dpoppeli

29 mpg in a mustang driven on the rail??

That's a good thought - cooked cayenne may even smell good. I sprinkled some on the ground next to my house once when our dog insisted on chewing the alumnimum siding. He was also chewing the nearby chain-link fence (ughh?!). It was effective.

I just sprayed off the winter buildup of acorns off the top of the engine. Nothing like a warm flat-four on a cold evening to attract the squirrels and mice with their snacks. The washing should keep the wafting of cooked nuts away until next fall anyway. I've found the darn critters nesting in the air-filter as well but it seems the top of engine location is most popular. Wonder if this is common with boxer engines? ...may be able to add that to the wikepedia "flat-4" article as an interesting feature.

I'd also like to know what it does to your O2 sensors and catalytic.

Would be nice if someone did sell it on ebay since I'm not particularly keen on spending the time downloading all those individual files but I suspect Subaru would shut down that operation pretty quick. Not sure how Ford handles that since it I've bought one of the widely available $5 CD's off ebay. Granted, it's not as detailed as the Subaru manual probably is and doesn't contain any TSB's but it's at least equivalent to a typical Haynes/Chilton. I suppose one advantage to downloading yourself is that you do know that you have the latest TSB's.

I may be wrong but I don't believe clutches have "manual" adjustments anymore. I have seen my mother-in-law drive... from a stop she will rev the engine very high and very very slowly release the clutch.... it's almost comical. I'm not sure about her method in higher gears but this alone probably does most of the damage.

Yikes, replaced a 99 Forester clutch at about 65,000 miles. We inherited the car from my mother-in-law... she probably ought to be driving an automatic but I think she sort of likes the European image associated with a stickshift. I did it in the rest of the way hauling firewood and a log-splitter up and down the hill in back of our house.

The packed snow can really cause a bad vibration. Since Subaru sells these things in the snowbelts seems like there may be some opportunity in offering a rim-melt option.... hmm what does that look like? has to be reasonably priced, these are subies after all. Or how about a sensor that registers an out of balance condition although a vibrating car affectively does the same thing. Maybe teflon coated rims (built in PAM).

So that brings up another question... what's the best way to clean electrical connectors? Spray 'em down with electronics contact cleaner?

I'm having the same problem and I also replaced the battery. Didn't solve anything. Wasn't going to ask on the board until I purchased a new remote to see if that fixes it. I may try contact cleaning until I get money together for a new remote though.

Apparently you've been driving off-road too much thus causing vibration and subsequent resistor breakage. You know Subaru says that the Forester is not an offroad vehicle I fixed my clock too. Now I hope I don't get a head gasket failure any time soon. Talking about falling pieces, anybody's rear-fender plastic guard fall off their Forester? I bought new Dupont double-sided tape but after trying to take off the old tape I'm wondering if this part is "optional". I didn't want to silicone the tar out of it either.

Wasn't sure where to post but I read messages in this forum the most... I came across this in another automobile message board and thought it was pretty interesting... It seems to work for most that use it so far and turned up an odometer rollback for someone on a vehicle listed on Ebay. Sort of a queer website to host the thing so ought to be interesting how long it lasts. Also wondering if they're mining data in some way but maybe that's paranoia. http://www.bandbhobbies.com/jwebb/vin_test.asp

How do you know the AWD is not working?

Also check for torn front CV boots which will dump grease onto the exhaust.

Another snow problem...my Forester has the steel wheels. Nice and durable but the snow likes to pack into the backside and freeze thus causing vibration like driving with out of balance wheels. Times like that it would be helpful to have a garage to park in.

Google is your friend: http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/hummingbird.html

I have read that you can't just buy a blue bulb and put it into a standard halogen housing and expect to get the same lighting levels as that of an OEM Xenon setup. The aftermarket approach is suppose to actually decrease light while annoying oncoming cars. Getting back to the fog-lights... I rarely use them since I rarely drive in fog/rain; I see no benefit in clear weather. I'm curious whether anyone has retrofitted the Hella 500's mentioned previously into stock fog-light openings on a new generation Subaru however and whether the original wiring/fusing is adequate. Also, I recently lost one of my stock fog-light "stone guards". I'm wondering if they're at all effective to begin with (as stone guards). I'm afraid to find out from the dealer how much they cost to replace.

I like the new look as well (in general I mean, not necessarily the backup lights). None of the ones I've seen have the two-tone that the Outbacks used to have and as a result I think they look less "fat" and higher off the ground and more aggressive. I'd be interested in driving one to see if they're any more aggressive under the hood compared to my 2002 OB. When I googled the issue of rear lights it was thought that separate backup light assemblies made it easier to tell from a distance that someone was say backing up on the highway from a long distance compared to combined lighting assemblies. Maybe I'll buy that since the reflector appears to be larger.

Hmmm, I find there's some safety benefit although it's got to cost more for Subaru. I wonder if separate reverse lights is/will become a requirement by U.S. DOT for all vehicles?

What are those two rectangular white refelctors (or are they lights) to the side of the taillights on the new outbacks? Is it a euro look?

Original poster said he had a '97... assuming automatic. I believe torque split was biased way more toward front then current models (auto only).

My 1999 service manual recommends inspection of the differential and transmission gear oil every 30,000 miles. They recommend replacement every 15,000 miles under severe duty conditions (whatever that is).

I saw one of those replies coming... I don't own any Mazdas, I own two Subies. USMB serves as a great source of knowledge to maintain the darn things and I thank the propreitor of the site. While I realize people have a lot of time and money invested in their wheels, I think stickers of Calvin pissing on a Ford or Chevy logo are silly since brand loyalty doesn't separate fact from fiction... a manufacturer's products can change and unless they continue to innovate, they will be replaced by their competiton. Its useful to know what other manufacturers are producing and I find it just plain interesting. Enjoy the colorful language of the article - it was obviously meant to be a little provocative! Subaru should be flattered that Mazda is producing a Legacy GT clone, but now let Subaru up the anty!

"2006 Mazdaspeed6" Not an Evo or STI —but close enough for mature types. by Conor Twomey (2005-10-31) "This is not - repeat NOT - a Subaru Impreza STI or Mitsubishi Evo rival, even if the similarities are undeniable. Sure, all three cars are four-door sedans powered by turbocharged, four-cylinder engines. All have permanent all-wheel drive, manual transmissions, and all produce about the same power. But what sets the Mazdaspeed6 apart is that it wasn't really designed with the same customer in mind. Let the rally-replica Evos and STIs battle for the hearts and paychecks of the twenty-something tearaways. The Mazdaspeed6 is for those of us who are a little more mature now; a little too old to be seen in a hardcore street machine, but who still enjoy driving and want something affordable, practical, and fun." <SNIP> The rest at... http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehicle_Reviews/Sports_Convertibles/2006_Mazdaspeed6.S184.A9537.html

Found pics on DARPA's Grand Challenge website of the Subaru Outback that UCF (University of Central Florida) entered. They didn't make it past qualifying. The Outback features Allied Armament's lift kit which has been discussed in another thread. Florida's other team out of Gainesville (UF) did make the cut but they are running a custom built 4WD rig manufactured by a Georgia company. Here are the Grand Challenge pics: