forester2002s

I get the same feeling of improved performance, each time that I do an oil change. The engine just seems to run so smoothly. I think that it is all in the mind.

My 2002 Forester has the 3 rear shoulder belts.

I've today replaced the inner right-side CV boot (2002 Forester 5MT). I did from below, and it really wasn't too hard. However I do have a maintenance pit, so working from below was easy. The FSM is a great help, well worth getting. BTW, Subaru recommend using a new rollpin when reassembling. I did this; the new OEM rollpin cost almost as much as the aftermarket boot! In the first post, mention is made of 'shredded' boots. If anyone else notices visible damage to the CV boots, I would highly recommend replacing the boot, before it throws stinky grease all over the engine compartment. At least on the right-side, the inner boot will spray grease onto the exhaust pipe, so it doesn't take long to figure out that something is wrong!

This is a classic slave-cylinder problem. Yes, hot weather seems to make it worse. Solution, replace the slave-cylinder. It's an easy job, but you may need an extra person to help you bleed the fluid (need an extra foot on the clutch pedal).

I would also replace the radiator cap. Just in case it was over-pressure that caused the lower hose to split.

Replace Slave-cylinder?

The filter-box was in-place, underneath the glove box. The box-cover comes off, after taking a couple of clips off. The filter-medium slides in from the side. I first made a cardboard template, to get the right size. The final version was made in two pieces, each 7.75" x 4.5" (in order to get the filter-medium through the opening).

My 2002 Forester came from the factory without the cabin air-filters. I made my own by custom-cutting a piece of furnace-filter medium. It works OK, catches a few dead flies and the occasional leaf.

(2002 Forester 2.5MT) How important is the time limit (105-months)? I am at 100,000 miles, and I am getting ready to do the timing-belt (and idlers, water pump, etc.). But I am also at 115-months (i.e past the 105-months limit). Should I be concerned that I am over the time limit?

That's a bit risky! Most drivers wouldn't pay attention to gauges (did I mention my wife?). But a warning light might attract their attention.

The oil in the filter itself may not drain out, but oil in the oil-passages downstream of the filter could indeed drain back into the filter, leaving those oil-passages dry. But all things considered, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

I can tell you about my 2002 Forester, but I don't know how it compares to an Outback. I have three seats in the back of the Forester: - 2 child seats; and - 1 booster seat. The three seats side-by-side completely fill the width of the car, from door to door. The booster-seat is in the middle, and that child gets in first; we have to separate the other 2 empty child-seats a bit, in order to get the middle belt fastened. Then the other 2 children get buckled-in. It's a bit of a hassle, but it works. We are grandparents, so we don't have to do this on a daily basis. The biggest problem is having the 3 kids sitting within punching distance of each other!

Are you sure that the part without a 'valve' is actually the PCV valve? Maybe it's just a nipple for some other vacuum hose? This is how a 2.5L Subaru PCV valve should look. If my memory is correct, you'll need a 19mm wrench (or long-series socket) to unscrew it.

Sticking clutch pedal? Could be that you need a new slave cylinder. Plenty of info on this board. Search for 'clutch slave cylinder'.

You could check the resistance of the heating elements. I don't know how many ohms you should find. But it would be easy to compare the driver's-side with the passenger-side. I would start there.

Too much AT Fluid can cause excessive 'frothing' inside the case. The excess will then blow out of the air breather tube (on top of the AT case). If the discharging froth gets onto the exhaust pipe/cat, that's when you'll see the plume of white smoke in your rear-view mirror. It looks quite dramatic, but is unlikely to do any harm.

Purolator Specifications for PL 14460: http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/resources/Popup/Pages/PartDetailPopup.aspx?partnum=PL14460 Purolator Specifications for PL 14459: http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/resources/Popup/Pages/PartDetailPopup.aspx?partnum=PL14459 These are the main differences: PL14460: Anti-drain-back valve NO; Relief Valve setting 20-25 psi; PL14459: Anti-drain-back valve YES; Relief Valve setting 12-15 psi. Based on those specs, I would definately change the filter ASAP.

On my 2002 Forester, the clutch interlock switch prevents the starter-motor from turning. No juice to the starter relay. It doesn't have anything to do with the ignition circuits. In other words, the interlock would not prevent the engine from firing, if it was already turning over.

My 2002 Forester came with those plastic fog-light 'protectors'. I took them both off, and threw them away! They were so flimsy, that I couldn't see them doing any good at 'protecting' anything. And the plastic grid just obstructed the beam from the lamp. Good riddance!

You don't say what year or model. Perhaps it doesn't matter in this case? The FSM for a 2002 Forester says to torque the AT pan-bolts to 3.6 ft-Lbs (similar to the figure given by #2 above). The key thing to remember, is that this isn't much torque. It would be very easy to accidently shear off those pan-bolts. Good luck.

I presume that this double-negative was a typo, and that you really meant to say the opposite.

How many miles on the timing belt when it broke? My 2002 Forester is nearing the recommended miles for a new timing belt. I'm planning to replace the TB soon, so it would be interesting to know how old was your TB when it failed. 16 bent valves! Ouch!

I agree. And, since oil level is so important, one has to wonder why Subaru's engineers haven't fixed this problem years ago. It's not rocket science...

This wording had me puzzled at first. But I think I understand what you mean. When you say "e-brake light", I assume that you mean the "brake warning lamp". As I understand it, when the "brake warning lamp" comes on, this can indicate any of these problems: - Low fluid in the brake reservoir (nothing to do with the e-brake); or - Parking brake (e-brake) applied. So when you added fluid to the brake reservoir, and the lamp went out, this actually had nothing to do with the parking (e-)brake lever. Or I am I barking up the wrong tree? EDIT: On second thoughts, maybe this is what happened: - You have rear drum-brakes (not discs); - When you apply the parking brake, this forces the brake shoes apart to contact the drums; - this small movement of the brake shoes might suck in some brake-fluid from the brake lines, and depress the fluid-level in the reservoir; - and that could cause the "brake warning light" to come on, indicating low fluid-level. Is that what happened?

Keep trying to remove the upper plug. You've probably thought of this, but whatever you do, DON'T remove the lower plug first, as that will allow the oil to drain. Then how will you refill the diff with the upper plug in place?