Mr B

job jobbed, well done ...

That will be the sigma alarm, you should have a 4 digit code to go with that & drop down keypad in coin tray near driver right knee. If you don't have a 4 digit code you can reprogram one while have working remote & best done as when remote lost/busted you stuck. Your problem sounds like door, boot or bonnet switch, boots can be a pain so check shut proper, check bonnet switch which should be on metal bracket behind the 2 bolts that hold washer bottle on, what can happens with those is careless mechanic puts them back in wrong hole on the bracket so switch not contacting on bonnet, also check wiring for it & check all door switches seem be working via interior light or better via multimeter. doc on the sigma alarm is linked below that maybe useful. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ub2apq5-pfcjJhSm5XUHNyUzQ/view?usp=sharing

Any SG 2003-2005 will fit but not easily found used in great order & sensible price.

for the SG XT fozzys I would recommend getting likes of a powerflow centre to do you a custom copy based off original, prices are quite good & you will get required spec & perfect fit.

only other issue here in uk with 2.5 is potential for road tax costs, they going up all the time & cut off age for price brackets could alter so sticking to 2.0 can be safer bet. as said head gasket more prone to issues on 2.5, main thing is finding good cared for car, sounds sweet, gearbox & transmission still smooth/tight & body straight/original paint. few tweaks on 2.0 xt will net you more power should you want/need it ...

I would avoid transmech clutches ... I really like the LUK clutch. remove box, is quite easy & in many ways far better than a small fwd car, just knock out drive shaft pins, remove prop & rest is the usual, very good access & most stuff well thought out so quite pleasant job but on old fozzy a few corroded bits may hamper the job.

Clicking you here is probably the elec-clutch on the compressor. if whole functions are dead it likely power supply/relay or the the console controls as being electronic they can play up as you describe & I have replaced a couple before due to full failure.

www.jandrcvjoints.co.uk

Best DPF cleaner I found was my steam cleaner. DPF's are awful bits of engineering, Subarus control setup on the diesels is also not the best but hopefully improving for sake of Subarus reliability image :-S . for most peoples annual mileage a diesel is not very advantageous as fuel savings are equally spent on expensive servicing & problems.

never heard of that before. Way I raise foresters is combination of steel spacer block on top hats & new specific springs. 1" to 1.5" on top hat spacer & 1" to 1.5" on springs to suit what customer wants, can also gain 0.5" to 075" on bigger diameter tyres. Raising suspension mechanically over 2" needs rear trailing arms repositioned on custom bracket so wheel swings to arch centre correctly. adding much more than 1.5" via spring is pointless as loose to much strut stroke travel. King spring & british company springcoil can do decent spec raising springs .

Ramair filter is very good. Don't get too tied down into expensive filters as none that beneficial & after few years they perform no better than a qaulity new oem one & the original gain of new performance to a new oem is very small numbers.. Multilayer dry foam types perform well in balance of airflow & filtering, everything else tends be airflow at expense of filtering ability.

HG would be my suspicion, best keeping eye on it & going through basics of minor leaks, rad cap or thermostat issue but normally you back to HG ...

Only time I would worry about possible bottom end is if had water in oil & been run like it for some time. When minor leak I tend make an evaluation on engine condition & if passes muster go for just gaskets. I have never had one have big end/main failure after heads done in over 20 years of working on Subarus so the 9 out of 10 statistics is blatant bull.

I've done quite a few heads on turbos & 2.5 na lumps & never had 1 bottom end issue & some by now done 30K+ after headgasket job. If engine health an issue, oil pressure low etc then it a different scenario.

Try link below for main index & search for rear suspension & you should find it. pics are not the best in detail but it a small bracket on the lateral link ... http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Forester/2008/Forester%202008/index.html

bracket on the lateral link for the sensor arm to connect to. no great pic though .... http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Forester/2008/Forester%202008/index.html EDIT: here's an image to help you get idea of what should be what .

either pop in a local clifford installers & get them plug in laptop & tweak sensor settings or pick up required cable & learn do it yourself, software can be found online easily so only magic bit is the cable to connect to a notebook. I have clifford on 2 of my cars with same sensor as you talking about & they are very good but bad setting is what causes the issues.

^ about £1500 for decent job on heads based on engine decent in general & that includes quality gaskets/parts and basic machine work such as skimming & valve work, absolute no to touching bottom end unless you got some hint of other problems & then it a full engine out & rebuild.

what AP Racing clutch !? organic or ceramic paddle ? Have you let it bed in before hammering it ? What is power output of your car ?

Check them first, you have 2 , one on front suspension & one on rear. it could be linked to your saggy rear end causing the level warning light, try disconnecting the rear sensor arm & positioning it so it thinks rear is sitting higher & see if warning light goes out ! Normally issue with these is dead sensor or corrosion on plugs/contacts, they live in a vulnerable place so do get issues. Check connectors on sensors & feed voltage/earth then find the signal wire & check the voltage reading varies as arm of sensor moved. very rare have issues else where unless accident repaired car or you very unlucky.

summer 10w40 fine, winter 5w40 good option, high hp & track use then 10w60 good. for your mileage & if mainly being used as road car then 5w40 all year round would be fine. Millers cfs is a good oil, I use it a lot in subarus & nissans.

^ yeh it not a big issue if not towing or carrying weight, rear should be little higher than front when in good order. Can go for years in light use & the fix with kyb shocks & springcoil springs is easy on wallet & fitting & good end result too . Enjoy the Fozzy & do main important stuff like brakes & take rest as & when needed.

^looking at rear wheel to arch & rear sill to floor either it got something heavy in boot or SLS sagging. Could be photo angle, car angle but I'm thinking not.

I think Bitmans keen eye might be right on rear ride height. you won't see leaks because issue is the self levelling valve system fails within the struts. they drop between 25 & 55mm with this problem but appear fine besides ride height. Normally towing or heavy loads & poor roads wear them out quicker but in general they can go for 100K or more before start sagging. SLS struts are made by Tokiko & only available from Subaru at not a nice price. You can fit non SLS KYB excel G struts from the SG forester & get matching non SLS springs from springcoil.co.uk for a little under £200 the lot. Have a thread on it with links to parts if needed.

Good luck with Subaru dealers :-S some will be more flexible in offering support and as a major safety item they should be dealing with it no quibble as parts are cheap to them & it easy fit too. You should be able source some used alloy ones though so won't be too bad :-/