gbhrps

foxgap, When things go wrong electrically in tailgate, the first place to check out is the rubber gaiter that the tailgate wiring goes through from the roof of the car body to the tailgate (in between the tailgate top hinges). Gently pull the rubber gaiter from both the car body and the tailgate and push the gaiter to one end checking for frayed or broken wires. You may get lucky and find your issue that can be fixed with some soldering and shrink tubing. Good Luck!

Mitchy, Do a Google search under "Subaru roof rack pictures" and then select images. There are pages of pictures, many with manufacturer's names that might fit the bill for you, even if you had to cut some of them down in length. Whatever you go with, use the largest base points you can at the points where you are going to use fasteners through the roof. Larger bases will spread the cargo weight out without buckling the roof skin. Seal all drilled holes (paint the raw edges of the metal to prevent rust) with silicone seal to prevent water intrusion, and use large " 4 cm fender washers" on the inside of the roof skin under the nuts to fasten the roof rails. They'll spread out the stress on the roof skin preventing warping the metal roof. Good Luck!

shortlid, There may not be one, as the sunroof circuit could be part of the overhead map lights, rear view mirror circuit, power mirrors or similar. You get a click and nothing happens ..... either some connection has come loose, the switch is dirty (clean its contacts) the sunroof computer is bad, the drive motor is bad, = drop the headliner and pull the entire sunroof assembly from the car (easy once the headliner is out) ten 10 mm nuts, one electrical connection near the map lights up front, and everything goes out the tailgate in one piece. Once on the work bench, test the motor, the switch, and if still no go, get a used entire assembly from a wrecking yard , test it with 12 volts on the work bench and then install it into your car. A first timer will take 2.5 hours to get the assembly out of the car. The only special tool needed is a Torx 55 bit for the upper front seat seat belt anchors. 1.5 hours is all that's needed to put it back into the car. (Hint: seat the sunroof properly into its roof opening before snugging down the ten or so sunroof attachment nuts. As well, it would be wise to put alligator clamps or zip ties on each of the drain tube fittings to ensure they don't come off. Be prepared to loosen the 4 nuts that fasten the sunroof glass to its mechanism in order to properly seat it in the roof skin opening uniformly on all sides.)

SubeeTed, Always give us your year, model and mileage because it narrows down a more accurate answer to your issue. If its not a warranty issue ... find a good independent mechanic to do the job. Ask around where you work, where you shop, neighbours, etc. As for parts, any good auto parts store. Buy the Economy parts if you're getting ready to sell the car and it needs a safety check, the OEM grade for normal driving and mileage intervals, but use the Premium grade parts if you drive a car hard, or you intend on keeping it till it falls apart. Find out what the local parts stores want for the grade you require, and then check online for suppliers with free shipping and check their prices. Then make up your mind from there. Good Luck!

shortlid, I've dealt with several moonroofs over the years, and by the clues you given us, I have a couple of suggestions for you to try. First, check for a sunroof fuse. I suspect that your sunroof is stuck in place due to lack of use/the sunroof seal sticking to the roof structure opening. Try spraying some WD40 or silicone spray around the entire seal of the sunroof, and then try sliding a dull knife blade (dinner knife?) between the roof metal skin and the sunroof seal, and slide it around the entire sunroof opening. If the sunroof seal has stuck to the skin of the car roof, this should free it up. Afterwards, give it another spray. If that doesn't allow the sunroof to open, try doing it manually. Your owner's manual has a pictorial showing how to pull the center ceiling plastic plug (dead center of the headliner behind the sunroof about 20 inches or so.). You pull the plug out, insert the allen key tool from your car's tool kit, and crank the sunroof fully open or closed as needed. After both of these methods, try the sunroof switch again. If none of this gets you anywhere, the sunroof assembly will have to come out of the car, and you don't want a dealership to do the job as it'll be $1000 and up. Its not a hard job to do, just time consuming. If you need parts, get them or an entire used sunroof assembly from a wrecking yard. Good Luck!

milty60, The BEST information about car repairs you could ever get is to "never chase a problem with parts"! Unless you know for certain that you need to replace a failed part, you often find that the new part didn't solve the issue and you just wasted your money, because the issue is still there. Get the problem properly diagnosed and then buy only the parts you need. I have a neighbour with an idle problem. He bought new plugs, new air filter, changed his MAF sensor and several other parts only to have the same problem. An independent mechanic eventually fixed the issue (car only has 58 000 km) by shortening a vacuum line that had a crack where it joined its fitting.

userface, Hit a juckyard and hunt around for any wreck that you can cut that 3/4 inch rubber from. Who says its got to be from a subie?

740gle, It is possible to replace the glass, but it really comes down to how much you're willing to spend time wise and money wise. One method is to trace the mirror shape on craft paper, take it to a glass shop and have them make a new mirror from the thin mirror stock that make up mirror tile for sticking on walls. Once they have it cut you can just silicone seal it over your broken mirror glass, and masking tape it to hold it in place until it cures. You will, however, lose the wide angle effect that the original mirror had and most likely the heating element won't be strong enough to melt ice or defog. But its a cheap fix. Another is to take the mirror assembly apart (been there several times and its not for the timid, frustrating and time consuming), and try prying the thin heating element from the back of the mirror (its glued) and use contact cement to reglue it to your newly cut mirror. Again you'll lose the large field of view, and if you were careful, the heating element may work. Best bet is to buy a used entire unit on eBay, and if its body colour is different than yours, put its guts inside yours so you don't have to get it painted. Or you may get lucky and get the correct colour you need. Good Luck!

Ryan L, Always give the mileage of your car as that lets us zero in on issues that will show up with higher mileages. When was the last time that you 1. had the throttle body cleaned? 2. the Air Flow Meter cleaned? 3. done an Idle Relearn Initiation? 4.cleaned the Idle Air Control Valve? All of these are easy to do for a DIYer and can all be accomplished in less than two hours in your drive way. Go to YouTube and check out videos for each procedure under "subaru throttle body cleaning", "subaru idle relearn" etc.

userface, Yup! That's what I was referring to as well. I just did the same job on a 1988 BMW 635si last week, and it was exactly the same as I described. Pretty much standard anymore.

userface, Parts stores can't get the window wiper seal for you, only Subaru. And from Subaru it will be expensive for what it is, and they most likely no longer stock the part for your generation. The window wiper seal is fairly generic across a lot of car manufacturers and are pretty much the same and install the same way. Open the door and look at both ends of the rubber and aluminum seal on the inside of the door. If there is a small nut there remove it (some cars have them, some don't). After that the entire wiper seal comes off by prying up towards the glass. They are simply kept on by spring clips spaced 10 inches apart or so. The aluminum is thin, so pry up gently a little along its length, back and forth, until it is free. Use one of those plastic trim pry tools so you don't scratch the paint. Find a wrecking yard for the parts you need. Cheapest way to go, and you can practice removing one from a wreck before you tackle your car. To install one, center it on the door and then just palm it down with the heel of your hand. Good Luck!

destey, You can use silicone grease as well, the same stuff that is used to lubricate brake caliper slide pins , also called dieletic grease (both come in tubes) and is used to lubricate battery terminals from corrosion and on rubber spark plug covers to make a good connection with the plug. The stuff can be massaged into the rubber seal. Or any spray silicone bought in an auto parts store or Walmart. Either of the above will do the job.

destey, My 2002 OBW did exactly the same thing and Subaru issued a TSB on the fix. Water would drip out of the overhead lights and the sunroof control switches back of the rear view mirror and drip onto the seats, particularly when making turns. It seems that the factory sealant of the metal sunroof opening was painted over, but with time dries out, develops small spider cracking, and rainwater would wick into the cracks, run down inside the roof metal substructure and empty into the overhead map lights and leak out. If this is the description of your issue, the fix is easy. Open the sunroof. Take 400 grit sandpaper and lightly sand the front corners of the sunroof opening (where the metal roof skin has been folded down into the car) and down the sides of the opening for 8 inches or so towards the rear of the car. Look closely and you should be able to see the uneven sealant under the body colour paint. Then mix up some 5 minute epoxy and apply a very thin coat over the sanded area. It will stick and seal all of the spider cracks. Wait several hours before attempting to close the sunroof, or you may glue it shut. And should the water not leak out of the map lights, and you still think its the sunroof seal, massage silicone spray into the seal and it will rejuvenate and become just as pliable as when new. Short of that, you'll need a new seal, or get the entire sunroof glass seal and all from a wrecking yard. Good Luck!

FerGloyale, Thank you for sharing!!!!!!

Ohioufan, If you have cold air at the other vents but not the driver's side, the flapper door for the driver's side has either broken/stripped its gears or disconnected from its levers, or the door actuator, if motor controller has failed. You failed to tell us what trim level you have, or your car's mileage, so I can't be specific. Do you have manual HVAC or is it Automatic, which makes the difference between cable driven/vacuum driven or motor driven output/mix doors for the HVAC unit for that year. In some cases you can get to the flapper door/cables/motor from underneath the dash. But some require pulling the center dash vents/radio and HVAC control stack, or even the entire dash to get to the flapper door mechanism to fix it. Your fix could be very simple .. or very expensive depending on the system in your car, and the placement of its various flapper door mechanisms. From just the way you have asked the question, I can tell that you know little about car systems, so you should seek the help of a good independent mechanic to solve your issue. And he can get used parts from a wrecking yard if you need them. Dealership labour rates and the fact that they will only install new parts may bankrupt you on a fix of this nature. Good Luck!

Mewse1203, If the plastic backing plate behind the mirror glass is okay (only the glass broke, not the plastic its glued to) simply remove (scrape out) the mirror pieces. Then make a paper template of the mirror shape (trace the mirror glass on the other side of the car), cut it out, and take it to a home glass/mirror supplier that makes replacement glass for broken windows. Tell them what you want the mirror for, so that they can use the thinnest mirror possible, and give them the template to copy from. Once you have the replacement, spread silicone seal on its back and press it into place on the original mirror backing plate, and use masking tape to secure it into place. Give the silicone seal 24 hours to cure, remove the tape, and you're good to go. Been there, fixed several mirrors this way, works like a charm.

Mattsubaru123456789, Several YouTube videos show how to go about the repair. Once in YouTube search "jump started with reverse cables". Good Luck!

biggman100, In all of the years that I've owned subies (5 OutBacks since 97), I've never had to deal with an O2 sensor. However, I do know that Toyota/Lexus and Nissan vehicles can be very fussy when it comes to specific spark plugs and O2 sensors (yes, I've owned many of each over the years, and presently as well). The Nissan's love NGK spark plugs, and aftermarket ones can cause issues with certain engines. Toyota/Lexus vehicles do best with the OEM Denso O2 sensors, while aftermarket ones just aren't agreeable in certain engines. I guess what I'm saying is, my advice to your friend is to go OEM with the sensors and know they'll work with her engine. The aftermarket ones may do the job, but maybe not. If they don't work, she can't take them back at that point, and will still be forced to buy the OEM units to get the car to pass emissions. Aftermarket works for wiper blades, tires, and brake parts, but not always with engine parts and emissions.

Nipper, I believe the knobs just pull off. Check out a Gogle search under "2005 outback power seat switch pictures". The first few images at the top of the page show the same switch without the knobs on them, and the 2nd image in the top row when clicked on, lists it as a Subaru for 2005 - 2009. Gene

Rooster2, Sorry to disappoint you but its not as easy as a simple plug and play. You will require the wiring harness to the unit, the GPS antenna and its wiring to the nav unit, as well as the wiring through the steering column and the steering wheel with the voice command switches. Parts of the dash will need disassembly, as will the steering column, the steering wheel and the headliner. Its all doable if you get a donor car, and have the time and patience it will take. Add to that the cost of the update to the navigation system to 2019, which at present is about $150 US for the appropriate disc, and no guarantee the system will work until its all installed, and if it doesn't .... what then? A portable Garmin is a far better/cheaper alternative ... and its updateable every year free of charge.

Nipper, Its been a few years since we've crossed paths. Glad to be able to possibly help out. I've done a lot of these switches over the years, to clean the contacts and to replace the bulbs inside. Do an eBay search for "2005 outback power seat switch", and then look at the various pictures that are posted. The side view pictures show that there are two spring clips, one at each bottom corner, on each side of the switch. Use a thin bladed knife to pry the side of the switch body away from the prongs that stick out through the side openings while pulling the bottom of the switch down away from them. Then do the other side of the switch the same way. THEN put the entire switch assembly along, with your hands, inside a clear, large Zip Lock bag and then pull the bottom away from the top assembly (the bag ensures that any small spring loaded interior switch components won't end up lost on the garage floor. Been there, done that, and had to buy another switch when I couldn't find the parts). Usually you can clean the contacts on the circuit board with one of those large pink erasers we all used in public school, or with electrical contact cleaner spray. Once clean, just push the switch back together until it clicks at each corner, test it, and reinstall. Good Luck!

Greenbean, Here's a starting point.......... Google "2003 Forester roof rack cross bar pictures". Pages of pictures showing various OEM and aftermarket crossbars will come up, some which are named for their manufacturer. Then either contact them online, or do an eBay search to find a new or used pair. Good Luck! Gene

Ladies and Gentlemen, No local dealership within 50 miles, and my 2017 OutBack Premier needed a new rear wiper blade insert. But no such thing exists. There is no wiper blade insert available in any auto parts supplier. You must buy a complete wiper blade assembly (not the complete arm) from Nissan. A check online at Nissan Parts.com .... wait for it .......... its $45.00 US!!!!! What???????! An eBay search found the exact same wiper assembly (multiple pictures on the listing verify it is the exact same wiper assembly as on the car), shipping included, no taxes, right to my door in three weeks time ...$6.35 US. It showed up today in my mailbox ... and its a brand new exact replacement. Perfect match in every aspect. Enough said.

craigmcd, Be aware that the high mount brake light gasket is known to leak water into the tailgate light area. I think it was my 2012 that had that issue, an easy fix to replace the gasket with automotive dumdum. You really don't need to pull the entire headliner down to check those drain tubes. Pull the sun visors, overhead assist handles and the A, B and C pillars (you'll need a Torx 55 bit for the front seat upper seat belt anchor points), and you'll need to pull down the door weather seals to about half way. Then, keeping your hands clean, you can pull the sides of the headliner down far enough to see your drain tubes front and rear, and make any repairs needed. The entire headliner doesn't need to come out.

SUBARU3, You want to get the cars oiled in those states where they use salt on the winter roads. And yes, those rubber push on sleeves just hold the water and salt in. Either oil the cars or after cleaning that pinched seal and ensuring its absolutely dry, fill that rubber sleeve with silicone seal and push it back into place to ensure no water or salt can get trapped behind it. Been there, ... done that.