Jman

The little digital clock overhead in my '01 Forester went out, came back on, went out again, came back on, and now is out for good, it seems. I'm pretty sure it's an internal fault, because every time it came back on, it had the correct time? Or is it just a lose connection to the ignition switch? Anyway, I can't figure out how to access the little bugger. How do I pop out the casing that surrounds it to check the connections? Yeah, I know, real tough problem--but it's a *************** not knowing how late you're going to be.

Jersey City Medical Center is now closed down--they have a new hospital downtown on Grand Street, and the JCMC is going to become luxury condos. Great art deco building with awesome views . . . . why waste it on sick people? I guess you went to Stevens? Cheers.

I'm going to Nova Scotia, where it seems nothing is done right so ix-nay on getting it repaired there. Besides, can't afford the down time on the road. I'm in Jersey City, so I have a few dealerships to choose from. Plus, if they fawk it up, I can go back and ***************.

Cool, thanks for the input. I'll probably get it done anyway, because this is the princess's vehicle, and the clicking I'm getting is rolling straight, in neutral. It's just not worth it to risk failure in rural Canada while on a camping vacation with the extended family. :-\ Now, if it were MY primary vehicle, I'd drive it until I saw actual flames. . . . . Hmmm, why can't Subaru come up with a silicone, fiber-reinforced boot that would resist cracking and tearing????

I'm going to be getting a Thule cargo carrier in the next few days (Evolution 1600) so that I can throw the camping equipment up top. The Thule dealer doesn't have the clamps that are designed for the Subaru in stock, told me that the quick bars (which cost $15 more) work just as good and are more versatile. Is he just lazy, or are the bars just as good? It's hard to tell from the pics on the Thule Web site, but it looks like the Subaru-specific clamps provide a lower profile. I don't care about the $15, I just figure that the ones designed for the Subaru would function better. :-\

We were taking our 2001 Forester on vacation, got a nasty burning smell on the first leg of the trip. By the time we got home, I pinned it down to a torn right passenger CV boot throwing grease on the exhaust. Of course, it was RAINING both legs of the journey, so now I've got some clicking. We have to take the car on another long journey, and I don't have time to diddle around, so I found a dealer that will do a new axle on one side for $255--parts, labor, and a beater loaner for the day. Am I wrong in thinking this is a decent deal? :cool: The Forester has 66k on it--how likely is it that the other CV boot will go soon? We do city driving (potholes) so there they do see some "flex"--is the driver's side likely to be toast soon, too? And, how long will an axle last as long as the CV boot isn't compromised? This is the first "real" problem with the vehicle--other than a few light bulbs out, a failed knock sensor, and a rattling heat shield, it's been golden.

Oh, yeah, go for the chrome 20s--just don't get the spinners, those can get fawked up when you go off road, and besides, those are just so last week. And don't worry about the price--the dealer offers financing, so the sky is the limit. Not.

Thanks for your responses, sorry if I wasn't clear. While tire performance has been great, I wasn't impressed with tread life. The flats I know are unavoidable and can happen with any tire (each flat we've had has been nails/screws in the roadway). I was just looking for a longer lasting, good performing tire.

Hey all, great board, this is my first post, sorry if it's a FAQ, but I couldn't find an answer using search, sooooooo. . . . I've got a 2001 Forester with 55k. I was not impressed with the first set of Bridgestone Duellers--they looked nasty ast 32k--but because of bad timing (not one but two nasty flats) we had to buy another set of Bridgestone Duellers from the dealer in order to make a long vacation road trip. The second set has 23k on them, and we just got another unfixable flat. At this rate, it won't be long before I need to make a decision to switch to a more durable tire. Any tire recommendations? I'm in NJ, urban roads, snow/ice in winter, limited offroad, looooooong road trips to Canada in summer. Otherwise, love the Forester. These are the only other problems I've had in 55k miles (other than routine, scheduled maintenance): • heat shield rattle underneath (fixed for free) • I've had to replace one tail light bulb and both license plate bulbs ($7.50) • I have a loose connection on the left headlight (not fixed, no charge) • I had to to replace the pillar dome light switch after wifey slammed the seat belt in the door ($11) Not bad! These small parts are a beyatch to get sometimes, but so far, so good.