1 Lucky Texan

So, in theory and as reported by some folks, a tranny 'flush' seems to sometimes be able to free up a solenoid stuck closed by sludge/gumminess. Once the pressure can be released, a 'good' clutch pack will begin working normally. What constitutes a 'bad' clutch pack and , assuming normal C solenoid function, what would the symptoms be? thanx

I had a local tint guy install tint and ventureshield on my '06 WRX wagon recently. I did the fenders, hood and mirrors. So far so good.

lol! yeah, IIRC you can nose up to a wall, tree, post/w'ever, select say 5th (4th?) gear and dump the clutch(at idle), the engine should stall. Is it possible she has a rear main leaking oil onto the f'wheel? I dunno - but I would get it investigated - soon

Setright is correct as far as the engine not being at risk. However, you really need to get this investigated. A simple adjustment now may save a coupla' hundred or more later. If the clutcth material IS actually worn away (quite likely at your mileage - and perfectly normal BTW) you will only get poorer gas mileage and destroy the flywheel, it may be damaged now. Really, have someone take a look ASAP. Soon, even engine braking will be reduced and you will only lose more and more 'driveability'.

I vote for slipping clutch. Likely coincidental. How many miles on the odometer and what kind of side street/highway mix do you drive? 75 in 5th at 3k sounds about right. I believe you. Bet the lower gears seem normal too - classic slipping clutch.

In all fairness, any number of other vehicles she might've been in (including a Volvo) may have served as well at protecting her. I DO realize that personal anecdotes like this can have an effect of increasing brand loyalty and certainly a new Forester should stay on your list of replacement vehicles assuming it still fits other aspects of your selection criteria, but I wouldn't limit myself JUST because of the wreck. glad everyone's OK

Might be worth triple-checking the tires. They should be the same brand/style/wear/CIRCUMFERENCE and not exhibit any tread seperation etc. I dunno

I've had 2 different vehicles flip their CELs on altitude changes so I'm sure there is some effect on the 'system'. It wouldn't hurt to reset the ECU and recheck the tire pressure.

Probably the same ugly-@55ed way it's hung on my outback.

does a sweeping turn left sound different than a turn right? Some folks report the bad bearing sounds worse when it's on the outside of a turn.

I just wondered if reverse is also full time 50/50. actually, i dunno what i was thinking! lol! yeah - I probably should mix up my sig again - it's kinda getting old.

There's a coil inside the radiator that has tranny fluid pumped through it to help cool the tranny. I suppose if the tubing/whatever had a pinhole leak, you'd get the emulsion in the rad o'flow. It may mean you're trading HG problems for tranny problems though. I dunno how 'tolerant' the tranny would be of coolant mixing in - if it can even flow that way. Worth investigating.

How would it behave in reverse?

But how would you know if they had already been 'activated' in shipping or were otherwise broken/maladjusted? can you go back to the dealership and confirm that ALL the Foresters on the lot are like that or just a few or ?

Doesn't sound good. Look under the oil fill cap for 'chocolate mousse' too.

I JUST got some Kumhos on my new ride. So far so good. So, you figure my '06 takeoff wheels and tires are worth only about $250? I'm very disappointed but - at least it will help offset the cost of my new wheels. sigh

Well, it's a weird question. Um - like if you want to accelerate faster, take out as much weight as possible, seats, spare tire, tools. Keep windows rolled up - even in summer the savings in wind resistance at highway sppeds makes up forrtunning the a/c. maybe remove the intake 'snorkus' in the fender. Keep it waxed and clean. Run the lightest weight oil suggested in the manual - and change it on schedule. Keep the plugs gapped properly. Keep a clean intake filter. Use 'touch up' paint on the 'parking lot rash' areas. Use 'wet tire' or similar product on the tires. Maintain proper air pressure in the tires - check at least monthly. Use maybe 5%-10% more pressure than the manual states. dunno what you're really wanting to do

Probably some from the junkyard. Cars with very new/good tires do get junked occasionally. I have been in the position in the past where I actually bought used tires. It was never a great value - just an emergency maneuver. Shop at tirerack.com but take a printout to you local tire store (Discount, NTB, whatever) and see if they can beat it. Or, ask around one of the tire shops at quitting time if there is a way a guy who's strapped for cash cou;d get some good used tires. Sometimes folks jst but new tires before their old ones are wornout. The big problem nowadays is the liability that a shop incurs if they sell and mount used tires. They are reluctant to do it and in sime states it may be illegal. But giving a guy a 50 dollar bill when he's walking outta the tire shop at quitting time MIGHT fix you up. It's tough when you're strapped and the vehicle needs shoes. We've all been there. Don't be ashamed to ask your relatives, friends - even your boss. They don't want you to risk your life on crappy tires. good luck

Additionally here in the States, a manufacturer has a much greater incentive to recommend lighter weight oils to help meet CAFE standards, and I suspect they do that even if it means your engine may 'only' last 150K instead of 250K miles. I dunno

thanx to browsing the above links to other links, I found the map I recalled; http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq12.htm Seems their average for my area is approx. 41 months. I'd say my personal average is a little lower - probably other folks get a better average.

I suspect that when my cars sit in the summer sun here in Texas it would be quite easy for under-cowl temperatures to reach 140-160 F . At those temps for a coupla hours, what amount of 30W versus 40W oil is not squished out from the cam lobes? What about the oil squirters spraying oil directly on the underside of the pistons in the turbo engines? What about shutting the engine off after a hard run and the water stops circulating? What temp spikes can the valvetrain see? How much oil will be on the cam lobes the NEXT time the engine is started? If I could get Mobil 1 10W-40 at the same great price I always find the 10W-30 I'd run it. I may switch from 10-30 to the 10-40 after I get few thousand more miles. I dunno

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vintage-Subaru-FF-1-owners-manual-HTF-REDUCED_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6762QQitemZ8009033054QQrdZ1 fyi

I wouldn't rule out a wheel bearing in addition to your thoughts.

In the north I think you guys need CCA - but in the south we need something called 'reserve capacity'. I saw a map once and it indicated where I live had an average car batt. life of 2-3 years. My personal experience tracks that fairly closely. So maybe I could just throw in a $40 batery every coupla years and maybe never worry about being stranded. Or get a $75 batt. with a 3 year full replacement, maybe 'win' the bet or maybe not - either way it's the 'sword of damacles' waiting to get ya'!

batteries have such short lives here in N.Central texas I have 'almost' convinced myself to just schedule a new, cheap battery every 2 years instead of waiting to be stranded. The 3 year full replacement battery from Autozone is what I have used a coupla times, and actually got a free replacement one! But it is expensive and you still are waiting for failure or other 'issues'. cars need lighter/better batteries or fuel cells or 'something'. where's the technology?