Mr B

Have a look at this post & measure rear suspension accurately & on level ground, check front too & see if falls into serviceable height limits. http://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/7216-2005-forester-xt-rear-sls-unit-leaking/#entry42477 Issues with rear SLS tend to be internal in most cases so a perfectly healthy looking strut can be junk. If need new you are best going for non SLS from KYB as they at bargain price at moment & use non SLS springs with them or if tow a lot or carry heavy load get custom springs with say +20mm and/or higher spring rate/progressive from springcoil.co.uk . Prices for parts would not be more than £250 for both rear struts, boots/bumps & springs & KYB has 2 year warranty which a bonus over used SLS units.

geometry & wheel to arch centre alignment goes out at 2" & well out over 3" & up, other issue is drive shaft angles on very high lifts. You best making most of tyre size at that gives ground clearance gain on hub/links/wishbone & saves overdoing driveshaft angles. Is amazing where they will go, seen a few videos in US & Russia & it is totally surprising. looks clean from that 1 pic, AWP great comfort too, totally unlike a landy lol . How much lift you planning on doing ? Look forward to some pics :-)

Looks nice, do love the SF Foresters with passion . Done a few lifts on these, best way is combination of block & springs such as - 40mm block on strut hats & +30mm springs from springcoil.co.uk For more than 50mm lift you need make position spacers for the rear trailing links to centralise wheel in arch, also rear camber bolts to correct camber. You can gain a bit more with larger tyres but not much as fowl strut spring seat & arch easily, you can swap to SG struts which has little more clearance. alloy skid pan handy up front lipped up at front bumper, similar on back handy too & can save rear bumper. They are surprisingly good & don't get stuck easily, enjoy :-) . I would pick up a set of oem SF steel rims (can be found dirt cheap) for your offroad tyres & go full out on those to improve your landy embarrassing capability & keep current rims for road/all season tyres .

Turbo is more thirsty, more insurance & more stringent maintenance. Can be good buy though if come across a real mint one, tend find a few sport sf fozzies in super condition & sensible price ...

I prefer the SF 97-2002 Forester myself, they look better & are far more solid. thicker steel especially in rear inner arch panel. Interior is far more durable too . 120k is nothing, just give usual checks along with good inspection on rear inner arch/turrets & rear subframe as these can rot a bit especially if car been on a farm or similar . also check rear suspension for sagging & gearbox/transmission for noise/slack-clunking . SF's can be a bargain, I picked up a real clean 1999 green one with 134K & full dealer extras for under £800 2 months ago, similar spec & condition SG would be £2,000 so SF models are always worth a serious look, you also save £50 on road tax for pre 2001-1st March one which nice ...

^ optimal struts > http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-FORESTER-2-0-1997-2002-NEW-REAR-LEFT-RIGHT-SHOCK-ABSORBER-/301510004424?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&fits=Model%3AForester&hash=item4633658ec8&clk_rvr_id=958385094981&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true suplex springs > http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-OE-Quality-Replacement-Rear-Suspension-Coil-Spring-SUP032034-/141542632909?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&fits=Model%3AForester|Plat_Gen%3ASF&hash=item20f4992dcd&clk_rvr_id=958381095053&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true New strut boot & bump stops probably > http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rear-Protection-Kit-To-Fit-A-SUBARU-FORESTER-KYB-910072-/161277879413?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item258ce92475&clk_rvr_id=958412920878&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true Ride height with that will be close to normal turbo range to perhaps +10mm, will be firmer than old dead sls & 17yr old springs All those parts will cost about £190, if you need top hats for struts they about £45ish each ...

Make one, use dog guard as mounting/attachment point.

^ 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.