Mr B

^ A good MOT man would fail that, you need the proper check sequence of light on then off . I would check & clean connectors under seats with elec contact spray as they prone to issues of being knocked or dirty. Ribbon spring in steering column is possible too but not so common. Being a safety feature which could also maim you severely when faulty & also invalidate insurance in some circumstances it best done right ...

Shock you linked to from eBay is NOT a forester shock (it not even a strut). SF KYB Excel G shocks are > Right Absorber KYB 334191 Left Absorber KYB 334192 You probably have SLS if it UK model, they done SLS shocks without remote canisters & only way now for sure is inspect shock/spring or check part number. You can fit any SF model shock from likes of Optimal & KYB just be sure fit with matching non SLS new springs. even the later SG rear shocks do fit if want to but I wouldn't go that route unless wanting clearance benefit of sg strut & over standard height gain . thread below with most info > http://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/13283-bargain-forester-sf-rear-strut-replacement-fix-saggy-butt/

In your budget & low mileage 'star performer sptv a/s' could be option if buy from giga tyres at points in week when euro dips they can be had under £46 each, local fitting would be around £12 a tyre although good ATS outlets sometimes will do 4 for £40 if you lucky. I got a set of 205/70/15 SPTV winter for old run-about fozzy at £36 a tyre from giga tyres, look super good for money & hoping try them out in snow soon. Have a couple customers using these & when questioned them they been more than happy, one user does twice your annual mileage & used them in ice, snow, muddy lanes, rain & motorways & been very pleased . Optimo 4s is good but high end of your budget & not sure do your factory size.

^ 3 idlers 1 hydraulic tensioner & the belt. £45 for parts would cover belt only on a good day from a main dealer I would of thought !

That dealer only changing belt, if change guide rollers & tensioner is way more than that. personally at 60K you can indeed only change belt if rest passes inspection then at next change do the lot. in US & OZ belt service is 105K (same belt/parts) as they couldn't pull the low service intervals as drivers do lot more mileage & use to domestic vehicle with 90K plus belt service points.

you got to love subaru in general come mot, quite rare have much wrong unless very poorly maintained at some point.

whole car looks proper silver in that shot. How durable are you finding the paint, had a few owners of newer cars complaining about easy chipping & scratching but that a big issue on a lot of newer vehicles with modern paints.

@dogconker thought you had a white one or is that someone else !

I would do 25mm lift blocks for top hat (quite easy get these made up) then add some custom 35mm lift srings (springcoil.co.uk) Splitting lift by using both blocks & springs is better than using springs alone as you loose too much strut travel with spring alone. cheapest way would be 50mm lift blocks but not the best way.

^ see works fine & is real simple solution for anyone . what I used was croc clips off some old scrap leads & a pp3 clip connector & soldered & sleeved them to cut lengths of wire, you can get quite nice pp3 plastic battery box with switch (99p on ebay) which would make a safe neat & tidy home user one. I use it with rechargeable pp3 as we have a recharge station in workshop for AA's mainly but it can do couple of pp3's as use them in our elec testers. beats paying 10-20 £ for for portable retail solution that no better .

The eBay services are quite good & price good http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Remote-Key-Fob-Repair-Service-Same-Day-Fast-Efficient-Repair-Service-/361505093448?hash=item542b61f748:g:Xg4AAOSwBLlVRh~l You can use the single button fob only remotes with your M30 alarm so if ever want 3rd remote or cheap solution pick up a secondhand single button for the sigma M30 & program it to your system. M30 manual link below. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ub2apq5-pfcjJhSm5XUHNyUzQ/view?usp=sharing

try closing the female spades down if can or bend pins slightly so drag in female side creating better contact. A squirt of electical contact cleaner would be good too .

Yes cowl panel at top of bulk head, at least you know where the main module is too ...

Yes it tucked away in engine bay in bulkhead slightly to n/s. I'm not sure if the main module of the m30 has a small piezo speaker too as the quieter chirp you get with low battery voltage does not sound like main siren but I believe it to be, either would sound dash area slightly to passenger side. I had a 2004 forester in few weeks ago during colder snap we had, owner told me they had air bag fault & airbag light staying on. & buzzer going. thought odd as no buzzer linked to airbag self diagnostic, turned out be m30 alarm chirping when turned key as main car battery had dying cell & voltage dropping low & chirp went off in time with airbag light startup check of couple seconds. Really can play up with iffy battery, mainly car battery but siren backup pp3 too sometimes ...

pp3 in siren are NiCD rechargeable but do degrade & also moisture can cause contact issues as well. Siren has 2 screws in it, seems you reported fact car battery bit suspect I would fit that first then evaluate alarm, your problems have been varied faults such as not unlocking which not pointing to door switches. pp3 is something to consider though & mentioned as easily over looked & does cause issues such as bleeping & indicators not flashing & others. I've seen M30 do quite odd things with car battery faults so if lucky that your issue. link to M30 manual below that has some test mode info https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ub2apq5-pfcjJhSm5XUHNyUzQ/view?usp=sharing

^ you have to remove siren then remove back of siren (2 screws in mounting slots) then remove the board inside with battery attached to it, test battery/replace. I've only done about five but always use new battery on refitting simply as so cheap .

This Sigma alarm ! they can be bit funny and do odd things when car battery voltage goes bit low. by default they should give a light burst of chirps when turn on ignition & battery voltage is a bit low as a warning feature but sometimes they just erratic in behaviour. common one for beeps on arming is doors, bonnet & boot being usual culprit . Also on the sigma when the inbuilt rechargeable pp3 in the siren goes bad it can cause constant beeps (can be replaced) First thing I would do is get your car battery done to rule that out as yours sounds a bit erratic & check all door bonnet boot switches/wiring for obvious issues.

jumping would work fine, don't have car running though. 9V battery works fine. 9V battery on cable with 2 decent crock clips is all I ever use when doing quick battery swap in yard etc. Decent pp3 battery holds memory for several hours & it less clumsy plus less likely create power spikes.

Yuasa & Banner are good & only 2 we really use due to good working life, warranty, fair price & minimal returns . For memory we have lighter socket/eobd/crock-clip power supply from mains but for battery swaps I mainly use a little cordless one that runs off a rechargeable pp3 battery (can be had cheap or home made-2 crock clips with short run of cable and a pp3 battery connector), super easy use & saves setting clocks and radio equipment .

worse case scenario is radio code pending on what radio you got. also don't leave keys in car with door shut, some alarms & some scenarios can lock doors when power reconnected, then you locked out & trying find your spare key .

Buy locally from motor factors, make sure buy one with 3 or 4yr warranty. keeping receipt & using local supplier means it easy make most of warranty . think your battery model is 005 but look on your battery & see if can see a code number. Banner or Yuasa brand is my favourite these days, we get very little issue on those & use them for most battery jobs we done over last 8yrs. Cost is indeed around £70 region I expect .

You can buy batteries for these for less than £2 for quality duracell long life (CR1620 I believe) Quite easy program other fobs yourself if need, no special equipment needed . You can also actually use subaru 2 button fob seperate from key & any decent auto locksmith can cut key & sort key transponder. ebay service on remote good if remote buttons or board bad & fair price. Key blade itself can be done too, locksmith can cut key & modify it to fit the fob part, not many will offer that service though. I done one for a customer, cut key blade was £14 & I charged 1 hrs labour for running about & customizing key into original key handle fob . £300 for new key is crazy money ...

actually another thing look for on SG is corrosion in rear inner wheel arch. Normally it near the lip seam to out arch & down side to sill edge tends be heavier rot & is mot failure. done odd one over years but done 2 for pre mot work and a failure in last 5 weeks so made me think about adding this as easy over looked, subframes & rear chassis rails always worth a good look too. Easy to inspect so do have a good nose/prod & take a decent torch when viewing (you can buy half decent 24LED inspection lamps on ebay for £4.50)

I would get a stainless backbox custom made either by longlife or powerflow, longlife do good work but powerflow has lot more outlets so most people got one close. Price probably about £145 ... The impreza exhausts fit badly in my opinion unless chop them about fair bit so follows standard exhaust line better, by time you buy materials/pay someone mod it the price is not so favourable. works out ok if get a decent impreza backbox free or real cheap & you handy with welder .

Meyle is good drop links. is dead easy fit. soaking nuts on old ones for few days before removing may make things simpler simple do on ramps, jacked up evenly on stands etc. Price you got quoted is ridiculous. new drop links are only 10-15 £ each & 30 minutes labour .