brus brother

My 2005 OB has the single HVAC unit combined with the radio unit. Last week I replaced a rear brake light and whether related or not, I since have an intermittent problem with the HVAC/radio controls. First time, the digital display on the radio was unintelligible (only parts of numbers and letters) and the HVAC was unresponsive. Restart had no effect. Finally turned the light switch on the stalk on and all worked as expected. Turned lights off and once again got the erratic behavior. Yesterday, the controls were unresponsive on both the radio and hvac until I turned the lights on. Turned car off and restarted and all worked as expected with or without lights. Close encounters of the third kind??

Last winter I experienced horrendous handling in my 05 OB and at first I thought the ghost had taken up residence in my car. Turns out the alignment was way off. The four corners of the car were fighting each other for supremacy. New tires/balance and alignment and the ghost was exorcised. Just sayin' if you hear something clip-clopping down the road, chances are it is a horse and not a zebra. Common things occur commonly.

Sometimes you can drill a slot across the gutted Phillips screw head that would then accept a standard head screw driver (impact or manual). Use a dremmel tool to cut slot.

Today, it wouldn't start. Turned key to off position and then back on and it started. Does that clue point in any direction? Other times that hasn't had any effect... I'm gonna just keep posting symptoms until the day when I'll have to post asking for a ride home.

ok just happened again. neutral position made no difference. jiggled and cursed. let it move forward in neutral. still nothing. turned key on and off and removed a few times and eventually it just started. no rhyme or reason yet here...

Actually, yesterday after trying everything else, I did move the selector to neutral and it started. Whether it was a coincidence or not (having jiggled every which way first), I will determine at the next occurrence. If it is the "Park position" that is faulty, what does a repair entail?

05 Automatic OB Recently and with increasing frequency the car won't start until I move the a/t selector. Initially it just required a side to side jiggle but today I seemed to have to do everything but take it out on the dance floor to get it going. Don't want the wife to get stuck with this. Is there something adjustable?

Last winter I experienced wandering in light snow conditions. Almost like the 4 corners of the car were fighting for control and if I came through a rut in the snow, one corner would win out over the others as power was transferred. Had wheels balanced and alignment done and it disappeared.

Was the axle replacement aftermarket? Plenty of reports of vibration if not genuine Subaru or certain aftermarket. Many here recommend go with a FW Enterprises axle (mwolf1303@juno.com). They were formerly MWE axles out Denver area. Apparently they rebuild genuine Sub axles. But your question was wheel bearing. My front right wheel bearing is heading south. More of a cyclical thrumbing sound when loading the outside wheel in a left turn. If your axle was aftermarket with any sort of warranty, you might consider swapping it out and see if the fit is different. I HATE doing work... twice!

Gotta be true, I read it on the interweb and found it using the Great Oracle Google.

As Fairtax suggested, check your owner's manual. A brandy new 2014?? At the very least, ask the salesman to modify this as a courtesy. If you find the particular sequence for your car, please post it here. Welcome to the board. I know your model isn't listed at the below link but it has to be one such "simple" fix. Do they really have to make it so complicated?!? http://www.cars101.com/subaru/keyless.html#08chirp 2009, 2008 Outback Legacy, Tribeca, Impreza Audible Chirp when locking/unlocking give you an audible signal when the doors lock and unlock. If desired, you may turn the audible signal off. Do the following to deactivate the audible signal. You can also use the same steps to restore the function. 1. Sit in the driver’s seat and shut all doors and the rear gate. 2. Hold down the UNLOCK side of the power door locking switch. 3. While holding down the “UNLOCK” side of the power door locking switch, pull the key out and re-insert it into the ignition switch at least 6 times within 10 seconds after Step 2. 4. Open and close the driver’s door once within 10 seconds after Step 3. 5. The turn signal lights flash 3 times to indicate completion of the setting.

Isn't there a way of having a peak at the TB to determine its condition without disassembling the front of the car? Alls I know I learned from the great oracle Google and USMB of course!

I had an air bag/seat belt issue and it turned out to be a defective overhead center console. Is that where you are getting the warning and is it intermittent? What was the indicator that you had a problem? Mine was an intermittent problem and was diagnosed by a Subaru tech as a courtesy. I just replaced the overhead map light console in my 08 OB. I wonder how many of these have failed and if SOA would provide the number. The problem being that if that light is ON, the airbag system is OFF. So this does become a safety issue and not just a blinky light problem. Anyway, replacement was fairly simple. Pry off light lens, 4 Phillips screws, 2 electrical connections. Replace with new unit and the problem has not returned since. I have read that others experimented with re soldering the components on the small circuit board but I didn't try it myself. I paid about $100 for the console and of course SOA "never heard of a problem" with these units, even though I snagged one at my local dealership that was already on order for another customer.

Rattle could be loose heat shields on the exhaust. Should be able to get under there and bang around to locate the noise.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/49537-p0420-diagnosis.html Have a good read at the above link. Seems like you already have some sort of scanning ability but if not, for a $9 sensor and free software like this one LINK, and your laptop computer, the Outback Forum will help you evaluate your readings. Cardoc is especially responsive and helpful. BTW, can't you clear the codes and get the systems "ready" then drive 40 mph to the test center before the pending code returns?

Try flipping the belt so that what was the side facing the back of the car becomes the side facing the front of the car. The good news is that it doesn't seem to be a major headache for your new purchase.

FYI I recently replaced genuine Subaru pads with Autozone lifetime replacement pads. There is a marked difference between the two. Autozone pads have a much smaller surface aea contacting the rotor. While they are both the same width, Autozone is more than a 1/2 inch shorter in the length (along the arc). I verified several different boxes of the pads to make sure it wasn't miss-packaged.

Charm, I suggest you clear the code (Autel 300 about $20) and drive around as recommended in my earlier post to set the systems as "ready". It's really quite simple. You then can pass emissions and drive on for years to come (put a piece of black tape over the CEL). I like the idea of a car running properly but your's seems intent on torturing you. Save your $ for your next car. Expecting to get another 200K miles is admirable but based on current age and mileage, the car would be 26 years old so, the seats will probably collapse under your butt or the AC will fail or the transmission will fail, or... any number of odds and ends that might give out and make this current investment of $4600 plus ill advised. Just my 2 cents. ;-)

My 2000 with automatic transmission developed the delayed engagement. Tranny replaced under warranty. Search the site here for trans -x treatment as a "fix". In-laws had the dreaded head gasket failure on their 2000 at 80k miles. Other than that, it handled great and when I upgraded to the outback in 05 I really missed how well the car hugged the road. Good luck with yours.

+1 RomRaider for free software to use with your VagCom cable. Before that I bought an Autel 300 for about $20 on ebay. Simple wired code reader that also would erase codes, turn off CEL and indicate status of systems after reset (to pass emmissions testing).

Going from 2000 Legacy GT to 2005 Outback was a disappointment as the ride was higher and softer. Then last year I could have swore my 05 was possessed by the "Ghost Wanderer". On ice, I felt like the rear wanted to get out in front of me. Long story short, ALIGNMENT was way off. Check out the obvious first.

Torn cv boot throwing grease onto hot engine?

Does it leak while fueling up or afterward? Does it leak if you only fill 1/2? Notorious problem here if you search. There is a "protective" cover for the gas filler tube that ended up trapping road dirt and moisture resulting in rust through of the fill pipe. Located next to the right rear tire, you can remove the shield and see how bad the hole is. I tried to use a gasoline compatible epoxy with mixed results on my 1991 Loyale. It requires clean metal to really work well. Second try was better. I think the replacement part is about $100 and labor is whatever they want to charge. I sold the car as is.

Is there a pressure regulator on 05 Outback USDM? Passenger side under intake manifold? Other than regulator and pump, what could affect fuel pressure? I ran some more logs and these now appear much different than original! Would pressure reg fail slowly/intermittently?

Yup, pump is $300 discounted from FirstSubaruPartsForyou.com. They are local for me but don't stock the pump. I am confused, from your post, it seems there is the "sock" AND a fuel filter also... or are they the same? Any need to depressurize the tank before opening? Pull pump fuse and run till stall?? Anyway, fuel pressure test first. I sprayed brake cleaner around all of the hoses today and didn't get any rpm surge. I don't hear any exhaust leak but when the car is running the exhaust makes enough sound to drown out others.