edrach

All the previous notes you have point to the alternator. And they are correct. The symptoms are pretty classic. I've have it happen three or four times already and there are countless posts in the USMB describing the same symptoms and cause. How to fix it; replacing the alternator is a pretty easy job if you want to do it yourself. I would not recommend an aftermarket rebuild, the USMB is filled with complaints there also. I would suggest someone local to give you advice. If money is no object, I would suggest Jason in parts at Mike Scarf Subaru (toll free 866-528-5282). If I remember correctly the OEM rebuilds are under $100; maybe a little more than the local autoparts store, but I think you'll find it'll be a trouble-free replacement. If you're adventurous and cheap like me, I'd head down to Pull a Part in Smokey Point and pull one from a wreck. When you have the belt off, spin the pulley by hand; take one that spins freely without noise or growling. Make sure there's no play or wobble in the pulley. Take it to a local shop and have it tested. If it tests okay, install it; if it tests bad go back to Pull a Part with your receipt and get another. This is likely the cheapest way to replace it. Lastly, have your battery checked before you install the new (or used) alternator. Faulty batteries have been known to cause the alternator to fail prematurely. Check the USRM, there may be good informantion there also. Good luck with it.

I got to see the new PAP yard at Smokey Point today. About 1/2 hour north if traffic is moving going through Everett. Nicely laid out place. All the cars are off the ground on macadam; no more crawling around in the mud. Large too, it took me 1/2 hour to walk the entire foreign car side. Found a bunch of Subarus: 8 or 9 Legacies, a half dozen Loyale/GL cars, and 4 EA81 cars; even an XT4 turbo (2WD--ask me how I know). No Imprezas or Forester at all. Aside from the traffic this will be worthwhile to hit now and then. Note to starkiller: Sorry no rear air deflectors or the right headrests for you. Take I-5 to exit 206 and head east on 172nd (forgot the state highway number). About two miles, it's the first left you find after the airport.

Call Jason in Parts at 866-528-5282 (toll free at Mike Scarff Subaru). He might ask you to send the pic to him to help him identify them, but if they can be had from Subaru he'll find them. Don't hold your breath since they were already out of stock for foglights for my '97 Impreza which is quite a bit newer. Good luck finding them.

Great job with filter housing, Skip. I haven't had any issue with my weberized Brat related to air intake, but would love to eliminate the K&N filter. On a related issue to pyro926: There are two K&N filter housings, the stock and the low profile. I have the low profile version on my Brat since the stock version interferes with the hood. I would expect to see reduced airflow with the low profile version.

Third time's the charm, ehh?

Skip is absolutely correct on that wire. Easy to miss and more easily removed when a radiator is replaced. Easy to tell: If there's one pin on the thermoswitch, you need the ground wire. If there are two pins on the thermoswitch, you don't (ground return is in the harness somewhere). Here's the ground wire Skip is talking about. This is on my '84 Brat. In the background you see one of the battery cables (battery has been removed since the car is in storage in my garage). I've replaced the wire with a slightly heavier one and you can't see this, but scrape off the paint to insure a proper ground.

Five thermostats in a row.....any chance they were installed backwards? Just a thought. Anyway, ALWAYS use OEM thermostats. As to the overheating at idle. If the fan is turning and the thermoswitch is turning it on (not sure why it would turn on at 160 degrees), check to make sure the fan blows air in the correct direction...i.e. sucks air through the radiator as if you were moving forward; not pushing hot air from the engine into the radiator. It wouldn't be the first time someone reversed the wires on the fan and it's turning in the wrong direction.

This might be old news, but it was new to me. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=subaruimpreza25&date=20080125&query=Road-rally+rocket+refined

Tentative NW schedule of events amended.

You probably saved a set of tires with the alignment too.

Thanks. I got them. I knew the limit was pretty high but 13 megs would certainly "tilt" the system.

Just a small addition to nipper's excellent suggestions. Allow the engine to run until the fan kicks in and starts to spin. This insures the engine is up to normal operating temperature when you are topping up the coolent. Let the fan cycle off and on to confirm everything is okay.

I'll take a few of those. Send them to edrach@spamcop.net. thanks. ---ed----

I'm coming into this thread late. I have to agree on the understeer. I never had issues with the front end plowing on my rallycross brat until I added the LSD to it. I'm considering adding a VLSD to my Impreza next year and I'm curious how the VLSD differs in terms of tendency to understeer as well as how it behaves at low speeds when it might be less effective than a true LSD.

If you haven't already read it, look at this thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=84248 I haven't a whole lot of faith in the after-market rebuilds. Also, there was a thread recently where the poster went through two rebuilds only to find that both times the after market place had given him the wrong model (the most expensive one to boot!). Going with an OEM for his car fixed all his problems. I think you're right to have the electrical shop in town test what you've got. If you're ever down in Seattle I can give you the name of the shop in Ballard that I trust to rebuild all my alternators.....real "old school" guy who really knows his stuff.

DVM will measure ripple also although that's a moot point since the battery acts as a large capacitor to smooth out the ripple. Important thing is to determine the DC voltage at the battery at idle (around 12VDC) and then increase the rpm to about 2500; voltage should increase to around 14 to 14.5VDC maximum. If the voltage increases above 15VDC the voltage regulator in the alternator is shot. And that would be a good reason for your headlight bulbs to burn out. Measure the voltage at the battery terminals. If you want to measure the AC voltage (ripple) then set the DVM to AC and measure it also. I'd have to check my car to see what's normal for ripple. Generally there are three important things to know about alternators: 1) DC voltage output: Is it enough to charge the battery and run your accessories. And is it limited by the regulator to 14.5 VDC so it won't damage your electrics. 2) High ripple indicates that one of the output diodes is open; but this would show up as low output (i.e. less than 12 VDC at idle). 3) Are the bearings still good; if the alternator "growls" when the engine is running it's probably time to have it replaced or rebuilt. Given the symptoms, I would bet you a beer that the Schuck's alternator's regulator has failed in yours.

The brat makes more sense for where you're going and the fact you might be hauling stuff with it. I'd certainly consider replacing both axles before you go and making sure everything works. No sense having a problem with it "out in the boonies." And I'm not sure either axle will last being towed cross country.

By the way, I replaced my battery today. I didn't experience any problems with the lights flashing. Maybe the '99 Forester system is different, or I did all the right things. I disabled the alarm before I started, removed the battery and installed the new one. When I hooked up the negative terminal the alarm went off and I turned it off with the keyfob thingy. After that everything was normal. I wish you the same success. Edit: By the way, I had the ignition off before I started and never turned it on during the battery replacement.

Do you have a digital voltmeter? It's pretty easy to check out the alternator voltage. The lights shouldn't dim when you apply the brakes. There's definitely an issue here you need to follow up on. Did your dealer do the alternator and battery? If so, go back and have them check it out. Even if they say it's okay, go to any autoparts store and get a second opinion.

I moved out here in 1988 from Wilmington, DE and grew up in northern NJ. I had nothing against NJ and knew the area better than most (my wife and I were active car rallyists until we moved to Wilmington; then we cut back on our activities). Only thing I miss about the east coast is friends who I've known for 30+ years. This area (Seattle) has everything you could want within a 2 hour drive in terms of land or scenery. Seattle has an active bio-medical industry which will increase in the next few years due to Paul Allen's development of the Lake Union area. So you shouldn't have too much trouble finding work. Salaries might be lower than back east (locals tend not to move just for a salary increase) but that's offset by living in a great area. Housing, however, can be pricey. Commuting can be a chore, but our local traffic is nothing compared to what I remember in north Jersey and NYC. Weather is generally mild around the Puget Sound. Winters are not nearly as cold as I remember in NJ and the summers don't get as hot. The only thing is you need to be able to put up with the grey and the drizzle for 6 months of the year. If that depresses you, you might consider staying back east. Take a vacation out here and get to know the area before you make the "great leap." Good luck with your decision and if you come out for a "look-see" let us know you're here.

She's pretty stoked with it.

It's a model S with the power locks and security system, alloy wheels, and heated:banana: seats. It's pretty posh compared to what we've been used to. Best part is that it's a 5 speed with fairly low miles for a '99 (114K). We've looked at more than a dozen Foresters in the last two months (and never bothered to look at another two dozen because the price or the miles were outrageous).

They are pretty scarce here too. I've only snagged two in over 5 years of pretty consistent PAP addiction.

Actually, it was posted on the Toyota Motorhomes yahoo site I frequent. But I couldn't resist posting it here.

I had the same problem on our old '86 GL wagon. Turns out the voltage regulator on the alternator was toast and outputting 17+ volts to the headlights! Have the alternator checked quickly, since if it's the alternator there are much more expensive parts to fry other than the headlamp bulbs. Good luck with it and I hope it was just a bad batch of bulbs.