forester2002s

I wonder if the built-in 'fuse' is actually a heat-sensing 'thermistor'?

I can't help with your actual dash, but I can steer you to Amazon.co.uk Recently I was looking for a door window-switch for a friend's car (RHD, but not a Subaru). I could not find the correct RHD part on Amazon.com (the US site, and the biggest selection of items for sale). So on a whim, I searched on Amazon.co.uk instead (the UK has RHD cars). Lo and behold, I found the exact part that I was looking for, and the seller could also ship overseas. It's worth a try. EDIT: I just looked back in my files, and I misled you. It wasn't Amazon.co.uk where I found the RHD part, it was eBay.co.uk , but the same suggestion applies.

When overnight snow/ice freezes the rubber wiper-blades to the glass, they can get damaged when the wiper mechanism tears them away from their frozen home. Spraying the washer-fluid first, allows the snow/ice to melt before the wiper-blades move.

The Subaru Factory Service Manual (2002 Forester) has a section dealing with reinstalling the Cylinder Head Bolts. It reads: 'Apply a coat of engine oil to washers and bolt threads' I have always followed that, and never had any problem.

Too many red flags... I would walk away.

Unloading the suspension makes no difference to the engine mounts; the weight of the engine is still on them. If you can get underneath, with the car 'up in the air', you should be able to visually inspect the engine-mounts from below.

Engine mount(s) failed?

Not sure what you've skipped. Subaru head-bolts are NOT torque-to-yield. that's why you can reuse them. I've always followed the complete torqueing sequence when installing new head-gaskets.

http://www.armorall.com/products/trim-plastic-restoration/outlast-trim-plastic-restorer. ?

This might be the EndWrench article that you refer to. WhBearRep.pdf

Ms.?, not Mr. Heartless, I believe.

I find that the ambient temperature gage is particularly useful as the outside temperature drops to near freezing. If the gage was out by several degrees, especially if it was reading high, the driver could be lulled into a false sense of security (ice wise). If for no other reason, I would expect that Subaru would want the gage to read reasonably accurately.

Take lots of photos before you disconnect anything. As you remove nuts and bolts, put them into containers (old yogurt containers, cut-off plastic bottles, children's snack containers etc). And in each container put a small piece of paper, with a brief description, e.g. 'starter-motor bolts', 'valve-cover bolts' etc. If your engine is dirty/oily, I suggest doing an engine shampoo before you start.

A likely suspect would be your 'remanufactured' front axles. It could be that the joints on those axles have worn in a way that you hear the ticking sound when the axles are loaded, but not when the axles are unloaded.

Sounds similar to the old 'marble in the ash-tray' symptom.

Battery terminals/connections/wires ?

OK, I misread your earlier post, thinking that this happened after the store had completed changing all wheels. But if they found the bad stud at the beginning, then it may not have been their fault after all. But I am also very nervous of shop personnel wielding air-wrenches, set to who-knows-what torque.

Check all the other studs' threads !!

I've never done it, but I think that you can hammer each stud out, by hitting it in the threaded end. May have to be done off the car...

Just a thought... Is the buzzer working? Try 12V across the buzzer (if you can find it!)

Sounds like a problem with the starter Could be as simple as worn-out starter-contacts. They are replaceable. Or you might need a replacement starter assembly. Subaru OEM from a scrap-yard might work well.

...or one from a car that was totalled in an accident.

Could be a problem with the starter. If it happens again, tap the starter with a hammer, small rock, 2x4, or something similar. This can sometimes temporarily fix worn contacts in the starter.

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin.html#legacy Outback

I would go with an aftermarket hitch: Hidden-Hitch, Curt or something similar. The Class I hitch and the Class II hitch both use a 1.25" fitting. The Class I is slightly cheaper to buy, but only by a few dollars. I have always bought the Class II as it is more substantial than the Class I. Both are designed with the same attachment points to the underside of the car. But, as others have said, it is usually the vehicle's tow rating that governs. Installing an aftermarket hitch is no big deal, and you can either do it yourself, or get a shop to do it. Either way, it will be cheaper than getting a Subaru hitch installed at a Subaru dealership.