Setright

Soobnut, you would want to import one from Germany. Here in Denmark the price of the gearbox and freight would be so high that you could by a brand new Sube in the States...well, almost. German mechanics are also have a "if it even looks worn, we MUST replace it" mentality, which means even an older gearbox will likely be in good shape.

If I can find one, I might give it a try.

Do a search on the board for "coolant replacement". Unless you know yourself to be completely inept and unable to use a screwdriver, DIY is the best thing. Very few mechanics are careful with customer cars. Also, a non-Subaru outfit will not know what they're doing. These cars are not like the others :-) If you don't want to DIY, and what peace-of-mind, pay the dealer.

The AWD axles has a smaller diameter, and will not stand up to the torque in the long run. It will break "prematurely". Also, if replacing only one side, the difference in rotational mass will cause "torque steer". Gas it and it will pull to one side, let off and it will pull to the other side.

Okay, so I got help from the local Impreza club. Open the cubby box /armrest. Two plastic caps hide two screws that must come out. Plastic moulding around the handbrake is then free to flip forward an unclip - disconnect mirror, seat, and other electrical connectors. The gearlever knob must come off - rotate on the stock - and then the gaiter and moulding are free to unclip. Lube the joint, and presto! No squeaking! (WOW! A post by Setright, for Setright, and solved by Setright...)

I hope they gave it a dual-engine AWD system, otherwise its gonna be S..L..O..W!

Subaru station wagons, or "estates" as we call them in English, have always had the option of dual-range in Europe, at least. The Third generation Legacy estate is DR as standard.

My old Legacy would use between 1 and 2 quarts for every 6000 miles. Nothing to worry about. So 1 every 10k sounds like a new engine! Mileage was well over 150k.

Fill to the neck. Cap off, start the engine. If the level rises immediately, shut off the engine. A bubble will probably burp out. Start the engine again. Cabin heat on full, blower motor on low, and the engine should be able to reach near operating temperature before coolant spills over. As the coolant level rises again. Put the cap on! Take the car for a short drive - eyes on temp gauge - and park it on level ground. Let it cool, for at least four hours. Check level and top off if necessary.

I hear you on the weird looks! It's the only attraction of not having a garage to do it in :-)

Okay, so does it collect bits, or is just a fine layer?

105 is a bit too far. I would rate 60k as the max. At 30k flushing it to clean out oil deposits would be a good idea. Remove it, flush it, let it dry, install. Or replace, they aren't expensive. The part that wears out is the spring. As it gets weaker, it will open later and not draw the right amount of gas from the crankcase.

Nobody here has ever taken apart their Impreza?

My shift lever is making annoying squeaking noises, and it's coming from inside the faux leather boot. How do I take this part of the console apart without breaking all the plastic lock pins?

Why would you want to run without the AWD? You might need it around the next corner. That's like switching off the ABS because you don't feel the need during normal driving. If you want to save on fuel bills, don't buy a boxer-engined four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Peter! DOn't forget your coolant - and the hoses!

I am 98% sure the transmission should be taken out. The release fork is installed from inside the bell-housing during assembly.

The raised suspension may provide a slight advantage in those circumstances, but the rest of the time it will just make the handlind more soggy, rolly, and less responsive. Most Subes can make it through snow, whether they are raised or not. The AWD does a lot, and the standard oil sump protecter gives some piece of mind. If you want a quasi-off road vehicle go for the Forester. According to CAR Magazine it "owns the zeitgeist".

Filter magnets...hmmm..aluminium engine block, head, and pistons. Both non-ferrous. The only ferrous metals are the backing plates of the plain bearings in crank and cam, and the piston rings. The "white metal" outer coating, and copper "primer" are hardly going to stick to a magnet. Okay, the cast-in cylinder liners are steel, so the magnet may well catch a few particles, if your bores are being worn.

You are most welcome! Sharing experiences on this board can help save us a lot of time and frustations.

Drive it. Keep a watchful eye on the temp gauge. Especially when coming off a highway. AS SOON as the needle moves upward, shut the engine off. Don't run it hot. Regularly check the level of coolant in the radiator - when cold of course - and top it off. Try the high pressure cap. No, unless you let it overheat and keep driving, no other parts will be damaged.

Maybe on purpose. Although I have seen people do some stupid things just because they are dozy and don't care about other peoples property. Looking down the side of my car, nearing five years of age, the doors look like a raging sea. Nowhere is left unmarked :-(

Okay, I was wondering what sort of life the car has had. How much "stick" it gets, or if it gets lugged. Pulls trailers.. I know that my kind of driving style - low gears, high revs - would expose a weak head design! And what sort of maintenance it has had over the years?

Andrew, all my sube boxer engines have always bubbled slightly in the overflow tank. Be vary of lots of smaller bubbles. If you are worried, I would suggest a complete, drain, flush, and refilling of your coolant system. I just did this to my Impreza, and it seems to have decreased the bubbling substantially. I think that as the coolant mix gets older, the boiling point gets lower and as the fluid is pushed out during normal operation, it "boils" as it leaves the pressurised coolant system and hits the atmospheric pressure in the expansion system.

Melting the fins? I would not think so. The air might cause "cavitation" in the water pump. That's when the fins spin easily in the air bubbles, but are shocked to suddenly hit coolant, which usually results in pitting of the fin surface. It would take a lot of cavitation to eat up an entire fin. Did you see the pump in Jan 02? Was it brand new? Was it a genuine part? I would expect it to last 120k miles, or ten years. Maybe, hydrocarbons in the coolant, from an HG leak would cause it to corrode. Maybe. Why did you replace the pump?