1 Lucky Texan

I'm kinda concerned you may have more than one problem. a possible cause of the poor-running until after warm-up might be a bad engine temp sensor. in newer soobs it shares the same housing as the temp gauge sender - 3-wire unit. the FSM (or someone here) may know of a way to test it if you don't want to just swap it out. as alluded above - old wires can cause misfires, particulalry in moist/wet weather. heat dries the engine compartment and misfiring is reduced. As a tes, when it is idling smoothly after warm-up, pop the hood and spray the spark plug wires and the coil with a plant mister of tap water. If the engine stumbles, could be time for new wires/coil. Oil on the plug wire boots is another source of misfiring. plug tubes should be dry.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=auto+plastic+clip+subaru&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Aauto+plastic+clip+subaru

is that the half-moon plugs???

probably headgaskets then - combustion pressure is getting into the coolant. there is a head gasket test you can get at the parts store - some people have luck with it - works best if the there is active bubbling coming through the o'flow tank or radiator. you can find youtube videos for it. Turns a blue liquid green I believe. not good news - maybe I'm wrong and you just need to burp the system better but - that is typical HG failure symptoms for LOTS of subarus with bad HGs.

probable causes? quite a few. NGK plugs installed? any oil on the plug wire boots? any CEL codes set? have then read and post them up. knock sensor, engine temp sensor, O2 sensors, MAF/MAP etc.....

Amico ??? something like that - I bought 3-4 different sizes from Amazon i think. hard to search for but plastic 'clips' seems to be the slightly preferred (if confusing) term for them.

i wouldn't worry about switching if you want.

when it overheats, is fluid being pushed into the coolant overflow tank? If so, headgasket leak is suspect. I think a radiator can be flow tested at a rad shop. Or, maybe scan it for cool spots with an infrared thermometer.

scan for codes - misfire would put unburnt fuel thru the system.

hawthorne - start a new thread asking for a mechanic near your city. maybe someone will suggest a good shop for you.

stant does make a t'stat that seems to be built to OEM specs. just avoid the tiny style; sure all the rad fans were working? some people report that can get intermittent with age.

file a 'taper' on the flats of a 'sacrificial' 11mm hex and hammer it in? also, since the fluid will be change anyway - maybe hit the plug(s) with 15-20 seconds of 'blue wrench' (propane torch) ?

try the 'clear flood' maneuver? hold the gas pedal to the floor while cranking.

cool!

try turning the a/c system OFF . and see if ou still have the problem. report back. (also, when you took it to the shop, did you take someone for a drive and demo the problem? is there any way you could do that?)

just a last-ditch idea, maybe drop the ex manis and look for a 'dropped' valve guide?

not sure on a 99, but my 03 unlocks DS on the first push, then, if the second push is within a second, it unlocks everything else. look for your security system/FOB info at cars101.com .

any codes set? sometimes it's helpful to post the actual DTC numbers here.

I haven't been following this but, does it crank? is there a CEL? codes?

this guy's 2013 had to have the EPB actuator replaced;

change the air filter? check the tabs on the far end of the box. you can run the car briefly with the belts off. many people find air in the power steering after they've 'disturbed' the hose. look for bubbles/foam in the tank while idling.

thanx!

check the crank pulley for wobble. If the inegritiy of the rubber in the 2 piece crank pulley degrades enough, it can even sping, throw belts and other wise act up. Some folks say to use a permanent marker or grease pencil to draw a line across the pulley, then check that it's lined-up after a drive. The car can also be briefly run with the accessory belts off. If no squeak, then it could be an accessory's pulley????

04 is cable.

just get a Mustang