Strakes

If the oil change was done at dealership near here...and you need to add more oil before the next oil change, the top off is free. Is there anything like that near you?

What nipper said!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55506

With that tire size and wheel, the handling will be better but you really wont see a big difference in gas mileage. I have Kumho Solus on my wife's Subaru and Kumho Ecsta ASX on mine. They are really good tires. We feel that the Solus are better than the Ecstas. Maybe it's because the Solus is a newer model with newer technology. BTW, I used to own Volvos and love Yokohama tires as well, so I don't think you'll go wrong with the Kumhos.

Thanks! That helps me out a bunch, especially for the front struts. From what I see underneath my car, the rear suspension of the 2000-2004 is a lot different than the previous generation to allow a "flat" cargo area in the wagon. It's a modified shock within the coil spring...sorta looks like a MacPherson strut pro-created with a standard shock/spring. I didn't want to be the guinea pig tackling the rear...but may have to.

I've used PBR "Deluxe" pads before and there is very little dust. Much less than oem. It is hard to find this formulation for the Subarus though.

About to replace the struts and springs on my 2002 Legacy GT wagon. Anyone know of any DIY strut replacement write-ups? Thanks!

PBR=Axxis=Repco=Mintex Thanks Jamal! That's good to know. My 2 cents: PBR metal masters. very nice

I was in Tampa a few weeks ago and was amazed at the clouds of green dust blowing around. It was a tremendous amount of pollen. Maybe like what PAezb said, your cabin filter (if you've got one) is clogged. I'd take back to your dealer since you have a 3year-36000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and see what the problem is.

$6 fix? Brilliant!

There are no problems when they are cold. The first stop of the day, they are a little bit noisier than stock, but after the first stop, the noise is gone.

My 2 cents: I really like PBR (a.k.a. Repco, Axxis) Metal Masters. I personally think they are better than oem. They feel to me that they provide better braking (shorter distances), less prone to fade, and better pedal feel. I live in a mountainous area and they definately do better on long descents.

If there isn't enough metal to work with, I second the spark plug thread insert suggestion. It works well.

It funny to see the magnetic compass in the cockpit spin around and tumble when you power up the generators and avionics. And in the worst case scenario, I'm supposed to rely on this compass when all the redundant systems fail? Now I know why early navigators used the stars, sun, time, calendar and moon first then used their compass.

The very back page in your owner's manual has a map with the zones. You're either 11 or 12 depending on where in Connecticut you live and drive.

For the rear view, set the appropriate zone that you're in (should be in your owner's manual) and the error should go away. Note that if you drive to another zone, you need to set the new zone in. The Magellan GPS is corrected for whatever zone you're in...so I would first trust the Magellan, then verify by looking at your rear view compass (if it is set for the right zone.) Also, the rear view compass can be off for a variety of reasons...like running electronic equipment too close to it, cell phone towers, all sorts of stuff that can make it unreliable.

IIRC, the Impreza WRX was available in the USA starting 2001 as a 2002 model available as a sedan or wagon. The Impreza WRX-STI was introduced later and is only a sedan. With that in mind, most of these cars on the used market have lived hard lives because they typically end up in the hands of a lead foot. (In the same lines as seeing so many used Ford Mustang V-8s engines and various body parts available...many leave the road at high rates of speed.) If you want a WRX wagon, nice used ones are available, but you really need to know the person you're buying from, or go over it in great detail. Also, the guys at www.nasioc.com can help you out.

I really aggravated friends of ours after they chuckled at the station wagon I had bought. They annoyed me enough that I pointed to their "cool" 2-wheel drive SUV that they pulled up in and said, "Isn't that just a large station wagon with big freakin' wheels?" SUV's are the modern version of the station wagon...but you can still be "cool" by saying your car is an SUV and not a station wagon. If that makes any sense.

Theory 1: I had a set of cheap tires that did this and it went away after checking alignment and finding it was within specs and then buying a new set of tires (Wasn't too bad with a pro-rated warranty claim from the tire shop). Theory 2: Your alignment somehow is messed up. (A recent event with a monster pothole maybe?) Theory 3: Both. Maybe the front tire is suspect and the rear is getting chewed by the alignment being off. Theory 4: Check the Balljoints, Tie-rods, Struts, and other suspension items. Usually a good alignment shop will inspect these before aligning the car. Good luck.

I willing to bet individual dealerships get to choose the oil brand. The 2 dealerships near me use different brands (one uses Pennzoil, the other uses Castrol). Also, your girlfirend may want to check out CCR for a rebuilt engine. I bet by the time everything is fixed, you'll come real close to spending what it takes to get a rebuilt engine. At least the rebuilt engine will have a warranty.

I've used the Orange Hand Cleaner (Go-Jo) that you use to clean your greasy hands after you've worked on your car. Get the kind without the pumice/sand in it. Rinse with a water soaked rag after you blot up the stain.

I second the clay bar method. However, I would take it back to the repair shop and have them fix it...they are the ones that caused the problem, they should be the ones to fix it.

I've got a "cheap" set of 17in alloys from tire-rack. They are made in Thailand. They are just as good as the stock alloys I took off. I think you can trust tire-rack. They seem to back their products up well. My gas mileage has remained unchanged. I went wider from stock 205/55R16 to 215/45R17. They only thing about the lower profile is that your ride will be a little stiffer. The guys at tirerack should be able to get you sized up so you wont have that many drawbacks. Good luck!

You've got mail.

Um...your email bounced back. I resent it at edrach@spamcop.net instead of "edach". It seemed to work. Let me know if you got it. Thanks!