hklaine

These seem to be readily available in the aftermarket for 00+ cars. I don't think I have ever seen a set on one of these models (BE/BH) but I have seen them on BD/BG cars. I would like to get a set for mine, but it seems that these (BD/BG models) were a dealer-only item and pretty much impossible to find anymore. If I am wrong on the latter that would be great! This was discussed a while back, take a look here. -Heikki

What are your experiences with gaps on these platinum plugs over the long haul? My EJ22 calls for non-platinum plugs every 30k, and when I pulled them out at the interval the gap was about twice what I set it to when I installed the plugs. Needless to say the new plugs gave me a bit of a boost, but perhaps simply regapping the old ones would have done the same? I guess for $6 I might as well put new ones in if I am going to remove, regap, replace. -Heikki

I can't say I noticed much of a difference from the IAC alone as I did a few other things such as several tanks of fuel with injector cleaner and plugs/wires around the same time but there was certainly plenty of nasty gunk in there which I am sure shouldn't be in there. -Heikki

Hey There. I don't see a way to clean this item by only removing the electrical portion with the vertical machine screws from the top. I wish I had a photo of this thing... The body of the IAC has a flapper inside of it which turns to open/close the port (I am sure you know this). This flapper is connected to a shaft which passes through a bearing and has a magnet at the end. This magnet is then surrounded by the electrical cap which causes it to open/close. The part you want to clean is the body, which is separated from the magnet and electrical part by the bearing. I suppose it is physically possible to just remove the hoses from the body and spray some cleaner in there (which would then go into the engine - bang on startup ?), but I don't know if this is a good idea. I suggest removing the body/electrical together (take out the horizontal bolts first) and then clean the body. Whether you even need to take off the electrical "cap"...I don't know. I did, but there wasn't really anything in there. There is a gasket between the IAC and the engine, so you might want to pick that up before tearing this thing apart. Hope this helps. -Heikki

I have 35% on all except front doors (not NJ legal - and I drive this car a lot) and windshield. Lifetime warranty, UV resistant, in my opinion very good quality tint. $200 pro-installed. (click to enlarge) -Heikki

At least until Subaru adopts something like Distrontic Plus ... (not likely)

I am not too familiar with the topography of Marlyand, but as a general rule the CruiseControl can do wonders for MPG in flat areas, but can destroy it in the hills (accelerating to maintain speed on uphills and engine braking on the downhills). In the flat the cruise keeps the throttle steady, which is great for economy. In the hills your foot might allow for more deviation in speed, not causing large fluctuations in throttle (or even worse - kickdown in an AT car). -Heikki

Let me start off by saying: Sorry this does not answer your question, but... I changed the filter in my car last fall. I just let the car sit overnight, and the pressure in the fuel system seemed to be released (from my experience all pressure is lost in a matter of hours). I am assuming you want to find the pump so as to release pressure from the fuel system? If you want to disconnect the pump and run the engine to clear the system pressure, I believe there is a connector under the rear seat, or you can pull the fuse. Hope this helps. -Heikki BTW: Have a rag handy as there is still fuel in the lines/filter!

Whereabouts in Jersey? Just curious. I try to do most of my work myself (because I can't afford other options) but once in a while even the best shadetree needs a shop -Heikki

Excellent! I remember putting the IPD on my car. I thought I was going to spin it the first time I turned the wheel hard! -Heikki

Good tires and shocks are a good first move in my opinion. A rear sway bar doesn't hurt. I am running Traction T/A's on WRX wheels with KYB GR-2's and the IPD rear sway. These were the first, and definitely most significant mods I made. The KYB's and IPD bar are excellent bang-for-the-buck items! After that? Maybe some stainless brake lines, shifter bushings, and strut tower braces? It's tough to make the car accelerate on a budget, so the best thing to do is make it able to go without slowing down too much Assuming all the maintenance is up to date? Filters, fluids. plugs, wires, etc... These can really slow you down if they aren't kept up with. Just my $0.02. -Heikki

I must say I'm not especially happy with my mpg, especially driving 150 mi/day. However, I suppose 26.x is not completely unreasonable for avg ~70 mph. Another to consider is 1.8T Jetta, FWD, but still really peppy with a 5MT at 30+ mpg. -Heikki

The older Impreza uses a circular fog light, but it mounts completely differently from the lights in my car. There are three bolts that mount horizontally to hold the light in: These are the only mount configurations that I am familiar with, though there may be others, like the wide fogs on the 98+ and GT cars (?). Surely there are some people here who have installed aftermarket or replacement lights on your model... -Heikki

Take a look: (click to enlarge) I have the large flat square diffuser style lights. I don't know if the projectors or OB style lights mount the same way but if they do this image might be helpful. -Heikki

They had a few complete cars there also (B9's), but none that visitors could get inside of and check out. It does look like they will be offering a navigation system finally. One of the demo cars was playing a (Legacy) advertisement on that big screen in the dash and some of the hard keys around it seemed to have navigation functions written on them. I guess it's about time, now the only question is will they get the navi in the Legacy... -Heikki

I have a few here from the NY AutoShow if anyone is interested. -Heikki

I imagine it would work fine, at least better than nothing. I prefer the brush-on only becuase its not as pasty and is easy to apply, but I think the spark-plug stuff would work also. Sure works well on the plugs! It's great for all sorts of applications, especially Subarus. I use it on everything that doesn't need loc-tite and has a lock washer. Nothing worse than backing a bolt out of aluminum and having the threads in the aluminum (i.e. block) come out with the bolt It's also good for putting on the brake rotors so your wheels don't stick to them and they don't stick to the hubs. And as stated, a can will last you just about forever. -Heikki

Now that's luck. I generally put a little anti-sieze on the inside of the pulley on re-assembly. It seems to help make the pulley easier to remove the next time around. Now if only the car didn't call for a timing belt every 60k! -Heikki

Hey There. My car has recently been having some issues with idle also. Unfortunately there was no CEL until the car would not start at all. The code was for the crank position sensor. I replaced this and it also fixed the idle problems. Now for the point... In wanting to do some preventative maintenance after this incident I removed the Idle Air Controller and cleaned it out. Have you take a look at or tested this in your car? Mine was quite gummed up and cleaned up well with some carb cleaner. Might be worth taking a look? -Heikki BTW: Where in NJ are you? I live in Hunterdon Co., but also drive about an hour a day as I work in Bergen Co.

I would have to second the endorsement of blue. That's what I use for this application and have had good results (bolt always comes off, pulley has never gone through the radiator ). -Heikki

I can't say for sure that cleaning this thing out made much difference as I did spark plugs at the same time, but there was certainly a good amount of nasty black grime inside of it and I am sure I can't hurt to keep these things clean. Thanks again for the info. -Heikki

Great! Thanks for the info. I guess I will be tearing into this tomorrow. -Heikki

The guide the belt(s) along the intended path(s). I am assuming that you are refering to the pulleys on the timing belt? They certainly aren't always replaced by all mechanics, and can be a bit expensive. I don't know if Subaru generally replaces them as common practice on a timing belt job. If one does fail, it can cause the timing belt to snap or skip as the belt rubs against the non-rotating pulley. This is of course a problem, and more-so for interference engine owners. When the timing belt is removed you can take the pulleys and test them to get an idea of whether they are showing wear. This is no guarantee of their longevity but I would imagine it was done at the dealer. I prefer to replace the idler pulleys and water pump on every other timing belt (120k) to minimize this risk. -Heikki

Air Control Valve! I think this is what I am looking for. Which engine/car do you have? I also had some problems at idle and have heard I should clean this valve but don't know where it is. Where is this located on the engine? Your help would be appreciated. Thanks. -Heikki (my apologies for hijacking the thread - hopefully this is also useful to others) Looks like I may have an answer!

From what I have heard, the semi-synths only have to include some small amount of synthetic oil (10% ?) by regulations. I heard from an engineer at Mobil that if you want a real synthetic mix, combine 1 qt of synth with 3 qts of dino. I can't personally verify this. I use the dino all the way and change it with the OEM filter at 3k.