heartless

if you want a turbo car, buy a turbo car. Don't try to make the one you have into something it isn't, and was never intended to be.

so the 2002 Forester is still sitting on OEM struts at 251K - not too shabby, LOL I have noticed that she has seemed a little "bouncier" lately, but a larger concern at the moment is the left front axle that needs to get changed out - before it falls apart. Have ignored the clicking from it for far too long.

whatever works for you. I dont like the mushy feel of the Gabriel struts. just discovered today that I need new struts on my Forester - leaking oil the fronts pretty badly, rears are little better, but not by much - it will be getting KYBs

if it was low on freon it wouldn't get cold at all.

actually, piston slap only occurs when the engine is cold, and disappears once the engine is at full operating temp - and it is more common on the early EJ25s (more specifically EJ251, for sure - i have an 02 Forester that has piston slap), not the EJ22

i would try new bulbs first - cheap and easy. if that does not fix it, then go deeper

then i would suggest checking the bulbs - how old are they? have you tried new bulbs? could also be a bad connection in the column - at the base of the stalk...

Gabriels are pretty soft - if you like that, then they would be ok. Same for Monroes. the best strut available new for a Subaru is KYB

push the stalk forward (toward the front of the car)

definitely driving irresponsibly, but have to agree with el_freddo - something happened off camera to cause that - what it was we can only guess at

perhaps it is time to look into something aftermarket instead of used OE units? I am running a Sony head unit in my 2002 Forester - it does play CDs, but also has a usb port that i can plug a thumb drive into and play music from that, or charge my phone, or whatever.. it also has bluetooth for hands free phone use (my primary reason for making the swap), and can also play music using the bt as well.. far more features than any stock unit of that era would have. there are wiring adapter kits available from Crutchfield.com so you don't need to cut any of the stock wires. wire up the adapter harness to the stereo unit, plug it in, mount, and enjoy

you cant find them because they dont exist. springs are most likely fine, unless they are broken, rear top mounts should also be fine. KYB has top mounts (for front) and struts. If you dont want to deal with compressing the springs when you get the new parts, pull the assemblies off the car and take the whole works to an independent shop and ask them to do it. One near us did the assemblies for the other half's 06 Outback for about $30 oh yeah, almost forgot.. the brake lines run through a small bracket on the struts.. to avoid opening the lines, pull the clip that holds the line in place, wiggle it free, and cut the outside edge of the bracket off to slip the rubber line through - we used bolt cutters to do this - just enough to get the line out.. same can be done to the new strut to put the line back - the clip will hold the line in place just fine on the new one.

personally, i would not worry too much about the dowel pin. They are only used as an aid in alignment - not a critical part. while the miles may not reflect it, the age definitely does - has the timing ever been replaced on it? If not, I would make that a top priority.

he sure did...

pretty much, yes. old, dry vacuum lines (23 yrs old) can easily crack, or just not seal well any more. Good practice is to get some new line in various sizes and replace everything you can get at. Not that expensive to do and frequently will solve those "head scratcher" issues. There are a few smaller sections that can be a bit of a pain to get at, but they are entirely do-able with a little patience and perseverance.

http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Legacy_Outback/1996/Service Manual/ENGINE SECTION/ENGINE/ second pdf from the bottom (ends in 5971) is a diagnostic table listing the most common to least common causes of various issues. Perhaps you should take a look at that. The symptoms you are describing could have multiple sources, including bad vacuum lines, a cracked (or poorly connected) air intake tube, etc

just an educated guess, but that car/engine (1997 model year), according to build date & model year, would be interference. 1995 model year is definitely non-interference. 1996 model year is supposed to be non-interference, but I do not have any personal experience with that year. I am sure others can verify. 1997 model year is interference from all info I have seen. generally speaking, a model year starts in the fall of the previous year - with some variation depending on manufacturer edit - just realized you are in Spain.. European markets are quite a bit different than the US market.

this thread is eight years old - why on earth are you digging up old threads? @Edgars

Never, ever run the donut spare on the front! IF the donut spare needs to be used, it is supposed to be put on the rear, and if needed move a good rear tire to the front - AND use the FWD fuse to protect the AWD system from the mismatched tires. This info IS in the owners manual (if you have one)

what he said ^^^^^ you paid for the warranty - now get your moneys worth. I honestly can not believe that anyone told you that amount of metal shavings on the magnet was "ok" - there is no way in hell I would have even put that tranny in a car. that is just nasty looking.

KYB does indeed make them and they are probably the only one I would recommend short of OEM. search by year, make and model here: https://www.kyb.com/catalog/ get the part numbers, then search for the part numbers to find the best price for your area

a bent rim could indeed be the source of your vibration.

you say you replaced wires - but with what? Subarus are finicky about plug wires - OE or NGK ONLY! It has been proven time and time again that parts store wires are no good on a Suby. They might be fine for many applications, but Subaru is not one of them.

http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Legacy_Outback/1995/ here ya go - should have all the info you need. I also suspecting jumped/slipped timing. Nothing to freak out about with that year engine, tho

look up your model & year here. the factory service manual will give you the torque specs. http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/