brus brother

Emily, I have an 05 with the weeping oil at the bottom of the HG. Is resurfacing a must under these circumstances when replacing the HGs? There isn't any overheating and I am wondering if that is the only indication. Is the straight edge test good enough?

Ah them young'ns... Charter member of the OFRT and you're still not fast enough ;-)

Ed, What is odd is that from the cars 101 page linked above, your 2002 should have had the square remote with the colored buttons. Also the teardrop version shown as a replacement doesn't have the trunk release button as your new one shown, purchased from the dealer. My 2000 Legacy had the grey buttons and in-law's 2002 had the colored buttons. You stated in your first post that you can't get the car's system into program mode. I don't recall that this procedure requires any input from the remote at this stage, so then, any discussion about having the correct remote and working battery is a distraction. While there is something about programming up to 4 remotes so it could be possible that all 4 positions are "occupied", your problem appears to be about sequencing to get into programming and not the new remote (that might come later if you are truly unlucky). Here's a link to some other interpretations of this odd dance that SOA subjects us to: http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/interior-mods/66863-subaru-keyless-remote-programming-instructions.html

wish I lived in Portland...

Check out the driver's side HG at the rear bottom and you should see oil seepage. Both of my 05s (legacy and OBi ltd) have this issue. Seems suggested "maintenance" is to do the HGs with the 105,000 mile TB.

But if you sort of just gently loosen the blockage with the wire, the "biofilm" which has likely built up within the confines of the hose will be flushed out. That's what happened with mine. We aren't talking about a cork in a bottle here. The wire will first pass through the center core of the loosely aggregated plug and then once patent, you can further trefine the opening allowing the debris to be washed out. What have you got to lose? If the plug is displaced back into the box and this method doesn't work, you can always go back to taking apart the entire front 1/2 of your car. Oh and you may have missed the part in my post where I said "problem solved". As they say though, your mileage may vary.

As I recall, on my old gl and loyale the hose exited near the rear of the right wheel well. I took a straightened metal coat hanger and snaked it up from the exit opening unclogging the line. Problem solved.

UPDATED UPDATE: The dashboard airbag light came on again. A few months ago I noticed that the driver's side map light which is in the center overhead console was out so I went to change it but tested it first and it was OK so just replaced it. In the past I had similar situation and just cleaned the contacts and replaced. This time I just left it alone. When the light came on, I looked up and noticed that my wife had depressed the switch and left it in the ON position not realizing the bulb wasn't "working". I pressed the switch to the OFF position and the dashboard airbag light was now off as well. So there is some sort of electrical gremlin in the unit. It's just 4 screws and 2 connectors to replace the $130 unit. For now, I'll just do without a map light.

Local parts counter at SubaruPartsForYou.com. It's a 30 minute drive but they offer on-line pricing and I have the parts in hand. Anthony or John at the counter will help with any look-ups or special orders so I don't need to rely on my meager knowledge. Good luck Shawn. Hope you don't leave us for corporate.

Latest HG posts seem to indicate that your wishes will eventually come true:banghead:

My has 3 cats and 5 sensors! 2 precat, 2 post cat and one on top of rear cat after the two join. I spoke with Bosch tech support after replacing the front precat with OEM and while it would seem in his interest for me to buy his sensor for the rear, he suggested it wouldn't help. Just my experience and not meant to dissuade or mislead.

I am afraid that 2005+ models are too smart for the cheaters. I have an intermittent P0420. After reading about all of the possible real fixes, costs and potential lack of solution, I bought a small code reader for about $20 on eBay (Autel MS300). Clear the codes, drive a few cycles at various speeds to get all systems "ready", rescan to make sure no codes and no codes pending and then run to emission testing center. Since my code is intermittent, I justify this method as "coinciding" the timing of when the code is present or not with my visit to testing center.

DADGUMMIT!!!! So if this is the case, HGs should be replaced as part of the timing belt interval?

So, after the HGs are done, if done properly, how long are they good for?

This is the consensus and verified by my friendly SOA tech: Turbo HGs do not leak. Both of my non-turbo 05's (legacy and outback) experienced the external oil leak from HG which isn't so much of a problem until it starts dripping on the exhaust. Had the sedan done under extended warranty but will probably wait until the Outback, now with 125k miles, starts smoking like a James Bond smoke screen effect.

Dealer was misinformed. Timing belt normally at 105K miles though I recall reading that there may also be a time indicator. ie don't expect a belt not to dry rot out in 15 years just because you don't put on the miles. If you don't mind getting dirty, I do a drain and refill on my 05 every 25-30K miles. That's not a complete flush but it is what dealer charges a pretty penny for anyway. Drain from pan, replace plug with crush washer and fill from filler tube with yellow dip stick on driver's side (USA) just in front of firewall. You'll need a long neck funnel and just a little less than 4 quarts of Subaru ATF fluid (about$7 per quart). Diagram is pretty clear in owner's manual.

Does it perhaps "look weird" because part of the broken clip is wedged behind the molding? If that is the case you may need to remove that as well when you pry the molding away before the excellent tape fix suggested by gbhrps.

Not sure what B.A.R. is but you would have been in a better position if another shop found the defect and provided the repair. Now it's your word against theirs? I guess you could print out this post as a time stamped record of your ordeal...

Been following the thread for a while and even commented earlier that the diagnosis was the difficult part. However, it seems at this point that there was no way that the dealer could have known that the indie shop had failed to reinstall the plate that others seem to agree is a reusable part (and therefore didn't include in the parts list) no more than they could have guessed if the indie shop had inadvertently left a peanut butter and jelly sandwich wedged inside the tranny. The omitted gasket may be worthy of a small rant. It is tough enough doing diagnosis on a problem without having the overlay of negligence of others prior "handiwork". Glad it all worked out though.

valve cover gasket/spark plug seals?

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: And this is why I read posts that I have no knowledge of or anything to contribute! Good one John!

It appears that the rear interior door panels are interchangeable from the 05 to the 08 Outback. There is a different level of trim between the models as the 05 Limited is all "leather" and the 08 is a lesser model with a cloth insert mid panel. Is this middle section able to be swapped between the panels? Don't want to bother removing and monkeying around if it isn't swappable.

05 Legacy sedan Just had HGs done for leaking oil both sides. 05 Outback, haven't had the heart to look and see what evil is lurking in that pan beneath the engine now.

While those rattle cans are pricey, a body shop supplier who has a color scanner is probably still the most accurate as the paint on your car has usually changed/faded somewhat thru sun exposure. This may not be as critical with Arctic White as say with a deep red color. Also, I read somewhere that you need a special plasticizer additive for the bumpers to keep the paint from cracking over time.