Cubby

I'm having a similar problem on my 01 Forester S. Its been -25C all week and i am having trouble engaging and disengaging the cruise. I was going to replace the cruise stalk but today I left my car in the sun (still -25C) and the cruise worked fine on the drive home. So I'm thinking its dirt in the contacts or simply weather related. A lot of things don't work great at -25C!

My inner passenger CV boot split about a month ago. I notived a burning smell coming from the engine when I stopped and noticed grease spewd all over the engine and exhaust. What a smell.

Thanks rverdoold but my radio doesn't have a brightness button. I wish is was that simple!

Thanks OB99W. Its the factory 6 CD/cassette player. I will check the wiring one rainy day when I have time. I may even pull out the glove compartment to see if the wiring is fine there.

Well I took the radio out this weekend and no pinched wires or anything out of the ordinary. I think the illunimation control wire is orange. I will try to track that one from beginning to end to see if there is a problem.

Thanks for the replies. When I unplug the illumination conttrol module, the lights stay on. So its a ground short. I'll take the radio out this weekend and see if I pinched something.

I can't dim the dash lights on my 01 Forester. I have replaced both the control stalk and illunimation control module with ones I got from the wrecker (seperately - tried 2 of each so I assume one of them would have worked) but still doesn't work. The lights are on full brightness but it bugs me that I can't dim them. What else could it be? I have not done anything to the electrical other than wire in some driving lights but I never tapped into the wiring harness. I did remove the radio once to run wires behind it. Any ideas? Thanks.

You can buy the bulbs at Radio Shack. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103780&cp=&pg=1&sr=1&y=16&retainProdsInSession=1&origkw=12+volt&x=13&kw=12+volt&numProdsPerPage=100&parentPage=search Just pull the swicth apart and replce the bulb. I have done it many times on my Nissans and Subarus.

Here is the $1 fix for rattling heat shields on my exhaust right at the Y. Go under the car and rap the shields lightly to see if rattle. if so get a 3" hose clamp and install it where it rattles. Did that over 1.5 years ago and its noise-free. After a couple of the years the clamps will rust out - just replace them.

I bought my 01 Forester used and it did not include the roof rack key. I contacted the dealer with the number on the lock cylinder and they cut me one - didn't even charge me even though I did not buy the car from them.

I made a custom front skid plate for my 01 Forester - very simple to do and bought the Subaru OEM rear diff guard.

My dealer also recommended using petroleum jelly on the moulding to help soften it up and make it expand slightly for a better fit.

Yes the screws go thru the blind space in the hatch panel. I figure I will just drill a few small holes to get a pair of pliers in and tighten them. The rivnuts are metal.

The rear wind deflector - not the spoiler.

I noticed that the bolts on the passenger side of the my rear deflector are loose and when I attempt to tighten them the rivnuts just spins. I have pulled all the trim on the rear hatch but there is no access to the rivnuts. I can see them spin from small access point near the washer nozzle. I tried using a small screwdriver to secure the rivnut but no luck. Its an 01 Forester. If I need to I can drill 2 small holes thru the sheet metal just behind each rivnut and use pliers to hold them while I tighten the screws but that is plan B. What are my options?