1 Lucky Texan

The way the market is, I'm sure they want trade-ins. But, their 'model' is still, make money on the used car lot.

premium fuel? may need live data to see where timing is....?

made it Colorado. got some help from user lmdew with a gummy hood latch. Seems better now. I think a cool morning here was enough to make it not re-latch.

I feel there's a better than 50/50 chance extraction tools could be loaned-out by a parts store. Call around local NAPA, PepBoys, Advance Auto, etc. The cost of even good tools for a job like this is still often less than paying a shop for the work, plus, all the one-time-use tools I have, I figure my SILs will inherit, or, they get sold in a garage sale. Folks show-up at garage sales early to snag used tools. They will still have value.

if it leaks, and fails to pull coolant back in from the overflow bottle, that could be a recipe for disaster. Until this is solved, be certain to check coolant level in the radiator itself, don't trust the overflow bottle's level. perhaps the thermostat is failing to open completely?

CAFE rules are forcing some changes in aerodynamics (my guess), and that seems to mean less visibility. My wife's '21 CR-V would be pretty tricky in reverse without the back-up camera. But I agree in general, it may be the electronics that 'totals' a car in the future, sending more to an early grave in the wrecking yard.

You guys have no clue what an awesome resource lmdew is for parts!. The volume of his home dedicated to them is huge. he helped me with a hood latch problem (I swear, I lubed 20 points on the car before I left, the one that failed was the one I missed....) Nice meeting him today, he is a true fan of the brand.

I learned on a forum, that heating a thread interface, then (carefully, smoke OK, no fires!) spraying with penetrant can pull the fluid into the rust as cooling causes any gas in side to contract. Not as helpful as Jonathan's approach, but you could try it a few times over a coupla days. Also, try TIGHTENING too. You have to bust the rust and working back-&-forth might help.

paging @scalman and @pontoontodd

if it's just the code, you might be able to flash the ecu and kill it off. depends on the definitions available I guess.

Oh, I strongly suspect it did and still is affecting Subaru's reputation. LG has a suit against them for refrigerator compressors, yet Folks are buying them left and right and they populate Consumer Reports list-tops in ratings. In Texas, therre is a very popular ice cream company that KILLED someone with bacteria and lied about it. Folks could not WAIT for the product to return to the shelves...... forgive and forget I suppose.

breaker bar is gonna be better than a ratchet - and you may need to put a 'cheater pipe' over the handle as well. Pipe is a very common 'hacke' to get more leverage. I had to use a floor jack on the end of a breaker bar to bust the fill and drain plugs loose on a rear diff. And there was no rust. Many parts stores have equipment to loan out. They may have some 3/4 drive breaker bars. Maybe even some power stuff like an electric impact. Or heavy equipment rental cos might(like the fork lift and stump grinder rental places), call/ask around. If the hitch came with new bolts, don't be afraid to use the 'blue wrench'. Heat can sometimes help encourage things to move.

I know auto and oil engineering is trending better, but I also think the cost of new cars is contributing to the average age of cars on the road. I think it's close to 13 years now? yeah, over 12 years; https://www.wsj.com/articles/average-u-s-vehicle-age-hits-record-12-years-11623680640

the problem is getting long in the tooth now. If there ever was a CALS, I don't remember it. I bet you can pick almost any car maker though, and search google with its name plus the phrase 'class action law suit' and find several. My Brother-in-law's Hybrid Camry suffered a seized engine DURING an excess oil use test! Personally, I think it's sad that there are basic issues like head gaskets, wheel bearings, piston ring lands and other areas that should have decades of good engineering experience behind them - that still suffer early failures. Other makes have stuff like this come-up too. Yes, the 2016 CAFE standards are very tough, but some of these issues aren't related to that.

awesome, already better this morning, likely the hotel mattress didn't help but, more comfy at my Daughter's home. talk at you later.....

make certain it will take fuel without shutting-off the nozzle prematurely (MIL had to have the tank replaced.....ugh) I think there can be an issue with loose cabin rearview mirror - minor really.

next 2 tanks were 22.8 and 22.5 . wind and maybe 91 octane. fuel went up almost a buck crossing into CO ! This morning, I thought there was some missing at idle on cold start, but didn't detect it at any other stop....no cel but, might check for pending. shoulders and neck hurting too. might try different tilt/seating arrangement on the way back in a few days.

car ran really great today. One scary moment, none of the vehicles in front of me swerved, then, there's this instant road gator right in the middle of my lane! I just managed to 'translate' over ontothe rumble strip to pass to the left of it. The vehicles in front of me(big rigs and pick-ups) must have straddled it but it looked kinda long to me. All I'd need to have happen is tag one end of it with the inner shoulder of a tire and it would probably destroy the underside of my car somehow! The one fill-up I've checked was 25mpg. that's cruise set variously on 70-75-80. may have started with a tailwind, but got a heavier head/cross wind later. had some rain in 2-3 areas too. Car may be 'wandering' slightly. Could be the coupla extra lbs/psi I added in the tires. maybe have the alignment checked later on. never been aligned. Probably check the oil level in the morning. Considering dropping tire pressure but, not a big concern, just curious. seen an older lady in an Outback Sport in Vernon (eat at Bevo's if you're ever there and want a good burger) Saw another Impreza pass me, had some red lettering on the left in the back. Dark color with the crossbars on. I'm not good at picking out year-models) overnighting in Amarillo. My hip starts hurting after a coupla hours and really can't do the trip 'one and done' anymore. stupid bursitis. probably go over the the Texan for a steak in a few minutes. MMMmmmmm - steak........

If you decide to skip, check the bolts. I found some were barely finger tight, but,don't over-torque the VC bolts . The value is quite low and they have been known to snap.

sometimes a thrown rod can act like a ratchet pawl and the engine only turns in one direction.

But, I made the Earth's atmosphere thinner by sequestering some air in my tire so, less aerodynamic drag.

you guys with older cars, check your spare's pressure. In prepping for a trip to CoSpgs, I was giving my WRX a LOOONG overdue bit of basic cleaning, decide to check the air pressure in the spare - yeah, it was under 10psi.!!! I guess I had never checked it in 15 years. lubed the lock cylinders, some hinges and handles, etc. too. Pre-loaded some cargo as it may be raining here in the next day or 2.

see what alternate plugs are recommended by NGK at their website....?

you need to confirm what Ido said about the belt and cogged idler AT MINIMUM, they should be OEM or Mitsuboshi(belt) and Japanese bearings(Koyo or other) in the idler.(if he show it was OEM or an Aisin kit - should be fine) There are aftermarket kits with very poor quality parts - $$$$ if that system fails. It is an interference engine and valve damage will occur. a 'belt slap' only is not appropriate service. If the seller cannot confirm the source of the parts, figure that price into a reduced offer. After a warm-up run on the test drive, make sure the car can do tight turns in a dry, paved parking lot without bucking/jerking.

give your Dad a hug. I'm an orphan now, can't hug my parents anymore. And yeah, wish I felt as good about waking up everyday as my old dog. Everyday is the best day ever for that guy!