knelson

What's to risk? A little drop of oil every few miles down the road if it doesn't work? It's not like you're going to blow a gusher out. Granted, it's only like $30 over 100,000 miles (assuming you change oil every 3750 or so), but it's still $30. Guess I'm just cheap... and lucky! -kurt (You actually think the dealership changes them?)

I've got a 99 Forester that occassionally shifts hard like you mention. Did it since it was new. It seems to only do it when you get it going around 20-25mph up a slight incline - it seems like it wants to shift, but will stay down in the low gear until it flattens out, then shift abruptly into the next gear. (As you get used to your new car and get a feel for when it normally shifts, you'll know what I mean.) I've always attributed it to the algorithm the computer uses to determine when to shift. It does some funky things sometimes depending on driving conditions. Like when I'm going down a short hill, just coasting - Some times, the tranny kicks down a gear (like I would've done at the TOP of the hill on a manual!) right at the BOTTOM of the hill... usually right about the time I start accelerating again. Makes for a kinda jumpy ride during the transition. Guess they need to put a little camera on the hood and rig it into the computer so it can see how long the hill is to start with! Not an answer to your question really, just an observation. I HOPE someone doesn't come along and burst my bubble and tell me that my transmission is a lemon! -kurt

Own two Subarus (94 Legacy, 99 Forester) and except for when I took them in for timing belt changes, have always done the oil myself. Have always just reused the old washers. No problems. No oil leaks... at least from the plug! -kurt

Not sure what year Forester you have, but here's what you do for a 1999... in a nutshell. I think they're all pretty much the same... 1. Lower steering wheel down as far as you can. 2. Remove two screws you see above the instrument cluster 3. Pull trim panel straight out, firmly - it is held by the two screws you just removed, and two blind "captive tabs" (don't know what to call them) that are just to the left and right of the steering column. 4. You should now see the three screws holding the instrument cluster into the dash - one on top and two in the center on the bottom. Remove those. 5. Now wish that your hands were very small and gently work the cluster out of the opening. Not sure how one is really supposed to do this, but it does come out. Really... it does. Just have some patience... and scraped knuckles. 6. As your working the cluster out, remove the three wire harnesses off the back of the instrument cluster. There's not a lot of slack in those harnesses, so the quicker you get them off, the easier. 7. Voila. It's out. You now should have access to all the bulbs on the backside. 8. Reverse to put back in. Be careful with the clear lense of the cluster. The plastic is a little soft and scratches easy. -kurt

I agree 100%. I wouldn't even think of trying to make a claim based on the scenario I threw out. Even if you had the most sympathetic claims person around, I don't think you'd get anything but a blank stare followed by a brief snicker out of them! I was just putting forth a possibility, and not trying to give someone ammo to file a false/unsupported claim. -kurt

Well... OK. You're off the hook. But I gotta think that someone out there has done the same thing, or at least thought the same thought. Then again, maybe folks just know what jobs to leave to the experts! -kurt

bump... Did I ask a stupid question or something? No replies? -kurt

Yes, it could've been done by the transport company... in theory. Not sure exactly how those car carriers secure their load (your car) to their carrier, but let say they hook to your car's frame or tow hooks and ratchet it down to the carrier. In other words, they could *possibly* load up the bearings more than just your car's weight. Now... as the car is crossing the country on the carrier, you wheel bearings are seeing some funky vibrations that wheel bearings normally are not supposed to see. In addition, they're not turning. In other words, they're just sitting there vibrating in the same spot, eventually wearing through the thin-film lubrication and you're getting metal to metal contact. These are all things that bearings really REALLY don't like. Granted, car carriers transport calls all over the place, all the time... with no incident. But I'm just thinking out loud here. If your bearings were marginal to start with (as said earlier, Subaru rear wheel bearings seem problematic) this scenario might have pushed them over the edge. Just a thought, kurt

OK - I've read all the posts regarding sticky/erratic speedos and mine pretty much fits the bill... sticking occassionally at 42mph, no shifting problems with the automatic transmission, whack the dashboard and the needle unsticks. I've got a 99 Forester, but from what I've seen so far it sounds identical to the 99 OB issues. So yesterday, I delicately dig into the instrument cluster to see if it's something obvious, and to get a feel for getting to the speedometer head to replace it. As all have said, yes... it's an amazingly tight fit - and I have small hands too. But anyway, I got everything disconnected and out, took off all the bezels, pulled the speedo and fuel gage needles off and removed the front face to gain access to the speedometer head itself. Nothing obvious wrong, looked way too electronic for me to mess with, so I reassembled and put back into the dash. Everything works fine, but the speed seems to read just a tad high now. Just based on driving habits, it seems about 3-5mph higher than actual. My wife reminds me that this is probably a good thing. As I was reassembling and putting the needle back on, I was wondering how you get the needle back in the correct place. I find it hard to believe I got it back within 3-5mph, so I'm thinking there must be some type of feedback loop that autocalibrates when power is restored? Or did I just get darn lucky... for once. Just curious what the "correct" way of calibrating this thing is. I'm not too worried about how it's working now, but I'm anticipating that when I get tired of the speedo sticking, I'll eventually change it out and I'll want to do it right then. Any help would be appreciated! -Kurt

99 Forester - 3 carseats across the back fit fine... as long as they're the right car seats! Definitely check it out for yourself - even if someone says it'll work, it'll greatly depend on what carseats you're using.

Newbie here with a problem... perhaps 2. 99 Forester with LCD odometer, no cruise control. Problem 1: On two occassions, a month or so apart, the speedometer needle has stuck at 42mph when merging on to the freeway. When moving at 65mph, needle still says 42mph. When I go below 42, the needle comes back to life. When cruising along at 65mph I hit a little bump in the road and the needle comes back to life, and all is well in my little world again. All the while, the LCD odometer is clicking away the miles just fine. Question 1 - To me, this seems like a mechanical issue with the speedometer head, but am seeking the collective wisdom of others to see if they've had this issue. Problem 2: While watching the speedometer like a hawk because of "Problem 1" I notice that the speedometer needle occassionaly jumps around erratically within a 10mph window. For example... I'm cruising steady at 65mph, but the needle will jump from 68 to 62 to 65 to 60... in really quick movements - not gradually. Question 2 - Is this related to Problem #1? (My opinion is NO since it seems electrical in nature.) I'm thinking I've got two different gremlins lurking here, but again am open to others' advice before I start getting dirty over it. Thanks in advance for any input, Kurt