EVOthis

FWIW...I hear alot about the HG problems being "resolved" by 04 and until a few weeks ago i havent seen a post 04 2.5 with the plauge.... However, We got an 05 Outback in the other day and believe it or not the Drivers side HG was seeping oil and coolant..and get this with 55k on the odometer....Anyways back to your question....When it comes to your Impreza personally if the HG's arent leaking i wouldnt worry about them..however it is a good habit to replace your cam seals, crank seal, reseal the oil pump, and replace the H20 pump, tensioner and all pulleys....and personally i even consider this overkill...When it comes to t-belts i replace the seals that are leaking and the pulleys that sound or feel rough....Oh and the price you paid for all that work is very good...at least compared to what we charge....

for future reference...Gas cap being let loose/off will not throw this code...Chances are it would set an EVAP leak code...

personally i put a tiny bit of oil on the inner edge of the cam and crank seals to ease installation....

I dont believe the OEM gaskets are that expensive... AH here we go ... http://subarupartsforyou.com/cp_partdetail.php?partid=10535 http://subarupartsforyou.com/cp_partdetail.php?partid=10558

you could also jack the car up..and grab the tire and 12 and 6 and rock it in and out to see if you notice any play...

Thats somewhat how i gained my mechanical apptitude..."making notes along the way" and trying to drill things in my brain i felt where important...I have heard if you repeat something to yourself 7 times after you hear it...you will never forget it....not to sure if i believe that one....:-\...

Overseas....mmm..Im not sure it matters if your car is Right hand drive or not....but anyways..check by the front strut towers...its a round canister a little smaller than a bottle of brake fluid....

On the subject...I hope no one out there has to replace the whole wiper blade assembly on there Tribeca...New Front blades from the dealer are about $50 a piece...yes..almost $100 for 2 wiper blades....ridiculous....just a precaution to anyone with a Tribeca...If you happen to need wipers and go to the dealer...recommend they replace the inserts not the blades...much cheaper....

have you checked all the fuses with a test light? Sometimes looking at them isnt good enough.. Have you checked the bulbs themselves....I believe there all dual filament bulbs back there brake/tail lights...As for the relays above the fuse box in the interior of the vehicle...personally i wouldnt mess with them....they are the main relay, FP relay, and sub fan relay #2....Personally i dont see how those would cause a tail light problem with no other symptoms....Anyways if you have a test light you could also pull the bulbs out of the sockets and see if you have power and ground at the socket... So... Check Fuses w/ test light Visually check bulbs (make sure a filament isnt burned out) Check sockets for proper power and ground with the headlights turned on ...At least this is what i would try first...

greenleg88- I just read all over that site about that thing...amazing...I wonder why they dont show a price..lol

When you do get around to pulling the axle out....be careful...your outback has the stub shaft the fits into the transmission....I have seen tech's before rip the axle out of the trans and it pulls the seal along with it....there are two seals there...1 that is supposed to come out that kind of rides on the inner end of the axle joint housing and 1 that isnt...if i remember correctly Its hell trying to get that seal back in...I might be mistaken but I think you have to disassemble the trans to properly reinstall it....I think what happens is the little clip/ring on the end of the stub shaft ( that fits into the trans)...that gets caught on the seal and pulls it along....Just a precaution...

It is true the Subaru 5EAT takes a special kind of fluid....Subaru determines the difference in fluid between the 4EAT and 5EAT in the color of the bottle (at least thats how i remember it)...The 5EAT must have the fluid in the Grey bottle...as where the 4EAT can either use the fluid in the white bottle or grey bottle....But yes your forester should have the 4EAT...1 Way to tell is the drain plug on the trans pan...if its the old style 17mm bolt...its the 4EAT...I believe the 5EAT's use a Torx bit for the drain plug....

How many miles are on the car?...As suggested I would throw a front 02 in it...You dont want to go spending $500-$1000+ dollars on something a new sensor could fix....Of course you could always try clearing the code and see if it comes back...

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com I have bought clutch kits off of them a time or two...personally i think theyre reasonably priced and great service....Also when you look up the clutch for your vehicle it will tell you which other vehicles (if any) of the same year/model/engine etc etc...that it will fit....

If your truely concerned..as mentioned...take it to the dealer....its still under warranty...however Personally I wouldnt be concerned especially if its only 6-8 oz.. the coolant level is going to fluctuate...depending on drive cycle times, temperature of engine...etc etc....im assuming you checked the level on flat ground with the engine at the same temperature both times....Obviously make sure the surge tank(if its a WRX) and radiator are full...Is your temp gauge normal?...I have only seen 1 subaru post 2004 with head gasket problems and that was an 05 outback...Its possible, but i highly doubt you have a HG problem....Also if you do take it to the dealer...recommend they do a combustion leak test...if you suspect coolant jacket HG leakage...

Personally I would shy away from this car....If the guy has rigged something to temporarily fix the problem well than the problem is still there...I would browse around on the internet also before going to a dealer...

113,000 miles....besides the major maintience...Has the T-belt been changed...this is an interference motor....I would take it for a good long cruise and check for any symptoms of torque bind...besides these....do a thorough "go-over" of the whole under body (suspension,brakes,steering etc etc...)....It does sound to me like this car has had somewhat a rough life..being in NY with the rust and salt +being 10 years old...

Head Gaskets, Wheel bearings/seals, and trans seals I would definately go OEM...as for the clutch....ive bought clutches from http://www.autopartswarehouse.com for my 96 Legacy and they have proved worthy...not to bad of a price either....As for the axle(s) your on the right track...I would go MWE (if i didnt work for subaru and get a discount..lol)...i believe there cheaper than OEM and it seems like its the only brand (besides OEM) that gets a good rap...

+1^ door panel removal in Subaru's are cake....

check around the ABS unit/HCU which is right next to air box...Ive had some strange noises resulting in problems with that...

+1^..compressed air works well for me...or if you have like a needle or sometimes a t-pin will work you can get it in there and kind of work it around....

Just for future reference...I picked one of those adjusting bolts up for my WRX at NAPA....yes surprisingly they had one....

Might also want to clean the throttle plate/body...I have seen similar problems result from a carboned up butterfly....

For the time and money your going to spend...Personally I would find a good used one...They can be found inexpensive....

+1^... I never understood Subarus intentions when it came to the Gen. 2 EGR systems( as to which vehicles had them and which didnt)....I have a 96' Legacy manual w/o EGR...