Setright

Toe is adjustable all the way round. Rear end, on the sub-assembly end of the control arm, so in theory you can replace struts without needing alignment. Front toe is adjusted via the tie-rods. Camber is done on the top hub/strut bolt. I rear camber is out, you can replace the top hub bolt back there with a lop-sided one like on the front and allow some adjustment. I think 0.0 toe all round is the best. -0.5 camber on the front has given my Impreza very direct handling, with zero understeer. However, my car doesn't have a sway bar at the rear. That is why I would suggest -0.25 on your car chef, -0.5 could make it twitchy.

Alternator is bad. For sure. Mind did this and I know many more who report the same. Odd that all those lights come on, but it's a definate.

Disconnected lines would always lead me to a bleed. Yes, you need to bleed all four wheels to ensure similar fluid in all the lines and therefore even brake distribution. With the engine off you get a more direct feel since the vacuum assistance is gone after a few applications. You can be fairly certain that the air is gone once the pedal feels firm. Flushing requires a liter of fluid.

Having replaced those parts, I would strongly recommend an alignment. Oversteer could be from not enough negative camber at the rear (should be -1.0) or too much at the front (between 0.0 and -0.25). Wobble is likely to be a toe problem. Sorry to be the bearer of expensive news, but you need a four wheel alignment.

Is it permanent? I haven't been in a Subaru - and they count many over the years - that didn't occasionally park the wipers a bit high.

Pulling the CC stalk toward you will cancel the setting, Maybe you are knocking it with your knee?? My 2006 Forester lights up the "Cruise" in the dash but also has a "Set" light that comes on when the computer has taken charge.

For sure you wanna flush the brake fluid before you do anything else.

Nipper, that's not true anymore. There's an accelerometer ("G-sensor") under the gearstick housing inside the cabin to keep track of the true speed and deceleration of the car. It IS true that Ford's early system - as fitted to the 1984 Scorpio/Granada/Falcon - had no G-sensor. That's how Leonard Setright succeeded in locking all four wheels during the press launch. Poor Ford...

We need to hear more about you symptoms. Does it slip in high gears? Does it slip when changing gear? If the cable is too tight - or dirt is blocking it's movement - you can get slip during shifts even though the clutch is fine. Less than 125k miles on a clutch would be unusual.

Could be cable operated clutch?

Well done! Hats off from here www.subaruhighmileageclub.com

Yikes! Valve lifters are usually make a shorter higher pitched noise. More a "click", than your "clunk". The engine is at op temp, right? Does it sound better or worse when cold? If it gets worse as it heats up, then it's likely to be a bearing. I like the idea further above about checking the belt tensioner before going further.

If the connector on the knock sensor is grey, you must replace it with a new one. This will have a white connector. It's still possible for the new type to have a cracked housing, so get under the bonnet and have look below the throttle body. Black ring, with a 10mm hex bolt through it. It's the best place to start, as nipper suggests. Next up would be spark plugs, plug cables, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump...

Yes, there is of course the rather important aspect of suspension setup. By far the most FWD cars are designed to understeer under ALL conditions. Safety engineers prefer to send people into obstacles face first because the seatbelts, airbags, and crumple zones are most effective in that direction. The very neutral stance of most Subaru setups means that they become responsive to throttle input.

Lift-off oversteer is also present in FWD and RWD. As I mentioned above, I reckon we sometimes go faster in AWD cars because the ease with which they gain speed.

Good point, fair play. Are you using the newer smaller filter? Does it have an "anti-drainback valve"? Black rubber grommet under the outer ring of holes.

Praise indeed, jacek. Thank you Jamal, I would recommend some negative camber on your front wheels to cure that dry-pavement understeer.

You need to loosen the two engine mounts to allow the engine to rise up. Most of the time, you also need to remove the exhaust manifolds from the engine to allow enough clearance. It's this last part that causes problems. Soak the exhaust nuts in penetrating oil overnight before trying to remove them. The "straw" that the oil pump uses to suck up oil has a circular bit on the end with a mesh filter. You need to tip the oil pan as far forward as possible to clear this during removal. Good luck!

Heat shields on the exhaust have a tendency to rattle. They can be tied down with clamps/jubilee clips. Sometimes the thin aluminium shields on the car can work lose and touch the exhaust piping. Same kind of noise. Either way they can be a pain to replicate under controlled conditions. Get the car up on a lift with a helper in the car to rev the engine past 3000rpm and let them drop again.

We have been having a lot of snowfall here this year! :-) AND: There is no doubt: lift-off the gas, turn-in, stand on the gas....the tail will slide out. A tiny amount of opposite steering lock will bring it back into line tidily. Lift-off, turn-in, stand on the gas, lift-off again and you get OH!versteer almighty :cool: Rescuing the slide requires arm twirling or a prudent prod on the gas. Stay on the gas, turn-in: mild understeer. Stay on the gas, turn-in, floor the gas and you get a nice four-wheel drift going. In this situation, lifting-off is likely to start a spin. I'm not brave/stupid enough to try. So, quit turning into bends without keeping the gas pedal steady, if you want to keep the rear wheels in line.

If the regulator goes bad, and can't hold the pressure up, you tend to get rough running at high revs. Perhaps the MAF is wonky?

Try having the coolant tested for exhaust gases - like carbon monoxide. The head gasket leak is probably tiny and won't show up in a compression test. This has stumped many mechanics on these engines.

Um, no. All four wheels carry the car, steer the car, stop the car. Why upset the balance: Let all four drive the car too! I did think of something else today: Maybe you are going faster in those icy bends because the AWD allows you to gain speed with much less drama. In a 2wd car, you wouldn't have the traction to get you into trouble.

Yep, you can DIY it. I would recommend fitting new discs aswell as pads. You'll need a big g-clamp to span the entire caliper before dis-assembly, to press the pistons back in. It's much easier to do this way, than mess about with it once the pads are out. Remember to suck up some of the brake fluid in the reservoir to avoid overflow.

Yes. Keep the gas pedal where it is, don't lift-off, just counter steer and it will catch the car quite fast. I much prefer mild oversteer to understeer. With understeer you run out of road too fast. The rotating motion of oversteer doesn't take you far off the cornering line, but does reduce excess momentum - aka speed ;-) And maybe fit some good snow tyres.