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The best description I have heard was from somebody on Bobistheoilguy. He said his engine sounded like a woodpecker until it warmed up. It would almost be unusual if your engine did not have some piston slap.

It does not seem to hurt a lot. I just got back an analisis from Blackstone that says no problem and it is a common issue. Many other manufacturers are having the sme issue including Honda and GM. The new EPA standards seem to require short skirts which does not hurt some engine designs like inline sixes, but does not seem to be easy for V engines and our fabled flat four.

It's interesting that my neighbor down the street managed to get huge wheels under his vehicle. When I went by today his right front looked like a balljoint had failed. Try to stay sane for the sake of your wheel bearings and suspension.

He is in Riverside and we don't have as many rust problems as you easterners. Before I gave up on it I'd try another type of pad after cleaning the rotor the best I could. I'm currently using Ozzie pads on both cars (Axxis) deluxe and pretty happy with them. Heck there isn't much to lose in time or money by tryin new pads.

I suggest you move back and I bet your fuel economy will improve as well as you may be able to stop shivering. I am not saying there is nothing wrong with your car but expect a substantial loss in mpg in winter conditions.

do a search for Jaime, you can call her and order and she'll give you part numbers, recommendations and a discount.

If you do a search I think commuter had some good seat cushion reccomendations. There was a big thread on this a while back.

I would not buy one with a phase 1, go for a 99 at minimum. Mine is doing pretty well by me and gets a combined 25 mpg. In the winter with the smog gas it goes donw to 22-23. There is not much back seat foot room on a Forester so make sure that is acceptable before you buy. It hauls all kinds of stuff for me including massive loads on the roof rack and has done Xmas trips with five people. Good to park in the city, but a Legacy or Outback has more room.

I imagine they have to commit hari-kari if found at fault.

Change them out with aftermarket bulbs of the same wattage and give the dealer the burnt bulb and the recipt. Not worth the time to keep getting bulbs from a bad batch.

Because you used the word rattle I think of heat shields. Everyone I know has had them rattle. The usual thing is climb under the car and hit the exhast with a dead blow hammer until you find it and tighten it up with and extra screw or whatever works for you. If it is more like a thumping sound that would be different.

Actually its not unusual for either to leak in extreme cold. Things shrink and sealing is lost. Up in Maine we used to tighten all the clamps when the winter came in.

I think that would clear it. You could always try it.

You got lucky! shawn never offers to come over to my house!

I'd try a coolant temp sensor if it is only while cold. They often don't throw a code and they are cheap.

This link also seems to have service manuals. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8399&highlight=fuel+pump+relay+location

I'm going to try to post a link that might help. If I needed the car I'd just run a wire from a hot lead to the pump with a switch in it. The pump should be easily reached under a cover in the rear. If the pump does not run with a hot lead it's probably dead. (Make sure it has good ground.) I've heard the relay often goes bad. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=50945&highlight=fuel+pump+relay

My guess is that you have the head gasket opportunity. If the rest of the car is in OK shape it should have a lot of miles left with new gaskets, seals, cutch if necessay, timing belt, oil seperator, and good to go.

Not much. The 10-30 gets a tiny bit lighter. I mix regularly on my BMW. I start out with 5-30 Mobil 1 and it takes a year for the next oil change. In that time I top up with 10-30.

A fluid change should be done anyway, but I've seen two other reasons for a fuse in there. A person who works in my building had a flat and a mechanic friend put a fuse in and the spare on. The tire company that fixed it for her did not take it out. She told me it was not working as well when she went skiing. The other was a guy who saw a place for a fuse right after he bought the car. He figured he would put one in just in case. When he came over to do an oil I change I asked him why he had the fuse in.

That's interesting Friendly, I'll have to watch the BMW oil temp guage more in traffic. I'd swear it goes up when I sit there and idle, the water temp guage sure does. It also goes up when climbing the Grapevine which is more akin to the high speed high load stuff.

I have one friend who claims he never burns a drop. As far as I know he never opens the hood between changes. Every other late EJ 25 owner I know adds at least a quart between changes. I suspect a couple of the women here in the building also never open the hood and are perilously down when they go in for a change.

yep, this used to be stated on most info and now Subaru is one of the few. My BMW manual also makes this pretty clear. I guess they know folks will drive them all over the world. I think this guy is using the correct oil for his area since you will never see cold and you can get stuck in traffic in the summer which can be as bad as towing.

Mine is a 99 Forester and it does that too. right after a change it seems to be good for quite a while and then likes a small top up every few weeks. I don't like to let it get down far as these cars have the scareiest dipstick reading I have ever seen. the thing will be down a third of a quart and look empty. Add just a bit and up in the middle.

Mine is forward for locked. If I can just remember which is the front of the car....