1 Lucky Texan

one possible explanation is CAFE - I read that the rules as of 2016 were particularly difficult for car makers. and it started a long time ago; plastic headlight lenses, 'donut' spare tire, smaller batteries, smaller rear brakes, air-cut valves, thinner glass, more aluminum, cvt, etc. Kinda surprised we don't have stop-start mandated here yet. (of course, each time some future change to the rules is announced, manufacturers begin making changes a few model years before the requirements)

THANX this gives me a plan! (as long as my flywheel is OK I guess)

"You can swap in the earlier starter when that one fails" wait - I could put in, say - a starter from an '05 or earlier WRX and it will fit and work OK?

wow - that plastic pulley failure was a perfect storm sort of disaster. I can really only confirm that it seems the planetary starters have bad lube - drive gears don't retract at low temps. WTH SUBARU! supposed to be mountain/snow cars! I REALLY love my WRX - but it just may not be practical for me to keep it. I might be able to lease a new Forester for the wife, DD her 03 H6, and maybe drive the WRX on fridays only. Not really sure about my upcoming car situation yet.

sure it was P0491 ? any work done or wrecks before this began? how old is the battery? spark plugs? are they NGK? do you run high octane? maybe try refreshing some ground connections. maybe pull and compare plugs. (I know, it's a hassle) I think some folks have had fuel regulator problems. I think they can be swapped side-to-side. any other electrical or operating problems?

whole different engine - new cars have the FB style 4 cyl. the gasket issue referenced was mostly first gen dohc 2.5s introduced 20 years ago - a fraction of later (2008? up to the FBs introduction)soob engines do seem to develop slow external leaks after they age. Not sure about the FB yet. others may have a better sense about newer stuff

the FWD fuse will only work with the engine running. I think some folks have disconnected the drive shaft - that should allow towing with rear wheels down but, I'll let others confirm that. Otherwise, flatbed or get the car running. (all 4 tires must be the same. if not, with the car running, use the FWD fuse.)

does it start or idle better after it's warm? kinda seems like IACV problem or possibly engine temp sensor? you might read here;http://www.scoobymods.com/showthread.php/forester-2004-intermittent-poor-idle-p118676.html#post118676

not sure on your engine - some have a cover/oil-air separator plate that leaks - still have to separate from the trans to get to it.

Legacy and Outback have been assembled in Indiana for a long time. wikipedia or cars101.com might be fun places for you to read-up on Subaru/FHI history.

where I live, there's definitely a dearth of independent shops familiar with the turbo, AWD and maybe engine internals of my car. But everything else on the car is about the same as other cars. There have been reports of incorrect fluids drained and filled - but likely a good/busy shop knows what they are doing. the Magnusson-Moss act says you can get service done - in accordance with the owner's manual and service/maintenance schedule - anywhere and by anyone. The 'burden of proof' is on the manufacturer to deny a warranty claim due to inappropriate service.

I'd expect the light would be on solid if you disconnected the float switch - but I'm not 'certain'. most systems are made 'normally closed' so a break in wiring will 'announce itself' . if you splash in even a just a tablespoon of brake fluid - it may make enough difference that the light stays off - if not, then investigate eslewhere. also, what happens to your DRLs when the light is on? parking brake turns them off but low fluid wouldn't.

I have read of intermittent fans - if the temp only creeps up when you are stopped or at extremely low speed - there's no air going thru the rad. At normal speeds of course, the fans are secondary to the air from forward movement. if the overflow stays at the same level, but the rad is partly empty - that means that during cooling, air is getting in. I'd say a leak of some type is possible, including HGs of course. But, you don't seem to be pushing fluid into the overflow? I dunno, pressure test seems like a good idea. You might consider a new rad cap and put a tiny clamp or a coupla small zip-ties on the o'flow hose at it's connection to the nipple on the rad neck. I've done that on both my soobs - the hose is stiff now and that seal seemed poor. On one of my cars, I had coolant stains under it.

wheel speed sensor connector may be lose or wires damaged from the recent work. what codes were in the ECU? get the OBDII scasnned again and post the error codes. try using the fob to cycle the security system a coupla times.

the thermostat and fans are supposed to work together to keep the temp very stable. you'd do better I think to investigate an analog gauge or , if you have a smartphone, there are adapters and apps that could give you temp and other info on your phone. Find a vent or other mount for the phone and have a 'configurable' gauge/readout. elm 327 BT adapter and Torque app probably has a function that would work. Other folks here have experience with stuff like this to help with specifics.

hmm....I'm kinda wondering if this could be either a dirty/gummy throttle body or maybe an IACV issue. just some other things to investigate if it seem the fuel issue isn't the problem. also, maybe pull spark plugs after it sits for 30 mins. to see if one is wet with fuel - that cyl's injector might be leaking?

^^^ what he said jeannot - if you have a Discount Tire shop near you, go in and have an honest discussion about how you drive and what your budget is. Great folks, decent prices and awesome customer service. (you know not to put just 2 tires on right? all 4 must be the same 'rolling radius') if you want to drop down a tier or 2 on tire brand from Michelin to save a little money, take a look at Pirelli Cinturato, another drop might be Kumho . But DT local to you may have better suggestions for you since they would be familiar with the weather. agree on name brand or top-of-line store brand (NAPA, etc.) ceramic brake pads being a good choice - as good as OEM for less money. brake system inspection, lube , bleeding or fluid flush important too.

wonder if the timing belt service included the tensioner and the idlers? seen any parts list? priced like that, pretty clear he wants over $3k (maybe 3500) - so, you could try something like an initial offer of $2900 or so (mention the prices you found), see what he comes back with, then split that difference between his number and $3K ? I dunno, negotiating is tricky. I do think most people expect to give-up at least 15% . And it depends on how willing you are to walk away too.

maybe ask/search at the Vendor Forum over at nasioc.com .

never did 'em - may need to on our 03 obw soon. there's a special tubular wrench gadget you can 'borrow' from Advance or AZ or w'ever parts store with interchangeable inserts to remove, install them. Probably a good idea to put new boots on too. maybe search for DIY walk-thru and videos at youtube?

how many miles on the car? usage history?; highway, offroad or surface streets? seems like inner tie rods worth checking all other part, including the rear bushings for the lower control arms.

in newer cars, cruise, traction control, VDC, even sometimes ABS, can be disabled for ANY code set. if the car is running well - it may not be anything serious. Have the codes read and record the number, have them clear the ECU if they will. Post the codes here and monitor for how quickly or 'if' , the codes come back. how many miles on the car? new to you? how well has it been maintained, etc.

I've suggested the following many times but it seems to rarely be a problem. Engine Temp Sensor - if it is bad in such a way the ECU thinks the engine is cold - it may be trying to 'choke' the engine and keeping rpms boosted while mistakenly warming-up. but your rpms seems too high even for that.

if it was towed like that, there was no pressure to separate the wet clutch discs, so, lot's of sturning with no pumping action of the fluid. Good chance of damage/reduced lifespan. new fluid is probably a must if you want to try to save this trans - probably change the filter on the side (97 has that right?) - MUST use actual Soob trans filter, looks like an oil filter but is more like a screen inside. good luck

I apologize if you've triple checked this but, on the crank sprocket, never use that triangle/arrow on the front, you need to use the 'dash' line on the tab at the back - line it up under the mark on the boss for the CPS. really hoping it's a timing mistake, much better than something internal.