valvestem

Someone would have to pay for that service. Are you trying to decode the VIN or find out if the car is stolen? The following site will decode it for you: http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin.html

Good luck man, let us know what you find out.

I'm guessing from here it's the charcoal canister.

Sounds like a good attitude. Cooler heads prevail...with the help of a Subaru.

I live in Maine, we have just a bit of snow in the winter, (100" plus, last two years), and have been driving 4WD (Scout, Cherokee, Liberty) or AWD since 1975 with either summer tires (no All-Season Radials back then), or All-Season Radials on the Subies or a 1992 Toyota AWD wagon. The ONLY time I had an issue was back in about 1994 when during a storm, I had one of those 'Gee, I wonder if my car can go through that?' moments. The scenario was during a snowstorm and I was in the Toyota Corolla AWD wagon, and tried to drive onto an unplowed road with about 12" snow on it. The Toyota went about 100 feet, snow packed up underneath and the car stopped, it was sitting oon top of the snow. The wheels were spinning slowly but I was going nowhere. I just simply put it in reverse, and backed out the same ruts in the snow that I had made going in. That's my experience, so I have never used snow tires in the winter. My wife's 03 Outback gets her to work at the hospital in the next town with no problems. I travelled to work myself to the next town, for the evening shift for over 21 years, and would drive home at 2 in the morning during a blizzard and enjoy it, because I was the only one on the road and moving along with no problems. All because of 4WD or AWD, with All-Season radials, or summer tires.

Battery/alternator low voltage/output, or battery cable internal corrosion, causing loss of voltage to coil/ignition? Easy to check.

I checked that and the links were dead... (http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2498&page=1&pp=10&highlight=climate+control+backlight)

Don't hold me to this, but I think they only light up when being used.

Hmm, now you got me thinking. My wife drives a 2003 Impreza Outback with the gear indicator on the dash too. I've never noticed or thought about whether there was supposed to be a light at the gear shift itself too. I'll have to take a peek sometime. My 2010 Forester has a digital gear display on the dash and in the gear shifter area as well.

Keep looking, I saw a post somewhere that the filter access on some Subies is hidden by a drop down cloth held by velcro tabs, if that help, it was behind the glovebox for access as well.

We recently had to replace a rim on a 2WD truck at work for pretty much the same reason, the nuts could not be tightened any more because the lug holes on the rim were worn out. Not from being loose though, just from changing tires so often, (winter/summer), but it took 14 years to wear 'em out. Studs had to replaced too, as the thumping rim/tire wore those into a hourglass shape.

My humble apologies for not copying and pasting the ENTIRE freeking notice, here is what is missing: Recall Notice: Engine Control Module (ECM) ReprogrammingService Program WVM-23 (2006 - 2009 Legacy / Outback or 2008 - 2010 Forester 2.5L with PZEV) Please take notice of the first word "RECALL" You may verify this at other Subie sites if this is not good enough.

Dear Subaru owner: We would like to thank you for selecting a 2006~2009 Subaru Legacy / Outback or 2008~2010 Subaru Forester with a 2.5 Liter engine equipped with a California Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) emission system. At Subaru, we take pride in our products and are committed to your continued satisfaction. During a quality review, we discovered that under certain severe driving patterns, such as high speed highway/uphill driving and/or accelerating with high engine revolutions, the efficiency of your vehicle`s catalytic converter may begin to degrade beyond design parameters. (The `Check Engine` light will illuminate to alert you if the catalytic converter efficiency has degraded beyond an acceptable level and if your vehicle may be releasing air pollutants that exceed Federal or California emission standards.) To prevent this condition, Subaru has developed a modification to the Engine Control Module software logic that will improve management of the catalytic converter. This software change will not adversely affect the performance of your vehicle. WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO PROMPTLY We suggest that you schedule an appointment with your Subaru Dealer as soon as possible to have your vehicle`s Engine Control Module software reprogrammed. The approximate time to perform this update is 40 minutes. However, it may be necessary for you to leave your car for a longer period on the day of your scheduled appointment to allow your dealer flexibility in scheduling other appointments. Your Subaru dealer will perform this repair at no cost to you. Please present this letter to your Subaru Dealer on the day of your service appointment. CALIFORNIA REGISTERED OWNERS The California Air Resources Board requires that emission related campaigns be completed prior to California`s vehicle registration renewal process; without this repair, you will not be able to register your vehicle during your next annual registration. Upon completion of the services required by this campaign, your California dealer will complete and provide you a `Proof of Correction Certificate.` If required, present the certificate to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the `DMV`) when renewing your California registration as proof of campaign completion. If the DMV does not request the certificate, we recommend that you keep it for your records. In addition, the State of California requires that every vehicle must pass an emission test (SMOG Check) every two years and before it is sold. Without the free service we are providing, your vehicle may be more likely to fail this test and require that you make costly repairs. CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS OR SOLD YOUR SUBARU? If you have changed your address, or if you have sold your Subaru, please complete the enclosed prepaid postcard and mail it to us. IF YOU NEED FURTHER ASSISTANCE To locate your nearest Subaru Dealer, you can access our web site at Subaru Cars, Wagons, SUVs, Crossovers | Subaru of America and go to the dealer locator function. Or, you may call us at 1-800SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783) during normal business hours. Please call or write (using the address at the top of this letter) us immediately if the dealer fails or is unable to complete this procedure free of charge. Your continued satisfaction with Subaru is important to us. This update is intended to assure your vehicle`s optimal performance. We appreciate your understanding in this matter and regret any inconvenience this may cause you. Sincerely, Subaru of America, Inc.

Although they advertise heavily on TV and such, I have read many reports where the aftermarket repair "insurance" is not a good deal. It seems there are many "getout" clauses written in which makes it nary impossible to get a claim paid. I'm guessing it's similar to the "LifeTime DriveTrain Warranty" I have on my 2010 Forester from the selling dealer, after reading the fine print, I see that ANY work done to the car has to be done by them, or they have to authorize work done by any other person. Tough to do when even simple oil & filter changes can be expensive at the dealer, as compared to a specialty oil & filter change only franchise business. The Lifetime DriveTrain Warranty was a BIG sales pitch before buying the car, but mentioned very little at the sign on the bottom lines "ceremony".

Bodywork maybe?

Do you have the place for one, or is the filter itself just missing? I think the location is there, just the filter is missing.

Cool Beans:banana:

Check this link, see if it helps: http://www.iwsti.com/forums/gd-interior/34603-auto-dim-mirror-compass-garage-opener-question.html

P0446 Evaporative Emission Control System Vent Control Circuit Malfunction You should be Ok for a while, there might be a blockage of your fuel vent system somewhere.

Perfect! That just maybe what he needs.

Link for cats: http://www.car-stuff.com/store/?N=9190&Nr=OR(AND(make:Subaru,model:Outback,year:2003),AND(universal:1))&Vi=11745+4294962660+1719&y=2003&mk=Subaru&md=Outback

delete please

Good answer, maybe that's it. Be a lot easier than tracking down a trans solenoid.

Umm, OK. My response was to Post #2. Quote "I thought the same thing, and what's with the side door windows? I hope that's some sort of camo faux frame." Unquote

Federal Emmision Component warrantee says cats etc., are covered for 8 years, 80,000 miles, you beyond that? Link: http://www.epa.gov/obd/warranties.htm#b read through and look for specified major components. Also read down on repairs made outside of a Subaru facility. Hope this helps.