1 Lucky Texan

our 03 OBW even has very faint UP arrows embossed on the back plates. I suppose there are plenty of ways things could be bad, or were assembled incorrectly by a prev. owner. look near the oval hole;

proper adjustment is the star wheels - behind rubber plug on back plates - adjust UP to tighten. might be different on very old models though.

rust or wreck related? I suppose the devil is in the details on something like that.

look for oil on the wire boots 1&2 share a coil so, coil pack is a good idea

have you checked the sway bar endlink on that side? the rear bushing on the lower control arm? could be 1 or 2 other items that might do that.

are you checking the ATF while idling? many, many people forget it's the only fluid you check with the engine running.

the WRX failed its inspection - for burned-out license plate lights. I never see it from behind at night, actually, I rarely drive it at night - probably a good thing. Cops love to pul folks over for 'dim' plate lights - usually it's older cars and they get a chance to find expired license, no insurance card, maybe smell pot or alcohol, check for warrants, etc. I had some LED wedge bulbs at home from buying some when a front marker light went out so, slapped them in. Need to check-over the outback tomorrow, prep for a trip to CoSpgs.

walmart may even have a different supplier by now. it may be fine for a lot of people who; A. are easy on their cars. or B. don't have one of those 7mm oil pump engines!

mikec - how's the car?

mickytrus - how's the car?

I THINK there is supposed to be a 'bittering' agent added the EG coolant since 2012. unless you leave an open drain pan of coolant out, or have a steady drip, it is unlikely an animal or child will encounter enough 'free' EG to present a problem. But, it is a concern on older vehicles that may contain older coolant, or for folks still using older jugs of coolant from 'new-old-stock' or of questionable source as there will not be a bittering agent in that fluid. It has a sweet smell/taste that is attractive to some animals and can cause irreversible kidney damage.(curiously, about the best treatment is to get the animal/child 'drunk' with ethanol to point of almost lethal alcohol poisoning)) All that said, the climate in Arkansas is moderate enough the PG-based fluid could be OK. It needs to be 'friendly' to aluminum so, I guess the additives are gonna be critical.

can you scan the ECU for trouble codes?

more details on car please. does it behave the same from cold start as after having warmed-up?

if you're paying for someone else's labor, makes sense to do seals and waterpump I think.

I read in another thread that the TCU is usually on the steering column behind the knee panel? Maybe get one from a junkyard or try car-part.com ? oh! make sure the green and the black 'diagnostic' connectors haven't been connected - though I'm guessing you'd have fans and relays cycling on-off. really, I am out of my element, just throwing out some guesses, hope an experienced guru responds here.

maybe try some fresh fluid - 3 drain/fill cycles get sabout 85% new fluid - on the last fill, try a bottle of Trans-X. Folks report it helping with delayed engagement but, your car's symptoms seem quite severe. Have you tried a batt. neg terminal disconnect to reset the TCU? stuck immobilizer makes me wonder if a reversed-wire jump or something fried the TCU? Or did meineke screw something up?

is the car new to you or has there been a wreck or work done recently? any chance the wrong fluid was drained or refilled? have you checked the trans fluid level? It's the only fluid you check while idling - otherwise it shows too full. any warning lights on or blinking?

as a very unlikely possibility - brakes, backing plate/shield and maybe lugnuts should be checked. (though, prev. inspection by mechanic may have included all that...?)

Subaru wheel bearings can be very hard to diagnose - I might not rule that out just yet. you might consider taking the car to https://www.facebook.com/superiorsoobie/ GeneralDisorder's shop - he participates on a coupla online Forums including here.

I had to use some polyseamseal or similar to push into the seam on top of the OBW's left tail light. seems to have stopped the infiltration so far.

yes, but the OEM spec is a little softer, the KYB aftermarkets will feel about 15% stiffer - maybe more if your present struts are worn-out. If you do the fronts, I recommend new mounts up top, mine on my WRX were crunchy/dry feeling.

I've read that soob springs are not overpriced if you want new OEM. Does King offer springs for that car?

if the motor has high miles, consider a lower miles used engine. car-part.com as said, or LKQ, craigslist part-out, JDM, etc.

^^^ what he said when Subaru AWD is abused, the weakest link suffers - that is usually the center differential function (actually, wet clutch pack in the automatic transmissions) not the rear diff (though, ANYTHING can break of course) you need to start with all-same tires if possible, but, if you already KNOW you have torque bind, you can use the FWD fuse foreever if you want and use any size tires. If you still experience torque bind with the fuse in place, there is either a mechanical problem in the tailshaft area of the trans, or possibily an electrical problem with the Duty C Solenoid or it's control wiring.

was the care otherwise running well? abs has been sensitive to low voltage in the past. you could have the charging system tested but, maybe more important is to read the DTC from the computer and post the code(s) here. A parts store should be able to read the codes and test the charging system for you. don't drive the car if the CEL is flashing or it feels unsafe. all modern cars can illuminate 3-4-5 lights and disable some systems when a code is set.