Petrolhead159

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)

had this with mine & passed MOT fine, SLS shocks failing. I changed mine for Pedders individual shocks & springs, however don't just change the shocks like i did as the SLS springs are softer & it will still sit low, the Pedders coil spring is uprated & stiffer. Mines been fitted for a good few months & worked it hard & I'm still happy with it.

again thanks for your time & help Stanton

had a play in some mud this evening, not the best quality video as it was 1 handed. http://youtu.be/F2erLkqXOWE?list=UUVD0EMtRQyqcGCMzQBuDG0A

Falkens still working well, we took our bird delivery last week so my off road adventures are starting again :) We had to flatten some cover crop the other day to get to a pen, as a kid watching films where they race through corn...it is as fun as it looks :D we have a woodland that is very sticky, when I'm brave enough to stop in it & take a picture i will.

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

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?

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.

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.

engine light came on this morning, same fault code showing. I have a distance where it seems to more commonly come on, about 3miles up the road slowing from 50 to 30mph, as soon as i dip the clutch to drop down to 4th gear CEL will come on. Do i base it on being a faulty used ICV or something else? since having this replacment fitted I have done 1 healthy commute & then flashed up CEL on 2nd, thats similar results to my original.

yes part is swapped, correct part number & don't want to tempt fait but its been on for 1 to & from work trip. I had best give it a week really. fingers crossed!

drive home was a PITA, revs holding high most of the way so the car was really difficult to drive. got home & the part numbers don't match, same physical size but seem to behave differently. original is 661 R02 F3462H New is 660 R00 F1388N emailed the company informing them of this & hoping they will come up with something tomorrow.

Morning Stanton, I never reset the ECU only cleared faults...I am hoping its just learning. it never started high before, well used to hover briefly around 1.5K Its sitting all day while im working so see what it does this evening & may disconnect the battery when i get home & leave it off over night.

update, started this morning from cold & from the off the car revved & held at 3k revs, this fluctuated for the first mile but generally holding the revs high, then started to settle & then engine light came on. Im hoping its just bedding after the ICV being sat on the shelf for a while, will give it until the weekend & see what happens.

replacement ICV arrived today, fitted it & reset CEL…fingers crossed, so it seems good, so much so it doesn't lurch & i hadn't even noticed that it did until fitting this replacement ICV. I must have got used to the car doing it. should know by the weekend if it has solved the CEL issue, seem to be a good service from Parts Gateway & supplier Nippon Autospares from Derby.

well my 2003 Forester non turbo has 122k miles, no problems in the last 2 years of owning it, Idle Control Valve is currently being a bit temperamental but got a replacement on its way, expect it to last a good few years yet.

waiting for Mr Postman to pop it through my door, will post up if it works.

taken a gamble & bought a ICV from Parts Gateway, fingers crossed! just reading a couple of guides that popped up on google it fully suggests that its certainly faulty.

ok thanks Stanton, will see what tomorrow brings i guess.

on parts Gateway atm, not tried Subaru dealerships themselves only looked at ebay (£50) & importcarparts (£300+) I'm hoping importcarparts is wrong, they do not list my model exactly only turbo editions, so hoping mines a cheaper edition. going to ring Subaru tomorrow i think.

excuse the language but holy moly are they expensive! thanks for the guidance guys, appreciate it

Thanks Tlag, do you just get an ebay jobby or go to Subaru?

Hi Tlag, thanks for your reply, ok ive done this job... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi-7eJOC7bM then ive also fully removed the airbox, started the car & sprayed carb & throttle cleaner into the buttlerfly valve on the throttle body (whilst keeping it from stalling). This is how ive always cleaned them, so any more guidance would be much appreciated. Yes, I have cleared the code each time.

hi all, need some assistance with my 2003 N/A 2.0L Forester, I keep getting P0159 fault code, I have taken out the Idle Control Valve solenoid & cleaned it 4 or 5 times now, fully cleaned the throttle body twice with a bigger clean at the weekend along with cleaning the K&N filter (didn't re-oil) & air box. I don't think i can get it any cleaner so after some guidance as to what to do next, new solenoid? Car performance is fine & no changes in economy. Thanks.

imagine its the exhaust heat shield