The Dude

I took another look at the interior fuse box and the diagram on the inside of the fuse box cover. There is a fuse labelled "mirror cigar", that fuse was blown. So, I guess that 15 A fuse is for both 12VDC "cigarette lighter" outlets. However, there is also a fuse labelled "12V outlet" and that fuse if good. What the "12V outlet fuse" protects, I don't know.

I see your point. However, I have done a number of radio/speakers replacements in various Subarus. It's not hard to do as long as you know the exact disassembly procedure. Try to move a piece of trim out of sequence and you will hear the sicking sound of plastic snapping.

I have a 2006 Forester, and suddenly, both the front and rear 12VDC outlets (cigarette lighters) have gone dead. I have checked both 15A fuses with an ohmeter, and they are good. Only the 12VDC outlets are dead, every other electrical circuit seems to be working. Any help would be appreciated. I need an outlet for my GPS.

My GF really loves her new 2012 Impreza Hatchback. She likes everything except the factory radio and speakers. So, does anyone know how to get to the factory double DIN radio and factory speakers in the front doors? Thanks. It's very hard to believe that in 2012 the Subaru factory radio still doesn't have either a front aux or a USB connector. But, it's true. Anyway, I'd rather have a great car with a crappy factory radio than a crappy car with a great factory radio.

There's actually a better option for a bad altenator than an auto parts chain store rebuilt or a new Subaru replacement. Ask around, there's probably an independent altenator/ starter rebuilder in your area with a good reputation. A good local guy does good work, cares about his rep, and is even cheaper than auto parts chain store "rebuilt".

When I drain the AT on my 2006 Forester I get right about 4 quarts of AT fluid in the drain pan. So, I only add 4 new quarts through the AT dipstick hole. Do NOT overfill your AT, it can cause a number of problems. Among other things, it can blow the seal between the AT and the center differential. That will cost you.

You hit the nail on the head, 105,000 miles is a long timing belt replacement interval. Even if the idlers spin well at 95,000 miles, once they start going bad, how fast do they deteriorate? When you don't replace all the idlers, tensioner and the water pump during a T-belt chance you're betting saving $250 in parts against a $3,500 bent valve repair. Even more if your car requires towing, you need a rental, or as rarely happens, you lose the whole engine. It's your car, and your call. BTW when I replaced the T-belt on my 2006 Forester at 104,000 miles the bearings on three of the idlers were on their way out. I got 200,000 miles on the original idlers in my 1999 Forester. But now I think that I was just the beneficiary of plain old dumb luck.

I haven't actually tried this myself, and you might try it if everything else fails. Probably one of the teeth on the key is hung up on one of the pins in the lock. Tie a string through the hole in the key so you can pull on it as if you were removing the key. While pulling on the string rap on the key sharply with a piece of wood. Don't overdo the rap and damage the lock. If you are lucky, the rap will cause the pins to move and free the key.

I have had excellent results with NKG spark plug wires in my Forester, FWIW. Does anyone think it's worthwhile checking the vacuum? Checking the vacuum is a cheap and easy test that can rule in/rule out quite a few things. An air leak anywhere behind the MAF sensor can cause a number of strange idle related problems.

Could you expalin this a little further? TDC on which cylinder ? What are you looking for at TDC? Thanks. You can never be too careful doing a T-belt replacement.

Subaru could be sharing the Nissan CVT. I believe that the CVT in both Nissan and Subaru uses a chain as opposed to the much more common belt. The 4 AEAT AT is used by Mitsubishi, and perhaps others, as well as Subaru.

Anyone here with a lot of miles on the CVT? Any feedback, good or bad, on the CVT would be greatly appreciated. BTW, my GF just picked up a new 2012 Impreza Hatchback with MT. It replaced her 2009 Impreza. All I can say is WOW. The 2009 was a very nice car, but the 2012 is a big improvement. The 2.0L engine is getting some impressive mpg numbers. Hopefully the new 2.0L won't have the same problems as the 2.5L. One big improvement , the 2012 is QUIET, Subarus tend to have a fair amount of road noise.

Don't forget to check for videos on changing Subaru timing belts on Youtube.

One other thing, if you need to tow this car you must use a flat bed tow truck.

With valve damage, the car is not driveable. At this point, the engine wouldn't start even if you got the timing belt on with everything lined up properly. The valves have to be replaced, or the engine has to be replaced. It's only a question of which one is best.

It would almost be a miracle if there wasn't any valve damage, count on there being bent valves,. If you have any doubt, you can always do a compression test. You might be best off putting in a used 2.2L engine. Apparently they can be had pretty cheaply. How many miles on your sister's car, and what kind of condition is it in? Just sit tight, there are plenty of very experienced posters on this board. Someone will point out the best way to handle this problem. ALSO, TRY A LOCATION A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC THAN "USA".

I am sorry to say that the engine has almost undoubtedly bent a number of valves. At the very least, the head(s) will have to be removed and the bent valves will have to be replaced. There is a surfiet of information on replacing the timing belt available on this website, other Subaru related websites, and even videos on Youtube. You are going to want to assess the condition of the engine, and the car as a whole, before proceding with any repairs. A dealership typically charges around $3,500 for this kind of repair.

I would like to thank everyone who posted on this thread. Columbia, SC is not New York City, or LA. I think that a shop labor rate of $112 p/h is pretty damn high for this area. You don't have a high density of Subarus in most of the deep South. So, good indie repair shops that handle Subaru are very rare, or impossible, to find. I would use a good indie shop in a heart beat. This is the fourth dealership that has had Subaru in the Columbia area in the last 12 years.

Own a 2006 Forester, and I change my own plugs. To do this job you will need: 1. A torque wrench. Others will disagree, but you can screw up the spark plug threads by either too tight, or too loose. 2. 2- 3" extentions. Preferably the locking kind that can be bought at Sears. One 6" extention will not work. 3. A swivel may be helpful. 4. A spark plug socket with rubber retaining plug. 5. A piece of washer hose, or other tool, to gently start threading the spark plug without cross threading it. You will have to remove the air filter enclosure to get room. For a reasonably experienced amateur wrench changing the spark plugs is not too bad. I would NOT recommend this task for a beginner. Stripping the spark plugs holes is guaranteed to ruin your day. It's a fairly easy job, once you know how do to it. Given "stealership" labor rates, even a torque wrench pays for itself pretty quickly.

Dude's GF here again - SOA agreed to pick up half the tab for the repair as a good will gesture, which I accepted. I'm already down the cost of one tow, and another would just further add to the cost. I doubt the dealer would be happy having The Dude install the new radiator in their parking lot.

This is The Dude's GF posting - we towed my Impreza to the Subaru dealer in Columbia SC last night. It had started to lose way too much coolant to chance driving it. They found a hole in the radiator, which the service manager told me was caused by the fan eating through it. The estimate is $639 to replace it, which we feel is a bit exorbitant. Part is quoted at $360 (not in stock, an extra $35 if I want it by tomorrow) and labor @ $112 an hour. $40 for blue coolant, and an extra $45 poke in the eye just for looking at it. (Not applicable to the rest of the charges.) I've already contacted Subaru America, as I feel this is a existing defect that took 44,000 miles to manifest. My guess is that this particular Impreza hit the dock just a bit too hard coming off the ship, as I had a great deal of trouble with the heat shields rattling during the first 6 months I had the car. On the fifth trip to the dealer, they had to drop the entire exhaust system and reinstall everything to get it tolerable. It still sounds like a magnitude 4.0 or better earthquake when I accelerate going uphill. Any thoughts on alternative parts/repair options, should Subie America not assist with my pain?

My GF just called from her workplace, the red "low coolant light" on her 2009 Impreza with 32,000 miles started flashing. Is the "low coolant light" the same thing as an "overheat" light? She says that there is plenty of coolant in the overflow reservoir. Anything to check, besides the fans? Should I have the car towed to dealership? I might take a chance if there was a gauge I could monitor, but I don't like idiot lights. Thanks for your help.

As gas prices continue to raise, for most people, it's going to be all about MPG and less about HP. It's not how fast you can go around the commuting track, it's how many gas station "pit stops" your daily driver has to make.

Fine, what do you think the HG failure rate is for MY2000 and up 2.5L SOHC engines for the first 200,000 miles? Even if the HG failure rate for the first 200,000 miles was 10%, or even 20%, I would still only replace them when they actually failed. Even at a very high 20% failure rate, 80% of owners will never experience a HG failure. Plus, the typical external HG failure associated with the SOHC is far less serious than the internal HG failure that plagued the DOHC. You could pump $1500-$2000 into an unneeded HG replacement and have the tranny self destruct up the very next week. Or, someone could blow through a red light and total your car. SOHC HG failure does not happen with enough frequency to justify a blanket preemptive replacement policy. It's a simple economic decision.

I hate to take issue with a well respected poster. However, IMO the HG failure rate on 1999 and up 2.5L SOHC does not justify preemtively replacing the HGs. GD, what do you think the HG failure is on 1999 and up 2.5L SOHC engines? Under 10%? Under 5%? My guess would be under 5%, maybe way under 5%, and almost all of those HG failures would be the much less critical external HG failures. The vast majority of 2.5L SOHC owners will never experience a HG failure, particularly the much more serious internal HG failure that plagued the 2.5L DOHC. Why throw serious money at a problem that may never happen? The DOHC internal HG failure could cause the engine to overheat and leave you stranded. The much rarer SOHC internal HG failure, not so much.