jp98

In my book there is no comparison. If you need a truck then get the truck, if you don't then get the Forester. Now if you were comparing a compact truck with the Forester it would be different. Also if you plan to purchase the truck and put a cap on it then get the Forester since you just disabled 90% of the trucks advantage. I have both my Outback and a F350 diesel truck and wouldn't even try to compare either one with each other.

No one has mentioned them yet but MW Enterprises have done a great job in the past and used to be highly recommended here on the board for rebuilt axles.

He needs to check the end first. Mine is a 1/2" drive instead of a 3/8 but the same answer applies even if he needs to use a adapeter down to 3/8.

You also might want to charge the battery up to capacity with a battery charger and not with the alternatior. Also test the battery voltage both with it disconnected from the car, with it connected to the car, and while the car is running to make sure everything is working right.

Different areas have different ways to disposal of it. You can check with your local sewer company and see if it is safe to poor down a drain but if you are on a septic system don't do it that way. I ended up taking the last antifreeze that I drained out of my truck to a friend that has a mechanic shop and he took care of it for me. Being able to poor it on the ground and diluting it suprised me also, never heard that. The big problem is that with no disposal facilities that will take either antifreeze, oil, or other hazards it makes criminals out of good people when they just dump it somewhere.

I have found that when dealing with tight allen head screws not to use a standard L shaped allen wrench. Get a set that will attach to a 3/8 drive ratchet. You can put more pressure and leverage on them that way.

One your next oil change you might want to switch to a full synthetic oil. On the bottle of heat it all depends on the places that you get your fuel at. Some have more water in their gas than others and a bottle of heat will not do you any good unless you put it into the tank. Changing out the battery for a new one is a good choice.

If you don't want a fire under your dash you should really repair it the right way. They put certain size fues and fuse links in there for a reason other than to perterb you.

I agree, there is nothing in a starter that cold weather should affect unless it is full of grease. 99% of the time if a starter is turning over slower when it gets colder it is the battery or cables that should be checked.

From what I have seen Advance Auto parts is the last place that I would take or buy anything from. Check around your area and see if there is a alternator rebuilding shop. These shops are usually ran by a old guy that is chomping down on a cigar but they know their stuff.

Have them test the alternator while it is on the car and running. I had one that would test OK and charge just fine under 2000 rpm's but anything above that and no more charging.

Another thing that you need to consider if you upgrade to a 130 amp alternator is the wiring from the alternatior to the battery.

I got these codes on my 98 Outback with the 2.5 in it 5 years ago. They just poped up after a 35 mile drive and while I was sitting at a stop light. The engine stumbled a little when it happened but then it ran fine. I checked the codes and cleared them and they haven't come back in the 5 years that I have been driving the car. The plugs, wires, and coil had less than 20,000 miles on them when it happened. Sometimes things just happen.

You are going to have to decide if you want actual chains or a cable chain for your vehicle, there are pros and cons to both types. But for just driving on icy or slick pavement the cable chains may do you Most radial tire manufactures recomemnd the cable chain for them to keep the chain from cutting into the sidewalls. The key to either is to get the ones that fit your tires. Then there are the tensioners. I hate the spring type, they break and come loose when least expected. On my truck I use rubber bungie cords. I get ones that are long enough to hook onto the chain and then loop around the chain and back down so that when I am done it looks like a V. I put two per tire on. You wiil also have to deal with a loose end of a cable or chain, for this I just use a piece of tie wire to hold it against the tire so that it doesn't flip around. One thing that you will want to do is to put them on your car when it is nice and dry and you can see what you are doing. Then check the clearances around the tire, chain, and wheel well. Look on the inside and see if there is anything that the chain could hook or grab as it goes around and tear up such as the brake lines. You don't want to find this out as you are driving down a road in the middle of nowhere. You will also have to decide if you want one or two sets of them. Once you have them on when you are in the hills drive slow, they are designed to get you to where you are going not to race along at a higher speed. If you can't find anything locally check out Tire Chain.Com

WD-40 is great but it isn't a pennetating oil. All the stuck bolts that I have dealt with get sprayded down with some liquid wrench and spacked with a hammer a few times. If I know that I'll be working on it the night before that is when it gets sprayed down the first time. The idea behind hitting it with a hammer is that the shock wave will alow the pennetrating oil go seep into the threads which will in turn start to soften the rust that is on them.

Don't go by the fuel guage to figure the mileage. Use the odometer and the number of gallons when you fill it back up and divide the number of miles driven by the number of gallons that you put back into the tank to figure the mileage. If you have a check engine light you need to get the codes read to know which way to go to fix it.

Finding a short to ground in a line is one of the hardest things to do in automotive repair. The first thing that I would do is to disconnect everything on that fuse, then take a ohm meter and see if you still have the short to ground. If it is clear start plugging in each component that you have disconnected and recheck the readings to ground. Remember that as you plug thing in you will see the resistance increase. If it is still shorted to ground then you will need to start to inspect the wires. I am betting that there is a loose wire somewhere that is grounding out.

I have been having nearly the same problem now for over 3 years and no solutions yet on my 98 Outback. Did you try downshifting to 3rd manually to see if the trans would go into that gear? I have learned that when I come to a location where the transmission should downshift such as going up a hill that 75% of the time that I need to do it manually or it will not go in. It seamed to improve when ever I have brand new fulid in the transmission but it soon returns to its old self. Sooner or later I am going to have to get near a transmission shop that I would trust and have them check it out.

Bad grounds will also cause a bulb to burn out prematuraly. Look for a loose or coroded connection. I'll also say, don't touch the bulb itself and if you do happen to touch it clean it with alcohol to get the oils off of it.

The first thing that I check when there is wierd electrical problems are the grounds. Bad grounds cause all kinds of strange problems.

If you look at just about any of the newer 12 volt adapeters for charging your cel phones or anyother electronic you will see that it also has a USB outlet on it.

For what little that the AC draws on the motor and what you give up in mileage is worth the AC. I wouldn't be with out it and if it cost me a couple of mpg then so be it.

On problem that I have discovered with HF tools is that you buy them for a 1 or 2 time use and 10+ years they are still sitting in the garage getting used quite often. I purchased a 2 1/4 ton floor jack with a transmission adapter 20 years ago and it is still going strong. That 4 1/2" hand grinder was only suppose to last a week but 10 years later I still pull it out before I do my Milwaukee. I also have their spring compressors and they have done multiple strut replacement jobs on both my Outback and all my friends vehicles when they find out that I have them. 99% of their stuff may be made in China and it might not look as good as higher pieced tools but I'll have to give it to them, they do last as long as you take care of them.

Now you just need to take off and reinstall the other three before you are stuck on the side of a road in a rainstorm.

When was the last time that you had your tires ballanced? If it has been a while you might want to have them checked.