1 Lucky Texan

I have had good luck buying struts from Amazon as well as RockAuto. They only springs I ever bought were SPT 'pinks' for my WRX from local dealer. I did have the local dealer match online dealer prices on some parts. I have bought OEM from several online dealers but most recently from subaruonlineparts.com - there MAY be some discount if you check here; https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/subaruonlineparts-com.121/ if you plan to do 'spirited' driving, stickier tires are you best upgrade. Others may be able to recommend something for your area, just lean towards traction.

It's my understanding that there was some kind of trademark-related reason stuff couldn't boldly declare DEXRON and had to start saying they were Dex-comaptible. W'ever, plenty of folks do great with Valvoline MaxLife or similar, name brand dex-compaitble. Or, get OEM. trivia; the original Dexron (was not really Dexron 1 as they didn't know there would be a 2 or 3, etc.) had a small percentage of whale oil in it!

well, just parroting the procedure and what I experienced a coupla times. But, it certainly is no fun sitting in the car with the alarm blaring and cycling the ignition, all the more reason to change the battery or buy a replacement fob. there must be a fuse that could be pulled to disable the security system?

the round power ports inside also have a 'fusistor' on their backside and can never handle much current. You may need to email the manufacturer of your charger (is it a trickle or maintenance charger???) for some connection guidance, and/or find a local auto electrics guy to help or install a solution for you.

I asked because, stock springs could have been stressed by overloading or severe duty - especially if struts are worn. Springs and struts somewhat 'support' each other and one can suffer if the other is worn. KYB struts are greatly preferred. as for springs, I think King and Rallitek as well as new OEM (affordable, if still available...) could be good choices. You could go lower if the car is on pavement so, check into rallitek. Heavier rear sway bar may help with cornering, but my bet is new springs and struts will be a great improvement over the worn-out parts on the car now.

yeah, I think that's how everyone does it - just throwing that out there....

how did you connect the brake booster hose on your JDM engine? any issues with that?

how many miles? how old are the struts? Is it bouncy or do you want flatter cornering? Has it been regularly heavily loaded?

Dead battery in fob won't strand you, you get in (alarm honking) and use the ignition key to quickly cycle the ignition from off to on 3 times, that disables the alarm. Then , of course, you drive to the store and buy a battery for the fob, or you will be doing the procedure again.

Valvoline MaxLife is a good value. Did the Canadian '06 get the 5 speed trans?, that would need OEM or Idemitsu I think - especially in cold weather???? I may be confused when the spec changed and which trans.....

any dents in the trans pan?

maybe some breather and PCV hoses have been misrouted?

Immediately (before 2-3 drive cycles) after a battery disconnect 'reset', the ECU uses the factory base map in firmware to run the car. If the car's symptoms get better after a reset, that may point to a bad signal from a sensor. If it doesn't get better, might something physical like a dropped valve guide or ???

just chiming in to confirm....fluid level checked while idling correct? id the car new to you? any recent wrecks or work done before this problem began?

you can 'borrow' a coolant pressurizing kit from a parts store. That will help you visualize leaks without risking a burn. If it is a minor dripping on a hard-to-replace part, you cod use some Subaru Coolant Conditioner (ONE bottle only, installed ONLY as directred) and stop or prevent minor leaks.

did any ground connections get re-connected with the VC cover r&r ? vacuum lines re-seated? along with what GD suggests, next time it's misfiring/stumbling at idel, squirt some starting fluid/brake cleaner in the intake. If it smooths-out, maybe that points to a fueling problem? is system voltage OK at idle?

maybe the copper stuff helps ameliorate NOT properly prepping the heads' surface texture?

check the vacuum line on the fuel pressure regulator for wetness/fuel. maybe try a throttle body cleaning? like the SeaFoam with the curved nozzle gadget. check the knock sensor for cracks. can you get live data or freeze-frame data? what are the fuel trims? ignition timing/knock events?

paging @lmdew got parts?

not sure on newer cars but, oil pressure switches are not a common failure, but anything CAN fail.... At least, even on older cars, no worse than other brands... I'd just let the dealer examine things,they can hook into the oi lpassage somewhere and check actual pressure, inspect wiring and ground connections(which have been vital since the mid-90s with all the computerized parts), etc.

sorry to hear of your fire, hope everything gets taken care of smoothly.

https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/miyagi-subaru-ff-1-wagon-restoration/

lol, one of the first cars I drove regularly had a sticking throttle, being a dumb teen, I took to driving barefooted so I could use 'toe grip' when need to pull the pedal back up. When my sister told my Dad, he just came out and lubed the linkage to fix it. ah...good times, good times...

pretend there is an egg, that must not be broken, between the top of the gas pedal and the bottom of your right shoe.

weird