1 Lucky Texan

I'm pretty sure OBDII allows for 'some' manufacturer specific codes, but most will be 'universal'. And, there are 4 (IIRC) 'protocols' for communication. The emissions sticker - usually on the underside of the hood?, should have OBDII printed on it if that's the system installed. might look similar to; what codes are you getting or are you having problems reading the codes?

I think, instead of driving to the dealership tomorrow, he'd drive to NAPA instead.

gotcha - you could price the same part numbers from on-line dealers (like subarugenuineparts) and ask if your dealership will match prices. I got a couple of items from my dealership that way. they matched one price and 'almost' matched another. good luck!

good post - pretty much how I feel. I'm saving money with my own labor, so I upgrade where possible, but never downgrade.

first, is that quote from your local dealership? Some online sources would probably be cheaper - like subarugenuineparts, maybe fredbeans, etc. generaldisorder and some other experts here seem to have a good source on ebay. maybe they will chime in.

LOL! now I think of it, I've been to Moscow Texas!

no experience with that but, any questionable connections might create a problem for the car audio - or an alternator going bad. Even cut traces on the hatch window defroster has been reported as making radio static.

your english is excellent.

As I do different things on my cars, I always retighten grounds when I see them. I dunno if I'd take the time to hunt them all down unless I was having problems related to them. If I lived in wetter/salted roads parts of the country, I'd probably retighten them and then smear dielectric grease on them.

look on the sheet metal right beside the battery.

If there's enough slack (unlikely) you can cut the old term. off, strip back some insulation, and put the new term. on. Otherwise, you may need to buy the entire cable from a dealer. If it is old (4-7-10 years?) it likely has corrosion creeping down the strands inside the insulation anyway so, a new cable is better that what you have now.

maybe pull plugs to see if one is wet?

A/C clutch? I dunno

around here, batteries last an average of about 3 years. I don't have an Optima, but for about the same money as Autozone's top of the line, I got O'Reilly's supreme/super start w'ever battery (I think it's made by DEKA ?) which is some kinda advanced technology (AGM with silver ?) and a true zero maintenance. There is no way to add or check the electrolyte. (And less corrosion on top so far) Very long replacement and pro-rate warranty too. So far, it's been fine. Other folks that are into motorsports want lightweight batteries. And, as mentioned some folks might have high-demand accessories. So, there could be good reasons to 'upgrade' for some folks.

If yours are worn out, expect ANY new struts to feel tight/stiff. I just put KYB on my wife's outback last fall, no regrets. You might consider new strut mounts too. Inspect the boots, I just moved mine over, but if they are torn you may need to order some.

You could try the old test for stuck exhaust valve, hold a strip of paper at the tailpipe while cranking. If it 'sucks in' then there may be some bad valve timing. Another thought, (carefully) take the hose loose at the fuel filter and see if there's pressure. There is an odd failure to some fuel pumps on this model. maybe just no fuel is being sent to the injectors.

there are posts on this and other subaru forums too. But an 05 is unfamiliar to me, but any PS system sucking in air will have a problem. Again, monitor the PS fluid tank. I had to remove the intake runner - 2 bolts, to get a good eye on mine. It was bubbling and foaming. After I fixed it with an o-ring from Ace Hardware, it just showed a little flow, no more bubbles. I also, used a small hose attached to a acheap turkey baster to replace much of the fluid with the owner's manual recommended fluid as the old fluid was quite dark and I assumed contaminated with moisture from the suction leak. Quite and working fine now. Of course, you could have a completely different problem.

any t'stat other than from the dealer is suspect. Stant Xacstat might be OK but I don't think there's been a lot of feedback on those yet. There's another brand out there too that seems like a direct replacement. Certainly, typical small aftermarket t'stats are known problems. Also, the system is prone to holding air pockets. Some people even recommend parking with the nose up on a curb to help move air out of (burp) the system. There are several ways to proceed. Are you losing fluid or is the overflow bottle filling up? Are there bubbles in the coolant? Seems like your radiator fans are working OK, but doublecheck them. Is the coolant clean and clear? has the system been well maintained?

look in the PS fluid tank while idling - are there ANY bubbles or foam? If so, there is air being sucked into the system. Not sure about 05s, but there are threads about known problems with previous year models and bad seals/hoses. Easy fix on those.

Are you losing fluid? Do you have noise or other symptoms when idling or turning the wheel? Any drips under the car? Anyway, you can take your car to another shop for a second opinion/quote if you are unsure about the diagnosis/price.

I'd pass on those unless you want to risk rubbing the tires and reducing the lifespan of the wheel bearings. I dunno if they are hub-centric or you'd need an adapter or not.

definitely triple-check all hose routing after any major work and try a new PCV valve.

contact MWE ; Phone: (303) 522-8070 Fax: (303) 695-4984 If they can't help, reboot and swap sides with yours, or get junkyard axles, reboot/regrease and swap sides. Cardone might work for you, but it's the most risky option from what I've read.

cool! I would never have been that lucky!

EMPI from RockAuto or Amazon(they are new and properly case hardened.) MWE is a well respected rebuilder of Subaru axles. maybe Raxles Supposedly, rebuilts from the dealer are good. Everyone seems to agree the worst are from parts retailers like A'Zone, O'reilly, etc. you can start some arguments with this question, like engine oil discussions. You can reboot them yourself - but it sounds like you need more than just a boot on one of yours. Somefolks will swap sides so the force is on 'almost' new surfaces. Personally, I have an EMPI on the wife's Outback. Zero problems so far. (do not torque with the wheel on the ground)