome to this forum.

Yes, definitely the alarm. My 98 OBW has one. You will need the key fob to operate it. Flashing light means alarm is armed. Push button on key fob to disengage.

I shopped for tires to replace my 205 X 70 X 15, and considered going 215 X 65 X 15, but tires were going to cost $10 to $15 more per tire + 7% more on sales tax. I couldn't see that much advantage for $60+ dollars. So, I just decided to stay with the 205s.

Try this KYB link.......http://buykyb.com/catalog/ You should be able to find what you want at this KYB website.

Yea, that is the first thing I thought about was worn shifter bushings. Like others have responded, it is not a big thing, and it is not expensive to have the bushings replaced. Prolly something you will want to consider.

All your symptoms point to a bad alternator. I don't think fusible links are an issue. Replacing the alternator is rather easy, if you are handy with a wrench. If car is no longer drivable, remove the alternator, then take to a parts store. They should be able to test with equipment in store to tell you if the alternator is bad. It is never good to have a break down. To break down on Christmas is a real bummer. I hope a replacement alternator solves your problem. Let's hope that 2011 is a good year for you.

Doesn't surprise me that the Chinese thermostat was the source of your problem. If the shop did the original work, I hope they did not charge you to replace the thermostat again. I don't think that 85% of Subies develop HG issues, but it still has been sizeable problem the last 10-15 years, well more like years 97 thru 04. Last 6 years seem to not had the HG issue.

If it doesn't over heat, then I wouldn't be concerned about HG trouble. Sounds more like a bad thermostat is your problem. If the 2.2 motor cooling system is like the 2.5 motor, then the thermostat is in the engine block where the bottom hose connects to the engine. It is easy to get at. If you replace the thermostat, go for an OEM Subaru thermostat, or top of the line after market unit. Cheapie thermostats don"t work well in Subies. If you go after market, make sure that the new thermostat uses the same length spring coil as the OEM, and is not a shorter coil then the original. It is those "shorties" that don't work well. You may want to check first to see that your radiator is full, and there is coolant in the over flow container. Running low on coolant could also cause the problem that you are having.

Does a Frankenmotor become an interference motor?

It is possible that you may have bought a tank of gas that is tainted with water. Water doesn't burn well, and can cause the bucking that you are encountering. Suggest you add some "dry gas" additive to the fuel tank. It just may solve your problem. Not long ago, a gas station near here had a bad seal on the fill pipe at ground level where the transport pumps gas into the tank. The bad seal allowed a lot of rain water to enter the tank. The result was a number of cars stalled just blocks from the station. That is just a severe example of what can happen.

Any chance that the antifreeze wasn't changed in many many years? If so, crud and rust build up prolly has occurred. Use a flashlight to look down into the radiator under the cap to look for crud build up. If you can't see the core, pull the top radiator hose, then look in with a flashlight. That alone can cause over heating, because the radiator doesn;t allow good coolant flow.

Right on.......a poorly designed thermostat can cause the problem you are having. Even if new, a cheapie thermostat just won't work well on a Subie.

It's Christmas......... Time to wish everyone on this forum a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. Larry (Rooster2)

Yea, same problem with my 99 OBW. The seats are not very good......just too hard with poor back support. They are okay for short trips around town, but close to lousy on a road trip. Now my wife drives a 98 OBW Limited with the leather seats. Those seats are great. Does anyone know if seats from years 2000 to present are better seats, and will just bolt in?? If so, maybe find a decent seat for the front from a wrecking yard. Also, do Impreza seats or WRX seats just bolt in? Are they any good??

Harbor Freight Co sells an electric impact wrench. Cost is about $50. It works surprisingly well. Besides your job, it is a great tool to have in your garage for future projects.

Decided to go with Fisk tires available at Discount Tire. They only carry one model with the Fisk label. I have read on the internet, and a worker bee guy at Discount said the tire molds are from Michelin, prolly a tire they don't make anymore. He said the Fisk tire is good, with no "come backs" with problems to their store. I am not kidding myself, these won't be Michelin tires. Michelin could have sold the molds to another company, and prolly did. Hey the price is right at $64/tire in the OEM size of 205 X 70 X 15. Going to 215 X 70 X 15 cost $77/tire. A $13 dollar price increase in one tire size is not worth the upgrade. Yea, I would really want better tires, but finances are really tight right now, so a buck saved here and there is where I am at. I live in Indy, where heavy snow is usually not a problem. So, no one around here ever puts chains on the tires. Discount Tire has been good to me the last 5 years that I have bought there, so I will be loyal to them. Free flat repairs on any car I bring in has saved me some money, even fixed tires that I did not buy from them. You won't get that free service from a Good year or a Firestone store. I will report back how these tires hold up and perform.

check Edmunds, NADA, Kelly Blue Book price guides on line for used car prices, per your zip code, and by millage. Do print outs on each. You should be able to see suggested retail price when for sale by owner, and by a dealer. Print out the results and take with you as a negotiating tool, if and when you make an offer to buy the car. You don't list what year the car is, to be able to advise you if $11k asking price is good or not. 161K miles on the odo will certainly lower the value of the car no matter what model year it is.

+1 on using PB blaster. I did my brakes last summer on my 99 OBW, and had a can of PB blaster with me while wrenching. I used the stuff even before putting a drive socket on any bolt that looked rusty. Suggest using antisieze graphite cream on all bolts and slides upon reassembly. Makes the job a lot easier the next time you do a brake job.

I have a 99 Leggie OBW with standard 205 X 70 X 15 size tires. I need to replace the tires. Is it better to stick with the same size tire, or change to a 215 X 70 X 15, or possibly to a 205 X 60 or 65 X 15 size tire? I have looked at tire prices on line, and all the above sizes are about the same price. I am not concerned about loosing or gaining a little ride height, or having the speedo off by a few mph. I am guessing that the above sizes won"t cause any rub issues. I am thinking that going to one of the new tire sizes that have become available in the past 10 years may offer better handling, grip, or a better ride. There must be a good reason why 60 or 65 size profile tires became available. I did a search in this forums archives on this, but didn't find any previous post addressing my question. Anyone have any thoughts or knowledge on this?

I learned this lesson too the hard way like you. I finally figured out, and also read here on this forum that low to high on the ATF dip stick is only a pint. Suggest you drain the extra pint from your trany. There is a screw in drain plug on the bottom of the trany pan to drain the fluid. Looks just like the drain plug on the oil pan.

I replaced the pass mirror on my wife's Leggie OBW a few years back. I don't remember the plate, but do remember that there were three Philips head screws holding on the mirror onto the door. Those screws were on super tight. One screw in particular is recessed, and difficult to access through a small hole in the door sheet metal. I couldn't get enough leverage with a regular Philips screw driver. The screw driver just kept slipping off the screw head. If you run into this problem, use a 3/8" driver with an extension, with a phillips tip. Push in really hard on the driver head to prevent the screw driver from slipping, then rotate the driver handle to loosen.

a bad (sticking piston) in the caliper on a disk brake system will cause the problem you describe. Replace the caliper fixes the problem.

I wouldn't drive around, maybe just let it idle in your drive way for about 15 minutes, then drain, and add fresh oil.