heartless

this... A bad battery can kill an alternator by making it work more to try to recharge it... A bad alternator can kill a battery by a)undercharging, leaving the battery to make up the difference while the car is running and thereby discharging it, or b) overcharging and cooking away the acid, causing damage to the plates... Take the car to your local auto parts store... most will run a free charging system diagnostic for you if you ask. the system will be checked with the car off, and with it running at idle, and they will (should) ask you bring the rpms up to check it at "driving" speed.. also with all accessories off, and again with accessories on (lights, radio, heat, etc).

i know you said yours is an '03 (verify date on the door plate), but free manuals for '04-'06 are available here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Baja/ you should still be able to use most of the information in them.

thanks guys, but that was experience talking there.. been there, done that a couple of times now, LOL first time it happened was on the old GL, bad parts store wires, one started arcing through the boot at the plug end.. was a good couple hours away from home when it started.. a few good wraps of electrical tape got me home. Ordered some NGK wires right away. 2nd time it was on the 95 Legacy - the coil pack had gone bad.. would only do it (stumble/misfire) when it was damp out, too...I could see the arcing, even in broad daylight, when i popped the hood.

having a helper pull the release while you are looking at things can be helpful.. but yeah, not all of them "pop" up.. they will only move very slightly, then just lift and release the safety catch.. others may need a helping hand pushing downward (too tight) while the release is pulled by a helper

you get a code for a misfire on cyl 3, but think it is a sensor or fuel related issue? really? misfires can, and do, foul and/or damage the spark plug.. change them. it is relatively cheap... same with wires... not that expensive - but do NOT use the cheap parts store brand wires... OEM or NGK ONLY. Then, and only then, do you look for other causes if the issue still persists.

another vote for KYB. might want to possibly get the front tophats at least.. rears don't usually have many problems. fronts - the bearings tend to go.. if you have them on hand and need them, you only have to do the job once... if you don't need them, return them. they are not typically called "inserts" - just strut, and spring - the two together are an assembly.

my 2002 Forester sounds like hell when it is cold - rattles something awful.. but once warmed up it is fine - 244,750 or so right now..

the struggle is very real for those of us that have winter longer than we have summer... but yeah, i typically use the ice scraper to break things free before using the wipers

never had a failure on an EJ25 (knocks on wood) and hope to never have it happen. but then, I am one to do preventive maintenance.. like changing all the idler pulleys when doing the timing belt. =) (i learn from the mistakes of others, lol)

yeah - should have mentioned that.. get the cheapest NON-clumping stuff.. LOL

talk to any competent tire shop and they will tell you that you want narrower for snow.

ok.. if you know how to clear the air from the system, but are still getting air pockets, this would lead one to suggest a head gasket failure that is allowing combustion air into the system. no thermostat/cooling system mod is going to fix that. if you are looking at doing this mod "just because" - well.. do what you want - it is your car after all - but i think the general consensus here is you would be wasting time, energy and money doing it.

well good luck! I hope the "help" part fits!

Don't be sorry, and yeah, sometimes the guys tend to be a little blunt.. us long timers are used to it, but we sometimes forget new folks are not, lol in all seriousness, the mod you are considering is not something even remotely needed on a daily driver. The correct thermostat, installed properly, will do more for you than putting all kinds of time & effort into something that is completely unnecessary. a little tip when filling your cooling system... Fill the block first, thru the upper rad hose.. take your time, and make sure you get the block completely full before putting the hose on the radiator, and then filling the radiator. If you have the correct thermostat installed, it will seep coolant through the jiggle pin hole, into the lower rad hose, pushing air out thru the radiator. having the nose in the air does help, but filling the block thru that upper hose works beautifully nearly every single time. I have owned several Subarus over the last 18 yrs - from an 89 GL wagon with the EA82, a couple of early-mid 90s Legacies with the EJ22, and currently a 2002 Forester with the EJ251. I have never had a problem with trapped air using the rad hose method of filling the cooling system.

yeah, I completely agree with whynot on this one.. used motor oil is not the greatest option here. sand tubes, or bags of kitty litter would be far more useful (throw a couple hand fulls out on ice if you need to), and easier to clean up if spilled.