howards11

I've put out the challenge for some member in the Philadelphia, PA area to PM me if they can do the job. The KYB struts have been purchased and are in my garage ready to go. ~Howard

Thanks for your comments but I've decided to fix what I have and use it until Spring 2010 due to issues at work. Plus the Honda at the Saturn dealer has been sold. ~Howard

WOW............does she have traction control on the CR-V ? ~Howard

The CR-V I saw at a local Saturn dealer has been sold. I knew it was a good deal and had a feature I haven't seen in a CR-V before (FWD + traction control). Plus after did some thinking and talking to my wife, I think I'm just going to replace the struts and postpone any vehicle replacement until Spring 2010 due to job worries. There is a small possibility I could be out of a job in a few weeks. ~Howard

Thanks for the suggestion but I do not any mechanical ability. The chances of getting the install correct would be slim or none. That's why I pay someone to do the job for me. ~Howard

If there is a mechanic (professional or otherwise) in the Philadelphia, PA area that can install struts in my 2000 Forester cheaper than $800 in labor charges, please PM me. I have the KYB struts ready to install. ~Howard

$1,100 is cheap. A local Subaru dealer wanted $1,500. ~Howard

I've been thinking about trading in my 2000 Forester L. 73K miles. It has been costing a few bucks keeping it running. Now it needs new struts; $1,100. I saw a used 2007 Honda CR-V. 33K miles. FWD with traction control. $19K. Does anyone have any comments about the CR-V especially one with FWD and traction control and not AWD. ~Howard

I'm going to try and clean up these bad areas with some Bon Ami cleanser. This stuff is great. It will not scratch. See link BON AMI. ~Howard

I just can't stand the smell of vinegar !! YUCH ! ~Howard

The SprayAway worked fine. See my other post. I do agree that you get a lot of foam and it did take more towels. I use the blue shop paper towels. I know someone who heads a Toyota dealership prep dept. He told me that he uses Windex. I'm assuming the non-ammonia kind. I did see the non-ammonia Windex in the auto dept at WalMart but I did not buy it. ~Howard

I tried using a Dobie pad with the Invisible Glass (a nylon cleaning sponge for the kitchen). It did not remove the gunk around the tinted part of the windshield. Today I purchased the suggested SprayAway. It did seem to remove a good deal of the grime that Invisible Glass but again it did not remove the gunk around the tinted part of the windshield. You can actually see where the wiper blades do their job and where they don't hit that part of the window. I did not have a chance to use SprayAway on the inside part of the windows. I wonder if the factory tinting is wearing away? After all the Forester is almost 10 yrs old; a 2000 model. ~Howard

No I don't think so. I tried both the spray and pump bottle. It doesn't seem like the same product. ~Howard

I found it by accident at WalMart. It's in the regular cleaner section; not automotive. ~Howard

Thanks for the information but Costco is not near here in Philadelphia. I'd have to drive about 20 miles to get to one. ~Howard

This is a general question. I've been using INVISIBLE GLASS by Stoner. It doesn't seem to be cleaning real great anymore. Maybe they changed the formula. There are areas where the windshield is factory tinted that just don't seem to come clean. I tried three auto supply places (Auto Zone, Pep Boys and Advance Auto) to find Meguiars NXT Generation Glass Cleaner but it's nowhere to be found in Philadelphia. Does anyone have a favorite car window cleaner they can suggest ? ~Howard

This is on my 2000 Forester. If you look closely at the tweeter, there is ONE and only ONE spot to pry the cover off. It's a indentation. You have to cover a screwdriver blade with masking or electrical tape and gently pry off the cover. Once the cover is off there are two screws holding the tweeter in place. Remove the screws and you will then see the connector for the wires. ~Howard

My problem is the reverse. The driver's side went out. Like you when I hit the door, it would come back in. I finally removed it. I found a place that said they could repair the tweeter but I haven't gotten around to taking some pictures of the tweeter to send them; they want pictures with a ruler. If you want information on the place PM me and I'll give you the e-mail, etc. ~Howard

I visited my mechanic today. He's OK with me purchasing the struts and he'll do the install. The parts have been ordered from Tire Rack and have been shipped. They should arrive this week. ~Howard

I called a local dealer and got a quote on the phone. For replacement of all 4 struts with Subaru replacements he said around $1,400.00. ~Howard

I'm going to ask my guy if I purchase the struts will he install them. I priced them at Tire Rack and they are way cheaper. For KYB they are: $69 each for the fronts $72 each for the rears New strut boots are $14 each The total with UPS ground shipping would be $378. A savings of $322 !! The ground shipping is OK because they are coming from Wilmington, DE so that's either 1 or 2 days to Philadelphia by UPS. I know he's ripping me on the parts and I'm pissed about that. I don't know who to use around Philadelphia to use for the install. ~Howard

555jay: My independent mechanic charges $85/hr for labor. His estimate for the front is 4.10 hours for the front and 3.20 hours for the rear. Thanks for the link. If I purchase the parts on my own and if I have a problem with them who stands behind them? ~Howard

I got an estimate from my mechanic to replace all 4 struts. Using KYB struts the parts are $700.00 plus labor of $620.50. Grand total is $1,320.50. I asked him about using Monroe and the price difference is almost nothing. Labor would of course be the same. Does anyone have any other suggestions on how I can save some $$ on this job ? Please don't suggest doing the job myself. I am not a mechanic. ~Howard

YEP.............72K stop and go city driving on our lovely Philadelphia streets. I think I'm going to have my guy replace them just as soon as I have my wife's rear struts replaced on her 2000 Camry. My mechanic said her rears are "loose" but the fronts are "tight". ~Howard

The Forester seems OK in terms of handling but like I said the ride was much better in the past. It doesn't bounce a around lot but sometimes bumps in the road make you feel like you are in a roller coaster. My wife complains when I take a bump a little too fast. ~Howard