Mr B

SF is great as easy remove from front and got some rear access as you point out, SG is PITA and got force hand into rear of bumper between plastic shield :-/ clips and plastic sh1te on the front underside of SG is appalling, almost french bad :-O got to love the SF, probably best car they ever designed and built in a general vehicle usability/longevity perspective .

It H3 bulb from what I remember so bulb base held in metal socket in housing which in turn is connected to the fog light loom earth. They can get bit scabby so likely good clean and some elec contact spray will have it all sorted . socket on loom can get very scabby and packing with silicone grease once cleaned can help keep it trouble free.

It increased NVH (noise vibration harshness) from the new pitch arm harder bushes .

awful spray too as not stripped much skirts left on, door fittings, bonnet fittings etc, will be overspray signs and poor edge finish everywhere, someone wasted 2.5k :-/

You can beat peddars kit price by £100 you can fit the kyb struts (kyb shocks can be found under £50 each inc p&p) KYB excel-G come with 2yr warranty and kyb do non sls springs or suplex range has springs aso, both giving oem ride height. If wanting specific ride height, tow or carry lot of weight or firmer handling then springcoil.co.uk do custom spec springs for SG at about £120 a pair and they A1 quality .

Idle switch issue is not generally related to the switch so much as the linkages inside box that engage with the switch, that why we use a thinner washer or remove it and use ptfe tape on threads which move switch closer to worn linkage. this issue not very well known, when our local subaru dealer gets stuck the cars end up with us ... dealers don't get a massive amount of experience on older running faults and only know what subaru tech bulletins teach them. Idle code can be tricky one though and though fault itself normally cheap it finding it first that the issue. ecu connector clean worth a go too as we resolved couple code issues with that over the years . clean maf and maf connector and clean tps and neutral switch connector too . do one thing at a time so can draw conclusion if get a change . good luck ...

Oh I see, I thought P0519 was resolved with iav . Can't see why dealer thinks it Cat on that code I would try looking at neutral switch (fit thinner sealing washer) as mentioned in previous post about idle fault. perhaps map sensor too . removing ecu connector and cleaning with elec contact cleaner could be worth a go too, has worked for us before on odd faults . take it idle is perfectly fine.

I would guess it going be P0420 fault code (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold) which really is either the rear sensor as this is the one that relates data to cat efficiency or Cat itself could be an issue. Other things can cause like poor spark plugs/leads, fuel, dirty maf, exhaust leaks. . Worth grabbing a cheap obd2 code reader so can see codes yourself http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Engine-Fault-Code-Reader-Diagnostic-Scanner-Reset-Tool-OBD-2-CAN-BUS-EOBD-UK-/172200936611 You could try running some cat cleaner in your fuel system mixed extra strong . If P0420 not a big problem but can be pain be sure exactly what at fault . Would imagine reason it found it's way to dealers was due to intermittent engine light & no obvious course of action to resolve . Cat not cheap and silly money via main dealer so would want warranty involved if using main dealer. Hopefully couple attempts of cat cleaning additive & trying a better fuel may help ...

No additional network required, the wifi dongle is a network and you search and connect to it. That little ebay reader is good little unit for money, have couple of them in car glove boxes as quick no hassle check option. Plenty of wifi dongle for ios on ebay if look and choose wisely. Will need software from app-store.

need wifi for iphone as ios bluetooth no good as locked down on functions . cheap stand alone solution > http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Engine-Fault-Code-Reader-Diagnostic-Scanner-Reset-Tool-OBD-2-CAN-BUS-EOBD-UK-/172200936611 .

They not very good, all taiwan ones much same . BC potentially better on price and parts/rebuild but none are proper good on b road use, main reason bumps and bushes gone is rod stroke too short and bottom out all time . easy enough get new bumps and expect could find or make polly bushes for eyelet, springs could do with blasting and epoxy powder coating. someone probably buy them .

Is it 1 button fob and is it separate or built into key head ? single button fobs separate to key can be had on ebay cheap and reprogrammed using info on this forum. fob boards fitted in the key head can be swapped so can buy used ones of those reprogram and swap, is also a company on ebay repair the boards at fixed pricing .What ever solution you use it worth also grabbing a spare fob and programming it also as handy have .

what are spark plugs like, do they show good mixture burn and in good order. tricky one diagnose without logging oem sensors and physically looking at cat condition etc . Can you fit cat yourself so cost minimal .

Only easy if obvious loom/plug issue under seat. elements and thermostats all within seat cushion base .

head gaskets , common issue on 2.5 ... stick with 2.0XT

I would stick with 2.0xt as far better engine .

does the switch light up on high setting ? if so check wiring harness under seat and run some contact cleaner on connector .If working on low elements are ok as work in series in low and parallel for high, if switch & wiring good it probably thermostats for high in the seat . Hope u get a rain free day as keen see how these mouldings work on arches and what covering the give . mileage results can seem odd, seems sensible figures though .

Manual potentially bit better mpg plus tend resale better. If really want an auto stick it out for one. Have a look at this one as more see better idea you get on price and condition. Be fussy as it easy get almost immaculate xt models as generally low mileage and little abuse, more so for auto. I found good ones easily compared to the base model work horse. Ignore dealers as they full of it and use your own eyes and hands, inspect everything, operate all electrics and inspect paint finish as os wings and rear bumpers get knocked easy. Plenty about and worth traveling a bit as proper tidy one saves thousands long term .

As above, 04 and 05 get premium as better road tax bracket. don't buy a 2006, road tax is crazy and they harder sell on . this time of year jumps price 500 to 1000 good ones can be had as low as 2500 but needs be private sale. Plenty good XT's about and autos easier/cheaper find. Don't rush and only buy if 100% happy and inspected car in depth, look and check everything and do not trust what sellers tell you especially trade dealers . Inspect rear arch wells and turrets for rot as some prone to it, need physically tap metal as rot from inside so can look pristine outside, visually look at rear subframe too & also see rear ride height seems pert and not saggy . Good long test drive needed on good B roads, check gear change crisp (2nd and 3rd especially) & clutch ok . engine should be smooth with no hesitation .

I would look at mocal perhaps, something like a 235mm matrix width 25row (194mm) and look into having a thermostat on it and even a temp sensor & guage perhaps . USA does few transmission cooler kits so worth looking at US websites etc to get more ideas .

do the tyres rub at all ? is indeed a foretza . lol reminds me a bit of the oz impreza version wagon

Is a common code and sometimes as in your instance a pita resolve . Is worth checking plugs etc, ideally want a road test with wideband logging & cats looking at , you can add a spacer fitting to rear sensor that moves tip out of main flow as a poor mans fix/function test .

yeh that was roughly full dealer retail fitted back in the day which is extortionate and why don't see that often on the foresters . You want see price of genuine moulded mud flaps & load liner mat lol :-) rear rolling load cover is about £350 :-) Do a review on strip as interested how that works/looks . would be cheap solution and keep edges from light scrapes and parking door dings too . May find adding the black door edge moulding strips kind of makes it more oem blending/complete, we done a few with that in black & chrome saves door edges so again practical addon ... Seems practical and sensible solution to your minor blemish mark, think will look fine on dark green too . good luck ...

I haven't found SG accessories catalogue, found SH but arch moulding kit not in that one. We got them from US parts specialist as way cheaper plus ordered a few rear bumper protectors help spread shipping costs as was only £28 compared to UK £75 :-O Arch moulding kit was about £280 (few years ago and £ to $ was good plus US prices way better start with . Could be worth trying the 3m tape as if around 18mm coverage good enough it could work well & look oem if fitted carefully & give you similar look for less than £20 then keep eye out for arch moulding kit if want beast it up some more ... Don't see many with them & ones I seen tended to be demonstrator cars so fit most accessories for show, I recall UK subaru price around £580 :-O

No idea how good that 5M trim is, get similar stuff in local body shops, maybe bit small for what want do ! Link below same trim but way better price. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/E-TECH-WHEEL-ARCH-GUARD-TRIM-WHEEL-ARCH-PROTECTOR-UNIVERSAL-BLACK-/191199762094 oem arch guard kit is indeed quite cool. they should of been done standard in my opinion and same for rear bumper guard. I'll have look on workshop computer before leave as got a full pdf on extras somewhere and pretty sure a part number with it, numbers will difffer for colours but gives you something search with .