Flyfish9

Go to Radio Shack and ask for contact cleaner. It comes in a small spray can and may solve your problem.

Here's my history: 1998 Forester L purchased new. Currently has 236,000 miles. Wheel bearing at 92,000 Only lasted a few thousand miles as the dealership installed it improperly and it ate the seal. Replacement still working. Overheating problems started at 180,000. Replaced radiator and fan relays. HG failed at 184,000....likely caused by the previous overheating. Aluminum engines don't like overheating. Replaced timing belt and water pump as well. A/C went about this same time....replaced condenser, running fine since. Front brakes have been replaced three times, and will be due again shortly. Rears (drums) are still original. All the work sfter the bearings was done by an indie mechanic at only slightly less cost than the dealer, but was done very well. Front struts replaced at 220,000. All other work has been normal maintenance, some done at dealership, some at indie shop. Car still runs near new. Next timing belt is due at 289,000, and I'd like to run the car until then, and buy a new vehicle. I'll be looking at Honda and Toyota as well as Subaru, (the new Rav4 6 cyl looks interesting), but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Forester. If I had traded this car at 179,000, I would have had only one problem.

Timing belt should have been replaced at 105,000. If it wasn't, have that done ASAP along with water pump and all associated seals. Good idea to do the hoses, and probably plug wires.

It's expensive, but once fixed, the engine should be good for another 100K+. You can mitigate the expense by having the timing belt and water pump changed while the engine is apart. Just keep your eye on the coolant temp....don't run the car if you start to have overheating problems. Aluminum engines don't respond well to overheating. You'll want to get a good enough price on the car to allow you to budget for the HG repair, should it fail. My 1998 Forester went 184,000 before HG failure, so you may never see it, depending on how long you keep the car.

I agree I have had a good run with the Forester, and I also agree that many cars with aluminum engines will eventually have gasket problems. What I am saying is that, knowing the likely problems, I would not buy a Subie with 136K on it unless I was sure the H.G. work had been done, and the timing belt and water pump had been changed. Without that assurance, that car will become a money pit in short order.

My H.G. went at 184,000 following a brief overheating episode. The heat guage wasn't pegged but was warmer than normal, and I lost some coolant through the overflow. If i'm not mistaken, your 2001 has a different H.G. design than my 1998. You would experience an external leak of coolant when your's failed. Mine was an internal leak, i.e., I had coolant in my oil and oil in my coolant. Bottom line is, I wouldn't buy a used first generation 2.5L Subie, unless I knew the head gaskets had been replaced.

Well, you can't really "watch" the timing belt.....and if it breaks, you're screwed. If possible, find out when the belt was last replaced, if at all. If you can't find out, get it replaced, along with the water pump. Expensive job, but cheaper than a new engine. Also, as previously stated, keep a close eye on the water temp. If it varies at all, have the cooling system checked out. Many H.G. failures, (including mine), seem to occur shortly after an overheating episode. I had a bad fan relay, and a plugged radiator, and then the H.G. failure. Also, check the oil often until you're sure of the consumtion rate. A friend recently purchased a poorly maintained 02 Forester that burns a quart in 500 miles. A well maintained Subie at 136,000 mi should have a lot of life left, but a poorly maintained one is a disaster.

Inspect: Drive belts, Hoses, front & rear diff, auto trans fluid, brakes, steering & suspension. Replace: Oil & filter, fuel filter, Brake fluid. Rotate tires Replace plugs and drive belts at 60K A good indie should be able to do the above with no problem, but my dealer provides me with a loaner and has parts on hand if needed, so I normally take it there, even though it is a few bucks more expensive. Also, I have had a few questions about some of the work my local indie has done on other cars I owned, but have never had a problem with the dealer.

I have a 1998 Forester L with 231,000 miles. Good solid car, mileage 25/27 mpg with a Thule cartop box, about 1 mpg better without it. Problems: Wheel bearings (2) at about 90,000. Head gasket (very expensive) at 184,000. Water pump, fan relay, and radiator all at 184,000. (likely related to H.G.) Front axles at 170,000. Struts at 210,000. Things to watch: Head gaskets are quite prone to failure....often related to overheating. Change timing belt and water pump at 105,000. This is very important as this is an interference engine. Make sure tires are the same brand, style and tread pattern. Circumference must be close to identical on all four tires. When I bought mine Subaru recommended all tires be within 1/2" in circumfirence.....now they say 1/4". I suspect 1/2" is close enough. Rotate tires every 6000 miles. Follow the severe duty service schedule. I take mine back to the dealer every 30,000 and have the in between services done at an indie. If you can find an indie you really trust, you might save a few bucks by having him do the 30,000 (level III) service as well. Following this regimen, my engine only burns about 1/2 quart of oil between changes at 231,000. You will be due for a level III at 90,000.....make sure it gets done! Good luck.

My 1998 Forester has been doing that for 228,000 miles now. When it stops, I'll be worried.

Wouldn't it be a lot easier just to directly measure the diameter of the hose? Anyhow if you know the circumference ( how would you accurately measure it?), divide by pi and that will give you the diameter. Formula is C = pi x D

Ford started using plastic manifolds on their 4.6L V8 in 1996. They issued a recall on "severe duty" models such as Interceptors and taxis a while back to replace the intake with a modified unit that has an aluminum crossover. I just received a copy of a class action suit, (I own a Grand Marquis as well as a Forester), which seeks to increase the waranty on the plastic part on all models to seven years. The suit is successful, and the waranty increase will go into effect in October. It is not so much if the plastic manifold will fail on the 4.6L, as when. I will *not* buy another car with a plastic manifold. Ford has been building cars a hell of a lot longer than Subaru, and they screwed up!

$1,000 each! I had my front struts replaced recently,(1998 Forester), and the whole job, including labor, was around $400. If you have a friend who knows anything about cars have him go to the dealer with you, and ask the dealer to explain to him why the struts would call $1k each.

Sounds pretty anal to me. I routinely keep mixed fuel over the winter with stabilizer added. I use this in my leaf blower, chainsaw, brush cutter, and weed whacker. Been doing it for many years and never had a problem. I'd much rather take a chance of hurting a $300 yard tool, than gumming up the fuel system on a $20,000 car. Priorities, don'cha know.

An airscoop in that position is totally useless as it is out of the airstream at speed. If the opening was facing the windshield, it would suck in some air.