Mike104

Dealer shop rates vary and around me are in the $90/100 per hr range so I guess $97 is in the ball park. Had you gotten the axles fixed that day probably would have buried that fee in the labor charge. For $790 for OEM axles on both sides is not that much different than the $600 Monroe charged for axles that probably cost them less than $100. Having the MWE ones put in (I think the price has gone up to $165 ea) plus shipping and labor to put them on may be cheaper. It you can do it yourself or with friends, will save much more. That's why most of us here try to do as much work ourselves as we can, costs much less than the labor charges.

What I meant is the ability for the car owner to activate/deactivate the auto lock function so that those that want to have it activated can and those that don't want that feature can disable it. Not every drive cycle but the ability to select it or not select it. Case in point the OP wants to have that function available but Subaru does not have it available for the owner to enable or disable it. My POS Exploder can enable or disable the seat belt chime if the seat belt is not buckled. Personally I just put the seat belt on because I know that statistically I am safer wearing it than not wearing it.

My wife generally drives the Exploder that has auto locks, I usually drive the Subie that does not. Every time I drive the Exploder when I get out and try and open a door I say an expletive because the door I want to open is locked. Have to go back to drivers door and press the unlock button. The best thing would be to have a driver selectable auto door lock. I think my Exploder can be changed, but my wife wants the auto lock feature activated, 'nuff said>

I seem to recall the switch turns the light on when the pressure is below 2 or 3 psi (FSM says 2.1 psi) MY FSM says for the 2.2 engine you should get 14 psi or more at 700RPM and 43 psi or more at 5000 rpm

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Sounds like a bad rad cap. Cheap and easy to try first.

Here is a link to some general 2005 Forester Info that includes the XT. http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2005.html It sounds like a lot of work to me.

Good advice. Typical code on Subaru's is P0420 that can be caused by a number of things, but changing front O2 Sensor is a good start. There was on comment by someone who changed their PCV valve and got rid of the P0420 code, but I'm not sure how common that is. Either way its a cheap and much easier thing to do before changing the O2 sensor.

I have changed a few on my '99 and all I needed was a 3 lb sledge to knock them out and a lug nut with a couple of washers to pull the new ones in. Bought them from local auto parts place. I did have to rotate the hub a bit to get the stud in a position to remove it but it was not that difficult. There was a thread a while back about someone who had repeat stud failures that was eventually determined that a warped brake rotor (the face that contacts the wheel hub) was the cause. New brake rotor and no more sheared studs.

I did this on my 2004 Ford Exploder and it was a real PITA. It is a two step operation a plastic latch clip and then you need the special tool. Took an hour to change a fuel filter! I guess the higher pressures of fuel injected systems are why they went this way although my '99 Subaru has fuel injection and the hose clamps work ok.

For a '99 I wouldn't bother with the Subaru fluid. The consensus on the best procedure is to do three or four drain and refills in short succession. I use the Vavoline MaxLife ATF fluid but anything that is suitable as a Dex III replacement would also work. The '99 probably has an external transmission filter and I would not bother changing the internal one, too many chances for leaks. If you change the external spin on filter (it looks like an oil filter) read this thread and see what filter you want to use: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/23762-subaru-transmission-filter-different.html

Since we are getting all technical, I think the Gen 1 OBs do not have the squiggly shifter (its on the 2000-2004 Gen 2's for sure).

Prices seem to fluctuate on those. I got mine from Stockwise Auto as they had the best price when I needed them. I also replaced the mounts but after removing them with 276k miles, they really did not need to be replaced.

I would get a couple of reman units for the front and be done with it. Flush the fluid while you are there. Do the back ones later when they get stuck. Grease the slides like mentioned above.

General test (at least on the 2.5L) is to check the overflow tank with the car running at operating temp. Bubbles in the overflow tank then generally indicate the probability of bad HGs. I would try a new rad cap and let us know if it over heats. Here is a visual guide of how to change the front crankshaft seal as an FYI (photo 10): http://beergarage.com/SubyOPump.aspx The timing belt has to be removed to do this job and the oil leak may have damaged the belt.

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=108109&d=1321669399

You can check for external leaks of coolant from the rear of the heads. Keeping an eye of the fluid level (cold in the radiator) and topping up as required will minimize the chances of the HGs going. As some said the HGs may have been replaced previously. If you don't have a complete maintenance history on the car, drain and change the cooling system fluid and add a bottle of Subaru Cooling System Conditioner (P/N: SOA635071) that was specified by Subaru to reduce the occurrence of HGs developing external leaks. Its ok to put two bottles in, if needed.

Here is a link to doing the job on a rear (similar to front) with the HF kit: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1925081 Here is another way to remove the hub (part of the bearing will come with the hub). You can rent (purchase and return) these tools from some auto parts stores: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=30892335&postcount=44 Some recommend replacing the hub (the part with the studs to mount the wheel) when you put new bearings in as it is possible for the old hub to damage the new bearing and fail early. The first link gives you a method to remove the outer bearing from the hub using a bearing separator.

Axle is not likely ruined if the nut is loose but it is possible that the wheel bearing may die an early death if the nut was loose.

Pretty much any fluid leak on the Subaru seems to make its way to the exhaust Y pipe and burns. Typical fluid leaks are power steering, engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, or as mentioned CV joint grease. Probably best to get under the car with a flash light and see what is leaking.

True. Try checking craigslist in your area for asking prices, it may give you a guide. Generally people that don't know Subaru's will stay away from a car with extremely high mileage. I would generally take a car with less than 100k vs one with over 200k, unless they were giving it away. Just my 2 cents. I have heard that edmunds.com gives a better idea of pricing than KBB. For a 2003 they range from $7-10k. The key is finding someone that wants you car even if it has 230k on it.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1925081 To remove the hub from the knuckle a slide hammer can be rented (purchased and then returned) from Auto Zone or Advance Auto

Obviously you know that the same car with 230k miles will be worth less than one with 90k. To get an idea of the difference, you can go here http://www.kbb.com/whats-my-car-worth/ to get an idea of the difference using both 90k and 230k as the mileage. Its not a guarantee but will give you an idea of the price difference.

I think the longevity of a 2.5 that has had the HGs replaced depends a lot on the care taken to do the job. Some dealers do the job in the car and may not get a good cleaning done. Some don't check the heads for flatness. Most DIYers remove the engine to do a good job (like this guy) Good cleaning and prep work combined with latest Subaru gasket seems to have the best potential for long life. Those that remove the engine and do the "while you are in there" stuff also seem to have fewer problems. The SOHC engines are a bit easier to do in the car, but some still prefer to remove the engine and do everything with the engine on a stand. Just my $0.02

Here is a link to another thread that uses the HF FWD Wheel Bearing tool: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1925081