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you are not really using an unusual amount of oil anyway, especially for a new car.

I have always heard that synthetic could hinder break in, but my BMW broke in just fine on it.

Americans have pavement and Subaru reckons you should stay on it. Seriously we have had a bit bigger engine with more torque and most Americans would not use it. A big savings when car companies go for pennies.

You have me by one year. did I ever tell you the wildest drivers in my home town were the doctors?

I'd change the temp sensor.

I'd also wonder how the grounds for the brakelights are and if there has been a trailer on the car with those clip on wire things.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. I often get away with another set of pads on one rotor. The second set you are sort of taking your chances on.

And what does he mean by turn over? It usually means turning on the starter but some folks mean when the cylinders catch.

I might be afraid to at my age Doc.

runout is rarely the problem. Check out the Stoptech website.

How many miles, what is the service history? tune up last? fuel filter?

If there was an amp, say under a seat, that could easily cause that problem. By now you would have saved a lot of time if you just ran new speaker wires.

But the next owner may take it off road. I would not be so picky but Subarus have been the culprit in a couple of forst fires. How about this, it's much easier to wedge in a sheet metal screw to stop rattling than to take them off.

Zack, When you replace your battery consider a deep cycle marine. Boats have much the same use type you do. You might also look into a wind or sun trickel charger.

better to put a scew in it to hold it. That could burn down a forest.

I think of pushing as more like a sustained trip at 90 mph or so. Sometimes it seems like you use more oil on a trip becuse the oil gets diluted around town and you get it warm enough to boil off fuel or water.

I'd be tempted to use straight water. It cools better and the heads have to come off anyway. Pulling the thermostat might get you furthur on each leg.

A pint of oil between changes is not that bad for a new motor. My BMW used oil for the first several thousand miles and then settled in. I would be more concerned about it dying for no reason.

That is kind of a pain to hold it up while you get the bolts in. I usually get one top nut on to hold it up and then put the bottom in. Once I have that held in by a bolt I put the rest of the nuts on the top. Sometimes you can hold it up with a jack.

Every one I've seen has the taper as the top as Frag says.

On some cars that spacer is critical. The part on top is the bearing that allows the strut to turn. The spacer keeps enough clearance and loads the bearing in the right spot. I have heard of folks doing this on a BMW and having a grinding sound. If it was my car I would put it in correctly, but this is your car.

you learn someting every day. I thought all DOHCs had shim tappets,

And you can make one from rug remnants. Home Depot sells Velcro that I buy by the big roll for projects. That works fine to hold it down and if you want you can sew a rolled edge on. All the ones I've looked at in junkyards are usually shot too.

that stuff has to be done sometime, but monitor oil use closely and do it when you can afford it. In SF I see a lot of Subarus that don't know what maintence is and if they keep oil and water in them they run.

Often lifters tick JJ. a little slap at mileage like that would be normal too. JPX, have you done your cam belt and front end service yet? I knew an Ozzie who chased ticking lifters for months to find out he did not have enough oil pressure because his pump back scews were loose. He serviced the oil pump and the cure was a real relief to him.