Fairtax4me

That looks like someone's failure to loosen the lock nut on the pulley before trying to turn the adjuster screw. Not a huge deal really, just makes it a bit tricky to adjust the AC belt. Grab a whole tensioner assembly from a junkyard and put it on when you do the alternator. You could also look/ask in the classified section here. I'm sure someone has a good used one for sale.

And the winner loos like... 2.5.? Kinda looks like 2.5 timing covers on it. Hard to tell from a straight down shot. I suppose its possible the P/O put a 2.2 block in it with the 2.5 heads. Not common but doable. So, right smack behind/under the alternator just off the left of center line of the block will be a casting. Rectangular, about 1"x2", it'll say EJ2X. The X being either a 2 or 5, which will indicate engine size.

ATF dipstick is on the left. Differential dipstick is on the right side. Manual trans gear oil is on the right side. Not hard to find. Look straight down on the side of the trans right behind the bell-housing. If you have the big air box on the throttle body it's below that.

What is the problem? Auto or manual trans?

If its a manual trans you put it in 5th and set the parking brake. Chock the wheels if the brake won't hold. For auto trans there is a hole in the side of the bell-housing. (Someone has a picture around here but I cant ever find it) Stick a 1/4" Allen key or large Philips screwdriver in and spin the engine until it catches and slides into one of the holes in the flexplate.

2.2 swap is VERY common since its the a more reliable alternative to the DOHC 2.5 that came in that car originally. They like to pop head gaskets, then eat the rod bearings because they are usually overheated multiple times in the course of figuring out that the head gaskets are bad. Very easy to tell by the shape of the timing cover, and the shape of the valve covers. 2.2 valve covers have 4 humps on the top. 2.5 covers are mostly flat. 2.2 the plug wires stick out at an angle above the valve covers. 2.5 the plug wires stick into holes in the middle of the valve covers. 2.2 the timing cover has rounded ends. 2.5 timing cover has large squared ends, kinda looks like a bow-tie.

A reasonable price would be in the $500-800 range. Depending on parts cost, and labor rates in your area. These are way easy to do yourself for about $200 in parts and a day or weekend if you've never done a timing job before.

So the wires broke off? The Crank sensor produces an AC Voltage signal so it shouldn't really matter which way the wires get put back.

An autozone alternator will bite you in the rump roast and costs more than a dealer Reman. If it turns out that you need an alternator, get it from a dealer. Worn Starter contacts would be my first thought, but If the lights were dim that suggests the battery charge is low. Which would point to the alternator. As said before, check the battery voltage with the engine off. You should have about 12.4v. Less than that indicates a low charge. Start the engine and check voltage again. Should be about 14.5v. It could be higher than that for a few seconds as it brings up the battery charge. If it stays above that for more than about a minute that's a good indicator that the battery is weak and needs a thorough re-charge. With the engine running and everything warm (after a 10-15 minute drive) check system voltage again. Should be about 13.5v. Turn on all the lights, rear defrost, blower on high, and check voltage again. It should still be close to 13.5v, or a little higher. Below 13v means the alternator can't produce enough amperage and needs to be replaced. Whining sound could be many things. Could be the alternator. Check the power steering fluid level. The PS pumps tend to leak. Could also be the idler tensioner for the AC belt. Use a stethoscope or long handle screwdriver to find the source.

Screaching and knocking sounds like a failed timing idler. The one with the teeth is the one that likes to fail. Pull the timing cover and take a look.

The biggest problem with the "flush" is that the new fluid can break loose crud in the trans which gets stuck in the valve body. This can happen whether you use a machine or just change the fluid. Most flush machines just hook up to the cooler lines and feed in new fluid under moderate pressure as the old fluid is pumped out by the trans. The trick is to match the input and output pressures (if its adjustable) so the new fluid isn't pumped in at a higher pressure than what would normally exist in the cooler lines. Another option is to connect the flush machine to the trans and meter the fluid coming out. While it is pumping out, pour in new fluid through the dipstick tube.

Take out the K&N. The oil in the filter will coat the element in the MAF sensor and cause drivability and power problems. Plain paper filters work best in these. The stock filter is plenty large enough to deliver all the air the engine needs. If you want some extra sound, pull the water separator out of the fender.

You need the Subaru Select Monitor in order to read ABS codes with a scanner. Not even the new Snap-On Verus wire-less scanner we have at school will read ABS codes on a Subaru. At least not through the OBD2 port on my 96. Wheel sensor codes are almost always because of a damaged sensor or wiring. If you have any rust on the knuckles the sensors can be crushed internally due to rust around the housings. Also the sensor tips wear over time and the gap between the sensor and tone wheel prevents the sensor from reading properly. Check the sensor tips for wear, and check the tone wheels for dirt/grease buildup between the teeth.

The IAC valve on the 99 Foresters is known to fail and cause idle problems. I found one on eBay when a friend needed one a few years ago. $75 vs the $200+ that the local parts stores wanted. Couldn't find one in the local junkyards. For the oil consumption, replace the PCV valve. Get one from a dealer. A little extra money but it makes a huge difference. To BB, the IAC on yours is easily cleaned and that often makes the difference. Buy a can of throttle body + air intake cleaner. Remove the hose on the IAC and spray it down really well a few times. Make sure the valve inside flips back and forth easily. Also clean the throttle plate and bore inside the throttle body. You should also make sure there are no vacuum leaks. And if it hasn't had basic tune-up stuff recently; plugs, wires, air and fuel filters, PCV valve; that always helps.

Just replace It early. I wouldn't risk overheating the engine or having the pump lock up and split the belt. Either of those means a much much bigger repair than a simple timing kit.

Any gasket will seep a little over time. A little dampness isn't anything to be concerned over. Purple power it and spray it down with a water hose a couple times if it bothers you. On older engines oil residue creeps UP the intake manifold runners from the intake gasket. There's no oil in the intake manifold, just vapors from the PCV system. But over a very long period of time (5 years or more) the small amount of seepage through the gasket becomes visible. Same thing happens with head gaskets, valve cover gaskets, oil pan gaskets as well.

The 4EAT is known for harsh shifting into second and third when its cold. Usually smooths out once everything gets warmed up. A fluid change will help smooth it out, and it should feel better once warmer weather sets in. But for $1350 its still a pretty good deal for a runner, assuming the rest of the car is in decent mechanical shape; Brakes, tires, suspension all ok.

The fuse for the illumination relay (20A) is under the hood, but the fuse for the lights and the module (10A) is in the dash fuse panel. Both the white/yellow and yellow/blue should have 12V with the key on and lights on.

The illumination module is tricky. Basically it controls ground on both the white/yellow and yellow/blue wires. But it also gets its power from one (or both, not entirely sure which). Theoretically if you ground the yellow/blue wire, the lights should come on full bright. If your module fried, (did it let out the magic smoke?) it could have blown the fuse as well. Be sure to check that.

Like Ivan said, If the car has a tachometer in the dash you'll have to get your signal from there instead of the coil. Or find the tach signal wire on the ECU. The waste spark coil packs have a separate negative for each half of the coil, each negative feeds to the igniter, which then sends a signal to the ECU. The ECU sends a signal to the tachometer. The igniter has a ground(-), but its a straight ground, not a switching ground which is what makes a standard ignition coil work. Theoretically you could get your signal from the igniter, but it would only be a half signal, you would need a converter to make it a full tach signal.

Like Lmdew said, in a pinch just grab a used IAC hose and cut it to length. Auto parts stores should be able to order emissions rated hose that size. The problem is they'd never sell a whole reel of it.

Just replace the transducer. they go bad all the time and the EGR doesn't function. Also a good idea to check to see if the EGR diaphragm holds vacuum. And make sure the solenoid operates properly.

Usually the conical bit holder end of the impact driver comes off and there is a 3/8" square drive. Find a torx bit with a 3/8" drive socket and pop it right on. That combined with your favorite flavor of rust penetrant should get the majority of them.

Don't touch it. That bolt just holds the rocker shaft in cap. It has another bolt at the other end, thus that one is only half necessary. That broken bolt is benign and will cause no harm.

That's the crankcase breather hose for the drivers side. Those like to harden and split at the ends. That can cause problems wih idle and air/fuel mixture control. Should be replaced with emissions rated hose. I think a 5/8" I.D. hose will work there. You can get that size at most auto parts stores.