Armchair Bronco

I ended up ordering two inexpensive upgrade kits from Rally Lights: The upgrade can be done w/o any soldering. Just cut off the existing wires close to the melted plastic housing, crimp on some new connectors, and pop them in to the white ceramic housing. Then cover the whole thing with the blue cover. http://www.rallylights.com/cfc-female-ceramic-plug-includes-housing-and-terminals.html

The wiring harness for the driver's side headlight on my 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.2L "L" sedan has melted. My daughter was on a long road trip yesterday, and I guess 3+ hours of continuous use was enough to melt the horizontal tab that controls the low beam (high beam is still OK). I want to replace the current plastic harness with a ceramic one. Can I get some suggestions? I do a lot of soldering and have all the soldering irons, shrink tubing and heat guns needed for the job. This one on Amazon looks like it's intended for folks who DON'T want to solder: Hipro Power H4 (9003) Heavy Duty Ceramic Headlight Wire Harness : Amazon.com : Automotive Here's one that requires soldering (curious why they didn't color code the wires): Amazon.com: Amico 2 x H4 9003 Ceramic Wire Wiring Headlight Harness Sockets for Car Headlight: Automotive I want to do this job right once (will replace both sides) but I can wait forever for shipping. Suggestions?

Got it. Thanks. Good read. I also found several Subaru-related DIY videos on YouTube that I may add links to in your thread. (Still perplexed about why the search from *this* site didn't turn up the thread...)

I'm not finding the Knock Sensor 101 thread. Can you give me a link?

Are there any common-sense "Rules of Thumb" that pertain to buying parts for DIY repairs? For example, if the knock sensor is really just a commodity item that only throws an error code for the CEL, then maybe buying the El Cheapo version is good enough. On the other hand, if a faulty knock sensor (or one that had intermittent problems) could negatively affect performance or MPG, then maybe the bargain brand would end up costing you more money in the long run. Just curious about the thought process folks use when there are so many different options relative to price and different brands / name brands.

My 2000 Subaru Impreza "L" 2.2L sedan threw a P0325 Knock Sensor code the other day, so I've decided to just replace the knock sensor itself. FWIW, this will be my *first* DIY car project beyond changing wiper blades or putting in a new relay. Anyway, looks like there are 3 options for buying a new Knock Sensor. Which one should I pursue? #1. El Cheapo - I'm seeing a no-name part on Amazon for $12 (nothing but 5-star ragings) - http://http://www.amazon.com/Sensor-Subaru-Forester-Impreza-Outback/dp/B0095S5I3W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_3 #2. Mid-Range Price, "OE Spec" @ $63 - 2000 Subaru Impreza Knock Sensor | AutoPartsWarehouse #3. Bosch Knock Sensor @ $83 - 1999-2002 Subaru Impreza Knock Sensor - Engine Electrical - Bosch 99-02 Impreza Knock Sensor - 379-01047167 - PartsGeek

Will do. I don't anticipate any engine-related mods to this thing...unless my 2 teenage boys get bitten by the bug and spring for the work. But I do want to add some (cheaper version of) Dynamat sound deadening to the trunk, install a fog light kit (we actually have real fog where I live), track down some OEM splash guards / mud flaps (almost there), and throw in some all-weather rubber floor mats (an absolute must-have item for Seattle). Anything I post in the Member's Rides section will be sedate compared to the WRX'ers...but it is what it is, right?

Wow! That's eye-opening. By contrast, my car was treated with kid gloves. I have evidence that this car was owned by a very responsible older woman who took the time to do ALL scheduled maintenance on time. She has an unimpeachable track record of getting oil changes from the dealership every 3K miles using blended synthetic oil, come rain or shine. She also averaged only 8K miles per year on this car over the 12+ years she drove it, so I have visions of a middle-aged woman going 20% under the speed limit, signaling all of her turns, and making complete stops at all 4-way stops...even if she were the only car at the intersection! Here's are some pictures before the dealership changed out the original wheel covers:

"This thread is worthless without pictures." Here's the car.

Thanks for the feedback. On some other sites, I'm getting a black eye because I didn't verify absolutely every stipulation from the dealer before doing the deal. I also agree that we found "a gem". I'm VERY happy with this car, and overall I'm really pleased with the way things worked out and with our salesman at the dealership. Regarding the head gasket issue, here's a little background. I started off by looking at older RS 2.5's from 2000 through 2005. That's when I learned about the head gasket problem with the EJ25 engines. The head gasket issue totally scared me away, so I started look at the 2.2L engines instead. However, during my research I did find instances of head gasket failures on the Phase 2 EJ22's. They were rare, but they did happen from time to time. So when I read: "All major maintanences have been done including timing belt and head gaskets" I thought: "Awesome, that's one less thing to worry about." The dealer was stipulating that this work had been done, and I assumed (incorrectly) that they wouldn't have made this stipulation unless it were true. Now I'm thinking that the sales guy may have meant to write: "...timing belt and water pump". Regarding the CEL, I've got my fingers crossed that the problem is just a non-standard gas cap and that it will be a trivial fix. Anyway, thanks again for keeping your feedback upbeat! I needed it!

(Apologies in advance for a LONG post; sorry, guys, but there's no other way.) Hey guys, I'm looking for some feedback on a couple of issues I'm having with a used 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.2L sedan w/ 119K miles I bought just 4 days ago (the very end of 2013). My wife and I paid a premium for this car over the KBB estimate because it had a 12+ year comprehensive service history from the local Subaru dealership. The CL listing stated the following: Dealer maintained, Major Services done, Clean! A rare find! Well maintained with TONS of dealership service. All major maintanences have been done including timing belt and head gaskets. This Impreza has also been inspected by our licensed Subaru technicians. The timing belt & head gasket work was what caught my eye; the sales guy gave me copies of the service history for this car going back to 2002. All work was either done at the dealership (for things like oil changes and some CEL work in 2002) or at a nearby Subaru shop with a great reputation for the 50K, 90K, and 105K scheduled maintenance. ISSUE #1: The Subaru shop confirmed that they changed timing belts at 90K, but there's no record of them or the dealership ever having done the head gaskets. So, unless the previous owner had them done somewhere else (highly unlikely since like clockwork she only used these 2 shops for 12+ years with regular records on CarFax), it seems that the head gaskets have NOT been changed. What should I do about this? Unless the dealership can prove that this work has been done, I think they either need to replace the gaskets as advertised, or warranty that if the gaskets ever do fail, they will do all necessary repairs for free. ISSUE #2: When I did my first walkaround of the car, I noticed that the gas cap was missing. I told the sales guy at his desk and he said: "Yeah, I got it from the back." However, the cap is an older, non-OEM brand, and the CEL has been turning on intermittently for the last 2 days, presumably because of this. When I mess with the gas cap, the light goes off, but it keeps coming back on. Now, the CEL may *not* be due to the gas cap (I'd need to see what the code is), so who knows. I'm also concerned that 4 days off the lot the CEL is turning on and off, especially since the dealer had the car for nearly 3 weeks and put it through an inspection by licensed technicians. ISSUE #3: One of the dealer work invoices for December 2013 stated the following: "Abnormal noise while car is rolling - sounds like RR area - Wheel BRG passes preliminary inspection (DIO)". I'm also hearing this noise; it only happens if the car rolls forward very slowly by its own weight/inertia, so I didn't hear it during the test drive. If it's under power then you don't hear it. Seems to me that since the dealership spotted this during their 11 point inspection, they should have addressed the issue. DISCLAIMER: I understand that when you buy a used car, you're rolling the dice. But in my defense, I bought a car with a solid maintenance history from a Subaru dealership to avoid these kinds of issues. And I don't think it's unrealistic for me to expect the dealership to address these issues. I'm planning to swing by tomorrow morning (1/3/2014).

I spoke too soon! Checked my email and saw that my order was declined because the kit no longer exists. It is still in the main Subaru database, but the inventories are empty. I would be interested in used flaps in good condition (all things considered) that also includes the installation hardware. PM sent to cal_look_zero

I just tracked down the part # on another site (made a duplicate post over at rs25.com) and have just ordered a set online. The part # is: J1010FA200 If it turns out that this kit doesn't work for me, I'll ping you again and if the parts are still available we can do the deal.

I'd like to add some OEM splash guards to my 2000 Impreza 2.2L (just bought it this weekend). I noticed that when I drive in the rain, I get a ton of crap sprayed up on the side of my car all the way up to the windows. My other cars w/ splash guards don't have this problem. Found an eBay auction for some old 1998 OEM splash guards. There's no hardware w/ these. Price is $69. Found another OEM kit auction, but the year range for this kit goes from 2000 all the way up to 2011 (which doesn't seem right). This kit includes hardware. Price is $91. Subaru J1010FG000VW Mud Flap Splash Guard Kit | eBay Found another kit w/ hardware, but they seem to have just a generic placeholder photo. This one claims that it fits 1995-2005 Impreza's. Prices ranges from $24 to $40. Subaru Impreza Four 4 Piece Mud Splash Guard Set Black Fits Subaru | eBay I've also looked at Rally Sport but don't like these as general-purpose splash guards. The poly ones are too expensive @ $125 for me and the plastic ones tend to curl.

Thanks. These guys are also in Olympia, WA...about an hour south of me. (It might be faster to just drive there!) Anyway, I'll call around tomorrow. Some site ship for free, others have a shipping cost based on the final sales price. I'll need to compare apples and apples.