forester2002s

I used to have a gas-guzzling Dodge V8. To get through the e-test, I used to increase the idle speed as far as I dared. In my case, the V8 would fail on the idle test, and this helped get it passed. The test centre had a max limit on the idle RPM, I think that it was either 1100 or 1500 RPM. One time I was over the limit, the engine was screaming at idle; the testman let me get away with it, but warned me: 'not the next time...' And one other obvious tip: make sure that the engine is good and hot before going in for the test.

I use the cheapest API-tested oil that I can find (usually at WalMart). I change the oil and filter every 3000km (2000 miles). And I use Fram filters. I know that they have a bad rap. But I've cut several open after changing them, and they all look fine to me. Is there any evidence that Fram filters cause engine failures? In over 40-years of maintaining my own cars, I've never had an oil-related engine problem.

My 2002 Forester has two outlets. The dashboard outlet is controlled by the ignition; and the other outlet is in the cargo hold, and is energised all the time. Is your Outback the same?

2002 Forester: 87 Octane (RON+MON)/2 = No pinging. BTW, a build-up of carbon deposits in the combustion chamber can cause pinging, even with the correct fuel. Try a gasoline additive for a while, and drive at high-speed for a few long trips. That might burn off the carbon deposits (if you have any), and get rid of the pinging.

If you do this (with a ground jumper), just be VERY careful not to touch the ground jumper onto any live (12V) terminal. Otherwise you'll get one heck of flash, and probably blow some fuses.

1995 Models: Lots of Head-Gasket problems. 2005 Models: Few HG problems. Any connection with mileage driven?

My 2002 Forester has front floor mats (actually not mats, but carpets; perhaps I should call them carpet-mats). The one on the driver's side is attached to a floor-post in the rear left corner. From day one, the carpet decided to exhibit a counter-clockwise tendency, and consequently it rides up towards the left (under the clutch pedal), and folds itself into the left-side wall. Occasionally I shift it back into position, but now the left-side of the mat is bent, and it sticks up in the air! The passenger-side mat has no floor-post, so it just slides forward up towards the bulkhead. Both mats have a pattern of raised nipples on the underside. I think that these are supposed to grip the underlying carpet, preventing the mats from moving, but they don't work.

And check that the battery terminals are tight. A loose battery terminal could give you intermittent loss of electrical power, and might cause the starter symptoms that you have described.

I couldn't find a Legacy hitch on uhaul.com, but have a look at this site: http://www.hitchesonline.com/auto_hitch_selection.htm If I read that site correctly, they show the same hitch for all Legacy wagons from 1990-1999.

Before resetting the ECU (which involves disconnecting power), just try starting the engine and letting it idle for about a minute. Then drive off. This might do the trick.

I had an annoying squeak in the trunk of my Forester. It turned out to be the spare wheel sidewall rubbing against the spare-wheel well. I tightened the spare-wheel clamp-screw down hard, and that fixed it.

Two ways around this problem: - Go to a car junk-yard, find the exact same connector, and cut it out of the old car. Then splice it into your car's wiring (solder connections are best IMHO). - Go to an electronics store (Radio Shack?) and find a similar connector with the same number of wires. Then splice that in. Of course, if you think that you'll never to need to disconnect the faulty connector again, then you could just discard it, and make a permanent solder-splice in its place.

What's a 'flip key'?

I bought a little OEM touch-up bottle (with small brush in cap) from my Subaru dealer. I think that it was about CAD$12 (about US$8). It's OK for touching-up small areas or chips, but obviously not for a paint-job.

Yes, this really works on my 2002 Forester: - Start up, and drive off immediately: Causes engine hesitation and surging. - Start up, idle for a few seconds then drive off: No hesitation, car behaves properly. I have been testing this out for the last few weeks, and it seems to be the answer to my hesitation problems. I use a car ferry every day, and they ask drivers not to idle their engines on the ferry; so I always used to start-up at the last possible moment, and drive off immediately. WRONG thing to do in a Subaru! Try it, you'll like it!

My 2002 Forester has the seat-heater switches in the centre console. Do you have seat-heaters? If not, then you may be seeing the pre-installed wiring for that option.

My daughter-in-law's Jeep ran very low on rear-diff oil, and the diff suddenly seized up miles from home. I suspect that there must have been some warning noises, but by that time the damage is done anyway. What can I say? Check the oil-level occasionally! If it's not leaking, you don't have to check it very often.

Yes, could be the 5th synchro gear. I had the same problem (slipping out of 5th gear) on another car (not a Subie). I had to replace the synchro gears, and that fixed it.

What model years are the two cars?

I agree with Scoobaroo. I too use the cheapest API-tested dino oil that I can find, and I change it frequently (every 3000km). That may sound excessive, but it doesn't cost me much, and it gets me under the car more frequently than otherwise (it's a Zen thing). Sludge? What sludge?

If the product was recommended by your future father-in-law, then you'd better buy some.You don't have to use it.

I see a few European countries on that list: - Ireland; - Isle of Man; - Channel Islands; - Malta; - Cyprus (now a member of the EU); - and UK of course.

You can download a Factory Service Manual (and other stuff) from Subaru at http://techinfo.subaru.com/html/index.jsp This costs USD35 for a 72-hour subscription. This same question comes up from time to time. Do a search, and you'll find tips on how to do this download.

GLCraigGT: That little blue fella to the left of your name? Is that what a head-gasket leak looks like?

Noisy tappets? The first thing that I would do, is an oil and filter change. And then do a few trips, so that the engine warms up nicely each time. It might just do the trick.