mtsmiths

rweddy, did you READ the post you quoted? "We have all our work done at an independent shop EXCEPT oil changes, cooling system and automatic transmission issues, then we go to dealer, too easy for mistakes to be made." And yes, I'm sure that the indy shop we use could do the tranny flush/fill/filter and oil changes, but at shop rate. Dealers do these services as loss leaders and hope to find things wrong that they can then call you and have you authorize repair ... "just say no". At least in our area no indy shop is gonna change my oil and filter for $16.95 and do a transmission for $49.95 ... and wash the car? I stick to my recommendations.

As I recall it was $79.00, occassionally on sale for $49.00. We usually have it done whenever it's on sale, weak link - cheap insurance ya know.

A lot of posters have noted 'sudden' shifts in later model automatics. The 1st > 2nd shift in our 2000 Legacy is definately harsher than the same shift in our '95 Leg. When we had the tranny serviced at 140,000 there was a noticable improvement, we're at 160,000 now, and it's still fine. I would get a second opinion. The dealer may have a major boat payment coming up, and all you really may need is a transmission service. I'd sure as heck do THAT for the $75 or $80 and see how it does before I let anyone talk me into a new tranny. If it helps great, if not drive it til it breaks, then fix it, unless a stranding would be a serious issue.

Make sure that there are no air pockets in the engine (if Subaru fixed the head gasket there shouldn't be), never let it near a 'quik-lube' or any of their ilk, and drive it in confidence. Once repaired HG's rarely go bad again. There is evidence that improper refilling after draining the cooling system is the trigger for HG failure. We have all our work done at an independent shop EXCEPT oil changes, cooling system and automatic transmission issues, then we go to dealer, too easy for mistakes to be made. Our 2000 Legacy is at 160,000 miles and the ONLY repair we've had is a wheel bearing. It's a great car, enjoy it, take care of it and you'll hit 250,000 miles in it.

Ahem, as *I* have been saying for quite some time, you will please note. rweddy, you are now officially a "GIT"* ! *Geezer In Training

I pasted this side-by-side with current model; minor tweaking of hood, front valence and grill/shell/lights. May also have a different lower body cladding. All consmetics. Nothing new to see here, move along.

We welcome you as well flat4, and say ... PICS! Set up your album and fess up brother.

85sub4WD, I did too, my sentiments exactly!

Was it correctly burped? Subarus with air bubbles do funny things. There is empirical evidence to support the position that the whole head gaskket brauhaha may be linked to improper refilling the quirky flat-four.

You don't mention the mileage on your Forester, but you might want to consider just having the dealer do a transmission service. Yes, it's a littly 'pricey' (or 'spendy', depending on what vernacular you use), but the auto tranny is a known weak link in Subaru's, and should be given all the care it needs.

Within 1/2 trailer length ... the area of reduced pressure is a function of the length of the front vehicle. If you're close enough to reap any drafting benefit, your WAAAY too close for safety ... 'sides you can't see the road ahead; including the state trooper parked on the side of the road that is going to give you a ticket ffor following too closely!

If this keeps up it'll have to get moved to "Off-Topic". When I lived in Kailua-Kona I had a pad right on the beach for a while. My sign shop was right next door and one day I ducked into the apt to grab something and heard the shower running. I grabbed my black powder pistol, which wasn't loaded and snatched the bathroom door open. There was this wel-known local 'lolo' (crazy person) standin with my bathrobe half on. I stuck the barrel against his forehead, pulled the hammer back (click), and told him to sit on the toilet and not even think about moving, and he sat right down. I walked back to my shop and called the cops, and after about fifteen minutes two officers got there. When I explained the situation one stood by the door and the other entered the bathroom and started laughing. The outside cop says "Well, whatya got in there?" and he replies "I got crazy Kimo sitting naked on a toilet seat with one arm in a bathrobe". They asked if they could use the bathrobe and I said not unless they were taking it as evidence, so they cuffed him and walked him naked through the complex to the car out on the street. Next night, I ran into him in a bar, so I bought a beer and gave it to him and said "Hey, Kimo, no hard feelings brah, but the next time I catching you in my apartment I'm gonna blow your brains out and THEN call the cops, OK?" Never saw him again, but a few days later one of the cops came by and asked if I knew why Kimo had finally moved back to his family home on Maui (or was it Kauai?).

In Montana it's no problem to get a trip tag, and it's FREE! But, I would (and have) go bare and keep the sale paperwork with me before I'd hang a false tag on a car. Then, the worst they can do is give you a ticket, not arrest you. Once you get the tags on it, the ticket will go away with a minor or no fine.

Hmmmmm, cookie are we showing our age or what? And for a "coked up" engine, your either: 1. Go out on the highway and drive like hell with one eye in the year-view mirror. 2. Drizzle ice water thru the carb while keeping the revs up so the engine won't stall (hand on the throttle bellcrank). Dang, I'll bet these young'uns don't even know what "oakum" is either!

Next time (or if it's still there) go to a local AutoZone or Checkers, or the like, and have them pull the codes and give you a print-out, it's free. Also, has your car been in for the O2 sensor TSB? If you're not regestered at SOA go to the website, subaru.com , register your car and pull the dealer service history. Lastly, you just may have to learn to live with it, sometimes the little pest just won't go away.

Plug the tailpipe while it's idling. If it keeps running it has a leak. If it stalls it don't. At least so say "da Boyz", Click & Clack on NPR. In the olden days we then found the leak by dripping oil thru the carb and looking for the resulting smoke. I don't know what you do with EFI.

An unending string of Subaru virgins passes thru these portals ... welcome. Don't feel bad, my wife called last week after she got to work. I had turned on the parking lights after I dorve her car up the icy driveway and it was parked on the street (blind curve). She got to work and thought something was broken when the parking lights didn't go out with the headlights. This is her third Subaru, and she's had this one since 2001.

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_1862/article.html?popularArticle Didja notice the Aussie Ford Ute below? That's what the Baja shoulda been!

A warranty plan is an expensive insurance policy ... period. Put that amount into savings each month. If something breaks, you'll have the money put by, if not ... you'll have the money. Do ALL the suggested maintenance, just maybe not by a dealer, keep good records if there are any SOA warranty claims. Go to the SOA site and register yourself as the new owner of the car, you'll be notified re: any TSBs, you can also keep your records there. Enjoy the car.

No offense meant, it's just that some folks with access and/or mobility issues can be sensitive about it, and might consider any in-depth query to be prying into personal matters.

Unless the shop really REALLY knows Subarus they may not have burped it correctly and you may be airlocks (which may have been the problem all along). Unfortunately, even some dealer techs don't get it right.

"For medical reasons it would make life a lot easier for me." Gee, Morgan, how much detail do ya' want?

Mudrat is close to BC ... HE could make one. He's Subaru's very own 'Monster Garage'!

Jeeze Cookie, moving to Florida is cheaper than an ECU!

NO PIC! I really wanted to see it, since I lived in Arnold and Dorrington for many years. Can you still ski free on Mt. Reba? All us locals knew that there as a "ski home" trail all the way back to Bear Valley Lodge. So we would ride the free shuttle bus up to the top of the mountain, skip the pass purchase, ski down, hit the trail back to town and catch the next available ski bus. BTW, in the early '70s there was one single Deputy Sheriff at Bear Valley, which is in Alpine County, not Calavaras County. If he arrested someone he had to drive them all the way around either north thru Trukee and Tahoe and back down, or clear down to Bakersfield, Tehachapi, Mojave, and all the way back up 395 to the county seat on the east side of the Sierras. As a result it was almost impossible to get arrested. People used to set up card tables on the sidewalk and sell pot, acid, 'shrooms ... as long as there was no coke or horse Deputy Dawg would just look the other way. Talkaboutcher 'counter cluture'. Now they have an intercounty agreement and the Calavaras Co. fuzz will do the deed for Alpine Co. In those days my winter snow vehicle was a 1931 Model AA Ford truck, 12" flatbed, dual wheels and TALL narrow tires ... go thru anything. AH memories, I'm surprised I've still got 'em.