gbhrps

rustfarmer, Yup! Pay Subaru about $600 for a copy, or download the file in PDF form on a flash drive, and take it to a local copy center and have them print it out double sided. Myself, I downloaded the file for my 2012 OBW (took about 10 minutes) and keep it on the computer. Then I just print off the pages I need as I need them.

pathfindor, I run 205/60/16 Michelin XIce winter tires on 16 inch Subie steel rims on my 2012 Outback. The standard factory wheel and tire is 225/60/17. A same sized winter tire just rides up on top of the snow, almost aquaplaning with that width of tire. The 205 (2 sizes narrower) cuts down into the snow providing MUCH BETTER traction. Yes, I should have gone with a 17 inch rim to keep the speedometer accurate, but I already had the steel wheels from my previous Outbacks, a 2004 and a 2007, which both ran 16 inchers.

rustfarmer, Try this link and see what the Forester manual for your year gives you. Directory /Auto/Japan/Subaru/

tulsaoutback, You may be able to get the amp out with a wrench if its bolted to the floor, or with a screwdriver bit held in a small socket on a 1/4 inch ratchet, by reaching underneath the seat.. If you don't feel you have the room, 4 bolts takes the seat from the floor. Just be sure to disconnect the seat heater, seat passenger sensor, and the yellow airbag connectors if you remove the seat entirely (shouldn't be necessary, if you block up one side of the seat to allow access to the amp). The front drains go down the A pillars and empty between the bottom of the front fenders and the body of the car. With the roof open you can see the drain holes in each front corner. You can blow them free with an air compressor, or push an electrical wire (or an electrical snake) down them to clean them out. The rear drains are located at the back corners of the sunroof track channel (picture where the sunroof would be when fully open and the drain will be about 4 inches further back). The drain hose from the rear corners go over the rear doors and exit through the side of the car body behind the rear wheel wells, between the car body and the side of the rear bumper cover. With the sunroof open you should be able to put an electrical snake between the sunroof and the steel roof and drop it into the channel behind the sunroof, and carefully slide it down the drain hose. Keep in mind if you clean them out and still have a leak, most likely the plastic drain hose has split at its connection to the drain spout on the sunroof channel, or come disconnected. Your solution in that case is to pull the fixtures from the sides of the headliner (hand holds/ A pillar molding/sun visor/etc.) to get enough room to fix the tubing. Good Luck!

subeeted, Either the handle itself snapped, or the cable snapped or came undone from one end or the other. You won't know until you get the inner door panel off, and remove the plastic weather shield. So don't buy any parts until you see what let go, or just simply came undone and can be reatached. You are correct that the two cars are pretty much the same. Leave the window up to give you enough room to get at everything. A Google search for "2005 subaru outback door handle pics" will give you an idea of what you're up against. Good Luck!

brett_x, My 2012 OBW LTD is a US car that's been imported into canada. It has the TPMS system. I run winter steel wheels and tires, and yes, the warning light is always on with them. As soon as I switch over to the factory summer wheels and tires, everything is once again right in the world. I've been running this way since the first winter of 2012 without any operating issues at all.

bgambino, Typically the switch is dirty and only needs an internal cleaning of the contacts. If the switch is removed from the door and turned upside down, one can spray electrical contact cleaner (any auto parts supplier/Radio Shack) into its creases. Then cycle the switch several times and repeat. Then give the cleaning fluid 5 minutes to evaporate before turning on the ignition and trying the switch. In stubborn cases, I've taken the switch apart (inside a large zip-lock bag to catch any small parts) and cleaned them individually. If that doesn't do the job, a used switch from a wrecker may be necessary. Then again, this may not do the job, because the motor connection is corroded, the motor is on its way out, or you may have a broken wire (usually in the rubber gaiter at the door hinge). But the driver's switch is the place to start. Good Luck!

jmoss5723, I share your frustration on this issue, as many of the cars that I've owned over the years share the same problem. I'm not certain that you'll find a work around without quite a bit of electronic timer circuitry knowledge, but have at it. What I do is to turn the wipers on first, and then do the water blasting before and after the wipers run past the areas needing the cleanup. That way more fluid gets to the dirty sections. And if really dirty, again I turn the wipers on first, and then just hold the sprayer function on until I'm happy with the results. I also have to add, that I purchase wiper fluid by the 4 pack case. Cheaper that way, and I have no excuse to keep the reservoir topped up because there is always some on hand.

artymac, Assuming the new switch is good, etc., get the door panel off and check/clean the wiring connector to the window motor. Power the window motor to a separate 12 volt power supply (2 long wires off the car battery if necessary) to see if it works. The top two wires of the connector on the motor are the ones to use. Reversing those wires to the same pins will power the window in the other direction. If the motor is bad, you found your problem. If its good, then you have a problem in the wiring to the switch or from the switch to the battery side. The procedure is 1. Check the fuse. 2. Check the power window main switch. 3. Check the power window sub-switch. 4. Check the power window motor. 5. Check the wiring harness. Good Luck!

matt167, Is what you are calling "brake pad retainer clips" the thin chromed metal inserts that fit into the brake pad caliper mount? If so, there should be one at each end of the brake pads, and depending on which brake pad brand you buy, new ones come with the new pads, or you may have to buy them separately, if the old ones are too far gone. And ... your mother needs a new mechanic, because she can't trust the work of the guy she went to.

trainergames, Take a test light, ground the clip end, and then go through your fuse panel (probing the contacts of each fuse) until you find a live 12 volt feed that you can tap into for your yellow wire. The clock fuse comes to mind, and there will be others, but I just can't think of which ones of hand. That said, there are special clips that allow you to tap into an existing fuse position for just such a purpose, and still leave the original fuse in place. A good auto supply store should have them. Obviously you'll need to lengthen your yellow wire to reach the fuse panel under the dash. I've done this a few times on several different cars. Good Luck!

goin campin, Olnick is correct. They are repairable with a little mechanical knowledge. The upper most section of the antenna mast (tiniest section with the top ball on its end) is attached to a long plastic whip that is gear-toothed on one side. As the motor turns it either pushes the mast up or pulls it back down where it winds around in a circle much like a measuring tape when closed. In your case the whip has broken at some point (old age) or a section of the geared whip is stripped. Strip the inside rear panels of the car hiding the antenna motor, disconnect the bolts securing it, the rubber drain hose, and its wiring connectors to the timer unit for the motor. From outside the car, use a pair of long nosed pliers to fit into the slots of the locking nut at the base of the antenna and unwind the nut and remove it. You should be able to wiggle the entire unit out of the rear of the car. Remove the screw/bolt holding the mast assembly to the gear drive/motor and pull the entire mast assembly out of the unit. Then unbolt/grind off the rivets holding the gear drive halves together(don't worry about the rivets, replace them with small machine screws and nuts on reassembly). Clean out the broken pieces of the mast whip from the gear drive, clean and regrease the entire unit before reassembly. Buy a new mast and whip assembly, or get one from another unit at a wrecking yard. Even a Toyota or a Nissan will work, as all Japanese cars use the same parts suppliers (I put a Toyota mast on the power antenna of my 1990 300ZX. I just had to swap over the ball end of the two masts because one was larger than the other (just threaded on). Orientate the geared side of the whip so it points to the middle of the gear box and hand force it back into the gear box, and replace the bolt/screw that secures the mast to the gearbox. Then wire up 12 volts to the motor terminals and run the mast in and out several times by reversing the two wires. All that's left is to reinstall the assembly back into the car. Its not rocket science, but it can be time consuming, and will save you a lot of bucks. Good Luck!

swaggerwagonej22, I don't know for sure, but I'd be tempted to loosen the bolts/nuts and set the unit slightly off the paint marks (try both sides?), retighten and try that setting?

godzelly, I wouldn't swap a window motor for the seat belt assembly motor .... unless they had exactly the same part numbers. If you've swapped the belt motor for the one on the other side and things still don't work correctly, then replace the entire assembly. Don't dink around with a system that is supposed to help keep you alive in a crash. Try the wrecker parts locating system I suggested and get a good used one, or an entire door and then just strip the parts you need.

jmoss5723, No, that kind of a close fit is not normal. But if you can work around it with the bumper cover and the tailpipe donut rods, why bother changing it for the correct unit. As long as it is firmly and securely attached to the car, and you don't overload it, you should be good to go.

slcbagpiper, You got lucky! The door is free to open to make a fix. I suspect that you have to replace the entire latch assembly, as its the part that's gone south for the winter. Get a used one (for the same door) from a wrecking yard, as they seldom wear out (except in your case). Pull the interior door panel, leave the glass up, and reach in and disconnect the lock rod from the door key tumbler, and the rod from the interior door handle, the outer door handle, and the electric lock actuator. (Some of them may be cables instead.) Then from the end of the door, remove the 3 bolts/screws/torx head bolts that secure the latch assembly to the door and remove the latch assembly. Assembly is just the reverse. Hint: Once everything is back together and connected, check the operation of the latches/door handles and locks BEFORE you reinstall the inner door panel. Good Luck!

mcnea001, There are videos for opening up lock actuators and fixing/replacing the tiny motor inside on YouTube. Its not hard to do, if you like a challenge and working on tiny parts. I've done several myself. You can even buy the motors for a few dollars on eBay and save big bucks on buying a new actuator from the dealer.

godzelly, Boy! You've gone at this problem from just about every angle possible! My take on the issue: I'd have approached it the same way you have, and one thing jumped out at me. The "motor gets hot". It shouldn't get to that point at any time because its use is so limited. I would continue sourcing a used belt system nation wide. (Larger wrecking yards have a national used parts search mechanism to locate what you need, and should be able to come up with an entire assembly for you.) While waiting for results on the search, personally I'd be taking that motor apart, removing it from its gear box, and then cleaning its armature and brushes, bearings (replacing them?), etc., to see if it couldn't be resurrected. You may have to grind off some rivets to get it apart (if its constructed that way) and after cleaning, etc., put it back together with small machine bolts and nuts. I've done similar jobs on wiper motors, power seat and HVAC fan motors, and even the tiny ones in power door lock actuators and windshield washer pumps with great success. Often parts aren't even required, just a good cleaning and lubing of shafts and bearings or gear boxes. If, after you get it apart you don't feel qualified to tackle it yourself, try an automotive electrical shop that does these kind of rebuilds on starters and alternators and explain your issue. They may tackle the job just for the heck of it and get lucky. Good Luck!

How can anyone be expected to figure out your issue, when too many specific details are missing to diagnose the problem .... not to mention capital letters, complete thoughts, or even one complete sentence?

mcnea001, If you have a sunroof, it'll be that front drain tube ... either split or has come off the drain tube. If no sunroof, then it'll be the windshield.

montana torn, Glad you found the problem! Thanks for sharing the solution!

clavette88, Your least expensive and guaranteed to fit solution is to source used original seats from a wrecking yard. You need to check online for the same generation Impreza (meaning the same years of your body style) to get an exact replacement. That ensures that they'll bolt up exactly and have the correct wiring connectors for the air bag sensor, seat heaters, and seat belt warning buzzer, etc. The seats will not swap side to side due to the inside seat belt harness being attached to the seat frame next to the center console. A wrecking yard in a larger center may even have the seats in the same fabric and colour. A nearby eBay seller may have what you need. In all of the years I've been wrenching on cars, seldom have I heard of original equipment seats failing as you describe. It is rare, so used original seats should not be excluded in your solution. Personally, I 'd go this route in a heart beat, unless I weighed 350 lbs or more and my bulk is what has destroyed the seats in the first place. Then after market may be the best bet. After market seats may work well for you, but they are going to be more expensive, and will require messing with seat belt change over, as well as rewiring for the afore mentioned seat belt warnings, seat heaters, air bag sensors, etc. Now, if money is no object .... go after market.

wilvia, I've owned 4 OBW LTD's from 1997, one of each generation, and here in Southern, Ontario, Canada, we get winter. Over the years I've always run dedicated snow tires, Blizzaks, Toyo snows(don't recall the tire name), and Michelin's. All have proven their worth and I wouldn't be without them come freezing weather. But my best advice would be to buy winter tires two sizes smaller (read narrower) than what is recommended as the factory tire for your Subie. One year in a pinch I let myself be talked into winter tires the same width as the Subie's factory tire. What a mistake! That year's factory tire was a 225 in width, and the OBW just would not let the car get any speed up in the snow. The tires were just so wide that they rode up on top of the snow at speed. In two or three inches of snow the car was all over the road at 50 mph/80 kph. That lasted exactly two months, when I'd had enough and traded them in for 205's. What a difference! The narrower tires cut through the snow, just like the narrow tires winter ralleye cars run (obviously without the studs) and there was no more white knuckled driving. That was back in 2004. Since then I've always run winter tires at least two sizes narrower than the stock size, and its like being crazy glued to the road.

thosl, It is ill advised to run any engine without a thermostat. Engines run best at a predetermined temperature that is set by the thermostat (generally 170 - 180 degrees). Running the engine without one, will not give you enough heat for the heater, but worse will have the engine wasting fuel and possibly fouling spark plugs and valves.

ron2368, Unfortunately if your switch has broken internal parts (as you describe) it is most likely beyond repair. The only way to tell is to remove the entire switch panel from the door. The plastic surround can be pried off the door panel and the entire switch section will come with it. Pull it up far enough to unclip the two wiring harnesses from underneath. Then turn the entire piece upside down and unscrew the switch section from its surround. Then using thin bladed screw drivers or such, pry the circuit board from the body of the switch assembly. You'll see several clip like prongs along the sides of the circuit board that need to be carefully pried away from the circuit board to free it. At that point you should be able to get to the individual switch and judge whether it has any broken parts. Watch thsi video to get an idea of what I'm referring to: Chances are, your best bet will be to take a picture of your switch assembly, and then go through a wrecking yard with Subie wrecks until you find one that looks the same, and buy it and do a swap. If a switch quits working, but feels all right, it just needs a cleaning. In cases where the switch feels broken, you have to replace the switch, unless when you have it apart you can find the tiny pieces and put them back together if they're not broken. Good Luck!