Rooster2

I heard somewhere that the phase 1, 2.5 motor's HG problem stems from the design, in that the pistons protrude a tiny bit above the block. This necessitated a thicker HG, but in time they leak. Don't know how true this is. My 99 OBW blew its HG at 187K. I caught it early before it over heated much. I had the HGs replaced at a dealer, and things have been fine for the last 20K miles. Can anyone collaborate that the HG problem is because of the piston rising out of the block??

I have a 99 OBW, car looks exactly like yours, even same color. So, grill from a 99 will also work.

If it were me, I would simply turn on the 4 way flasher, and drive on.

Hmmmmmmmmmm........never thought of antifreeze as a weed killer like Round-Up. I have Japanese Honey Suckle growing on a fence that I would like to kill off. I may sample try some to see if it will kill of the honey suckle. Thanks!!

It is simple and easy to take your car to an auto parts store like Advance Auto Parts or AutoZone Auto Parts. Those two stores, and prolly more will pull the Check Engine Light (CEL) code if it is lit up on the dashboard. They pull the code out in their parking lot at no charge. This takes about 5 minutes. The guy will read the code, and tell you what problem needs to be addressed. Ask what the code number(s) are, so you can report back to this forum with the code number(s) if need be. More then likely the code will refer to the fuel evaporation system, if so a new gas cap is needed. Cost of one is less then $10, plus they will remove the CEL light from your dashboard. A replacement cap won't have a tether strap like the one that came with the car, but the cap will work just fine. I fixed my wife's Subie is this manner.

A couple of years back, I transplanted a 2.2 motor from a 1995 into wife's 98 Outback. Result is good. A little less power, but not annoyingly so. The 95 is a little easier, with the exhaust manifold the same as the 2.5. Other years are not.

What is a good way to dispose of used antifreeze?? Do the auto parts stores accept for disposal, like they do for used motor oil?? In the past, I have dumped on the ground, but never liked polluting the soil. Antifreeze will kill pets, and wild life if they drink in, that bothers me too.

I too, recommend installing a used hub. I went through 2 bearing changes because my hub was bad, finally wised up and installed a used hub from a wrecking yard. Problem solved. 10K miles later used hub is still working great. I won't ever mess around trying to replace wheel bearings.........just a nasty job. Used hub is the better way to go.

The 2.2 motor in a 92 is not known as an engine that blows head gaskets. However, I had a 91 with the same motor, and it did blow a head gasket. The bigger concern is how much, and how often was the motor over heated with the bad head gasket? If done a lot, then there is greater chance of motor damage, to the point that the motor may need to be replaced. $250 is a fair price under the circumstances, depending on the condition of the car. You need to see the car to see how bad the tree damage is.

An easy way to stretch the plain old green antifreeze another 2 years is to add a container of water pump lubricant additive each Fall to the cooling system, after the first two years. The additive replaces the anti-rust property of the plain old green antifreeze, which wears out over time. My dad, who owned a gas station, taught me this trick some 40+ years ago. Sure saves time, and beats the mess of changing antifreeze every 2 years.

When you drain and fill, you are only able to drain and refill half of the ATF in the tranny. The other half is in the torque converter, and won't drain out. Your '03 has gone 95K miles on ordinary ATF, so switching now to synthetic is not necessary or that desirable. I drain and fill 3 times with short drives between ATF changes, using Walmart brand ATF with no problems. To me ATF is a generic product. I have never heard of anyone ever having trouble cause by any brand of ATF. It is only when the ATF is not changed after 100K+ miles that it gets old and burnt to cause difficulties.

I assume that fixed the problem??

I suspect that the air filter box is not secure..............particularly if the motor was running well immediately before installing the new air filter...................... Check to see that the filter is seated properly, and that the lid seats properly, then it is important that all the closure clips are snapped down properly. Hope this helps!

You can remove your thermostat to stop the over heating.. Don't expect much heat from your heater with the thermostat missing.

Merry Christmas to ALL, and to all good Subies..................... Larry (Rooster2)

Agree with your buddy about buying tires that are thicker, particularly in the side walls. At a tire store, take your hand and flex tire sidewalls. The cheaper the tire, the thinner and more flexible the side wall. This also prolly holds true for the tread area as well. After flexing a few tires, you will get a good idea of what is good, and what is not so good.

Let us know your outcome. Hope all ends well.

I hope a USMB moderator or administrator pulls this troll rant off this forum. It just doesn't belong here. It is the first post by the troll. He should permanently loose the right to post her.

If you do use a box fan on low setting, pull the battery cable, so you can leave all doors open, and rear hatch door up, without running down the battery. That is, if you have room to do this in your garage. The open doors help immensely to dry out the interior, and fan air to circulate better.

When you gather your thoughts, suggest you list for sale on USMB forum, Marketplace, under Subarus for sale. Sounds like a nice car. Two friends have owned them, and liked them.

Good thing little, if any, water got sucked into the motor through the air intake to cause cylinder hydra-lock. Well, with all that moisture frozen, that helps to minimize corrosion at wiring connectors. Like others have said, change all fluids that could have been contaminated with water. I would pull out the entire interior, dry and clean all floor wiring connectors, and wash the floor carpeting, and wipe out the metal floor. Otherwise, the carpet could start smelling like a creek bottom when the weather warms up. Prolly a good idea to use a hair dryer on anything that looks wet, and leave a box fan turned on low for several days to dry out the interior. Keep us posted on your progress. If your son is around, have him do most of the work. He will learn his lesson, that when he screws up, it is his responsibility to help fix the problem.

Welcome to the family of Subaru owners. Your new Forester is a great vehicle. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. Recommend you "hang out" on this USMB forum. You can learn a lot about Subies here, and lots of good people to advise if you have questions about your Forester.

Won't ever have to be concerned about the pipes rusting out.

If motor is still running okay, then motor does not need to be replaced or rebuilt. You need to find out specifically where exactly the oil is leaking from, and specifically address that leak. It may be a front engine seal, or valve covers leaking. Fixing an oil leak should not be costly, at worst a new timing belt may be needed if it is oil soaked. I hate to hear stories of women going to a mechanic, and getting the $2,500.00 sales pitch for a costly re-build. Prolly told her how unsafe car is to operate as is, and sure to leave her stranded somewhere. The scare factor is a favorite tactic of a greedy mechanic on women. Just be sure to not let the engine run low on oil at any time. Carry a 5 quart jug of oil with you for constant fill ups when needed, until you get the leak fixed. Running low or out of oil is the surest way to totally kill the engine. Be vigilant.

It doesn't take much to fry board level components, when there is an electrical short, that blows a fuse. If you wired in a sub and amplifier incorrectly, that too could fry a radio.