1 Lucky Texan

Aside from reports of Foresters delivered with high pressure, I think you're correct, that the manufacturers would like you to experience a soft ride. I've found on the few cars I've owned in my life that , on average, about 10% over the rec. pressures gives me the most even wear. I'm sure there must be exceptions and watching the tire wear and monitoring handling/ride quality is the best approach.

I would tend to believe it, I just choose to be cautious and stick close to the manual's recommendation. I do not believe 'average' drivers need to change dino oil every 3K either. But I would never tell someone they were wrong for doing it. Check www.bobistheoilguy.com for some interesting discussions based mostly on UOA (used oil analysis). That is probably the best way to determine the longest acceptable drain interval for any oil. It has a lot to do with acid buffering ability, viscosity changes, fuel contamination, etc. And will be different for different cars, mileages, driving conditions, etc.

Yep. I try to keep to a 5-6K schedule, but I know i have some 'overhead' with Mobil 1. Certainly plenty of folks have gotten great service out of 'dino' oil and modern oils will last much longer, in modern engines, than ever before. I am just in a position where I can afford the xtra protection. Also, do not be shocked by how much darker synthetic appears at the drain intervals. It isn't due to the extended time as much as synthetic's ability to keep 'varnish' in suspension (solution?) better than refined oil. Otherwise it gets left behind on internal surfaces.

Well, it may be a bushing that is responsible for the noise - but the 'clear viscous fluid' part of the story is odd. I'd be tempted to seek another mechanic's opinion if that is possible for you. There are many possible sources of noise in the suspension area. Regardless, insist on being shown the offending part and have the mechanic explain how he diagnosed the issue and to give you the bad part when he has completed the repair.

Along the same idea - maybe the shafts could be swapped side to side as well?

1mm = approx. .040" (18 ga. AWG) fyi

The complaint can't be the WRXes as they have racing style seats now. maybe the Legacys? I would ask the the dealership - I certainly can't imagine that being correct - they'd have a LOT of complaints. perhaps the 'dope-slap' (anti-whiplash) mechanism has been triggered in the one you drove? Are the rests removable and just placed in backwards? I dunno

Actuallyt, that idea sounded good to me. And if this muffler were a little louder - I'd probably keep my stocker and do as you do for longer trips. But, we usuallly take the Outback when we travel, and , hopefully, my stock muffler will sell to someone and I can recover a little of the cost of the sport muffler. I think, if I had lifted the car more and reversed one of the bolts, I might've gotten the torque wrench on both of them. I didn't trust using it on just one - prefering the symmetry of having them face the same way and using my own power for both sides. Perhaps a smaller torque wrench (3/8" drive?) would have cleared the heat shield? I dunno. Fortunately also, the Stromung flange was an excellent match - seemed perfectly parallel, so that gave me some confidence as well. If it is leaking I cannot detect it. the twin tips look good too - and no clearance issues with the sube hitch.

Well, do I tell you what you want to hear, or the truth? Yeah, the gasket that came with it seemed to have some kind of metallized/fibrous material with the metal ring in the center. In all fairness, the stock gasket seemed the same - not sure though. The supplied bolts were better than stock so I used them instead of re-using the stock ones. I did use copper based sealant. Oh, and to additionally disappoint my mentor, with the equipment on hand I was unable to use the torque wrench, so I swithced to 3/8" drive breaker and used heavy/medium-heavy force by hand. sorry Carl

You might check the marketplace forums here and at http://www.nasioc.com for STi or WRX takeoffs. http://www.tirerack.com usually has some specials running and you might even be able to select your exact vehicle and color while browsing through their wheels.

You might consider speaking to Emily at CCR. I dunno it they have just heads or not but they may be able to advise you at least. http://www.ccrengines.com/ no connection, interest blah,blah

The short and best answer - flat bed. Next best answer is, check your manual under towing. You don't mention which transmission, if you have a dolly, if there is a flat or any damage to the running gear etc. NEVER tow ANY AWD Soob with only 2 wheels on the ground, it'll either twist off to the side of the road or destroy the differential. A GUESS on my part would be; manual tranny, tranny and differential fluids intact, all 4 good wheels (no flats, no mixed sizes/donut spares, no damaged drivetrain components, etc.), key in ACC position - 4 wheels on the ground should be OK. Auto-tranny. NOT a good idea. Even though some manuals say you can do it with all 4 on the ground. You're limited to under 20mph and 31 miles distance. Now, why do you think that is? Cause it's a bad idea. No fluid being circulated. Be careful - braking and steering will be MUCH more difficult. DO NOT idle the engine while towing either! Remeber to EASE the slack outta the chain. You DID find the front tow point and the tow hook in the tool kit right?

Well, the install went OK. The Stromung seems to be built very well. Some of the weld seems are very narrow - but they appear even and solid. The flange is thicker than the stock unit. The looks are very good. It could perhaps be very slightly moved more outboard, but the trailer hitch may be causing a slight illusion. It does clear the hitch quite well. Probably no more likely to ever hit/rub than stock. The sound is probably even better than I had expected! I'm very happy. Idling, a trip around the neighborhood and a run on the highway with windows down, up and radio on. all were just what I wanted. VERY deep rumble, never tinny/clattering. It wasn't cheap, and I doubt there's much performance improvement - but now the car has an appropriate sound. Also, props to Dale at boxer4racing, he made me feel very confident about the purchase with several emails. And thanx for the great help from the Forum too!

Did someone install a lightened flywheel? There are reports of driveability problems at low speed with lighter flywheels. I dunno

http://www.tirerack.com has some nice wheels, even a way to see what they look like on your body style and color. Plus they have calculaters to help with plus sizing,etc. Depending on what you want to do with your car will determie what tires to get. Wider tires sometimes just alter the shape of the contact patch a little. Selecting the proper compound, tread pattern, heat/speed rating for conditions is more important that just width. I don't know how much your stock wheels weigh, but a wheel/tire combo from tirerack or http://www.subydude.com might be a good move for you. Take a look at Rota wheels, SSR, Kosei, etc. affordable, light wheels. Lots more if you've got money. I just bought an '06 WRX wagon Aspen White and I really want some white SSRs - though my first choice was Kosei couble racers. anyway, look around. Also, on the marketplace forum here and over at http://www.nasioc.com and on ebay ,etc. you can sometimes get STi takeoffs.

There should someway to 'sticky' or add a coolant fill FAQ. I'd vote for the one Setright created, or 3-4 better ones as a group or something. A week doesn't go by without coolant and torque bind questions. There should be an easily linked reference to send folks to.

Try parking it with the nose way up. A curb, slanted driveway, ramps/whatever. Turn on heater. Run till circulation starts with rad cap off, monitor coolant level - top up as required. Fill o'flow bottle appropriately. replace rad cap and park normally. Let engine cool. Monitor o'flow bottle after engine has cooled and top off if req. Drive and monitor heat, coolant levels for a few drive cycles. Also confirm rad fans are working and hoses get hot. If problem persists, investigate head gaskets, water pumps and clogged rad. Carl

Is it possible the audio work was begun before the battery was disconnected and they shorted something - maybe taking out a diode pack? I will say batteries can fail in some odd ways - at least here in Texas they rarely last for more than 3-4 years due to the heat. I did have a battery last almost 5 years once - a Yuasa in my Civic wagon. Now I try to buy the Autozone 'Gold'/whatever, already had one full replacement on a daughter's car doing that. Died 3 months before the 3 year full replacement was up. Carl

Yeah, its like, as long as the airbags are intact,ECU and tranny and engine OK, keep the car no matter what. Airbags are, like, $800 each! My new Soob has 4 of 'em!

Fascinating. If you want to fool around with it, instead of taking it to a different mechanic, the first thing I'd try is swapping LR, RR rotors. (I'd of course inspect them and the backing plates). See if the problem either goes away, stays on the right (possible wheel bearing issue) or travels with the rotor (then what?). My bet is on wheel bearing but a ringing noise does seem odd. I suppose a whistling noise could be a torn grease boot or something. I dunno

Try a little vinegar - or the vinegar windex as suggested above.

I think they were refering to the 'diode trio' inside the alt. I HAVE seen one car (an Oldsmobile we had)that the alt light was on VERY dimly and it was the alt that was bad. But other cars, it was some general weirdness as already mentioned that ended up being caused by a bad alt. Maybe instead of a voltmeter there needs to be a 'ripple' detector to let us know when the alt diodes go bad. I dunno

My daughter's Nissan does it too. Most likely to happen after an unusually cool night if the fluid level is marginal. Could this also be an indication the brake fluid needs to be flushed out/replaced? maybe too much moisture in the system makes it contract more? i dunno

Is it possible to inspect it? Perhaps the shop used a non-Subaru part that is marked differently? (any indication of that on the repair history for the other parts?) Is there any mention in the labor side of the ticket of TB replacement? Is there a numerical amount recorded that is approx. the right price for a TB with a blank or duplicate part description next to it? too bad, but yeah, you may need to change it to be safe. Think of it as karma for the mistaken price reduction! lol! Carl

Glad you're fixed up! I sometimes get sudden squealing from the front right seat if my wife doesn't like the way I take clover-leafs!