I registered last summer when I was having issues, and never posted.
I'm the second owner of my Subaru, we'll have been together a decade this next spring. I found the car as it was being traded in for a newer model, I was waiting on an oil change. It was manufactured, I believe in July of 1998, (I still have the paperwork in my files) and was shipped to Alaska for the original owner. I bought it in Alaska and moved to the Pacific Northwest a few years ago. I've actually used my block heater a few times since leaving the 49th state and was grateful to have it so I could let a friend park in my garage.
I have a garage with a decent amount of space, and have parked inside for the past six or so years, which makes some maintenance easy since it is warm, dry and well lit. I go to the local Napa to buy my odds and ends, since they provide a AAA discount and the all male employees treat me with respect. Doing basic things on my Subaru has been quite useful for the other Subaru owners in my life, specifically my friends and coworkers. My town has a lot of Subaru owners, and a highly related dealer and service department, so I'm very lucky in that respect.
I'd say my most recent triumph was the light under the shift indicator that doesn't show up on parts lists. I got a new bulb in it on a rainy Saturday afternoon in the Napa parking lot and was horrified of all the crud that I found when I took the gear shift apart. My most recent failure was when I had a new ignition put in, and not getting the doors keyed to match. My exboyfriend has a 2000 Forester he doesn't take enough care of, so I constantly do minor maintenance and I'm hoping to shame him into learning more and being more respectful of his vehicle.
My projects for the next couple of weeks include:
Taking off the dash and trying the youtube video fix for my intermittent speedometer. Maybe also sort out the lighting issue in the original stereo that is a tape deck and weather channels.
Giving the interior a good vacuuming and dusting.
Figuring out what the **** happened to my driver's side fog light that the bulb is hanging out the back and the cover is loose, and installing the new bulb I bought last week.
In the next couple of months I'm considering:
Going to a scrap yard to get a couple pieces for repairs.
The front passenger door hasn't had a good lower seal for years, and the piece with two screws up near the pillar is loose and can make the door hard to close. The plastic pins that hold it in the bottom won't stay in the door, they were ripped out when the door iced shut. I was thinking I could take the interior off and anchor the bits inside, and replace the missing screw. If not I'd get a used one and install it myself if possible.
The interior of the driver's side door, behind the seat and seatbelt has loose weather stripping I might look for and install on my own if possible.
Finding the piece for that illuminates the gear shift from below, it is broken and melted so the bulb doesn't stay put.
Swapping out fuses for better quality.
Getting my cracked windshield replaced (by a professional, I have insurance).
I've got books and resources from the public library, but I'm hoping to come here to get some feedback so I don't take on an unrealistic project. I plan to drive this car until it is impractical to do so, and I definitely don't want to flunk it up in the process.
I'm the second owner of my Subaru, we'll have been together a decade this next spring. I found the car as it was being traded in for a newer model, I was waiting on an oil change. It was manufactured, I believe in July of 1998, (I still have the paperwork in my files) and was shipped to Alaska for the original owner. I bought it in Alaska and moved to the Pacific Northwest a few years ago. I've actually used my block heater a few times since leaving the 49th state and was grateful to have it so I could let a friend park in my garage.
I have a garage with a decent amount of space, and have parked inside for the past six or so years, which makes some maintenance easy since it is warm, dry and well lit. I go to the local Napa to buy my odds and ends, since they provide a AAA discount and the all male employees treat me with respect. Doing basic things on my Subaru has been quite useful for the other Subaru owners in my life, specifically my friends and coworkers. My town has a lot of Subaru owners, and a highly related dealer and service department, so I'm very lucky in that respect.
I'd say my most recent triumph was the light under the shift indicator that doesn't show up on parts lists. I got a new bulb in it on a rainy Saturday afternoon in the Napa parking lot and was horrified of all the crud that I found when I took the gear shift apart. My most recent failure was when I had a new ignition put in, and not getting the doors keyed to match. My exboyfriend has a 2000 Forester he doesn't take enough care of, so I constantly do minor maintenance and I'm hoping to shame him into learning more and being more respectful of his vehicle.
My projects for the next couple of weeks include:
Taking off the dash and trying the youtube video fix for my intermittent speedometer. Maybe also sort out the lighting issue in the original stereo that is a tape deck and weather channels.
Giving the interior a good vacuuming and dusting.
Figuring out what the **** happened to my driver's side fog light that the bulb is hanging out the back and the cover is loose, and installing the new bulb I bought last week.
In the next couple of months I'm considering:
Going to a scrap yard to get a couple pieces for repairs.
The front passenger door hasn't had a good lower seal for years, and the piece with two screws up near the pillar is loose and can make the door hard to close. The plastic pins that hold it in the bottom won't stay in the door, they were ripped out when the door iced shut. I was thinking I could take the interior off and anchor the bits inside, and replace the missing screw. If not I'd get a used one and install it myself if possible.
The interior of the driver's side door, behind the seat and seatbelt has loose weather stripping I might look for and install on my own if possible.
Finding the piece for that illuminates the gear shift from below, it is broken and melted so the bulb doesn't stay put.
Swapping out fuses for better quality.
Getting my cracked windshield replaced (by a professional, I have insurance).
I've got books and resources from the public library, but I'm hoping to come here to get some feedback so I don't take on an unrealistic project. I plan to drive this car until it is impractical to do so, and I definitely don't want to flunk it up in the process.
