Searching around the webs found that it could be linked to your neutral saftey switch or what ever that is ?

I'll keep digging for you

Thanks Stanton, problem is the car is driving/running fine & no effect to economy. so its not really something i want to stick into the garage for.

No worries, I looks like it sits towards the rear of the gear box and plugs in if you have access to a ramp maybe worth seeing if its damaged or has become loose. It's a little brown plug. It's a plug and play part so I'm sure if it gets worse and you can get it you could prob change it yourself

Thanks Stanton, appreciate the help!
will try & get to it this weekend...that could make sense as going over fields with long grass/stubble I guess could have interfered with it.

Did an ECU reset & also did that starting thing so it relearns the idle
Thread #14 by Timbob http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f66/resetting-ecu-fixing-idle-dbw-engine-83004/

I think these are the Neutral Safety Switch locations, look good to you?

That was cleaver, same image twice...will correct later

Yes that looks like the one :-D

again thanks for your time & help Stanton

No worries just hope it works

update, ordered a new Neutral Safety Switch from Subaru for shy of £70
just waiting for it to come in as I've been away for a week.

something I've noticed, CEL mainly comes on with normal road driving, it often switches itself off again when I'm driving off road (which at the moment is daily) with the variation on using the Low/High Range box, as I'm rattling along field margins the amount of vibrations I'm getting could suggest that its resetting the NSS…fingers crossed!

Down side…I'm considering getting a pickup as I'm working the Forester fairly hard at the moment & don't want to kill it (its only a consideration at the moment)

Down side…I'm considering getting a pickup as I'm working the Forester fairly hard at the moment & don't want to kill it (its only a consideration at the moment)

 

have had a couple my self; L200 & Hilux. they are workhorses and may be better for the job you do? but they will drive like trucks (as they are) and are bigger. i did found that the tub by times wasn't that practical as they are actually not that big. especially when transporting long things.

 

 

me with a Ranger 

 

 

please delete this post

ha ha! brilliant, love the Ranger photo.

I drive my Forester like a truck, normally cruise about 10mph below the stated speed limits anyway & have never given it a good thrashing…so I've basically been easing myself into truck mode :-)

The Forester has been a damn good vehicle & comfy too

ha ha! brilliant, love the Ranger photo.

 

while driving around Putney (South London) area we had some head turners 

rather strange, since i have been considering changing vehicles I changed my petrol to standard 95 RON (was using BP higher grade which i think is 97) & my CEL rarely comes on now.

I have the new NSS which I will be changing this evening/tomorrow (just because i have the new one really).

Neutral Safety Switch has been fitted for a few days, took 30mins to fit & seems to have done the job, so all appears to be good.  :D

 

Thanks for everybody's help & suggestions particularly stants…appreciate it!

I am in the process of trading it in for a Mitsubishi L200 as i feel that i will kill my Forester with the work i am doing, It has been a good 2 years & a fantastic introduction to AWD & playtime in the muddy stuff.
I will be doing the change this coming saturday.

 

Whoo hoo glad it fixed it, sad news about chopping it in but if it's not up to the needs of the job then it's time to change

i'm not really a big fan of the L200 third generation year 1996 / 2004 as i don't like the diesel engine as i think it has a design fault. the later common rails are better.