Martinjmpr

In theory, the fact that the fog lights are mounted low makes it less likely that the fog will reflect the light back into your eyes, which keeps you from being blinded by your own lights. This is why mounting fog lights on the roof or rollbar (yes, I've seen this! ) makes no sense. The low, wide beam also helps to illuminate the area right in front of the car. But, if the fog is thick enough, the area illuminated by the fog lights is still way short of what it would be if there was no fog. OTOH, remember that the other purpose of lights (both fog and headlights) is to allow others to see you. So, in that sense, I would say that in thick fog, there's no such thing as "too much" light as long as the light isn't reflecting back in your eyes and harming your vision. Personally, I'd like to see rear fog lights on vehicles, too. A bright red light (brighter than your brake lights when they are activated) would help prevent rear-end collisions. Needless to say, reducing your speed is the only way to be safe in thick fog, fog lights or no.

Regarding those CR "rankings", What the hell is "expected" reliability? Reliability is something that either is or isn't there, and can really only be deduced by actual use, not by "expectations." Every business owner "expects" his business to be a success. Every general "expects" his battle plan to succeed. Obviously, they aren't always right. I'd judge reliability by looking at the numbers of older models still on the road and their mileage. Are there 10-year old Chevy Cavaliers out there with 250k on them and no major malfunctions? I just don't know, but from my limited experience with Chevrolet products, I doubt it. OTOH, I see lots of older Subies still on the road and still (apparently) running strong. Now, maybe this is because Subies tend to get more "fanatical" owners, who take better care of them and who are more meticulous about routine maintenance. Or, maybe it's because the US automakers have low QC standards on their cheap cars. Again, I don't know, but the bottom line is that an 'expectation' of reliability based on anything other than actual experience is still a WAG (Wild Assed Guess) as far as I'm concerned.

Well, I've got the radio out but my "solution" was to replace it with another Subaru unit, this one with a single-CD in place of the 6-cd changer (the changer was driving me nuts because it didn't like to play my burned CDs.) As soon as I can figure out how to get the changer out, I'll be selling the head unit, changer control and changer as a unit. Sadly, I think replacement is probably the best solution.

I was worried for a while that my '99 OBW would start having HG problems, but (a) the number of 95-99 OBW's I see on a weekly basis numbers in the hundreds, and none of them are spewing smoke, which leads me to believe their HGs are fine. ( Remember that most people who drive Subarus don't post on this board. To them, the Subaru is just a car. I seriously doubt that there would be this many 1st Gen Outbacks still on the road if the HG problem was as common as many people seem to fear, and © Although $1200 is a lot of money, it represents about 4 car payments on a new car (or less, depending on how long you finance the car for.) Since my OB is paid for, it's worth the possibility of a HG replacement to not have to make car payments.

Yes, the 2003+ Foresters are much prettier than the first generation ones. This one is nicer still. Seems to have some innovative features (water resistant fabrics and the like.) I just wish they were a little bit bigger. Over in Australia, besides getting low range in their Foresters (though only in the MT versions), they sold a 'camping' version that had an inflatable mattress in the back. I'd like to be able to do something like that with my OBW, but the cargo area is just a little too short. The only way I could do it is by removing the back seat's bottom cushion. I hope Subaru continues to refine the Forester. Besides its good looks, it should be a better off road vehicle than the OBW simply because it has much better approach/departure angles. It also has a full-size spare.

Disregard my last. I figured it out (the manual shows that the forward portion of the console just "pops" out. Okay, radio works, now I just have to get it re-installed, and hope I can get all those little screws back in!

Okay, I'm trying my radio swap (removing the old AM/FM/WB/Cassette and 6-cd changer in favor of an in-dash AM/FM/WB/CD.) Anyway, I got the old radio out (and hope I didn't pull any wires out when I removed it!), but I dropped several screws down in the area under the forward part of the console (the area immediately underneath the radio and behind the ashtray.) I could probably get them if I could remove the forward part of the console, but I can't figure out how to do that. I've removed the rear console cover (the area right in front of the console storage box) but the area forward of that, that is, the area where the AT shifter is, doesn't seem to have any screws I can see to remove. Do I need to remove the AT shift lever first? Second question, does anyone know how to remove the 6-disc CD changer from under the passenger seat? I haven't examined it closely, but I can't see any screws or bolts holding it to the floor. I've already disconnected all the electrical connections, so all I have to do now is physically remove the unit from under the seat. Final question, does anyone know of a place (besides a Subaru dealer) where I can get the little "pocket" that sits underneath the factory radio? Now that I have only the radio/CD head unit, I'm going to have an ugly gap under the radio. Thanks for any help. If I'm still having problems tomorrow, I'll post some digital pics so people will know what I'm talking about. BTW, the AM/FM/WB/Cassette, 6-CD changer and Changer control will be for sale as soon as I figure out how to get the changer out. Radio, cassette and changer work fine, except there is no backlight behind the display on the radio. Thanks in advance for any help.

$36k? You have GOT to be kidding! What were they thinking? That's only about $4k less than either the BMW X3 or the VW Touareg, both of which are better looking and bigger, and the VW even has a low range (i.e., it's a true off-road vehicle.) I believe that also puts it in the same neighborhood as the Volvo XC-90. Of course, the VW, Volvo and BMW don't have 3rd row seats, but I can't help but wonder if they're putting all their marketing eggs in one basket (assuming that the 3rd row seat will overcome all the other objectionable features.)

I don't have a problem with the concept, it's the execution that I think was flawed. That thing is just ugly and goofy looking - worse than a minivan, IMO. Too round and bulbous, too many "cute" features that serve no purpose or are actually counterproductive (like the gigantic, Murano-type D-pillar.) What they should have done was just made a larger Forester. Keep the distinctively Subaru lines of the beast, but bigger and wider with the 3rd row seat. Basically what Honda did with the CR/V - Pilot and Mitsubishi did with the Endeavor - Outlander. In both cases, the "mini" and the "midi" SUV share a strong familial resemblance. I don't know how committed Subaru is to this thing, but I can't see very many of them being sold here. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows.

Is this a pre-recorded CD or one that you burned? Some of my burned CDs eventually deteriorate or get easily damaged. Of course, since they're so cheap, if that happens, I just toss them and burn another one. Also, if this is a burned CD, does it have a paper label on it? I've had problems in the past with discs that had paper labels on them. What happens sometimes is that the label gets hot and expands, or the sticky stuff starts wearing off and the label comes up a little, making it hard to play or eject the CD. For that reason, I've stopped putting labels on CDs that I play in the car. BTW, I wish you luck with your 6-disc changer. I have one on my OBW and I hate it. It skips all the time, is a complete PITA to load or unload (DON'T try to do it while driving!) and the only place you can get replacement cassettes (or magazines or whatever you want to call them) is from Subaru for over $50 a pop. I have purchased an AM/FM/WB/Single CD deck and plan on installing it this month.

Going from 22 to 16 is almost a 25% drop That's a huge drop that I don't think can be attributed just to oxygenated fuels. My '99/auto dropped down to 22 from 25-27 last week, but it was a cold week and I spent a lot of time driving slowly with the engine running to let the car warm up. After it warmed up my mileage jumped back up to 27. I'm not a mechanic, but I think the usual suspects are things like the EGR valve. If there is another Subaru dealership in your area (or an independent garage that specializes in Subaru), you might want to take it there instead. I have noticed a huge difference between some dealers and others in terms of their knowledge of the product and their carefulness and professionalism. Just as an example, I refuse to take my Subaru to the local dealer in Laramie because they have been so careless in the past (overfilling my oil reservoir, cross-threading and/or insufficiently tightening my oil drain plug after an oil change resulting in a noticeable leak.) The thing is, they sell Jeep and Chrysler products, too, and I think Subaru is just a sideline to them (although there sure are a lot of them in this little college town.) Hope this helps.

Just wondering if anyone has or has heard of a rear fog light for the Subaru? I have heard of these being used in Europe (where they get a lot of very thick fog) but I have only seen a rear fog light once in the US, on the back of a Jeep. For those who haven't seen them, a rear fog light is a very bright red light that makes a vehicle more visible from the rear. I've done a Google search on "rear fog light Subaru" but haven't found anything specific in the aftermarket for them. I think I've been watching "The Weather Channel" too much. They've been having stories on heavy fog, esp. in the Appalachians. Does get me thinking, though. Now that I no longer drive a truck or SUV, I feel more vulnerable on the highways.

This car answers a question. Unfortunately, the question it answers is "Whatever happened to the idiot who designed the Aztek after he got fired from Pontiac?" Now we know.

Two words: Fug-Ly! Not only is the grille a crime against humanity, the overall look of the vehicle is porky and fat, like a minivan or the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. Subaru has had some great, unique designs in their time. I think the current generation of the '05-up Legacy is beautiful and distinctive. I also think the 95-99 Legacy was a very aesthetically pleasing design (I wasn't crazy about the '00-'04 design. The hood was too high and the ground effects appear too low.) I sincerely hope this isn't the final design. If it is, I think they won't sell very many of these things. Even the Hyundai Santa Fe, as weird as it is, has some pleasing aesthetics. BTW, I also agree that the Infiniti FX-35/45 is one of the coolest looking SUVs (or whatever the hell it is!) sold in the US.

Well, I hope that's true! I've decided to keep my '99 OBW for the time being, at least until I finish school in May, and I still like the idea of the Baja, even thought I think Subaru screwed up the concept by not configuring it with the totally disappearing midgate as in the Avalanche. Since the '05's look better than the '00-'04 models, I'm looking forward to seeing the updated Baja. They should get the additional length and ground clearance as well.

Okay, you guys have convinced me not to give up on the factory radio even though the light behind the display has gone out. So, how do I get the thing out? I'm not terribly mechanically inclined, but I can use a screwdriver. Is it an easy removal? Second question, once I get it out, is it easy to get behind the display? The particular head unit (can't remember the exact nomenclature) is the one with the AM/FM/WB radio and Cassette deck. There is also a controller for the CD Changer, but I don't know if that's a separate unit (IOW, the space occupied is a double-DIN size, but I don't know if it is composed of two single-DIN units or one double-DIN unit). Anyone have experience with one of these? Are they easy to remove and reinstall? On a related note, can different head units be swapped in and out from Subarus of the same year? My owner's manual, for example, does not show the audio setup I have (it shows the AM/FM/WB with cassette only and the one with both the casssette and the single CD together in one large, double-DIN unit. Mine, however, does not have the in-dash CD.)

Does anyone know where I can get a cheap, stick-on LED digital clock? The backlight on my radio went out and now at night it's annoying not being able to look down and see what time it is. All the ones I see in the auto stores are LCD and I'd prefer an LED that stayed lit up all the time. I seem to remember seeing these cheap stick on LED clocks years ago but I haven't seen them since. I suppose I could just get an aftermarket head unit, but then I'd lose the weather radio, and I really like that feature of the OBW.

Before you bolt it on you might want to consider what it's going to do to your front overhang. The OBW already has pretty bad front and rear overhang which seriously limits its off-roadability. Ground clearance doesn't mean anything if you can't get over that bump or ditch because your front end keeps bottoming out.

Did you check JC Whitney? I believe they offer pre-cut carpet kits for all vehicles sold in the US for the past 30 years or so. I would give them a try before I tried to cut my own.

Forester is better off road b/c of shorter approach/departure angles (i.e., less overhang.) The OBW has good clearance but approach angle completely sucks and you will bang up the front bumper on any decent size ditch or hole. The Forester also has a full-size spare tire whereas the OB gets that worthless donut spare. Maybe not a big consideration, but if I was in the market for a small SUV I think I'd look hard at the Forester. Also, the '03-up Foresters are much better looking than the '98-'02 version.

You can also go to www.Edmunds.com to look at pictures and specs of different year models of different cars, but the short story is that Subaru seems to go 5 years on their body styles. The 1st generation Legacy was '90-94. The 2nd generation Legacy/1st Generation OB was '95-'99, 3rd generation Legacy/2nd Generation OB was 2000-2004, and the new ('05) Legacy is distinctly different from the '04 model. IMO (admittedly biased), the 1st Generation OB/2nd Gen Legacy is the best looking Subaru, but I have to say those '05's are sweet, especially the ones with the hood scoop. I don't care for the 2000-'04 body style, but they do have some nice features like Limited Slip differential and the gated AT shifter.

Okay, dumb question: How do I know if I have a Ph1, a Ph1 with phII heads, or a PhII on my '99 OBW? I have 73k with no problems (so far.)

Ah, OK so AAA is not in the picture. Was it on a public street or in a private lot? If it was a private lot you may have a cause of action against the lot owner. Nevertheless, even if you were parked illegally or your time had expired, that's no excuse for the towing company to have destroyed your tranny. They still have a duty not to do foreseeable harm.

The towing company had a duty to you not to harm your car. If they didn't know they couldn't tow an AWD car with an axle on the ground, they're negligent because they didn't know something they should have known (after all, AWD cars have been on the road for years and as great as Subarus are, it's reasonable to expect that sooner or later they may have to tow one.) If the driver knew and disregarded the danger of towing with an axle on the ground, they're negligent because their agent (the driver) was careless in his duties. If the company knew and the driver didn't because the company hadn't trained him, the company was negligent in their training. IOW, I don't see any way the company gets out of paying for this. Small claims court is a good route because you don't have to hire a lawyer. Unfortunately, just getting a judgement against them may not be good enough because once you have the judgment in hand, you'll have to collect on it. I hope the towing company is a well established one and not a fly-by-night operation. One other thing: Did you arrange this tow through AAA or some other roadside service? If so, you may be able to get some help from them. After all, by affiliating themselves with this towing company, your roadside emergency service has, essentially, vouched for them and said that they are an acceptable company to do business with. It might be worth it for them to keep in your good graces, and having them on your side would be a big help. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Be glad for our elevation. It keeps all the flatlanders away. BTW, o/t, but how much is gas in Laramie these days? I used to find the best prices were either at the Diamond Shamrock at exit 310 or at the Conoco down on 3rd street. I can't wait to get back!