brus brother

Didn't you mean getting to "Gnu" condition.

NHTSA.gov lists all recalls as well as TSBs by make/model/year.

Then if a leak is possible, would the refrigerant with leak additive be the ticket? BTW, I checked and the low and high connections are marked with... get this... L and H.

Did the Walmart charge help or is tepid the norm for those years? As for Wayne's caveats, I do prefer to avoid shrapnel injuries where possible so if someone can point me to the low pressure side, it would be appreciated. Also, is there a need to remove/evacuate the old oil or is this simply a process of topping off what refrigerant/oil has been dissipated or used up? It strikes me as odd that I never have to recharge my refrigerator...

OK, I generally agree with Cookie so, despite my medical training, I would reluctantly try the PCV valve to see if it helps Nipper's paralyzed muscle. Keep smiling, Nipper, laughing and crying is the same release. We're all rooting for ya'.

Is there any rule of thumb as to how long the original factory AC charge is good for. My 2000 seems tepid under extreme heat and I was wondering if it is just "used up" and in need of recharge. Is there a way of measuring the refrigerant oil to determine its' "coldability"? Are the recharge meters/freon cans from Wal-mart as good as any other method?

This I suppose would be considered the "engineering" approach.

I would suggest you take the Nipster's advice to heart. DO NOT stick your head under the dashboard looking for anything while you are driving! I would also suggest that Nipper's estimate of a few dozen may be conservative.

Ferners got you, eh Nipster?

Wrap the car in duct tape, saran wrap or New Orleans blue tarp. Seriously though, you need to start doing your own investigation. Is there water accumulated in the spare tire well? Smells can come from little bits of food left behind over many years. For that matter, mildew smells can come from the evaporators from the cooling system or clogged drains from around the cowling at the windshield dumping water onto the front rugs. Blocked sunroof drains are mentioned here on the site. Start with the simple stuff (common things happen commonly). My cousin was ready to sell his Outback because of all the rattles it had developed... I found out he was storing a boat anchor and tow chain in the rear compartment... and a garden rake to boot... doh!. Start sniffing around the car and let us know where it is most obvious. Yeah, there are some usual culprits but we need more input from you. Take the floor mats out and spray them top and bottom with Lysol and the let the sun dry them out. Use the SEARCH function and you'll find that the taillights can be removed and resealed with silicone if they are leaking. Best to have a good diagnosis before you start fixin' evrythin' in sight.

Drive train is warranty item. Go get 'em.

I like Nipper's reasoning. Ask to drive another 05 that YOU choose at random from the lot (I'm paranoid). Our 05 doesn't make any noise that would cause me alarm.

Sorry, the front seals are not involved with your problem but perhaps they will replace the air freshener hanging from the mirror. Seriously though, you will be good to go after the repairs.

Is the car misbehaving other than smoking? What does the smoke smell like? Different auto fluids have particular smells. As I said before, splattering grease from torn cv joint or oil dripping from valve cover, oil dipstick gasket, leaking oil pump seeping oil from timing belt cover area will blow back onto exhaust and smoke like a James Bond stunt car. You need to keep looking for the source of the "brown" fluid you saw on the ground instead of worrying about all the possible "what ifs". On this site, it seems anytime the gas gauge approaches E or the radio has more static, there is a knee jerk reaction to assume that the HGs are failing. Start at the top and front of the engine and work back and down. If it is a substantial leak, you should find it pretty quickly. If it is still elusive and your engine is all grimy anyway, clean your engine and get a fresh look at what's going on.

Torn cv boot, grease splattering on hot exhaust?? Leaking oil on exhaust?? etc etc give us a hint... was there overheating related to low coolant or just incidental finding when you saw smoke??

Now I'm on board!

I believe it extended the warranty on HG to 8 years 100,000 miles. Go get 'em. If you have a decent relationship with the dealer, they should just jump in and do it. They get paid and you get peace of mind. Mine failed on my 2000 Legacy. Since the stuff evaporates quickly, if you are concerned, ask them to add a UV dye to the coolant and drive it for a while and then it will show up under UV light at any leak points. I had been getting a faint whiff of glycol but could never see actual leak. I guess it only leaked under certain conditions. You might mention the smell. It is possible one of your hoses has a tiny leak??

Hey Nipster, How does this work and would 2 gauges get even better mileage?

If you go to your local Subie dealer Parts Department, they can print out a blow up of the door panel parts page which will show you where all of the parts, clips and doodads are located.

If you are talking about the incessant seatbelt warning that continues until you buckle up, and if it's the same as our 05, help is on the way, but first... I'm sure you wouldn't mind a gentle reminder to you and your front seat passenger that there is a device on board (seatbelt) that will, in the event of an accident, prevent you or your passenger from becoming a hood ornament or end up lap dancing with an oncoming motorist... right? OK enough gentle persuasion. Now turn the key to the ON position but DO NOT START the car. Now buckle and unbuckle the driver's seatbelt 15-20 times as rapidly as you can. Then while the belt is buckled, turn the key to the OFF position and say TaDa! The next time you start the car, the seatbelt chime will chime 5-6 times and then stop. It worked for me the first time but use the SEARCH function on this site for "seat belt alarm" and you can refresh my memory.

Gusset gets distorted from people pressing on the window either while opening or closing the door or squeezing past it in tight parking spots etc.. This is a drawback of the frameless door. OK now for the fix. You can buy new gussets from SOA. I don't know if they were just new or new and improved but mine were both replaced under warranty. Then one tech explained the cause and showed me his fix. Lower the window, squeeze the top part of the gusset together (like reversing the spreading and torqueing action of grabbing the glass) and you should be good to go. Seems logical and frugal. Good luck.

I do admire those that have done these projects on this board but it is also good to hear that you know when to say when! As a brain surgeon once told me, confidence lacking competence is very dangerous.

Looks like 1 Lucky Texan was spot on. I had similar problem after windshield was replaced but yours was not a replacement?? You should post back on your original post so others can see the result.

nip, nipper, NIPPER... the title of the thread says 1995. Brothers of the Board, I think it's time for intervention with the Nipster. Step away from the pain meds!

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and still pinged away.