Rich in NEPA

Could it possibly have something to do with your CD? Did you try inserting different ones? Shortly after I'd gotten my '00 Outback I purchased a music CD that had some sort of new copy-protection encoding. Every time I inserted it into the vehicle's CD player it would spin up and then immediately spit it out! All of the other discs I owned played fine. The problem was somehow related to the copy protection scheme on the CD itself, and evidently the player couldn't read it. I haven't tried any known copy-protected CDs, assuming they're still using that ridiculous concept on current CDs, in my subsequent '04 or my new '06 Outback 6-disc players. Cheers ...

Hope this helps. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~

Performance-wise, it's going to be hard to beat the newest Amsoil Ea Series engine oil filters. I've just started using them in my '06 LL Bean Outback Wagon, along with Amsoil Series 2000 synthetic 0W-30 engine oil. I've been a synthetic oil user since 1978, and Amsoil has become my exclusive favorite. Amsoil has always been far ahead of the competition in quality, performance and technology! The Ea Series filter (#Ea020 for the Subaru H6) is significantly beefier than the OEM version. For example, it weighs in at 11.6 ounces, versus 9.0 ounces for the OEM part, it's 3/8" taller, has a more substantial gasket and noticeably larger inlet passages. It's built more like a truck part! At nearly twice the price of the OEM, the Amsoil filter may seem a bit extravagant, but its longer filter change intervals, improved filtration and efficiency, and higher capacity more than make up for it. Check out the spec sheet below. https://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/eao.aspx Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ (Edited for clarity.)

A limited number of MY04 Subarus had OnStar installed from the factory in accordance with a deal between FHI and GM. I know this 'cuz my '04 L.L.Bean came with it. The dealer had to activate my account when I bought the vehicle new, and the first year of Safe & Sound service was free. It also included 30 minutes of air-time for the hands-free voice-activated cellphone, but I purchased extra minutes every now and then 'cuz the integrated phone was a pleasure to use and gave me great signal reception (as compared to my handheld cellphone). I renewed my OnStar subscription the following year, as well. Never had to use it in an accident or emergency (and I never locked my keys in the car, either! ) but I did like the feeling of security from knowing that if I was ever in a serious accident, help would be automatically summoned. That alone was worth the subscription fee. OnStar wasn't available when I traded up last year to the '06 L.L.Bean otherwise I probably would have gotten it again. Like I said, the cellphone part of the system was excellent. Cheers ... [Edit typos.]

I don't know if this will help you much but you can check this thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21814 Cheers ...

I believe the typeface you're looking for is called “Lithos Regular, Bold.” At least it's close enough. It is also called “Lithos Black” in the Adobe fontset but it seems the weights are exactly the same. I've been using a TrueType version called “Lithograph Bold” and I'm pretty sure it came with Windows 98SE (I created the examples above with it). There are probably numerous rip-offs on the 'Net under a lot of different names that are available as free downloads. Hope this helps. Cheers ...

The truth of the matter is that synthetic motor oils got a bad reputation for causing oil leaks when they first appeared on the market about 20-25 years ago. The reason was that until just about that same time, engine seals were made mostly of rubber. Conventional motor oils caused these rubber-based seals to swell, therefore manufacturers designed and used seals that were sized slightly smaller in order to compensate for the dimensional changes and to prevent them from wearing excessively. Synthetic engine oils have a significantly reduced effect on rubber seals, meaning they caused little or no swelling, and this in turn was the reason that switching to a synthetic in an older engine resulted in major engine seal problems and leaks. Get the picture?! Some synthetic engine oil manufacturers began adding substances to their products that would cause rubber-based seals to swell in much the same way that conventional oils did, and even though this cured the problem with most oil leaks, the damage had been done and many people were scared away from synthetics. Nowadays, however, almost all modern engine seals are made from synthetic materials that are not affected by oils and solvents and are not prone to swelling and/or shrinking. So, if your engine is less than 20 or so years old, it really doesn't matter how many miles are on it. If it's not leaking at the present time with the use of conventional engine oil, it will not leak simply by switching to a 100% synthetic base-stock lube. BTW, I've been an avid Amsoil user for many years! Cheers ...

I've been in the vinyl sign and graphics business for quite a few years and have run across all types of labels, stickers, tapes and pressure-sensitive adhesives. If only the adhesive remains on the surface, usually applying a light mineral oil or baby oil will dissolve it without affecting the painted surface below, but you can also try a household citrus-based cleaner/degreaser, rubbing alcohol, methanol, unleaded white gasoline, or automotive bug & tar remover. Be sure to test any chemical on an unexposed section of the painted, plastic or rubber surface just to be safe. You can often saturate a paper label so that it soaks through to the adhesive. Do NOT use high-volatility solvents, especially paint thinners or reducers. If the tape, film or non-porous label is still intact usually the best approach is to warm up the adhesive and very gently peel the entire label off. Letting the car sit in the hot sun to warm the body panel will work fine, as will a hair dryer/blower or a heat gun, but be very careful not to overheat the paint with it! If you can feel the body panel getting too hot to touch you're applying too much heat. Apply just enough heat to soften the adhesive. This method rarely fails to work for me and I've never had any paint damage. Cheers ...

Every replacement filter kit I've ever gotten has had the installation instructions included. The only slightly tricky part is removing the glove box because it requires pushing in on the sides to release two pins. Other than that it's a fairly simple and easy procedure. You can check out these instructions: http://www.subaruparts.com/guides/Legacy_Air_Filter.pdf. Cheers ...

Gary Fisher and IMBA! Cheers ...

Keep in mind that, at least in my case (and it appears to be the same with RIK's situation), these symptoms are not subtle—they are quite pronounced and even unnerving, especially when following a slow driver! It was definitely not slop in the drivetrain, soft mounts, or even the usual "lurching" due to driveline backlash common to manual transmissions. Those conditions are there all the time and are usually an issue for drivers who are inexperienced with manual shifting. I've been driving MT's most of my adult life. My understanding is that the OBD system only tests the health of the TPS circuit upon engine start up. I believe that's why I seldom got the CEL and why it would clear on its own. The circuit would "open" at some point during operation, perhaps due to rise in temperature or vibration. That's when the symptoms appeared. Other than this minor connector problem, my MY00 Outback Ltd. was absolutely trouble free for 43K miles. Cheers ...

This sounds uncannily like the TPS problem I had. It could be a bad TPS. Are the symptoms intermittent? Have you had the codes pulled, by any chance? (My understanding is that part of this sensor's function is to act like the accelerator pump on a carburetor, but I don't know how it fits it with deceleration and off-throttle response. Maybe someone else here can explain?) Good luck with it. Cheers ...

I realize that it's often very difficult to describe a problem by what its symptoms feel like, so I offer this only as a possible explanation. There was a thread on this forum a couple of months ago titled something like "A Crazy Problem" that sounded a lot like a strange problem I had with my previous MY2K OBW Ltd., H4 5MT, shortly after I bought it. What I experienced was a pronounced momentary delay or hesitation in engine response with an accompanying surge when going from off-throttle to mild acceleration, and when mildly decelerating to off-throttle there was a sudden lurch of deceleration. It occurred only when gradually increasing (or decreasing) pressure on the accelerator pedal right near the point of zero throttle (or when letting off on the pedal, even while moving at speed when coming to a stop or when the road grade goes slightly downward). The symptoms were noticeably worse on the highway with the cruise control engage! The problem would come and go with no apparent rhyme or reason, sometimes even during a short or long drive. When it started acting up like this, it would usually last for a few days and then go away. Every once in a while the CEL would come on when starting the engine, with a corresponding error code for the throttle position sensor (TPS). The CEL would usually go out on its own (after 3 normal engine start/stop cycles if the fault clears the light should go out normally, but the code will be stored). I checked the TPS myself on two separate occasions with a digital ohmmeter and it worked flawlessly. Finally after a couple of weeks, I took the vehicle to the dealer for service (just in case it actually needed a new TPS it would still be done under warranty) and all the mechanic did was pull apart the large square connector where the TPS leads go, reconnected it and the problem went away, never to return again. This plug may have come from the factory a little loose and/or a few of the pins inside became slightly oxidized, messing up the throttle response and causing the ECU to occasionally detect a bad TPS upon engine start. On that particular H4 engine there were two large connectors about 1-inch square, one gray and one brown (one above the other), on the passenger side of and below the throttle body, mounted to a bracket on the engine itself. I can't recall which connector the TPS leads to. They're not hard to get at. I can't say for sure if this is in any way the same problem that you're having, but if it sounds right to you then you could check for an intermittent TPS connection. It wouldn't hurt to try pulling the connectors apart, as well as the one on the TPS itself, and see if reseating them tightly a couple of times will cure the problem. Either way, please do let us know what you find out. Cheers ...

According to the recall notice I received in the mail earlier this week from Subaru of America, it affects “certain 2001 thru 2004 model year Subaru Lagacy Outback 3.0L H6 and 2002 thru 2004 Impreza WRX 2.0L vehicles.” And, “to correct this condition, Subaru will install a cruise control cable retaining clip at no cost to you.” Sounds like a simple fix that shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes at your dealer's service department. Cheers ...

This problem sounds so very similar to one that I had with my previous Y2K OB Wagon Limited. The symptoms would come and go, with no apparent rhyme or reason. When it would start acting up like this, it would usually last for a few days and then go away. Every once in a while I'd get the CEL light when starting the engine, and a corresponding error code for the throttle position sensor (TPS). The CEL would usually go out on its own (after 3 engine start/stop cycles if the fault clears the light should go out, but the codes will be stored). I checked the TPS myself on two separate occasions with a digital ohmmeter and it worked flawlessly. Finally took the vehicle to the dealer service department (just in case it really needed a TPS under warranty) and all the tech did was pull apart the large connector where the TPS leads go, reconnected it and the problem went away, never to return again. It seems that the plug may have been a little loose from the factory and some of the pins inside became slightly oxidized, acting like a bad TPS. It wouldn't hurt to try pulling the connector apart and seeing if reseating it tightly a couple of times will cure the problem. Hope this helps. Cheers ...

I recently traded in a '00 Outback Wagon Ltd., 2.5 H-4, 5MT with ~43K miles. No major problems or warranty issues whatsoever, except for a loose electrical connector that was giving false TPS failure codes and had an obvious hesitation during low-speed acceleration. Dealer's mechanic simply pulled the plugs apart, reconnected them, and everything it was fine since then. Excellent vehicle and with the rear LSD it was awesome in the snow. I hope my new '04 L.L. Bean performs at least as well. So far, so good (knock on wood!). Cheers ...

Speedometer inaccuracy is probably my biggest pet peeve, as well! Both of my previous OB's read about 2½ to 3 percent fast, now my '04 OB L.L. Bean reads about 4% too fast—meaning the speedo shows 75 mph when the vehicle is really doing only about 72 mph. I've used two different 12-channel hand-held GPS receivers (Garmin GPS-12XL and GPS-map76) for determining my correct highway speed, and I engage the cruise control in order to maintain consistent speed on level sections of open roadway. GPS accuracy typically has less than 0.1 mph error when there is a good view of the sky. My tire pressure is 32 psi all the way around (a 1 or 2 psi change doesn't amount to any significant change in speedometer readings, perhaps less than 0.5%). I have even used the stopwatch timing method between mile markers and got similar results. The GPS method is more convenient and reliable because it's closer to real-time. It's certainly a PIA constantly having to factor in the error while driving on the Interstates. I wish there was an easy way to correct this without having to go to a speedometer repair & calibration shop! The strange thing is that the odometers have always been pretty much dead on! Every once in a while one of the major U.S. monthly car magazines runs an article on speedometer accuracy. The latest one that I recall said that, in general, the speedometers in Japanese vehicles tend to read higher, in domestic vehicles they read fairly close to actual speeds, and in European vehicles they typically read lower. I believe the magazine article also said that less than 5% error was considered "acceptable." Cheers ...