Mr B

key with transponder chip programmed (copied from other oem key) is about £30 If have the sigma m30 alarm then you can get fobs off ebay & they can be programmed to alarm easily by yourself, don't fall into dealer trap or silly money fees . fobs are anything from £15 range . Do be aware you have two alarm parts, the subaru oem transponder chip in key head that controls ecu inbuilt immobiliser (eu cars must have this) second is the cat1 alarm fob (sigma made the cover & board to fit standard subaru remote locking all in one key & fob) *Any decent auto key cutter can do the key cut & key transponder programming. *Any matching button (have 1 button & 2 button option) m30 fob can be programmed to your sytem *You should also have a manual 4 digit code to use in alarm keypad found in coin flip down tray near driver right knee , don't panic if don't have code as easy program new one as long as have at least one working remote (sort pin code first/quick to save serious hassle ;-) ) Your car dealer should indeed refund cost but it easily sorted . I do at least 2 key/fob jobs a month, is also possible buy built in fob key from breaker or online & swap the key shank (cut, lapped & rivet, & swap/fit small transponder chip into the button fob section . links below to help > m30 alarm manual > https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ub2apq5-pfcjJhSm5XUHNyUzQ/view?usp=sharing

Pic 5 looks like a jecs map sensor for original engine (take part numbers off it & google them) igniter job is controlling voltage pulse to the primary winding of coilpacks. biggest area of fault on those ignitions was igniter unit itself or wiring/plug harness or coilpacks split/insulation failing .

stripping out & making new cowl to suit . couple threads on here but not sure how much detail in them, really not hard & potentially massive functional benefit to the XT . If vehicle is a good one it not a concern and potentially a nice little personalization tweak .

they are pretty much junk, best option is removing it & custom fitting something that you like . Android based would be good & could display ecu obd2 data too . Not too hard to do but space will limit options .

Blueprint bearing kit or Koyo or NTN will only be £30 region . They the only 3 brands we use, Blueprint easy enough find online at decent price, Koyo or NTN best sourced via bearing retailer (we use Bearing-Shop exeter) Cheap bearing tool set which looks same as one we bought from machinemart vat free day is below http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheel-Bearing-Removal-Professional-Tool-Set-Kit-For-Front-Wheel-Drive-Heavy-Duty-/262347012598 bearing tool allows removal & fitting on vehicle and as supports bearing correctly during fitting assembly you don't ruin bearing fitting it. We charge £40 for fitting unless have issues & need remove hub . It prety simple with right tools & once done 1 or 2 you can do them quick & as good as factory built hub . Standard 3 leg & clam shell puller also handy as is a press, cheap home use 6tonne press can be had for £50, 12tonne around £90 .

The extra constant heat from brake dragging would of damaged bearing .You can buy bearing hub (blueprint do it, £115 roughly) You can buy quality bearing for £30, buy a wheel bearing removal fitting tool set (about 35-45 £ on likes of ebay) We use a removal fitting tool set & if use quality jap bearings never get issue . Have a cheap £45 bearing removal/fitting set too & it works as good as our £300 set but probably not for as long lol but it good enough for occasional use ... Rough fitting or using cheap bearings like febest, optimal etc lead to constant hassle Good bearing fitting tool set/press & koyo, ntn, blueprint etc lead to proper reliable rebuilt hub .

just buy a double or 2 single 12V usb car chargers & wire them directly from fused supply ideally acc switched.. Just buy reasonably decent branded ones not 99p junk. if you just added a double usb socket to a single charger then it probably overloaded it. Circuit for converting 12V to 5V usb is quite simple & board inside the cigarette adaptors is small & easily removed & custom mounted if wanted .

When you contact springcoil for your springs they will be able calculate height changes from data that they already have so just telling them you drop range front and rear should be all needed, I would drop front more than rear as helps keep some balance when rear loaded as you no longer will have SLS . Tell them your usage and requirement for stiffer springs & all should be good. Try roger clarke motorsport for group n top mounts, they not cheap but good way go if standard rear top mounts not serviceable, modding front has way more gains than rear so should be priority . camber bolt kit (2 bolts, 1 each side) for rear strut to hub uppermost bolt hole is super useful at setting perfect rear camber . other top mount option could be whiteline top mounts . pillow ball camber plates are for front strut top mounts. Bit of tweaking required to combine it with standard top mount spring platform from old top mounts . ideally need do this prior to ordering springs as they tend make the top spring platform sit lower so that distance change needs measuring & added to your spring drop requirement . pillow ball mounts come up used, new can be had starting around £100 a pair . You can make up a block to raise the HD brackets you have (that why I mod standard brackets to HD) Strut braces from impreza will fit, massive amount around new or used so best hunting about for a nice one/price, cusco or ultra racing are couple of names. The sti titanium top strut bar is nice, any good H shape 4 point lower brace will be good . Check out condition of your wishbones as do corrode bad, sti alloys are nice if need replacements but not a must, good polybushes on wishbones help a lot but more cabin noise & vibration is the negative factor . another good mod is poly mounts for steering rack or even better the 2004 impreza sti rack . Keeping with standard style struts is key factor for daily on B roads though so your excel-g is sensible choice & all other mods will keep things tight & aligned & improve feedback to the driver without ruining daily drive-ability & safety. i've had some coilover cars come in that just damn dangerous on real roads & owners only too glad go back more standard via softer springs on coilovers or switching back to standard struts .

Double posted so thought would edit & make it bit useful . Meyle HD drop links (front & rear not sided, same part number does left or right) - links> front>http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MEYLE-Front-Right-Stabiliser-anti-roll-bar-DROP-LINK-ROD-No-34-16-060-0003-HD-/361074352328 rear>http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MEYLE-Rear-Right-Stabiliser-anti-roll-bar-DROP-LINK-ROD-Part-34-16-060-0004-HD-/351190480626

other thing review is drop links, they make a lot of clunky noises on bumpy or wavy road surfaces when worn, Meyle HD do decent robust drop links at sensible price. Some squeaks could be struts such as front top mounts or coil spring base rubber pads corroded/fallen-out so worth a look while you in the area. front nuts & bolts tend be better than look & easily cleaned up, rear can be different story but most are reusable, an anti-seize paste makes future work hassle free ... Do follow strongflex/polybush guide on lubing bushes correctly as polybushes can squeak real bad ...

Assuming you just a non turbo 2.0x all you need is one of these kits> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Forester-2-0-SG-2002-2008-Silencer-Exhaust-System-858-/400637858938?fits=Model%3AForester|Cars+Year%3A2007&hash=item5d47e0947a:g:HxEAAOSwG-1WzAy1 Quality is pretty good too, steel is quite thick & resists corrosion quite well (better than what available at any of our factors & cheaper too), gaskets & bolts handy too, prefer original rubber hangers but these handy if you missing 1 or got broken 1 . Have a back box fitted almost 2yrs on a sf farm forester & it still perfect, they could do 5 to 8+yrs easily in most cases besides salt water boat towers etc. They'll probably take £50 or £54 if put in offer (had few systems SF SG Legacy and a Justy . Fitting can be done in a hour unless got other exhaust issues that need a fiddle to get everything perfect . Old thread on it here >

Spring platform is lower on SF than SG , they direct bolt on, SF can be bolted to SG & SG can be bolted to SF . Due to Spring platform difference you ideally need custom springs to set a desired ride height and as you want lower & increase spring rate mildly it no extra expense . Springs to be used with SF ultra sr would need be longer than specific SG excel-g's due to differing spring seat position on strut . Unfortunately easy options are limited on struts, you got sf ultra sr, sg excel-g, sachs (bit firmer than excel G) or pedders kits . You can custom fit Bilstein inserts but not cheap for decent effort. Excel G's are superb for the cost, no hassle fit & easiest to specify custom springs over phone. sti or wrx wagon struts can work out cheap upgrade if find decent used set but ideally want custom springs especially rear to get sit right . Most people really like the excel-g's, i've used them on XT with custom springs lowered 30mm & owner been very happy with setup, throw in group n rear mounts-pillow balls mod to front mounts, rear stabilizer mod, strut brace & lower brace & make sure bushings good or replaced, allignment setup & it should feel far more stable/precise at speed but remain compliant for devon road daily use so won't fatigue you from harshness . wrx or sti struts are worth considering especially if aiming lower 50mm+ . Done one with inverted struts modded with greasing nipples, standard wagon springs lowered 65-80mm & rear was too low to front so we got springs made up off of the wagon springs . Choices are up to you & your budget and your use, if carrying load or sometimes towing you need build this into your final package spec .

turret hole pattern is 100% same, what differs is spring end style from SF to SG .

KYB's tend be best price from motor factor dealers on ebay, sf fits sg using custom springs. ultra srs are damped more fore performance & work well with stiffer rate springs Is hard justify cost & hassle when sg specific excel-G can be had as cheap as £49 a strut, sr is better fast road damper though . alloy control arms sourced from foz or imp sti pillow balls are available from many suppliers, cusco do them & cheaper options can be found online . Polybushes, I like strongflex red (80shA), good value for money too, Nolathane also good . Other options can be inverted impreza struts with custom springs .All comes down to your final goal & how much you want spend on it & how easy you want it to be to achieve . If want lower over 30mm you best looking at impreza struts to achieve it .

KYB ultra sr are available for SG too . Mix them with good custom springs to suit your usage and you get good results for road use. Bilstein is good stuff, i would still be wary of coilovers if you tend use lot of bad B roads or similar . Rear arb not a bad mod for fast road use XT, standard mounts can be reinforced similar to purchased ones Front lower arm is good place start with bushes as keeping alignment on high loaded front suspension is critical, alloy control arms is good upgrade . Standard bushes in good order perform well, If going Poly don't go too hard for road use . I would be inclined go with pillow balls on front as gives good benefits (feedback & more camber adjustment & not too harsh on good dampers. Done a handful of XTs with Ultra sr & custom springcoil springs & result is pleasing, quite expensive as unfortunately sr struts never get discounted prices like the excel-g's . custom springs work out close to £65 each . Keeping realistic is important for road use as excessive rate springs & poor damping of low cost taiwan style coilovers don't make a vehicle easy live with on real roads & daily usage .

KYB ultra sr have ones suitable for foresters (324054 324055 rear , 324052 324053 front) . Main downside is price (£95 each roughly) . You will need change rear struts as lowering springs won't work with standard SLS struts . Standard struts are pretty good for road driving, drop it about 25mm on custom springs slightly higher rate & you get good balance between ride comfort & high speed stability.Go too stiff & on short stroke coilovers & you loose a lot of grip .

I would go with custom springs from springcoil.co.uk on standard shocks or kyb ultra sr shocks if budget allows . coilovers on uk roads are not great, I got involved in a test on standard style struts over likes of miester R & BC etc & stopping distances & grip on rougher surfaces like B roads is worse as stroke , coilovers & 18" rims on UK roads generally don't make for good handling . stroke on cheap coilovers is awful, Meister R & BC valving is quite awful when compare to better stuff from Bilstien & Ohlins, if go coilovers be sure have height adjustment separate to coil lower perch as if not it impossible set spring preload & corner weights.They can be ok for track use on budget but for mainly road use I recommend avoid .

either keypad then arm once outside the car or before removing key from ignition (must be on ACC or beyound), press fob once > remove key from ignition > arm alarm from outside vehicle either way just over-rides the ultrasonics just for the 1 arming cycle .

anticlockwise to undo. if reel tight be sure plug hole cleaned out so square socket fits deeply so less chance of turning itself out the plug hole . problem using 1/2 inch ratchet or extensions is tip is tapered & domed so don't get full depth grip plus it slightly too small, works ok until get tight ones, then it rounds the plugs out & I get the job of removing them by welding a bolt into the fooked plug hole . If don't budge try some gentle heat. I always refit these plugs with 3 turns of PTFE tape as doesn't weep, no need do murder tight plus it acts as barrier between the 2 differing metals stopping corrosive seizing issues ...

Will cross with impreza . If only issue is the rusted flange you can get away with a short length joiner to slide over pipe once rusted flanges cut off. Joiners are about £8 . shields need slight modding fit with joiner but cheap solution if rest of cat good /solid .

i would stick to manual, no point going auto unless desire it . have a look on eBay, search forester xt or xten > http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313.TR8.TRC1.A0.H0.Xforester+xt.TRS0&_nkw=forester+xt&_sacat=0 http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=forester+xt&rmvSB=true&afsrc=1&clk_rvr_id=1057738215121&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xforester+xten.TRS0&_nkw=forester+xten&_sacat=0

Dealer one is indeed over priced, front bumper gap spacing looks off too. if local worth a look just gain knowledge & potential condition/price of car. They probably drop £900 quite easily (my local Subaru dealer does, prices drop 1k to 1.5k once advertised for couple months & before if haggle hard & car not got much interest) 2004/2005 is good for cheaper tax and if not concern to you it might be one day when resell . plenty of good ones about & many under 80k. Nice 1 or 2 owner FSH 2005 can be had 4k or less pending on fine details & condition, always worth spending extra £500+ for best example as pays you back in reliability & no nasty garage bills plus a joy to own a super clean car .

Not exactly, it close . . . 26mm is not an inch . you will find quality 13mm drain wrench sockets a tighter fit & less likely twist out on tight plugs .

13mm square, if tight proper decent 13mm plug sockets work way better ...

measure the bar with a vernier calliper .