ferret

Follow this URL: https://www.1stsubaruparts.com/library/Forester_2003MY_Speaker_Upgrade_Kit_IxI.pdf

Tom, are you sure it's the valves? You may have Subaru's genuine 'piston slap'. That goes away after the engine warms up and other than sounding like a diesel when cold, does the engine no harm. I suspect if the mechanics heard the sound, and it is slap, the answer they gave you, is correct. I don't like it, but that's the nature of quite a few engines these days. Imagine paying over 50K for a Corvette....their forum is full of piston slap issues, and GM gives them the same answer.

I have a few vehicles on CD.

German spec Subaru's 99-02 had an option for rear seat heating elements. Don't know about current. My buddy's son was stationed in Germany during that time and we discussed many differences between US and German spec vehicles of all types. Their 2.0L engines do cruise the Autobahn with the same gear ratio's we use. So they are really up there in RPM's.

P1420 says the ECU (Electronic or Emissions Control Unit) has detected a short in the Pressure Control Solenoid. It still has +12v on the ECU pin after the ECU tried to 'ground' (activate) the pressure solenoid. This is an electrical failure, maybe a shorted coil on the control valve, not a failure of the valve to open. That would be another DTC. Likewise it's not an open or bad connection, as that should set another DTC P1400....Vent Valve Low. I would unplug the valve and check it's resistance. The manual states 10-100 ohms. Less than 10 ohm on the coil of the valve sets this code. Good hunting !!!

You didn't state model / year, but they are all in the same general area on 99 and newer. Rear underneath by the Charcoal Canister. Attached .pdf should give you and idea of which one and what it looks like.

Sorry Chris, no way to Fix this, it must be replaced. Either a standard mirror, or another auto-dimming mirror. Bet the compass still works! Any Subaru dealer, website or maybe even Ebay may have one. List is 'about' $149. Simple to replace. No tools required. I had the same thing in My02 Forester, but it happened while under warrenty.

I've done 2 Outbacks (97 or 99 I believe) and 4 Foresters( 99-02). Maybe the newer ones are only in the lower seat. But those had heating elements in both the seat bottoms and lower back areas.

Nope...Admin/owner went to Washington DC over the holidays......due back any day to unlock / reload / otherwise fix the site since it broke. He did have a thread asking for hotels to stay at in DC.......He's from Washington State...... He may be working on it as we type......hope so.....

When on High, Each element gets 12v directly and returning each element to ground. On Low, they are in series with 12v entering one element, exiting it then entering the 2nd, then exiting to ground. Usually when the light is out in just the low setting, it means an element is open. If the light is out on both settings, either the bulb is burned out, or Both elements are open (defective).

Each seat has 2 elements. 1 in the bottom seat area where your butt sits, the other in the lower section of the seat back. YES there are 4 elements total for the front seats (some eurpoean spec Subaru's also have rear seat heating). Replacement is not cheap. On some models, they have a replacement element. On these you must remove the seat cover and cut some stitching, only to restitch them after then internal element is replaced. An upholstry shop can do these. Others supply a replacement cover complete with internal element. If your switch only lights in the High position, I would suspect an open element since low puts the elements in series.

There are 2 heating elements, in the seat bottom, and the seat back. On High, each is supplied with 12 volts directly. On Low, they are in series with each other. So Both are always on..........EXCEPT when one fails.... Now if one element 'opens' (burns out), the low setting will not work AND the light on the switch doesn't light either. On high, obviously, only the good element continues to work. Usually the seat bottom opens.

99 Legacy/Outback....2.5L is DOHC......2.2L is SOHC

P0446 means the ECU hasn't detected the 12v coming back thru the Drain Valve Solenoid before it activates (grounds) it. This is at pin a10 of the ECU. If you checked the correct valve/solenoid, then I would suspect either a poor connection at one of the conectors or a damaged wire. You can start at the solenoid connector itself and either work your way to the Main relay(if 12v is missing) or back to the ECU (if the 12v was present at the solenoid return side). The Manual calls P0446 Vent Valve low.....the attached diagram calls it the Drain Valve

This will not give the beep beep sound of the door lock/unlock. It is as described. Since it's a high resistance thru a damp connector, it sounds like your ears are ringing since the sonalert is not getting full voltage. Some XT guys thought it was the turbo spinning down...or oil pressure being released from the turbo.....or as suggested, some thought it was a coolant leak. Seen/heard it a few times. 1st time it took a piece of hose to my ear and searching under the hood to locate it behind the grill. Afterward, Subaru notified their service dept's via some sort of memo, not even a TSB yet. I hope that comes soon.

Right behind the grill is the "beeper". You know the little 'sonalert' that goes beep when you lock / unlock with the remote. On some MY05/06 Foresters the connector gets damp or wet from rain/snow and provides a high resistance to ground thereby allowing the 'alert' to let out a quiet 'peeeeeeeep'. Look in your owners manual for replacing a turn signal bulb and remove the front grill (you have to remove the grill and headlight assy to replace the front signal lights) You don't need to remove a headlight, you do need to remove the grill and this tells you how to. With the grill out you should see the 'sonalert'. It it right in the middle mounted on the center support right behind where the Subaru Star grill emblem was. Take the connector apart and dry it out. Then after putting it back together, coat it with some grease or other water repellant. Hint...when putting the grill back in, remove the 3 plastic clips (lower left center and right) the the grill was mounted to. Do this by depressing the tab from the front, on the bottom edge and remove from the car. Then insert them into the grill and resnap the grill back in by lining up all 5 clips back into place then pushing to seat them all. Failing to do so, or trying to position the grill on the clips left on the body will break the ears right off them. No worry.....Dealers stock these at about $2.59 a piece. Then listen......to the sounds....of silence.........(Oh well, I do remember Simon and Garfunkel when they were in the top 40.....)

205/55/16 have the same diameter as 225/50/16. Both are performance tire sizes with a radius of 24.9". This way your speedometer should be correct. I can't seem to find another 16" tire size that fits that radius. 195/60/16 should, but when I search on that size (taller and a little narrower), I can't find a mfgr of that size. There are choices in the 15" range, but that would mean replacing the rims also. And some 15" rims may not fit over the brakes.

Follow this URL. It's for installing a Sub-woofer in the MY-03. Same as the 04. It shows what and how to remove to gain access to the Radio area of the Forester. https://www.1stsubaruparts.com/library/Forester_2003MY_Subwoofer_Amplifier_IxI.pdf

If this is the 5 sp in your subscript, I always put my manuals in gear to break loose the crank bolt. Once I had a breaker bar jamed against the ground, then just 'nudged' the car in 4th until it broke loose.

Remember I can't see nor touch this motor: Since you already looked at the PCV valve, this is where the crankcase blowby gets sucked into the intake and burned. How about the fresh air intake to the case. Different years used different crankcase ventilation systems. Could be you used the intake from your 'old' engine and the new engine had the crankcase vent either in the rear block or valve cover. In either case, I would look into the fresh air inlet side to the crankcase first to ensure you have fresh air flowing into the crankcase then the PVC applies vacuum to remove the blowby gases. No inlet side results in the PCV being the only means to control crankcase pressure and ends up burning a lot of oil. I've seen this when the inlet 'filters' on other vehicles get clogged. Subaru usually has the inlet on the 'filtered' side of the air filter. Only other cause, since it happens during decelleration are valve seals. If it were the rings, in particular the oil ring worn, usually the engine burns oil during accelleration and decelleration.

Only the 1996 2.5L had HLA's (Hydraulic Lash Adjusters). Starting with the 1997 US Model year they went to Solid Lifters with adjusting shims. Service interval is 100K. The 1997 2.5L was called phase I. It was a DOHC design. The SOHC design used in the 99 Forester and later in the Legacy/Outback was called Phase II. The Odd 1996 2.5L didn't have a phase number attached to it. Similiar to the 1999 2.2L in the Anniversary Editions. These were 2.2L phase II, but also had heads similiar to the SOHC 2.5L. The shop manual calls these " Phase II Enhanced". Getting to the point where you can't tell the EJ's (players) without a Shop Manual (Program).

F & S in Roxbury...dealt with them before the internet since about 1983. http://www.fsautoparts.com/

Larry, Follow this url: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/TBeltEWWin05.pdf

You can try anything. But my own experiences, being a neighborhood mechanic, is nothing fixes a gasket leak to the combustion chamber, be it to an oil passage or water jacket. Replacement is the only fix. I have seen people throw all kinds of junk into their Mopars, Fords, GM's, Subaru's and other engines, but none fixed an internal head gasket leak. I would also shop around for another price. If 2K were the price for gasket replacement, I would contact CCR and get a price for a replacement engine. At least there you have a 3/36K warrenty on the entire engine from a reputable company. End of My $.02.

That L shaped rubber is to provide a dust seal between the left side of the water pump and the oil pump housing. Just to keep dust from entering the timing belt area from below. Similiar to the seals on the back of the timing belt covers.