Rooster2

Maybe so, but worth checking with the yard to see if the car is still there and not crushed. Maybe the car was wrecked, so the HGs are still good. Nice to know the car was being driven up, and until it was sent to the yard.

I think I read somewhere that Subaru AWD is designed to run 90% power through the front wheels, 10% at the rear wheels as a default set up. That ratio probably changes when any tire spin is detected, but I don't remember the particulars. In addition to pulling well through snow and ice. Subaru AWD traction is well appreciated, when driving through heavy rain, and standing water. Car does not easily slide around.

Foresters and Outbacks are two different cars by body size, so highly unlikely that anything body wise will interchange.

Drop me a note via e-mail, at fish6525@yahoo.com. My name is Larry (rooster2). Include your tel #, I will give you a call to see if I can help

Using " head gasket repair in a bottle products," won't work to fix a blown HG in a Subaru, EJ 25, phase l, used model years 96-99. The situation is that the Subaru pistons actually protude slightly out of the block at top dead center. So, Subaru used an extra thick Head Gasket. Eventually, the head gasket breaks down over time and miles to allow exhaust gases into the cooling system, which causes the over heating. No repair from a bottle can ever fix this.

If you replace the thermostat, highly recommend you replace with a quality thermostat. The "cheapies" don't work well in a Subie, and can cause over heating. It is best to go with Subaru OEM thermostat of known good quality. I never try to just throw parts at a car to see if if it fixes a problem. However, the radiator is old, and may be clogged, or maybe not. I don't know of any way to check a radiator for clogged passage ways, that inhibit cooling. It is good to know that replacement radiators can be bought on line for about $100. It is an easy install.

Even if it turns out to be the head gaskets as the culprit, I would not give up on your 2.5 motor with 104K miles on the odo. It sounds like it has not been over heated at this point, so no aluminum parts warpage, or lower connecting rod bearing damage. Just for reference, I have the same motor in my 99 OB. HGs went bad at 190K. After repairs,it is now 5 years later, and at 233K on the odo, the motor still runs good with no issues. Through the years, Subaru improved the design of their HGs for this motor. I expect to get at least 300K miles, maybe more.

Welcome Newbie. You have come to a good website to ask questions about your Subie. Nice to meet you. Your Forester has the 2.5 phase 1 motor, which has a reputation of developing bad head gaskets, which cause over heating. Before considering bad head gaskets, I suggest you look at your radiator to see if it is full of coolant. A low rad level can cause over heating after running, then idling. You may also want to see if your rad fans turn on when motor is running, especially when you see temp gauge rising. Check to see if you have any coolant leaks causing spots on your driveway or garage floor. That could indicate a leaking coolant hose from the radiator, or, heater hose. Also, a bad water pump will cause a coolant leak. As a side bar, check the over flow container for the radiator. If you see bubbles rising up from the bottom of the over flow, then you have an indication that the head gaskets are a problem.Be sure you have sufficient coolant in the over flow container, so you can see bubbles easily. Let us know what you find out.

I suspect what you need most to fix your bent suspension is replacing the struts and control arms. I would not recommend SenSen struts. I looked into buying them, and opinions on the internet were not good. There were complaints that they did not last long, and over all quality is questionable. Also, would not recommend Valucraft products from Autozone. IMO, your ball joints may not be damaged. Check for "play" at the joint. If no "play," then I would question that they need to be replaced. The steering rack boots have nothing to do with bent suspension problems. However, the boots may be torn, but they can be replaced at another time. I agree with others regarding buying from Rock Auto. There prices and delivery are good. Also agree, that good parts can be obtained at a U pull wrecking yards for cheap, if you have the time. The yards offer the learning benefit of being able to remove the parts you need, so that when you work on your car, you will know exactly what to do. Utube videos are a good learning tool to use. Yes, you will need to get another front end alignment upon replacing the suspension parts.

The "tacky" is sugar. It will not evaporate ever, just remain as a sticky residue.

I have the same thought. I think it is simply a ground wire from engine to the car body.

suspect a bad window switch...........like others have said.....get fixed under warranty.

Enjoyed your pixs from trip to Alaska. With the 4 spare tires/wheels, CB antenna on roof, and small trailer totally filled up, you looked very prepared to take on Alaska, and the rest of the world. With the bullet proof 2.2 motor in your '93, you could be assured the Subie would get there and back. On the other hand the '98 comes inherent with the 2.5 with bad head gasket issue. However, if the HGs, are swapped out before over heating damages the motor, it can be a very reliable motor. I was fortunate enough to do just that, and with 233K miles on the odo, my 2.5 is running strong and reliable after swapping out HGs at about 190K miles. Would recommend using Subaru OEM replacement head gaskets. Subaru has improved the HG design for better reliability over the years.

Pull the cover off the timing belt to confirm that it has not broken. It may have just jumped a couple of teeth, or belt tensioner has gone bad.

No complications when I swapped out the battery terminals. It is good to use one of those circular wire brush battery terminal post & connector cleaner tools. The tool cleans off any dirt and corrosion on the battery posts to make for a good electrical connection. Pretty hard to screw up doing this work. I don't see where you need to replace the spark plugs and wires, since you just replaced them recently. They should be good for many many miles.

Car doesn't run well, suggest you do a tune up with new plugs and wires. Buy the best plugs and wires, cheapies don't work well in Subies.

Regarding the battery connection. On my '99, I replaced the connector at the end of the cable, and all is well now. Seems like newer batteries have smaller posts, so the original connector at the end of the battery cable won't fit tight enough.

Same thought, maybe timing belt. When was the last time it was changed?? Good thing, if it is a broken timing belt, it is a non interference engine, so no damage to the valves. Could also be a bad cold temperature sensor.

I have had same experience on both my 98 and 99 Outbacks. Suggest you spray the buttons with Windex, then push buttons and dry off with a paper towel. Do this repeatedly. With the control under the drink cup holder, it is likely that a soft drink has got the buttons stuck. This cleaning generally fixes the problem. but with repeated cleaning, my buttons began not working very well even after cleaning. I had to replace both controls with units from a wrecking yard. Not difficult to replace, just takes some time to swap in.

I have a 98 OBW with a swapped '95, 2.2 motor, and also a 99 OBW with the original 2.5 motor. I can readily tell the difference between the performance of each. Yea, the 2.2 is down 30 hp, so it begs to be driven rather sedately. It requires extra time to blend into freeway traffic, but you get use to it's nature. However, I will say that the 2.2 runs very smoothly, more so then the 2.5, and is super dependable. Finding a good 2.2 out of the 90's is getting to be more and more difficult. Most have high millage, and are nearing the end of useful life. However, they are there, just have to look harder.

Good write up. Thanks for taking the time about writing up your experience. I am sure someone will appreciate reading your advise in the archives.

Glad you got it fixed.

I am not an expert in this area, but having changed in tank fuel pumps before, I have not worried about any trouble from sparking. I don't think gasoline conducts electricity like water, and does not create a fire hazard. It is only when gasoline is in a state of a fine mist with plenty of air with oxygen that it becomes combustive and flammable. The electric fuel pump is actually designed to be cooled by the liquid gasoline surrounding it. I am unsure why a rubber boot is used over the + end. Maybe so it cannot short out if it accidentally grounds itself to something. I cannot imagine that the boot is made to be water proof, since I think it is simply a slide in product.

I also use spray white lithium grease on the battery posts to keep down corrosion. Also, using green and red circular felt pads around each battery terminal post to keep down corrosion.

I had a strut mount go bad on an old VW. It blew the strut straight up through the rear deck. No damage, and cheap to fix, but sure surprised me when it broke. Suggest you get the front end of your car up in the air on a lift or large jack. Check for loose suspension parts like ball joints, and tie rods, and wiggle the strut to see if there is any "play" allowing road wheel movement.