brus brother

"NOT TERRIBLE"?? Is that a comforting diagnosis? Very few of us do the machine method where you change it all out i.e. running a pump and replacing the total volume in a closed loop. Doing the simple drain, yes you will leave some of the old ATF fluid in there but if done correctly, you will not be overfilling it since you will be only replacing as much as you take out, roughly 4+ quarts. Think of it this way, when you exhale, you do not completely empty your lungs of the "old" air and on the next breath, you only inhale as much as you exhaled. You don't over-inhale and explode (if done properly). Get it? The remaining "old" air over successive breaths gradually mixes with the new air and you keep on living. I have 200K on my 2005 and 140K on my 2008 Outbacks and do the simple maintenance like oil and transmission fluid changes myself. I've heard too many horror stories of fast service shops mistakenly draining the transmission and then overfilling the oil! Good thing is that, as you report, it has been dealer serviced so they likely had more done than what was needed to be done and the car is likely in good shape for now. I cringe when I sit at the dealer and listen to the hard sell to unsuspecting customers. You probably can get a history of the maintenance if you know the dealer used and go from there. All that being said, there are many here who are pros, some with real shops, and others like myself that would rather do the simple things and know they were done right instead of sitting at a dealer for hours on end waiting for them to change the blinker fluid and charge me through the nose for the privilege. Depending on where you live in Bklyn, you may not have the luxury of being able to work on your car but if you do, it isn't that difficult to do the simple stuff. Capeesh?

Do you have any idea of the maintenance that was done prior to your ownership? Did you check the fluid level? It should be done with the engine running and after having been warmed up and driven through the gears. How does the at fluid look/smell? It should be pinkish in color (not brown) and not have a burnt smell. It isn't all that difficult to change. Really not any more difficult than changing the oil if you are comfortable with that. Routine changes are important as the fluid does degrade over time and is meant to lubricate moving parts.

Does it by any chance happen while going uphill? The reason I ask is from reading posts on the message board where catalytic converter material had broken apart and under certain conditions where gravity would move the material it would obstruct the exhaust. In fact I was in a friend's Ford van where gradual loss of power got to the point where the car wouldn't even move. Disconnected the exhaust before the cat and it ran fine (albeit LOUD AS HELL) . BTW, the hills in this case were minimal. BTW what is the exact code you are getting?

have you tried vegetable oil? I know, seems too simple but it has worked for me many times removing adhesive residue. keep applying it and use gentle abrasion with a cloth to remove top layers and then continue deeper.

Common things occur commonly. That flex point in the rubber boot from the body to the hatch is a very common site for the wire to fatigue. The first time I looked, I overlooked it but at the urging of a Subie tech, I dove back in an tugged on each wire. This requires NO electrical expertise.

This is what I found on my 05 Outback. Didn't notice broken wires until I removed some tape and started tugging on wires.There were two complete breaks. d

So I guess it is best to start with finding the diagnostic code. The board issue I am referencing is in the overhead console. Two videos linked below discuss the same issue. Diagnosis Code 26 and then repair starts at 8:07 on this first video. and on this other video linked HERE another replaces the entire module $$$ but the comments below also reference refreshing ALL the solder joint even the LED. Chances are these boards flow through one solder station so all joints become suspect to the original manufacturer's faulty assembly. One comment also discusses a service to make the repair for $45 if you aren't comfortable with soldering.

wow you beat me to the common failure point. on my 05 outback it was a bad solder joint in the electrical board in the overhead console/map light Apparently a common failure, I replaced the console before I read about the cold solder joint :-/ you are sure the replacement is a working unit?

Are you in Somers NY or where in CT? I wouldn't trust Firestone to check my tire pressure. Aren't they the ones who "did" the oil change to begin with which raised your initial question? I know others more knowledgeable than myself have raised issues of plausible deniability but... What is the book value of the car right now?

My 05 OB has a sound similar to what you are describing in location but not related to turn signal. Mine is from the HVAC actuator for the blower door. Try different selections on the HVAC when the noise occurs and you may notice a difference. Mine comes and goes as well.

to be clear... you are referring to a two bottle oxy-propane system? not just the propane bottle from hardware aisle?

parking brake engaged?

is the clutch engaging and spinning with the pulley?

Gravity is inescapable. Going up a hill, loss of power might be a clogged cat converter? Pieces of medium shifting to restrict flow.

The clicking just may be unrelated to the window failure. Can you change the sound of the clicking by selecting different modes from the hvac system. My 05 OB has an intermittent clicking which I am told is the selector failing to actuate the blower door.

Just checked my numbers butane 1760 deg F mapp 2900 deg F atsa big difference I was very comfortable with the small size and ready availability of the micro torch.

the car came with a "wrench" to allow you to close the roof if the power sin't working but I'm not sure that would help in your circumstance. http://www.subarumanuals.org/subaru-2533.html in an emergency (heading towards a hurricane) I might suggest that you retract it then gently manually coax it along as you try to close it with the motor.

I've always envied people with acetylene torches who can heat and remove rusted fasteners with ease. Changing out rear sway bar bushings, with somewhat limited access to the top bolt that wouldn't budge with PB Blaster and arm power. Today I tried my Harbor Freight Butane Micro torch. Costs about $13 when on sale and waddayaknow... 2000 1760 degrees (?) of butane heat alternating with PB Blaster and it did the trick. May not be enough heat to conquer ball joint rust issues here in the northeast but It gives a real fine tip of concentrated heat to the flame and I will keep it in mind when working in close quarters near rubber bushings etc.

It is a pain to get those wires through the rubber. Attach a piece of dental floss (I am a retired dentist ) to one broken end of the shortest piece and pull the broken wire back out of the gaiter. Make the splice connection and then reattach and use the floss to pull the spliced wire back through and connect to the other side.

what gb said below is what I found on the passenger side of my 05 OB I was able to pull a piece of wire through and use crimp butt connectors to make the connections outside the zone of flexion, tucking them within the gate pillar or back in the ceiling. you may find other wires that are frayed and in need of attention

WIX is $6.70 and Genuine Sub is $5.09 for the blue one around here.

Realized after changing oil that I neglected the filter. It is overdue. Can I just change the filter or will I be showered with oil if I don't drain the sump first?

I have 05 and 08 Outbacks 2.4 SOHC. I recall that OEM filters have a mechanism from preventing oil from draining back and causing a dry start and bypass pressure compatibility. Is there an aftermarket filter that is suitable or just get Subaru branded? Is there a sticky for mundane questions like this and other inquiries for TB kits/suspension parts, etc.?

I can't answer your question directly but my 05 AC clutch wouldn't engage sporadically. Turns out the relay was crapping out. Simple fix. Find the relay in the box and tap on it. If there is another same size relay in the box, swap them out and see if that resolves the issue.