forester2002s

My 2002 Forester has the seat-heater switches in the centre console. Do you have seat-heaters? If not, then you may be seeing the pre-installed wiring for that option.

My daughter-in-law's Jeep ran very low on rear-diff oil, and the diff suddenly seized up miles from home. I suspect that there must have been some warning noises, but by that time the damage is done anyway. What can I say? Check the oil-level occasionally! If it's not leaking, you don't have to check it very often.

Yes, could be the 5th synchro gear. I had the same problem (slipping out of 5th gear) on another car (not a Subie). I had to replace the synchro gears, and that fixed it.

What model years are the two cars?

I agree with Scoobaroo. I too use the cheapest API-tested dino oil that I can find, and I change it frequently (every 3000km). That may sound excessive, but it doesn't cost me much, and it gets me under the car more frequently than otherwise (it's a Zen thing). Sludge? What sludge?

If the product was recommended by your future father-in-law, then you'd better buy some.You don't have to use it.

I see a few European countries on that list: - Ireland; - Isle of Man; - Channel Islands; - Malta; - Cyprus (now a member of the EU); - and UK of course.

You can download a Factory Service Manual (and other stuff) from Subaru at http://techinfo.subaru.com/html/index.jsp This costs USD35 for a 72-hour subscription. This same question comes up from time to time. Do a search, and you'll find tips on how to do this download.

GLCraigGT: That little blue fella to the left of your name? Is that what a head-gasket leak looks like?

Noisy tappets? The first thing that I would do, is an oil and filter change. And then do a few trips, so that the engine warms up nicely each time. It might just do the trick.

The Wiring Diagrams for my 2002 Forester also show two fuel-level sensors, wired in series, and with only two wires feeding the signal from the fuel tank to the dash board (and one of those wires is a ground). Each sensor shows as a variable-resistor. As a previous poster suggests, the CPU must use that resistance signal to illuminate the low-fuel lamp. But why can't the CPU illuminate the low-fuel lamp during the lamp-test as part of the crank-cycle at start-up?

When my 2002 Forester was new, I deliberately ran it dry to see what the fuel gauge meant. After the 'low-gas' light came on, I travelled another 40km before the engine started misfiring. And the 'low-gas' light does not come in with all the other test lamps, during the 'crank' cycle. What were the Subaru designers smoking, when they arranged it this way?

Alright, I take back my suggestion about using an old Head-Gasket to wave with. I have just read on CNN that Consumer reports have given top marks to Subaru in 2 categories: - Best 'Fun to Drive' car: Subaru Impreza WRX/STi; - Best 'Small SUV': Subaru Forester. So I suggest that we keep a copy of Consumer Reports in the door-pocket, and wave that at other Subies (and at other cars!)

How about keeping an old Head-Gasket in the door-pocket, and waving this at other Subies?

To check for bad u-joints: Get a large pipe-wrench (one that will open wide enough to fit the outside diameter of the drive-shaft). Grip the drive shaft with the pipe-wrench and try to rotate it first one way then the other (with the transmission in gear, and the of course the handbrake on). If you can see any movement across the u-joints, then the bearings may be shot. You can also do this by hand, trying to rotate the drive-shaft. You may see some movement in the u-joints, but only if they are very loose, and completely shot. Best to put torque on the drive-shaft with a pipe wrench.

On a related subject: I was parked on a residential street once, and went out to unlock my Subaru using the keyless remote. I heard a click from a Honda across the road. I pressed my remote again, and another click from the Honda! My remote was unlocking someone else's car. Scary!

I would vote for a Vacuum Gauge. I don't have one on my Subaru, but have installed them on other vehicles. The vacuum reading is useful, amongst other things, to help conserve fuel. A slight change in throttle position can change the inlet vacuum 'pressure' considerably. And this affects fuel consumption dramatically. Especially useful on long highway trips, but I find it helpful all the time, even around town. Just tee into any vacuum hose somewhere in the engine compartment, preferably near to the inlet manifold.

Have you tried checking for leaks around the valves? Use a 50/50 liquid-soap/water mixture, and brush it on around the base of the valve-stems, and around the top of the valve itself. Any leaks will show up as bubbles growing in the soap mixture. It seems strange though, that all tires should leak....

Could be a number of things, but I would check battery terminals first. Make sure that the +ve and ground battery clamps are clean and tight. I have had experience with old cars where this connection gets corroded and you lose electrical continuity. There may be enough of a connection to give 12V to accessories, including the starter relay; but the 12V disappears when trying to draw a high current through the starter motor. This is an easy check, so I would do it first.

Yes I vote for Craftsman too. They really do honour their guarantee. I have taken more than one socket back to be replaced due to cracking (probably my fault, not the socket's). And, as other people have noted, just about any Craftsman tool comes on sale sooner or later. I have found the Sears' salespeople very helpful; they can look up the sale schedule on the cash-register, and tell you if a particular item is due for a sale soon.

"So you have used these downloads and you have been satisfied with their content and completeness??" Yes I have download the 2002 Forester FSM. It is very detailed. As I downloaded, I renamed all of the pdf files with proper descriptions (otherwise the filenames mean nothing). I also purchased a hardcopy of the wiring diagrams (ordered through a local Subaru dealer for CAD$32); these come bound in one volume, and are easier to work with than the pdf files. A previous post has mentioned that the 1999 FSM consists of updates. You may want to check into this. Maybe a dealer's service dept. can help.

You could also try this site for help: http://www.cars101.com/subaru/keyless.html

Do you have the correct remote? Try this site for help: http://www.cars101.com/subaru/keyless.html

You can download the complete Subaru Factory Service Manual in pdf format from http://techinfo.subaru.com/html/index.jsp On that site, you have two options: 1. Pay for the downloads that you need (this will be fairly quick, but expensive); 2. Pay USD20 for 72-hour access to the download site. During the 72 hours you can download anything that you want from the site, but it takes time. The FSM consists of hundreds of individual pdf files. If you have the time (and a broadband connection), this is the way to go. The Factory Service Manuals are excellent, with lots of detail. You may also be able to buy them at Subaru Dealerships, again for a price.

I recently purchased a new remote on eBay, and it works fine. Just make sure that the Part No. is exactly the same; there are several variants out there. The reprogramming was simple; the procedure is given in the Owner's Manual. My 2002 Subaru is on the road right now, with the Owner's Manual. If you need the details, let me know and I'll post them here.