1 Lucky Texan

you never hear the noise at idle? would the sound change if you lightly engage the brakes? have the brakes ever been changed on the car? could be the caliper(s) are dragging.

was the filler tube rusted thru? there are probably several places you could get a decent filler cap from - even Amazon. Junkyard caps won't be much better than yours but.....if you have to save every penny.....

if you have read about the issue, i assume the car has all the same tires, and there has been no trans or diff swaps, right?

more details on car please. automatic transmission? seems like torque bind but.......

not sure where you are reporting the wetness, but I put small zipties to act as clamps on the little overflow tube at the nipple on the rad neck because I saw coolant under it on one car, and the other one's tube was stiff and didn't feel like it was sealing well. Under normal circumstances, I don't think there should ever be much over atmospheric pressure in that line - but I have seen dripping - and other cars have it clamped. To me, it seems likely air could be pulled in, in place of coolant in the o'flow tank - leading to a low radiator over time and a somewhat normal level in the o'flow. And who knows what happens if you couple the above with an old radiator cap and dirty o'flow tank?

it won't be fun, but comparing the plugs 'might' reveal some difference that would implicate a certain cylinder burning the coolanr. also, Polaris or Blackstone Labs might be able to find, or dismiss the presence of, combustion products in the coolant.

cutting the bump stop is shown at about 4:25 here; maybe not 'required' but I have read of it being done.

I have Subaru SPT 'pinks' on my 06 WRX - and those are notably harsher than the stockers. old struts might have less rebound damping, but their downstroke would also be looser, not harder than new. Also, don't some folks need to cut about a third of the bump-stop off? maybe that wasn't done....not sure about that though. just depends on exactly what you are experiencing but, (other than correcting track/height issues mentioned above) i doubt new struts SOLELY will improve the problem and likely will make it slightly worse.

also, check the rear bushing for the front lower control arm(s). It's rubber with fluid filling but, they lose the fluid and can then begin to degrade. Febest has decent, affordable replacement at Amazon - maybe other places too.

wow! they added the damn rubber restriction after that bottle was made I guess! (or changed the formula but kept the 24110 part number???) crazy.

you could try re-registering the fobs using instructions in the manual or over at www.cars101.com (not sure but, car might be in an odd mode like Valet ?) I have bought used fobs and registered them - it worked. before i replaced them, I found that squeezing them with one hand while pushing the button seemed to help. But, that was with 03 Outback style so.....

do you have the weather package? just wondering about mirror or seat or windshield, heater malfunction.

from the Permatex site - under the 24110 number's instructions, it says in bold "DO NOT APPLY TO BRAKING SURFACE OF CALIPER PADS OR RUBBER SURFACES." http://www.permatex.com/products-2/product-categories/specialized-maintenance-repair/brake-maintenance-repair/permatex-ultra-disc-brake-caliper-lube-detail So, the 'green' label stuff is known to be bad for rubber. DO NOT APPLY TO BRAKING SURFACE OF CALIPER PADS OR RUBBER SURFACES. - See more at: http://www.permatex.com/products-2/product-categories/specialized-maintenance-repair/brake-maintenance-repair/permatex-ultra-disc-brake-caliper-lube-detail#sthash.nL4uuM2p.d DIRECTIONS: 1. Clean all caliper parts to be lubricated with Permatex® Brake & Parts Cleaner. 2. Apply Caliper Lube to pins, slides, bushings and pistons. 3. Lubricant may also be used as a noise suppressor to eliminate caliper brake squeal. DO NOT APPLY TO BRAKING SURFACE OF CALIPER PADS OR RUBBER SURFACES.

yeah, there was a joke going around in the late 80s when stuff started being very - smooth=ish. "That car looks like someone stepped on a sausage!"

My permatex, the one shown above, is a purple grease. label not only says safe for rubber, but instructions say to use on seals as well as sliding parts. ???

fair - I wish I understood where the problem is. Even in the reviews at Amazon, you find an entry or 2 blaming the permatex for affecting rubber. maybe there was a few years where the compound Subaru used was the issue? I dunno. the bottle I have now is this I think; And, in the few times I've used it so far, doesn't seem to have caused any problems. with an 06 Impala, an 03 Outback or an 06 WRX. I use it everywhere I think there could be sliding or contact.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091KCG0W/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=IDEFQ97CY9SH&coliid=I11ZL9W8SL2MQD&psc=1 afer reading that the permatex can cause our soob brakes rubber parts to swell/degrade (not tested or experienced by me personally) I think I'm gonna switch to the above Silarmic. most recently read here;http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/291250-brake-grease-lesson.html

Honda element problem; http://takakiauto.com/blogs/kunio/emission-fail-spider COOL - please let us know what you find OK?

either way, be prepared with a vacuum hose attachment to clean around in there.

it's a little ATF fluid. cover the belt and surround area with a rag or 2, lift the adapter/hose up so it doesn't spill much, replace o-ring(s) , reassemble, top-off fluid wit Valvoline MaxLife dex/merc or similar. clean the area. our cars will clear the air out very quickly, 2-3 trips to full lock, L to R. Just montor after that. if you still have bubbles - could be a cracked hose or fluid tank. PS pumps do fail, but ti isn't common. your mechanic could probably do this for you for - what? - $25 to $40 dollars.

maybe some Berryman's B-12 or BK44 w'ever in the tank would un-stick any stuck components? def. look for signs of insect activity in the ends of the evap hoses in the back. read this! ;http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2554768 good luck

does the car have a cabin air filter? might be clogged. or a blend door isn't shifting all the way?

if original, everything on the car is 18 years old, so, I see nothing wrong with 'trying' one or 2 not expensive items. like a new crank position sensor.

def. check the radiator level - safely, when the engine is cool. actually look in the rad - don't trust the overflow bottle. not sure from how you are describing the sound - could this be a slipping accessory belt? or, does it really sound like a fluid? maybe open the hood and have someone else start the car and listen. If it's louder inside the car, could be something with the coolant, a/c or fuel tank. If it's louder under the hood, maybe a slipping belt or.....? also, next morning before starting, remove the gas cap. note any pressure in there, start the car.

alt. seems OK then. usually, batt cables look OK? good connection to ground on the black cable, etc.?