hohieu

You're right, hawksoob... They sell both 100% and 50% concentration. In any case, just know what you have and don't pay for H20. "Genuine Subaru distilled H20" costs a lot more than...

Thanks for the input. Regarding the latter, I was only able to find extensive discussions on valve adjustments for the Phase I engines, which are shim under bucket, right? If the ESM I have is correct, I have screw adjusters on my Phase II engine. Any thoughts?

I guess you would not qualify for "normal operation." Yes, yes ... you are an admitted "oil nut" and science cannot quantify the emotional fulfillment derived from automotive maintenance. Thanks

I have 75,500 miles on the original AC+Alternator Belts. I have not changed them because they are easily inspected for wear, these belt failures will not cause the catastophic damage that a failed timing belt would on these engines, and because of some conflicting info. I've have: My owner's maual suggests replacement of these belts at 60K miles while the Electronic Service Manual I purchased on ebay suggests that they be inspected at 30K-mile intervals and replaced along with the timing belt at 105K miles. As a side note, the same inconguity is found in the valve adjustment intervals: owner's manual says 60K miles and ESM says 105K miles. I am inclined to wait until 105K miles because I hear no tapping or noise from the valve train. What's the deal? For those of you who have done the valves, how much were they out of spec. and at what mileage? BTW, the Phase II 2.5 L engine was put into '99 Foresters.

I was wondering if you could elaborate. I never changed the factory gear oil in my '85 Accord and had absolutely no transmissions problems up until I gave it away at 220 K miles. I only changed the trans.+ rear diff. oil when I bought my Forester at 72,500 miles, because, well, I wanted to baby it w/ M1 75W/90. The owner's and service mauals recommnend only inspections of gear oil under "normal operation" (whaterever this means) at 30K-mile intervals. I never felt inclined to change the gear oil in previous cars because, as I see it, transmissions never reach the extreme temperatures found in engines and there are, of course, no blowby gasses in the the transmission. Covnversely, there is also no filter on the manual transmission. On another note, would anyone use a 75W/140 synthetic gear oil? It has the same cold viscosity as the recommended 75W/90 and I would think that a thicker oil at 100 degrees would stay on the gears and reduce wear when cold. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

I refilled w/ Mobil 1 75W/90, and noticed smoother shifting. It's a good synthetic that is readily available. Just pull out the drain plugs on both the front and rear - some people jack up the front of the vehicle to drain all the old oil from the rear differential. Subaru recommends a Three Bond thread sealant for the rear plug, but you can use teflon tape or Permatex thread sealant, which is also readily available. You could also replace the washer on the transmission plug, but I did not and have had no leaks. You will need a long funnel to refill the transmission, and refill through the upper plug on the rear differential. Rear plugs can be removed w/ 1/2" ratchet, but I can't remeber the size of the metric front plug. Take care

Who really does know? Thanks for the information, I was told by Mobil that they didn't, but this was some time ago ... and the M1 supersyn formulas are relatively new.

I just thought I'd give my 2 cents. With a 5W/40 oil, I imagine that VI improvers are added to the oil. Mobil 1 does not use VI improvers in their 5W/30, whereas Amsoil formulates their 5W/30 and 10W/40 with VI improvers. Hence, I would guess that Rotella 5W/40 (or any 5W/40 oil) uses them as well. Oils that use VI improvers are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown, and will not retain their viscosity as well as one that uses fewer or none at all, but this comes into play only if you are using extended drain intervals. There is an ongoing study comparing Amsoil/Mobil 1 5W/30 oils, and I would predict that the Amsoil will not hold up as well as the Mobil 1 for this very reason; you can check it out for yourself http://neptune.spacebars.com At 75,000 miles, my car consumes less than .5 qt. of M1 5W/30 every 3K miles so I will continue with my existing regimen. I believe Subaru says that 1 qt. of oil every 1,500 miles is acceptable, though I would tend to disagree. But if you are concerned about oil consumption, why not switch to M1 15W/50, which has a pour point well below many conventional 5W/30 oils. I run it in my motorcycle and myles runs it in his Legacy (see "Record Fuel Milelage" Thread). I suggest this because my only reservation concerning oils forumulated for diesel engines (i.e. Rotella) would be fouling the catalytic converter, which, of course, diesel engines do not have. Shell even warns about usage of their 15W/40 oil in cars on their webpage for this very reason, but I am not sure about their sythetic 5W/40 formula. I am a bit of an oil nut myself because I own a motorcycle, and do you know that Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, BMW, and other motorcycle manufacturers charge $4-6 for rebadged conventional oils and $8-12 for rebadgedsynthetic oils? 5W/30 and 10W/30 oils with "Energy Conserving" contain molebdenum, which allegedly causes wet clutches to slip, but this is an entirely different story...

Your OB has the sohc Phase II 2.5L engine, hence replacing the timing belt is easier than on the dohc Phase I engine found on OB from 1996-99. You can do a search for threads concerning timing belt changes and specify "new generation of Subarus." Subaru put Phase II engines into MY '99 and beyond Foresters and, I believe, MY 2000 and beyond Legacies. I started a thread on the same topic so can do a search with my username. In addition, you can find manual on CD format on ebay for $15-20. It's much less expensive than going through Subaru. If you would like, I can e-mail you the file for timing belt replacement. For parts, you should check out www.1stsubaruparts.com. They have the best prices for OEM parts. Good Luck

Right, you know what they say about apples and oranges... I got over 30 m/gal. on my '85 Accord up until I gave it away at 222,000 miles and over 40 m/gal. on my motorcycle. Myles, just curious about the M1 15W/50: I've only used it in my motorcycle with excellent results (noticeably smoother shifting on the wet clutch). Do you use this weight in your Legacy only during the warmer months? I imagine the flow rate is substantially less than that of M1 5W or 10W/30 so the downside might be increased engine wear upon startup during New York winters, but I also imagine that a 50-weight oil must make your bearings happy. Also, do you know how the flow rate for M1 15W/50 compares to a 5W or 10W/ 30 conventional oil? By the way, some resources that I've read report that unnecessarily using a higher octane fuel acutally increases deposits in your combustion chamber. Higher octane fuels prevent knocking due to preignition because they are less volatile, hence to use a higher octane fuel in an engine that does not require it - I'm not sure about your car but mine does fine on 87 - wastes money and fouls up your combustion chamber. Makes a lot of sense to me; any thoughts?

Almost all anti-freeze is base ethylene glycol which has the same boiling and freezing point no matter what brand you choose. However, the corrosion inhibiters from brand to brand differ, and this is what makes one brand better than another. Much like oil, it is the additives that wear out over time. You should go with an extended life anti-freeze by Prestone (gray jug w/ orange cap) or Havoline (black jug with orange cap) as these are specifically made for aluminum engines like those in today's Subarus, and they contain no silicates or phosphates (as noted by Hawksoob). Silicates are like sand in your cooling system, which may fight corrosion but also cause premature wear of waterpump seals and bearings. Subaru brand is premixed and twice as expensive so you're paying almost twice as much for 1/2 the coolant (the other half is just H2O). Personally, I use Havoline Extended Life in my motorcycle and car. I can get it at Walmart for, I think, 6 bucks/gallon. Just make sure to mix it correctly with DISTILLED H2O. Metals and natural salts in tap water will cause premature corrosion. I also stick with the 30month/30,000 mile suggested replacement interval in spite of what these "Extended Life" coolants promise. It may be wasteful but maybe more cost effective in the long run. Good LucK

Take a deep breath and relax. Don't believe all the hype. I do not know the statistical data, but only a small fraction of Subaru's are affected by the problems you listed. Nonetheless, no car should blow a headgasket due to defective engine or gasket design. I do not know about the automatic transmission, but as for the water pump and head gaskets, your car should be fine. It is true that the early generation of 2.5 (Phase I 1996-1999) engines are notorious for internal coolant leaks leading to catastrophic engine failure (blown headgaskets). As they say, these cars were blowing up, but Subaru has had time to correct these quality control issues. I will dovetail on what 99obw (his input is worth noting) wrote and say that you ought to follow the maintenance schedule for coolant change. I would also replace the ATF at these same 30,000-mile intervals - this will help keep the the hydraulic system (channels, orifices, and seals) clean and extend the service life of your transmission. Unlike most other cars, the timing belt drives the water pump on Subarus, hence, you should have the water pump replaced at 105K along with your timing belt. Just enjoy your car. You probably saved yourself some money because most of the items you mentioned will be fine up 60K miles and beyond.

I own a 1999 Forester S 5 spd., and it seems that the newer generation of Subaru's are not the same as their forbearers. It is true that 2.2 L and earlier Subaru's were, as they say, bulletproof, and I know many people in Vermont who have more than 300,000 miles on the original engines and one person who put 500,000 miles on an original engine - truly astonishing. The 2.5 engines, inaugurated in, I think, 1994-95 are an entirely different story. However, if you are looking at a used Forester, it's probably best to go with '99 or newer, because the 98 MY still uses the Phase I DOHC 2.5 engine, which is plagued by internal coolant leaks, leading to blown headgaskets. Many of these engines are blowing up due to poor design, not merely user negligence. The 99 Foresters were fitted with the Phase II SOHC 2.5 engine, which has less moving parts, creates less heat, provides more torque, and is generally better designed. Maintenance on the Phase two is also, therefore, a bit easier because you have only two camshafts. However, there is also a recall on the '99 for external coolant leaks, but this is not nearly as severe. The recall entails adding 125 mL of coolant conditioner into the radiator, and this seems to be doing the trick - it contains silicone which seals up existing and potential leaks. Subaru recommends that the conditioner be added at every coolant change. Both rear wheel bearings in my car have also been replaced twice (@35,000 & 69,000 miles - pretty ghastly). They were replaced with tapered bearings (same as in the legacy) the second time so this should do the trick. Why in the world did they put the cheaper caged bearings in the Forester and Impreza in the first place??? Anyway, if you find one, make sure to check that this work has been done because a local dealer charged $887 to have both rear ones replaced. So, in spite of all these issues, which may have turned you off from buying one altogether. I think this car is great. I service the vehicle myself and hope that conscientious maintenance should get me to at least 200,000 K. Only time will tell.

Just in case you're interested, there are new factory 6-disc changers available on ebay for $85 plus $10 shipping and handling. This includes the changer, magazine, and controller. The seller seems to have a limitless supply as I bought mine over a month ago they have been continuously available. You need only to buy the mounting plate that attaches the changer to the crossbar underneath the passenger seat, otherwise you could fabricate something. I purchased the plate from a local dealer for $35. Easy to install.

Hi Howard, You could go with the factory speaker upgrade for $30.54 plus shipping and handling at www.subaruparts.com

Alternatively, I learned today that you can also access the O2 sensor quite easily from the front passenger wheel well. This, however, requires that you remove the front right tire and secure the vehicle with a jack stand or cinder block.

Hey Bob, Here are the procedures: 1)open driver's door 2)turn ignition to ON position 3)Press and hold the emergency override - located underneath the driver's side dash, below and to the right of the fuse access cover (coin tray) - for about 15 seconds. The door locks will cycle three times indicating that it is in program mode. 4)Press the LOCK button on he transmitter. The door locks will cycle once. If you have the security upgrade, the system will chirp 3 times in step 3 and once in step 4. 5)Repeat step 4 for any additional transmitters. 6)Exit the programming mode by releasing the programming button. Hope this helps.

Hello All, I just purchased a Forester last month and plan to keep it until all the oil in the world runs out or until gasoline becomes a luxury commodity reserved for the truly wealthy. I am aware of wheel bearing issues among early foresters, and, in fact, both rear bearings in my car were replaced twice (that's four total) over 69,000 miles by two different dealerships (Yikes!!!). This is really ghastly as my 85 5 spd Accord went 215,000 miles w/o any drive train issues - only a few CV boots, but no expensive repairs. I really dig this car, especially the seemingly flat torque curve of the H-four - much better than the peaky transverse fours I'm accustomed to driving. Luckily, tapered (Legacy, right?) bearings were installed the second time so I hope that this does the trick. Why the heck did Subaru intall roller bearings to begin with? This is an issue of concern for me because the previous owner paid $750 for this job at a local dealer, and I cannot see doing this job every 35,000 miles or so? As I said, I really love this car but do not want a garage queen. The previous owners did not use the car off-road - just highway and around town with some time by the ocean in New Jersey during the summers. We live in Philadelphia, where we get a decent amount of snow, and we also go up to Vermont for about two months during the summer (dirt roads and mountain grades, but not the long Vermont winter). Besides keeping the underside of the car as clean as possible of salt and dirt, and keeping an eye on the hub seals and cv boots, is there anything else I should do? Also, has anyone who's put some miles on these tapered roller bearings experienced any problems? As a side note, when will the OEM struts need replacement? Any recommendations - OEM, KYB GR-2,...? Is the 99 Forester equipped with self-leveling rear struts (I don't think so, but...) and if so, can they be replaced with non-self-leveling ones?

You know that you can get them on CD-ROM on Ebay for about $15-20, right?

If you drop the oil pump any way, do it when its out. Why change the oil pump? Most of the time its just the seals (cranck & O-ring) that need replacement. Right, "replace/reseal" in my original message so I am just resealing the oil pump. I can do this job w/o removing the engine? Thanks

Hello All, I just purchased a 1999 Forester S with the sohc 2.5 engine, and am planning on replacing/resealing the following items myself when I change the timing belt (I've changed the timing belt on my old 85 Accord, but this one looks much more accessible) so I feel competent enough for the undertaking: cam shaft seals (2) front crank shaft seal water pump oil pump + 0-ring Am I missing anything? I want to keep this car until it dies and will do the back seals when I have the clutch replaced. Any recommendations on the type of seals? I was wondering if the seal installer (or any other special) tools listed in the Factory Service Manual are necessary. These seals do not need to be pressed in so I thought I'd do them myself but don't know if the cost of the tools would outweigh the benefit of doing them myself. What exactly does resealing the oil pump involve? I would also appreciate any advice you might have on Permatex gasket sealants needed for the water and oil pump.

The Factory Service Manual shows seal guide and installer tools? Are they really necessary? What are the alternatives? I know that I can get the crank pully off using a part of the old T-Belt and chain vise-grip.

I just purchased a 1999 Forester S with the sohc engine (so only two cam shafts), and am planning on replacing/resealing the following when I change the timing belt: cam shaft seals front crank shaft seal water pump oil pump Is all this advisable? I plan to keep this car until it dies I was wondering if the seal installer tools are necessary for the job. I've looked at the manual, and these seals do not require a press for installation. Also, is it possible to clean and reseal the oil pump without dropping the engine. What exactly does this involve. I would also appreciate any advice you might have on Permatex gasket sealants needed for the water and oil pump. Thanks, hohieu