Atomic Robot

Well, I don't know what's up at this point... Got a coupon for a cheap oil change at the dealer and didn't feel like doing it myself in this weather, so I also had them pressure test the cooling system. According to the mechanic, there were no leaks. The service manager mentioned that they checked bolts for proper tightness, etc. so I guess nothing major is wrong. I don't think they drove it long enough for the coolant smell to appear, though.

It's been really cold around here lately, and over the past couple of days I've started to notice what I believe is the smell of coolant coming from the heating vents. Up until now I've really only been using the windshield setting to clear off fog, but yesterday I had the heater cranked and noticed the smell. Smelled it again on my way home from work today. Checked under the hood and didn't see anything out of the ordinary; coolant level in the overflow was the same as when I looked at it a week ago / no bubbles or strange smells coming from the tank / didn't see any obvious leakage on the engine. What's going on?

Thanks for the suggestions. I just thought it was really strange that it was only on the new windshield and not on any of the other windows.

This is a new one on me, so I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced it: Went out to my car after work yesterday (coldest weather so far this year in Cleveland with a below zero wind chill). There was a little frost on a couple of windows which I scraped off, but when I got to the windshield I realized that the frost was on the INSIDE and covered the entire window. Not wanting a bunch of ice scrapings all over the interior, I sat there for 10 minutes while the defroster slowly cleared it. Of note here is the fact that this windshield was relpaced a couple of weeks ago by Safelite- would that have anything to do with it? Of all the cars I've owned throughout the years, I've never seen anything like this. Does anyone sell a window cleaner that might prevent this from happening in the future?

That's why I finally got rid of my '93 a couple of months ago- replaced the front brakes $300 and temp sensor (to keep it running) another $180, but still needed back brakes and O2 sensor and... at least another $600. Beginnings of some rust and just wanting a change were also factors. Maybe it's a sign.

I've only figured my mileage once since I bought my '01 in late November. 19+ mpg / mostly stop & go driving.

I saw them at the front counter display when I was in Advance Auto Parts the other day; I believe they were around $20 a piece.

Fixed the dead bulb in the 3rd brake light the other day- the easiest one I've ever replaced; pry off 2 small covers, remove two screws, pop out old bulb and push in a new one. Five minutes + $1 for the replacement bulb. Today I was getting anxious to fix the cruise control switch, so when I got home from work I tried to get the trim panel apart. It was looking like I might have to use something to pry it off, but I realized that I could get a finger between the steering column and the trim piece. I sort of pulled it up and toward me, and it popped right out, no problem. Disconnected the 3 switches and brought the whole thing inside to work on. Fixing the mini bulbs was easier than I thought- see the link that alias posted for reference. The first one took 5 minutes. I re-connected the switches and everything was working, but the new bulb was noticeably brighter than the others so I replaced them as well- only took about 2 minutes apiece this time around. Last thing left to tackle are the seat heater switches which are a bit more intimidating since I understand they must be disassembled to get to the bulbs. At some point I'll take them out and have a look to see if I think I can rebuild them.

"Head gaskets are under the 5/100 warranty, and I think Subaru has a hidden extended warrenty for this particular gasket leak" Alias- how would you find out if this were the case; would it show up as a TSB somewhere?

Forgot to add this important information: Quotes from dealer service department... Replace Lamp in 3rd Brake Light: $27 Replace Shifter Console Bulb: $50 Replace Cruise Switch Assy: $100 Didn't get a price on the Seat Heater Switches, but think that it's safe to assume another $100 apiece for a grand total of $377 :madder: DIY price = less than $10 and maybe a couple hours of work, tops. Did I mention how happy I was to find all this how-to info here on USMB? :-)

Just a guess, but maybe they pre-wire for fog lights from the factory...

I had some free time at lunch today, so I took apart the center console; the woodgrain trim came off easily, just as you described- thanks, alias. Popped it up from the back and sort of gently worked each side free. It took a little work to get the bulb socket unscrewed- very awkward to get to, but i was able to twist it out with my index fingers. When I got it apart, I saw that it was much different from the Radio Shack micro-bulbs I got for the switches; this is a much bigger bulb that is flat at the bottom where the contacts are. RS didn't have anything that even remotely resembled it, so I drove down the street to the dealer. The parts guy was really helpful- he looked it up in the book and (no surprise) Subaru only sells the bulb+socket assembly for the bargain price of $10.99. He said that seemed pretty stupid, took a look at the bulb and determined that it was a universal type. We couldn't read anything on it, but he handed me a 3W replacement and said to give it a try- no charge. I plugged it in and it seems to work fine although I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as the original. Under better light I can see that it says "S14V", but I can't read what's written underneath. That's one down...

Thanks again, alias- now I just have to find the time; probably not 'til after the holidays... BTW- I read the old "Climate Control Backlight" thread from 2001 again and realized that the backlights in the seat heater switches were fried as well. Since neither of them worked, I never knew they WERE backlit. So... Cruise Control (dead) + Fog Lights & Wiper Heater (to match) + Shifter Console (dead) + 2 x Seat Heater (dead) = 6 total. I also found that one of my 3rd Brake Light bulbs is gone, too. Man- what is it with late-model Subies and light bulbs? I had my '93 for 7 years and never had to replace a single one! :cornfuzz:

Thanks, alias- I forgot to ask about the woodgrain around the cruise switch. The center console light is the one I was wondering about- it looks like I might be able to get the trim off without tools as well, but I'm not sure which direction to pull- toward the driver's side, straight back, or what?

I found some great references here on the USMB about how to replace the backlight bulb for my cruise control switch, but still need some info about changing the bulb for the autotrans gear shift indicator: #1- how do I get the woodgrained trim piece off without breaking it; where do I pry it off (it doesn't seem to have any screws)? #2- where is the bulb located? Do I need to remove anything else? #3- part number / can I find one at Radio Shack when I pick up the bulb for the cruise control? Thanks.

Personally, I'd go with one of the '99s. That said, what's the warranty on a '99- I thought it was 60K mi.

Thanks- I was afraid of that. I found one at subaruparts.com for $107 + $10 shipping, but I'm not gonna drill. Dealer price is $137- installation is another $150. I think I'll have them put one on eventually, but first I've got to pony-up $550 for the 60K mi service that the previous owner skipped. I haven't seen the front deflectors- I'll have to look into those, as well.

I'm thinking about getting a spoiler for my wagon, but was wondering if there's any drilling involved in the installation- I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing that on my own...

Very cool. Thanks!

Is there anything out there? Haynes.com's newest book is for '90-'98 and Chilton's only goes through '96...

Takami- If you're still watching this thread; first you'll notice I changed my username- since I traded the 93L it didn't make sense any more so I picked something generic... Anyway- I got the Outback checked out at Ganley East, and it was a night-and-day difference from my experiences at the aforementioned OTHER dealer. First thing I noticed was that there was actually a substantial inventory of Subarus on the lot. This is a standalone dealership; not splitting time between Subaru and VW. The service desk has a board with prices for common work (no mystery quotes) and the manager was very helpful- he found an open recall on the computer before I could even ask about it. They did a thorough inspection for $19.95 and took care of the recall work. I ended up with a report of service that would be due soon with quotes- very professional all around. Just for kicks I asked for a price on a spoiler and it wasn't that much more than a quote I got from one of the online suppliers- the other dealer quoted me double the price. So all in all, I got a good first impression from these guys- if their place in Lakewood is up to the same standards I'd recommend them when dealer service is required.

I put ceramic pads on my '00 Odyssey van a couple of months ago and the main things I've noticed are 1) no metallic "sqeaking" and 2) almost no black brake dust on the alloy rims. They seem to perform just like the stock pads otherwise. Since they're new, I'm not qualified to comment on any sort of long-term wear issues.

"the Forester fogs are more car jewelry than anything else" I feel the same way about the fogs on my Ouback- are they similar to the ones on the Forester (or the same)? I was hoping they'd be more useful. If anyone finds a good retrofit/replacement solution please share!

I do visual effects work, mostly for TV spots- does that count?

"You can also get the repair history directly from SoA customer service" Still waiting for my paperwork to come through from the purchase, then I'll be on this- to their credit, SOA won't cough up any info unless you can show proof of ownership.