1 Lucky Texan

that's a big hint - you have a broken or severely damaged control arm or bushing mount or.....?

i'm stumped - perhaps the front end damage has bent the frame? seems 'unlikely' to be a trans problem - suspension or axle issue most likely tie rods seem OK? no odd 'pulling' when driving or accelerating? maybe someone can suggest a soob-experienced mechanic near your city.

details on car please and is it new to you? does the car have a lift? have you considered swapping in the axle from the other side? how are the lower control arm bushings? have you measured the compressed length of the axle? is it proper for your car?

if yours is like this drawing - it's number 22 http://opposedforces.com/parts/forester/us_s10/type_12/climate/heater_system/illustration_4/

check www.opposedforces.com? handy sometimes

nice! better than grinding it out myself! those risers/mani will fit my 06 WRX 2.5? will my injectors move over? if you have a set/one to sell, how much to buy and ship one to DFW area? (this means I'll have to re-learn how to use ECU flash to kill some codes too right?) might be a nice future project. Right now I'm looking at some strut replacement work.

threw p2012 again yesterday. Cleared and it hasn't returned - yet I suspect either the battery is getting weak - or it's time to fog for mosquitoes again!

WRX got a 4-corner brake job - very, very close to the backing plate on one rear caliper - glad that's done. dangit if one of the tabs on the bottom part of the intake filter box isn't broken on this car? had to rig zip-ties to try to make sure it seals. Our Outback had the same problem, that bottom part on it is around $150 I had to postpone maintenance on my WRX, should have don it last month. Still needs oil change and a/c repaired. I also have a strut mount that is cracking - great, I'll probably put new KYB struts on the front and get group n mounts. Just not great timing for me money-wise....

went up Rampart Range Rd. a few miles - awesome views, easy drive though surface very rough(wonder if dropping 3-4 pounds from the tires would help?). But, I saw no ruts or wash-outs. Went in the middle of the week, saw 4 other vehicles. highly recommended - hoping to go farther next time I visit. https://goo.gl/photos/y6hpNgjEEypgY6U7A https://goo.gl/photos/GGdYMmesxKNFMU4k8 ritzy 'enclave' up there!; https://goo.gl/photos/WXckpHqpHsaacJWGA

yeah, I was wondering about that - rodent damage, corrosion....?

the dipstick level is already a coupla inches higher on a sitting trans vs an idling trans so, I'm not convinced any more fluid is gonna go where it needs to go...? aren't wet clutch plates jammed into each other on pre 05 autos if the trans isn't running? probably still need to unhook the driveshaft but, I'm not sure. but I'm willing to learn if this is really a good approach interesting

you could use some chalk to mark the bottom of each tire, then drive forward for - 10 revolutions ? w'ever of a front tire, then look ath the chalk marks again.

consider a pre-purchase inspection. If soobs have been thru more than one owner, it's easy for them to have been abused. A good shop should know where to look for issues. RUN if you see mis-matched tires. start locating a soob-friendly independent repair shop near you. Ask about pre-purchase inspection as well as if they have a customer thinking about selling.

low use is considered 'severe duty' so, 'catching-up' on skipped maintenance PLUS doing a repair is gonna be expensive if you pay for someone else's labor.

does the hard start relate to how long the car sits? (does kinda seem like it's flooding)

well, for car models that have a version with a wing, there are thicker/stronger bars to cope with the extra weight. But I think your trunk behavior is close to normal. I suppose you could order new heavy bars but, that could damage hinges I'm thinking. did you check for broken parts? is the there any sign the car has been rear-ended? I suppose if there's evidence the trunk got an excessive amount of use by a salesperson or delivery jobs (....?) it may be possible for the bars to be a weakened - maybe get some from a low miles junkyard car or buy new ones?

that doesn't seem unreasonable but - there may be an adjustment inside the trunk? I have seen sedans in the past with some type of slots or other option to adjust the lift force I think....? did a quick search - some folks have a support piece sheared off or broken; http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/trunk-torsion-bars-can-someone-post-pictures-diagrami-117466p2.html evidently they ARE tricky to work on. If you find a problem inside there, maybe the car had been rear-ended in the past? I might ask a coupla collision shops how much to repair if something is actually broken.

live data or possibly freezframe data from a scan might tell you what temperature is being reported to the ECU .

good macgyvering! kinda wonder if the engine temp sensor or it's wiring could be bad? the gauge on the dash is a separate sensor. (hope you checked coolant level in the radiator - don't rely on the o'flow bottle's level in an urgent situation)

the presence of the switch seems to indicate the previous owner knew the car had a problem - so, Duty Solenoid C or wear/grooves in the 'basket' in the tail of the trans are causing the wet clutch plates to jam. (if use of the switch helps, chances are good the Duty C Solenoid is OK, and possibly the wet clutch pack) BUT, othe rissues might be at play - all 4 tires MUST be the same brand/size/model and near each other in wear. If a mismatched trans or rear differential have been installed, you will have binding.

I do think the CPS code needs investigating. but, anothe culprit could be flooding. The next time the problem occurs, HOLD the gas pedal to the floor. This signals the ECU to cut-off fuel ('clear flood' mode) because, , on many cars, a cold start followed by - say - backing the car out of a garage, shutting it off, getting out to close a garage door, OR any similar procedure, can cause the car to flood. Or, leave the car running if safe to do so.

tortured it driving in the worst conditions imaginable

bajamikey - what gear oil is in the trans? some folks report synchro 'clashing' with full synthetic lube. dino GL-5 or maybe the walmart synth blend usually work better.

you should confirm that a thermostat is in place that is OEM or conforms to the OEM specs.

There may be some full synthetics that don't work well in the MT, I have read of many people that have 'clashing' because of the difference in synchronizer speed over the use of conventional GL-5 in the MT. some manuals have a different weight listed for the rear diff than the MT, but many folks use the same fluid so, I guess it's what you're comfortable with. Synthetic is fine for the rear diff BTW. Subaru trans oil would be fine, many choices of course. There's a very affordable synthetic-blend at Walmart that some folks use - , I've used Redline Lightweight Shockproof and really like it in my WRX, at present it has Amsoil Severe gear which seems OK - no clashing this winter that I noticed,( but feels more 'notchy/scrape-y' than the shockproof did), all the way up through Motul ...., lot's of fluids/prices.