MilesA

Water plus a few tablespoons of vinegar and a drop of Lemon Joy in a quart size spray bottle. Wipe off with a microfiber cloth. Polish with a second microfiber cloth. Inexpensive and uses things you probably have around the house already.

Sometimes TSBs extend the warranty, other times they are completely separate from the warranty. Some TSBs may specify a mileage or time limit, others don't. For instance, there was a TSB related to dashboard material deteriorating. Even though my car was a 2005 model, I just had to get it checked at the dealership before March 30 of this year. They covered it, so I have a new dashboard installed at no cost to me, twelve years after I bought the car. Airbag problems, no time or mileage limits. There was a wheel bearing TSB that extended your warranty to 8 years or 100K miles on rear wheel bearings only.

Good to know about the TSB. Learn something new every day.

Cold weather may be a factor, since your battery loses a lot of capacity when it is cold. Meaning this issue could have been present for awhile, but was hidden until the weather got colder and stayed cold. There's always a small percentage of defective parts, but the most common cause of this type of problem is the battery is being slowly drained by something in the electrical system. For example, aftermarket alarms, remote starters, stereos, trunk light staying on, etc. Your electrical system just needs to be checked out. There's simple tests that can be done for the battery and alternator. If they are healthy, you probably have the problem with a hidden power drain.

We're off by one again, this should help.

Ok...

I thought the post number was supposed to match the photo? Looks like it is off by one. Oh, well, this should sync it back up.

Those are the critics, usually.

This could be one of those gifts that is more expensive than it first appears. Here's just a few things that come to mind. I think the front crossmember that the engine mounts to is different in the later cars. The turbo is under the engine and exhaust is not at all the same. You will need some custom exhaust work. FA engines use direct injection that is a higher pressure fuel system than what you have now. You will need a hood with scoop for the top-mount intercooler. You will need a rear differential that matches the final drive ratio in the new transmission. Wiring seems to be a big challenge and that requires some specialized skill and experience. As the joke goes, you can tell who are the Pioneers, they are the ones with arrows sticking out of the front.

I always enjoy seeing what you've done. I've been thinking about building a junkyard dog Outback or Forester for outdoor excursions.

You can use a small cutoff wheel in a drill. Not much space to work.

That's very good news, so you have heat now. Have you got rid of the gurgling sound, maybe I missed that part?

I was thinking about this and wondered about the dual-diagonal brake line setup. When the brake failure happened, was it a total loss of braking power, or did the dual-diagonal system allow the system to work with much longer stopping distances?

Now that's a scary thought. Where are you located, New England? Lots of road salt?

Not necessarily differences in quality of the lines. Corrosion can be a galvanic process meaning you have dissimilar metals electrically connected in the presence of an electrolyte. Those lines running inside the car are not exposed to the elements nor to road salt and damp. Inside lines may also be more isolated electrically. It follows there is not much corrosion for them.

Great job and I really like the photos, too. I love what you did with the center stack. How did you get that low-key matte black finish? Was that OEM for Europe or did you change it somehow? Thanks for showing us your project.

If you can do the test with the colored solution it will tell you definitely yes or no if the head gaskets are causing the issue. Head gaskets can fail in several different ways. Sometimes, you would see oil and antifreeze mix, but not always. Other times, you see an external leak of oil or coolant. In your case, the pressure from combustion can push exhaust gas past the gasket into the cooling system yet little or no coolant would come back the other direction. You did see some white smoke which could be a trace of coolant, but only after the car has sat for awhile. Transient overheating, gas bubbles in cooling system, coolant being pushed out the overflow bottle are classic signs of this. If you had work done recently with the shortblock, it is possible things were not done right with the gaskets at that time. Typically, they should not fail for a very long time after replacement. Repairs for this type of issue would usually require resurfacing the head and installing new gaskets.

We don't get the diesel models here in the U.S. but gurgling behind the dash, low or no heat sounds like air pockets trapped in the cooling system. Subaru horizontally-opposed motors are more prone to this than some others. Now as to where the bubbles came from... If you have changed the coolant recently, was the cooling system bled to get all the air out? If not, you might suspect head gasket trouble causing exhaust gas to get into the cooling system past the gasket(s). There is a test kit available to detect combustion gases in the cooling system. It uses a chemical solution that changes color when these gases are present.

Have a look at the latest Continental DWS tires.

No seepage was observed when the recall service was done. Even though covertrussian's brake lines are about to rust through any minute now... According to the TSB, the brakes would need to already be failing, squirting fluid, before they would replace any brake lines. Do I agree with this? Of course not!

I think Subaru will try to weasel their way out of this, in fact they already have. The wording of the TSB indicates the fault is not in the brake lines, but "a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines." Brake line corrosion is the owner's problem. The fuel tank protector gap is Subaru's problem, which indirectly leads to "excessive" corrosion. Subaru can simply claim the brake line corrosion for cars post-recall is due to age and driving environment, not a defect they are responsible for.

I'm in NOVA and the dealer tried to weasel out of doing the TSB on my car because VA is not one of the recognized states in the TSB. I pointed out I bought the car in Pennsylvania and I regularly drive it in Maryland, which are recognized states. The dealer then agreed to do the work. Your pictures make me want to go inspect the brake lines to see what shape they are in.

Covert, has your car always been in Virginia? That doesn't look good.

Left and right are two different part numbers. Read posts starting around #293 going through 320 or so. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/killer-deal-lower-control-arms-245333.html?p=5648648

Wow, I just tried some back of the envelope estimates for DIY'ing everything they said your car needed. Not too bad. Then look at the dealership estimate & SMH. Yes, they need to make a profit, but that is pretty whacked. Power steering pump leaking 791.00 p+l (new o-ring = $2.00) Left front ball joint is worn 228.00 p+l (new ball joint = $30.00) Power steering rack leaking 1301.00 p+l (new steering rack = $300.00) Valve cover gaskets leaking 487.00 p+l (new valve cover gasket set = $28.00) Oil pan rotted and corroded 573.00 p+l (new oil pan = $65.00) Oil cooler hose leaking 256.00 p+l (new oil cooler hose = $10.00) Alignment 129.00 (required with rack replacement) Brake lines leaking 2999.00 p+l (nicopp brake line 25' = $35.00) Both front axle boots leaking 651.00 p+l (new CV boot kit * 2 = $40.00) (new tools, fluid, supplies = $100.00) Dealership cost = $7,416.00 DIY cost = $739.00 DIY Savings = $6,677.00