heartless

the 2 top most stolen models are also Hondas.. Not Subarus.

Put a proper charger on the battery over night to get a full charge on it - then take the whole car in to be tested immediately. It is better to have it tested in the car than on the bench. I have had alts test fine on the bench, but prove faulty when tested in the car. Repeated battery drains WILL kill a battery much faster than "normal" usage does, so do not be surprised if the battery is shot. A bad battery will kill an alternator and a bad alternator will kill a battery. And yes, the aftermarket remans are junk for these cars. I had one for my 95 Legacy rebuilt at a local to me shop - it cost a bit more, but he used high quality parts, not the cheap stuff most remans get in them - and he guaranteed his work.

take the whole car.. not just the alternator.. have them test the charging system right there in the parking lot. Advance Auto will do this for free, not sure if Auto Zone does or not. You want the WHOLE picture of the charging system - both at idle and under a load (lights, blower motor, etc).

my old 95 had broken wiring to the abs sensors - i just pulled the fuse for the system and went on my merry way. yes, it had an abs light on the dash so.. if you have to have inspections, that could be problematic, if no inspections, good to go.

Feberg is the manufacturer - they are an aftermarket replacement.

Welcome to the club! You are now officially a Subaru Owner.

the only issue with the jdm link is the sections are not super clear on the labeling if you download and save them, you may want to rename the individual pdfs so you can find what you are looking for more quickly in the future

no need to buy something that is freely available in a couple of different places. the one ocei77 gave a link to is probably the most common source, but there are others as well. Check the sticky topic "New Gen Subaru FAQ", page 2, about 2/3rds of the way down the page... same poster as above, even.

check the plug ends.. if they are the same, then chances are it will work. if you bought one without the plug on it, yeah.. never had any luck with those myself.. even using the correct one for the application.

possibly, yes Tires on these are a big factor. They all need to be within 1/4" circumference - preferably all the same brand, style, size and treadwear to prevent damage to the AWD system. Keeping air pressures regulated is also important. FWIW - if you have a flat and need to use the donut spare, you are supposed to put the donut spare on the back, and use the FWD fuse - that is what that fuse holder is for. Do Not use the donut spare on the front. Meaning if a front tire goes flat, you put the donut spare on a back axle, and move the good tire from back to front, use the FWD fuse and no damage will occur to the AWD system - this is the info you get in an owners manual.

well, it IS 25 years old after all.. they do not go forever without things wearing out.

are you sure it is oil & not power steering fluid? try to wipe some with a white paper towel - what color is it?

no, it is not normal. it is a symptom of torque bind the FWD fuse will not harm anything - put a fuse in and see if it helps.

i dunno, I kinda liked them on the 90 Legacy wagon I had.. but I looked at it as more of a convenience thing... but apparently the auto engineers agreed with you since they did not stay around for long

well, considering the OP is in Oklahoma, i would be willing to bet it is a USDM car.

1, 3, 5 are passenger side (right side when in the car) - not drivers

yes, a 97 will be interference. A proper timing service means not just the belt, but all roller pulleys, tensioner and water pump as well, and ideally, cam and crank oil seals - especially at that mileage. the 2.2 is a very good engine and will give years & many miles of trouble free service IF it is properly taken care of, but neglect it and it will bite you. While test driving - as already mentioned - keep an eye on the temp gauge. It should sit steady at just under the halfway mark. if it is fluctuating, there is a reason for it.. and it is not usually good. make sure both the heat and AC work properly, and all other accessories are functional - wipers & washers (front & rear), radio, all lights, windows, power mirrors, etc. Tires should match all around, same brand, size & tread wear

maybe a difference in markets? my 2002 Forester definitely has a chime if the key is in the ignition, in the off position, but the door is open. it does not chime in the ACC or on positions, however.

before trying to replace anything, depending on where the wire was cut at, i would try repairing the wiring. If that does not resolve the issue, then go for replacement.

there are 3 links to sites with FSMs in New Gen Subaru FAQ sticky, pg 2 about 2/3rds of the way down the page..

try here - there is not a 91 specific one, but not a whole lot changed from 90 to 94

you are quite welcome. sadly the early models (90-94) are not covered quite as comprehensively as the later ones, but there is enough there to figure things out, and this seems to be the case on many sites offering the FSMs.. For future reference, there is a sticky thread in this section that has compiled a list of the most frequently encountered stuff with links to the topics covered (New Gen Subaru FAQ sticky compilation) - on page 2 of that thread, there are several links for service manuals, including the one I gave you above.

wheel bearings have no set failure pattern.. sometimes you will get the grinding noises, other times you wont. sometimes you can get away with trying to go a bit further on one, other times they bite you in the backside - as this one did. We had a front wheel bearing on our Dodge pickup do something similar... I had taken the truck on a long trip, and just a few miles before I got home, I noticed it was starting to growl a little - not bad, but just enough to be noticed. Parts got ordered for it.. a couple of days later, we went to pickup a used motorcycle with it & the trailer - was maybe 40 miles round trip... got to where we picked up the bike, no problem, but about 2/3rds of the way home it failed completely - it totally locked up on us. Had to call a friend to come get the trailer, take it home, unload the bike, then come back with the trailer and put the truck on it & take that home. what a day!

i would replace the the hub, yes.. and that lower bit in your picture, I believe, is the sensor for the ABS (that reads the tone ring) been a while since I had one of these 1st gen Legacys... the upper bit in the picture is the pivot point for the brake shoes, so yeah.. that whole thing needs replacing. oh, and for Factory Service manuals, try here

yeah, the tone ring is for the ABS system, there is also a small sensor that reads the wheel speed via the little spaced blocks in the ring. you may want to try to get a spare one of those, too, if you can - I am betting the sensor for that wheel is trashed from the fallout of that mess. And my hat is off to you, sir, for taking care of that lady. The world could do with a whole lot more like you.