1 Lucky Texan

The only thing I can add is, from a LOT of reading here and some at another board, I've never encountered someone with your noise symptom having a center diff problem. Not saying you couldn't have a unique situation. Or 2 different problems. Rear diff? maybe. frozen caliper - possible. Wheel bearing - very likely. Its a common source for the type noise you report on most cars in general. Can you have someone pace the car in a parking lot, have them alternately lisen to both sides and maybe they will hear the bearing? good luck Carl

does the sound change when turning? A sweeping curve left versus a sweeping curve to the right? A wheel bearing would likely be noisier during a turn as more stress is transfered to the opposite side. have the backing plates been examined on the brakes? Is brake wear uniform? After a drive, would all 4 wheel hubs feel like they are the same temp or is one hotter than the others? Has the car ever been driven through very deep water? I THINK it's possible for water to get sucked into a vent on top of the housing, possibly contaminating the oil. I dunno Carl

Have you confirmed it isn't a wheel bearing or maybe a frozen U joint? I dunno, just seems like there could be some other possibilities. Carl

yeah. the dual setups with slight freq,. differences SEEM to be the key. oh, here's a link to the obligatory train horn scare video; http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1171013797384954189&q=train+horn&hl=en Carl

There are entire threads at www.nasioc.com devoted to Hella installs. With wiring diagrams, pictures etc. Even some folks that manage to keep the original horn in the circuit and add 2 DIFFERENT styles of Hella dual horn systems! Carl

Hopefully, someone will know the details, but I THINK there was actually a sensor that could be replaced without buying the entire unit. It may have only been a specific year. It's a spendy unit. Even outta a junkyard probably $100. (The one I had to put in my daughter's Nissan was $400+ !) Carl

Likely up - but really, ANY change and you've probably found the leak right! Carl

Any codes stored? I'd thow in intermittent MAF if so equipped. Carl

I wish my wife's '03 OBW was a tad louder. I think the previous year(s) had the signal routed through the horns, and folks complained it was TOO loud. Then they go to the seperate alarm and it's a little too soft. I think it's also a legitimate question because there MAY be a 'trick' (like the seatbelt chime disable 'maneuver') that allows some adjustment. maybe someone working for a dealership can find out? Carl

I don't recall if its been suggested in this thread, but you could TRY to make sure your dealership doesn't charge you more than www.subarugenuineparts.com would for the parts. just a thought Carl

Good point. If the CEL begins FLASHING, or the CEL is on AND there is noticeable problems with operating the car or rough idling, etc. Immediate attention is needed. Carl

Have him tighten the gas cap mutiple clicks (a dozen or more can't hurt). At 72K it's possible the front O2 sensor is just starting to get lazy. If he has the service ticket, or can call it up at www.my.subaru.com , find the code they read and let us know. Your dad sounds like a great guy, let's keep him enjoying his wheels! Carl

Make sure the gas cap is tight, double check the bottom/backside of the airbox has its 'tabs' properly inserted (easy to not clip the intake box back correctly after a filter change). Then, disconnect the neg. batt. terminal, step on the brake pedal, reconn. the batt. after 30 minutes or so. That should clear the light. If the CEL comes back immediately, you likely need to get the code read. Autozone and perhaps other places can read them. If you have a 'gearhead' co-worker he might loan you a reader. You can buy decent ones for $100-$150 . Carl

If you actually use the car in a high performance capacity, I think 'semi-race' pads and slotted rotors might be a fair way to beef up the braking system. Stainless lines will (so i've read) give you a different feel but I dunno about an actual braking performance improvement. Carl

being several inches higher off the road can seem like going slower I guess. I dunno If you suspect there is a problem with the Forester, that could be an issue I guess. Make sure to run the fuel specified and if lower octane fuel has been in it, reset the ECU so the timing advances to suit the higher octane. Carl

how much do each vehicle WEIGH? You might just dig around over at www.nasioc.com . But, unless you wanna put in lighter flywheel/crank pulleys or start removing seats, there may not be much to drastically improve acceleration/HP . There ARE suspension bits they will help stick it to the road and cut a little body roll. Carl

at present, no Subaru vehicle is on the list of E85 approved vehicles. http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php Carl

sorry, I just don't. sounds like you got the bases covered though. good luck

Maybe someone else can tell us if it fits, but I have a near new (less that 350 miles) '06 WRX stock muffler take off. Cheap, but I don't wanna try to ship it. Know anyone from D/FW area headed your way? Carl

If it's new, probably just send it back for exchange? Anyway, if no experienced help shows up here, try posting this (or just searching) at http://www.nasioc.com Carl

good post ! Carl

that makes sense. I dunno Carl

The advice you got, as presented, seems to be odd. Why would they advise you to try a fluid change since the VC is sealed? I guess the torque bind is properly diagnosed? Was the car purchased used? perhaps the previous owner did some damage? Carl

not sure, but a '95 soob is probably still OBDII and if so is gonna 'bracket' the cat with sensors to measure its function. That why some people mistakenly change converters when actually the O2 (lambda) sensore is getting lazy or has gone bad. The front one gets the most heat and corrosive gases. A 4 wire MAY have an internal heater - not certain on that. so the rear may need it and the front heats up quite well from exhaust temps I guess - lol! Carl

definitely clear and watch how quickly ANY code returns. I don't recall you saying how many miles on the car - but I'd 'guess' you need a front O2 sensor. (bank 1 is the reference for all 4 cylinder cars, as most are inline, they number them that way so it can also be used for one side of a V8) Carl