forester2002s

Good for blockages of the human kind too?

That should be plenty enough time for the oil level to settle!

I would echo the suggestion to do an oil change. If it is noisy tappets, then clean oil will often cure this. BTW how many miles since the last oil change? Is the oil black?

Diesel engines for cars have made huge strides in recent years. I recently rented a car in Europe (Spain actually). I didn't realize that it was a diesel at first; it was very quiet, and very smooth. And no noticeable exhaust smell/smoke. It was the 'flat' torque-speed characteristics that made me realize that this was a diesel (high-torque at low revs.). I was very impressed with that engine (BTW it was a Ford). If Subaru can do as well, I may be the in the market for a diesel next time around.

My 2002 Forester has different keys for the roof-rack and car. The roof-rack key is a 'Yale'-type (similar to a front-door key), but smaller. There's no way that the car key would even fit into the rack.

Just to set the record straight: - below the yield point, metals are ELASTIC (i.e. they return to the same shape after the load is removed); - above the yield point, metals are PLASTIC (i.e. they don't return to the same shape after the load is removed).

It could be that one of the 'pins' in the cylinder is stuck. First thing, I would try some WD-40 in the lock. Then insert the key and keep wiggling it gently. This might free-up the stuck pin.

Satellite or UFO? Close encounters of the low-beam kind?

Yes, where is he? Here's another post looking for Alias20035: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9454&highlight=alias

But just make sure that the replacement studs and nuts have the correct material and chemical specs. I would want to buy replacement studs from Subaru, just to be sure.

...and 'butcher's hook' = 'take a look'.

And I'll doff my titfer to you!

This is a common problem with late-model Subies. Have you tried to search on this thread for 'hesitation'? You should get lots of hits.

How does the scan gauge and/or ecu actually measure fuel flow?

Aside from 'slugs' and the various ruminations about force, mass, weight and gravity, the thing to remember is this: If you are only talking (torquing?) about a few inch-lbs, then be CAREFUL not to overdo the tightening; it will be very easy to SHEAR OFF the bolt if you're not careful. 10 inch-lbs is not very much. Sneeze suddenly, and you're in trouble!

My 2002 Forester S has peak torque at about 4000 RPM. And so if I floor it at 3000 RPM, it is a bit sluggish. However, change down to a lower gear so that the revs come up, and at 4000 RPM it has a lot more pep. Try it.

When I switch to recirc in my 2002 Forester, I am (almost) sure that this is a manual operation, because I can hear and feel a flap(?) move behind the controls. If I'm correct, then this means that I can turn to recirc regardless of the heater settings.

My 2002 Forester has a single plastic-post at one corner of the driver's mat, and no spikey things on the bottom of the mat. This has never worked well (even when new) to hold the mat in place. The mat rotates itself around counter-clockwise, and bunches up against the wheel-well on the left. The plastic-post wore out after about a year, and would no longer hold the mat in place. So I jury-rigged a large washer and split-pin on the post, to hold the mat in place. But it still rotates as before. This is a silly design. I hope that Subaru have long since reassigned the individual who designed it.

Memo to self: "Take note of any posts by Blitz".

The mind boggles...

I have seen people at the local DIY car-wash, with their hood up, and spraying the 'foamy' wash into their engine, and then rinsing it off with the high-pressure wand. I have been tempted to try this myself, but I have never plucked up the courage. Is this safe?

Bear in mind that any test and/or wiring arrangement will be specific to a particular model-year, and maybe model-type as well. Which model and year is the above test designed for?

I've dug through the Factory Service Manual for my 2002 Forester, and found the following: - Low-Fuel Warning Lamp comes on when fuel tank sensors read 9.0 L (2.3 USgal, 1.9 IMPgal), but only if the reading is consistent for either 10-minutes or 10-km of driving. - this setting corresponds to a resistance across both fuel-tank sensors (in series) of approx. 80 ohms (or more). - the actual lamp is embedded in the printed-circuit board of the combination-meter, and there doesn't appear to be a way of testing the lamp. I suppose that one could take the lamp out and test it with 12V, but that wouldn't confirm that the rest of the wiring was OK. - the lamp is NOT tested when starting the engine (one could ask WHY NOT?, but Subaru, in its wisdom, has not included that feature). - as far as I can tell, the ONLY way of testing this lamp is to run low on fuel (as others have suggested). EDIT: Just had another thought... Try disconnecting the two fuel-tank sensors, and apply a known resistance of more than 80 ohms (say 100 ohms) across the wiring terminals (and wait 10-minutes too). This might fool the combination-meter into thinking that it should illuminate the low-fuel lamp.

= 'hose clamps'