jon38iowa

I don't know about the Xs but I recently put Uniroyal Tiger Paws (made by Michelin) on my Forester, Moreover, I am very pleased and wouldn't hesisitate to buy the X tires. John

I recently put both front and rear deflectors on my Forester, I have not noticed (With mixed driving)any fuel mileage change whatsoever; It sure is nice to have a clean back window. John

Hi: I don't know about the wagon, but on my Forester I am told there's a camber adjustment built into the top of the struts. By the way I had the same issue as yours- slight pull to the right, however it took two different shops( $200.) to get the car back to perfect. John

Just my two cents: Last week I put Uniroyal Tiger Paws on my Forester! Wow the ride is awesome- quiet and soft, this car has a slightly hard suspension in my opinion and these new tires made all the difference for me. They may not quite last as long as harder tire, but they are rated at 70K. I am not familliar with BF Goodrich, probably a very good tire. With that many miles I would have your mechanic to good luck at the Struts (4) and all the components to the steering; If you put new tires on a car that has issues with these, the tires may very well wear out prematurely. John

I agree, moreover, I think its a good idea to check after work is performed of any kind. If one finds an issue then the shop can't blame it on mileage. John

I would definately replace the tires(I don't know if they effect mileage)- perhaps the one new tire can be matched with three more; The transmissions in these cars are $4000. Just this week I put four new Unitoyal Tiger Paws on mine- awesome performance! I also recomend running a fuel cleaner( seafoam or other high quality) through your gas tank, and then change your fuel filter.When I changed my air filter I went with the new Air Hog, morever, it seems to run a little better with this kind. Even when everthing is perfect I have noticed these cars fluctuate in gas mileage, a little more then the average car. Mine for example: If I run the air conditioning it saps the mileage and alot, as will fast off the line driving, however if I take it slow then I can sometimes get upwards of 30 mpg. I have also noticed these cars are sensitive to the kind and grade of gas; Regardless of what the book says(and this is a high mileage car), I found mine runs much better on 89 or 90 octane, moreover it hated ethanol blend and this evident by poor mpg. John

I had four new tires (uniroyal Tiger Paw) mounted on all new OEM rims for my Forester today! The ride is night and day over the not so old Coopers they replaced, moreover, it feels almost the equivalent of getting new shocks. Ofcourse the real test will be long term wear, and winter traction. John :banana:

Hi: I noticed a signifigant improvement in mileage after relplacing my front O2 sensor on my '99 Forester. I think I would start there. I hope its not the case for you, but my mechanic mentioned to me that a sure sign of a Converter failure is decreasing fuel economy; This would be unusual though as Converters last forever, unless a person gets really bad gas. Good Luck. John

I agree, this seems to have worked for my Forester as well. John

I would take it to mechanic for a thorough inspection- compression check, etc,. I might be the best money spent, and if something is in need of repair, gives you a bargaining tool. You can tell quickly if it is phase two engine by: the very front of the engine, it has a black plastic cover ( it covers the belts and pulleys). Look at one side, if it has two circular areas from top to bottom then it is the phase 1. If all you see is one circle near the middle, then it is the phase two. You can also look these engines up on ebay under EJ25, this will give a good visual with the engine out. John

Hi Kevin: I have a '99 Forester. The car overall has been a good car, though I am having engine problems ( bought used, with poor care from previous owner) it still has surpassed my expectations in almost every way. I think Subaru switched to the Phase two in March, of'99 , check your door sticker. A few quirks that i have noticed: on humid days if I leave the temerature control to cold, I get moisture on the inside of the windows ( easily remidied by turning to hot, when off) and it is hot and humid here in Iowa. As these 2.5 engines age, they develop cold start up knock, moreover it goes away as it warms, and I am told it's harmless. I have also noticed that ( after 25000 K) this car is a little sensitive to the octane in fuel, mine requires 89 for optimal perfomance despite what is recomended, but thats with 132000K. These engines I have on good authority will last indefinately, however I do recomend following the service schedule. Whatever it says, I do it before it is required- cheep insurance to me. For what it is worth I would buy another Subaru in a second. This company offers a lot of car for the money in my view, moreover, I think it is kinda fun to own a unique car like this! John

By the way; Last time I had my tires rotated, the service person didn't tighten the lug nuts enough! The next day one was missing and another was half way off! The shop manager fell over himself appologizing, moreover, he happily replaced the missing one with a new OEM nut, and he had the guy who goofed check all the lug nuts. These things happen at every shop, at least, occcasionaly. John

Sorry Trish: One more suggestion: If they don't clean all the grease off it will smell for weeks! I bought some heavy duty degreaser( don't get it on the rubber parts of the engine) and took mine to the car wash. Let the engine get warm but not hot, then wash away the area( obviously be careful not to get water where ya don't want it, I Bought little gladd cover bags) and pay particular attention to the back of the engine, top of converter(looks like a fat muffler) and transmission housing. One last thing, my mechanic recomended to always park with the wheels straight ahead-this puts less strain on the boots. Not so coincidently , mine failed not long after I started parking ( odd place at work) with the wheels strongly pointed toward the right. And was also told as above that the heat from the converter is a factor. John

If he (where you originaly had it worked on) is a reputable Mechanic I would offer this guy two choices: Fix it to your specifications, or face a law suit. John

Hey Guy, Sounds to me like an inner CV boot cover; I had to replace mine('99 Forester), it costs about $ 200.00 (for both) installed. John

I agree! This having a '99 Myself; It would cost more upfront, but you would have: a tight fresh engine, a good warrnaty, and the peace of mind of not having to repair the engine again in the near future! John PS. Let us know how you come out.

I usually have mine (need it or not) done when the rotors are replaced, moreoever, it doens't cost that much since it is already pretty much apart. John

I paid about $500.00 for a my timing service( included new seels). I hear from good sources that is also wise to replace the water pump, moreover, I would have them evaluate the tensioner- if any signifigant wear then I would replace this as well. John

Hello: If you see any visible rust, then I recomend a quick sanding and application of rust primer. Just my two cents, living here in the heart of the rust belt. John

I think yours is the proverbial rarity; Most older Subarus I see still look really good compared to other autos their year! The price Subaru is offering you sounds very good; They charged me $ 575.00 just to sand and paint part of one door(they did a perfect job)! Good Luck, John

Sounds like a strong possibility of a puncture or dislocation. Good luck with. John

I would be surprised if a warranty would cover paint damage to used car, morever, you might consider Macco. My cars bumper was hit in a parking lot( the person didn't bother to say anything) and didn't want to turn it in on insurance, thus I gave Macco a try; Their price was half what I was quoted elsewhere, moreover the job they did was very good! A few minor flaws, but nothing I can't live with for the price. On the tires, you might get away with overinflating them a bit, however, please don't ever underinflate them! As I recall several people were killed in Ford Explorers as a result of Fords recomendation to underinflating its Firestone tires. The airconditioner also saps a little mileage out of my Forester, but I don't mind because it works awesome, and in Iowa, with our humidity we need it. John

I agree; I have seen a few burn victims from auto fires; Please have it taken on flat bed trailer to your mechanic! John:headbang:

Congrats! Can I ask, did they say what might have caused such an early Turbo failure, and is this common? John

I very much agree! After suffering with Monroe replacements ( last car) I now only use KYB; They might cost a tad more, but the quality is night and day. John