tapdancer

Hi there, I have a 1999 forester S. i am looking for skid plates. are subaru OEM plates fairly good and easy to get? I have been invited to go cross the Old Mojave Road through the Mojave desert and am unsure if i can. My car is stock. Main thing i have been advised is to get skid plates. also been told i need a 2" lift kit, but this is more money them i want to spend and more alteration then i want for basically one offroad trip. i don't do it normally. Anyone know how/where i can get skid plates? anyone know how well my stock forester will cope with an "off road vehicle recommended" trail? pictures of the road look like it is mainly a dirt road. any one with experience out there! reallyt appreciate any sources for skid plates or advice on forester off road capability! tapdancer

aaah, well that sounds like my car is operating like others. Many thanks for the info!

Hi there, I have a 1999 subaru forester. It is well maintained and have recently changed oil and air filter. It has 119K on it (due a 120K service soon). Lately, in the last month or so, i have noticed i have been getting significantly worse gas mileage. Not sure what it was before i started noticing the increased frquency to the pumps, but recently calculated it at about 21mpg at last fill up based on miles travelled for 12.9 gallons added. Some have mentioned winter fuel. I do the same commute every day. about 25 miles, of which most is on fast moving highway, and about a 1/4 of the journey through city traffic. what mpg should i expect? am i paranoid? is there something wrong with my precious? any help much appreciated!

Thanks for the advice all. I phoned crutchfield and they talked me through just how detailed their installation guides are, and said they hadd all the bits for my model/year. Here's hoping i don't wire it all up to my wipers!

Hi there, I have a 1999 Forester that still has the original factory AM/FM radio and casette player in the dash with a space / cubby underneath it. I would very much like to install a CD/MP3 player but have no idea how. Shop installation i $120, but i would rather avoid this fee and also learn some more about my subaru! I was wondering if anyone could tell me how easy this is, if there are any guides or manual for doing this? Do i need to remove the casette player or can i install a CD player into the space that is underneath that looks like it is meant to receive a CD player? Any advice, instructions, tips or pointers really really appreciated!

Further from my post about the tensioner, I am replacing (or considering replacing) the slave cylinder myself due to sticking clutch. Bled the system, helped a little, but still sticking. How easy a job is this to do oneself? I have seen mention that it is onle 30-60 mins work to unbolt the old and bolt in the new. Is this accurate? are there issues i should know about or pitfalls to avoid? Any experiences to be shared? this is on a manual 1999 forester. Many many thanks. Great GREAT forum!

Hi there, About to do my timing belt on a 99 forester. Just bought the car used and it has 115K on it. Subaru rec. 105K for new timing belt, but wasn't done by last owner. I really want the car to last and do well and am happy to put some money into preventing rather then repairing. So I am having the timing belt, the water pump and the seals around there (cam shaft seals?) all done at the same time for $800 (Bay Area dontcha know, $100 an hour labor fairly standard). Now, people have also mentioned getting the tensioner and idler pulleys replaced as well. Others have said this is overkill, and one reason for getting a subaru is that it is a great reliable car. Bearing in mind that money is a real factor, but trying to balance with doing the right thing for the car, is the tensioner and idler pulley really necessary to replace at this point? the car is vast majority highway miles, is manual, and has had all services done on it..... Any advice really appreciated!

That's great, thanks for the advice! love this forum...

Hi there, I just bought a used 99 Forester S with 115K. It has not had the timing belt change at 105K so i am planning to do this. My aim is to be proactive with areas of wear and tear and keep the car on the road for many years! Should I replace the water pump whilst the timing belt is being done? or should i leave what works alone? it is the difference between $400 and $750 (ish) and i am hurting for bucks after my recent purchase, but would rather spend if necessary to avoid problems and failures later. Any advice on this much appreciated. Also (as a side issue) the clutch is sort of sticking to the floor when i am in start and stop traffic. Not a major issue as i pop it up wth my foot, but definitely needs to be dealt with..... any side advice on this? all fluids are at correct levels and no leaks around the cylinders...... many thanks from a newbie who has finally got to the point where he can afford a 'ru!

I should also mention it is a 99 forester S manual.... many thanks for any advice!

Hi there, Is there a way to check if the Forester I bought has had a timing belt change at 105K? it currently has 114K, the point at which I bought it from a dealer. Has had all services up to this point, but timing belt? how can i tell?

Hi There, I recently bought a used 1999 Forester S manual 2.5. I am starting to really worry about the head gasket issues i am seeing here. I bought a subaru based on reputation these cars have, but it seems i may get fleeced for a few thousand bucks if my head gasket goes. A hot topic on this site! One friend, an avid buru driver, said that as long as i make very sure never to let the engine over heat the head gasket should never be a problem. I also have heard i should get some goop from subaru to add. Are there any other preventive measures I can take to avoid losnig my investment? I have heard mention of corrosion inhibitors? Also, the car has a full service history. Is it standard to replace the timing belt at the 105K service? My car has 114K when bought. Is there any way of finding out if the timing belt was replaced? The dealer talked me into getting an extended 2yr / 24K warranty from Wynn's. Does anyone have any experience with this provider? are they any good? will they cover a blown head gasket? or are they cowboys who cover nothing? any advice really really appreciated, many thanks for taking the time to look!

Hi There. I finally achieved the dream and got myself a subaru. Have wanted one for ages and finances finally allowed. I bought a 1999 2.5 manual Forester S for $7400 with 114,000 miles on it. After looking into this website it seems i have one "weak spot" to watch for. Many people seem to point to a problem with the head gasket going. Is there some way to know if this is starting to go, or some measure i can take to reduce the risk of this going? Also, if it does go, does it wreck the engine? This car has only had one owner from new and has had every single service suggested by Subaru. Any advice or reassurance greatly appreciated..... On another topic, I was wondering if i should have the timing belt re-done. It seems that Subaru say it should be replaced at 105K, and to my knowledge this wasn't done. Should I do this at this point? Is it likely to break at this mileage (114K)? Does it wreck the engine if it goes out? Any advice really appreciated and Great to have found this website!