lytnin88

The remote door opener on my '03 Forrester is acting flakey. Internittant operation. I think the transmitter is OK--changed battery recently and the little LED comes on when I push a button. So, I think problem is in the sensor. Where is sensor located, and what might be wrong with it?

I have an '03 Forester with 70K miles on it. Owner's manual says to replace timing belt at 105K miles, but I read in a Chilton manual that timing belt on 2.5 L engine should be replaced at 60K miles. Whom should I believe? How difficult is it to change?

Go to AutoZone if you have one in your area. You can borrow their OBD II scanner for free and reset codes with it.

I have an '03 Forester with 68K miles on it. No major problems so far. Factory installed disc brakes didn't last long, though. Having said that, I wouldn't buy a Forester if I had to do it again. As was mentioned, doesn't make a lot of sense in Southern CA. Depends on the weather and road conditions where you are. As was also mentioned, not much leg room in the back. But, I think it's a very well made vehicle. Problems with earlier Foresters seem to have been rectified by '03.

Why do you need Subaru filter? WHy not get Fram, or Purolator?

I have an '03 Forester with 68K miles. I noticed that it has two O2 sensors, a front and a rear. I think the rear one plugs into the catalytic converter. Does this one ever need to be replaced?

If your car has OBD II, you might try reading the code with a scanner. Auto Zone has scanners to loan. When did you last change spark plugs?

Sounds like the same type of filter in my '03 Forester. Subaru says it doesn't ever need to be changed, but I changed mine anyway at about 65K when I replaced the AT fluid. It's a dealer part, or you can order it from one of the Subaru parts websites.

You should be aware that just removing the plug will not completely drain all of the auto trans fluid. I was able to drain about 4 out of 10 quarts doing this on my '03 Forester. But if you repeat this procedure 3 times, running the engine in between drains, it should be a pretty good flush. On my car, you can remove another quart or two by removing the ATF filter, which looks like a motor oil filter. The alternative to the above procedure is taking it to an auto trans shop, where they have a special machine that sucks out the old fluid while replacing it with new. There is another procedure for the do-it-yourselfer, which involves opening up the transmission fluid line at the radiator, draining the old fluid into a bucket (with engine running) while replacing it with new fluid. I haven't tried this, and it seems a bit risky.

I have a 2003 Forester with 67K miles on it. Owner's manual doesn't say anything about when to replace 02 sensor. Should I just wait until I get CEL? Also, when should I change spark plug wires? Still have factory wires. I checked resistance recently when I changed spark plugs, and all wires are between 6.1K and 7.9K ohms.

I have an '03 Forester, auto trans, that gets about 22 mpg. This is in Southern CA.

I removed the glove compartment of my '03 Forester today to replace the air filtration filter and--lo and behold--there was no filter installed. I bought the car new and had it serviced once at the dealer, so either the filter wasn't installed at the factory, or the dealer took it out and didn't replace it when I had the car serviced at about 35K miles. It currently has 67K miles on it. By the way, Subaru recommends that this filter, which filters the cabin air, be changed every year or 7500 miles, which seems a bit excessive to me. Anyway, I installed the new one. Let's see if it makes any noticable difference.

Thanks for the suggestions, nipper. It's pretty flat where I live, so terrain wouldn't be a factor. How do you go about testing O2 sensors? Will OBDIII scanner tell you if they need replacement? The front one looks OK: haven't seen the rear one.

1)yes 2)yes, I bought it new 3)not that I measured 4)pretty flat 5)5W-30 6) I think that's a reasonable assumption.

I'll try that. THanks for the advise.

I have an '03 Forester, auto trans, with 67K miles on it. About the best mileage I can get is 22 mpg, and this is mostly highway driving. Recently changed air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs (Denso), keep tires inflated at 29 psi front, 36 rear. Still using dino oil. Am I missing anything?

Greetings, I have an '03 Forester with 67K mi on it. Haven't had any problems with it. Handles well. Probably would appreciate it more if we had a lot of bad weather here in SoCal. The only complaint I have is the less than great mileage. I guess that's the price you pay for AWD.

Thanks, Gnuman. So, where is the ABS computer? Is it that rectangular black box mounted back by the gas tank?

I was looking around the under side of my '03 Forester today, and I noticed a small-diameter hose going to each of the front wheels. (Disc brakes in the front.) It wasn't the brake fluid line, which is a larger diameter hose. Anyone know what this hose is for?

New fluid goes in the dipstick hole. I think a tranny flush is about $100, which I would like to avoid paying if possible.

The auto transmission fluid cooler, which is located below the radiator, has an inlet and an outlet hose between it and the tranny, but I don't know which is which. They are at the same height; one is on the driver side, the other on the passenger side of the cooler. If I guessed, I'd have a 50/50 chance of being right (or wrong). The reason I'm asking this question is I'm planning to do an ATF flush, which involves disconning the return line and letting the old fluid drain into a bucket while replacing it with new fluid.

I have an '03 Forester. I want to install a T in the heater hose so I can flush the coolant. Not sure which of the two heater hoses going to the firewall to cut. Anyone know?

Where is the connecter located for the diagnostic tool, and what does it look like? I saw a couple of loose connectors below the steering wheel, but they only had one or two pins each.

I have a 203 Forrester with 65K mi. Had a major service at dealer at 30K ($500!). They didn't change auto trans fluid filter, which looks like a small oil filter and is mounted next to AT drain pan. Does this ever need to be changed? Also, I need to change front and rear diff gear oil. Should I use synthetic or petroleum based oil? Thanks to Sean in N. VA for his response to my previous question.