Dino

No leaks, just very weak anti-freeze from years of none being added by the prior owner - I don't know how it survived two winters unless he parked it in the house LOL. So, its now got enough in and is winter ready. Thanks for all the advice and help here :)

Hi, both my front and back WRX 2007 fog lights work, but the switches in side the cab don't light up. I presume both should provide a small light in the switch head when pressed (engine running) because there's a small light slot in each. So, how do you get the light switch button off or out to replace the bulbs inside please?

Thanks Gambit. I'm gonna try one more thing on Sunday else I'll PM you. With Many Thanks for the info.

Stupid Brake. Front one jamming on again. I've tried everything... new calliper, bled brakes, cleaned and skimmed off only dirty bits on the pad edges and greased so they glide on the runners, cleaned the runners too, and the disc isn't warped. I fail to understand what I'm doing wrong! I give up, it needs to go to someone who can fix it.

After checking this out yesterday morning on the way to work with the heated rear on, it does look like I have a contact break in lowest electrical line no.5 of the heated rear window. So, if it uses this as an aerial, reception is likely poor because of this. I have this electrical connector conductivity fluid somewhere in the garage (now have to find it). Look to fixing when its cold enough to freeze the rear window and I can see where the break is. Then as least I've eliminated that as a potential cause of poor reception :) Else, its a crap radio and I'll need to seek another one.

Interesting. So, I need to get a cold day and see if there's any breaks in the rear window wiring because I reckon if this is the case then I can use that electro stuff to connect it up for a better radio reception. Otherwise, can may be the electrical connection to the rear window wiring which I'll check too later on today. :)

My WRX radio/cassette/CD has a standard Subaru fitted KENWOOD GX-401EF2 like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-II-CD-PLAYER-RADIO-CASSETTE-KENWOOD-GX-401EF2-/131347173945?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item1e94e6d239 It picks up major channels like Radio 1, 2, 3, 4 but it doesn't pick up any localised radio stations. This leaves me at a bit of a dis-advantage when it comes to getting local traffic TA reports. Do I have an aerial on my WRX? I can't see one on the body... Or is it using the rear window wiring, like the heated rear element perhaps? Or is there a setting on any Subaru radio or radio so it can search for local stations too? Thanks.

Went for a long run yesterday. Brakes were ok, even under lots of country road braking. I also checked them in a layby on the motorway just in case they were really hot, but again ok - just warm only. Now, the thing is I need to put some more brake fluid in. My WRX spec says use 4.1 but I hear 5.1 is better to use on these cars. How can I tell when it has in it? And, can 4.1 and 5.1 be mixed? Or do I have to completely drain the brake system?

ok having looked into this relentlessly, I see the Freessm software is best, however it's not been tested with Windows 8. So, this means it's not been given any future presently. It seems to work with Win 7 and XP but I've gone further. So, Freessm appears to work on Android. So I may have to look at a Bluetooth adaptor/connector to get Freessm working. If anyone has been down this Freessm route then I would appreciated any advice on what to get. With Thanks. :D

Well I looked and can't work it out at all! There's a slot underneath but can't see any screw unless I missed it. It's got like a 1/4 inch pad behind the mirror plate which seems to attach to the window. The windscreen actually flex's under moving it. Never seen anything like it cos it looks like its not meant to come off whatever you do to it. Must be a Jap invention ;) Clever people these Japanese :D

Thanks Gambit. I checked further and it looks like my Hawkeye has like a clip system on it with a plastic lug stuck to the window... requires more investigation to see how this works else I may end up breaking the lug or mangling the mirror attachment. Will be looking this morning.

I'm thinking of replacing my internal rear view mirror on my WRX 2007 because its old and seen better days - lots of crazing in the mirror etc. Are they easily removed? Is there a sticky pad or the clip? Can anyone tell me how to remove one please? With Thanks. :)

ok, I used silicon grease instead and that's worked ok. Now to hope the front pads don't stick again. Recon I'm going to have to drive it hard and see what happens under heavy break loading. Agree, I don't like copper grease cos it goes solid during winter and the grit and dirt that gets into it then makes it sticky like glue. It does seem to be a problem on these higher powered Impreza cars I was reading elsewhere. The WRX manual (not STI) recommends using DOT 4 too but a seized calliper boils DOT 4 easily.

Yes, piston stuck. Calliper replaced. Better braking now and no hot disc.... until I took it out on a long run and it looks like the pads had stuck on again. Dam.

ok Thanks. The brakes were bled and one on the front is squeeking now when coming to a stop. Dam. There's no judder or squirm on braking so think the discs are ok... but need to check further now. Cheers.

Here's something perhaps you guys can check and let me know... I've noticed on my WRX that the front discs are much larger with bigger callipers so presume they do MORE of the braking because the engine load is in the front. But I've checked and found very hot front discs after driving it for a while - not red hot or glowing, but just really hot - I mean that the discs are too hot to handle when touching them and can burn your fingers! :o The back wheel discs are not as hot but are smaller discs and pads anyway. So is this very hot heat on the front discs normal on a WRX? Thanks.

I wanted to check the engine codes on my MY 2007 Impreza WRX however my current ELM-327 USB code reader gives a message that it cannot find a port to connect to when connected - its incompatible. I checked the protocol for my WRX and it uses "KWP FAST" which I think is ISO 14230-4 KWP (fast init, 10.4 kbaud) Can anyone advise me on getting a decent code reader for a Subaru WRX? What does everyone else use? With Thanks. :)

30 miles petrol on reserve means about 5 litres or 1 gallon (4.54 litres) which is about 30 miles of fuel. But then it depends on how you drive it ;) I noticed though that sitting in traffic uses hardly any petrol at all, so that's a relief. I put some fuel injector cleaner in with a full tank of petrol to clean the system - what the hell, I want to get my engine feeling good because it has what I can only describe as a slight "burble" or miss when running idle <_<. Or, is this is a characteristic of the Subaru flat-four boxer engine? Anyone advise me here?

My No Plate has 555 in it. :D But the car is a WRX. B)

Hi stants, thanks for the feedback. I guessed it was the right one because the pipes linked up to the inter-cooler. And, yes I forgot to mention I believe I did expel some air from the system because the coolant in the reservoir (yellow arrow) dropped about 1 inch after squeezing a few hoses and then taking it for a hot run. I guess the radiator took some coolant from the clear plastic reservoir to replenish the system. If its a slow leak, I'll know when I get it home to my garage, but it looked ok last time it was in there two days back. I'm hoping adding more anti-freeze won't cause it to suddenly leak IF there's a hole anywhere.

Many Thanks Scooby Pete. I put some anti-freeze in the main radiator and the top black reservoir (orange rad cap) near the inter-cooler. Link - hope it works: http://s3.amazonaws.com/hires.aviary.com/k/qiijtm6t0kugjg2ubv8big/14103009/5b0ef9cf-5049-4e62-b360-334fcb52d5a2.jpg I can't upload any images in this forum... tried all sorts of ways. Maybe because I'm using latest Windows PC version??? The "Link" does not work nor "My Media"... Otherwise, how many litres of coolant does the Impreza WRX system hold? Just wanting to see if I can get near 50/50 anti-freeze for optimal protection. Hoping the more concentrated fluid won't expose any hole!!! Anyone give me some hints on how to display images / photos here I'd appreciate it. Thanks again.

Check under the boot mat near the rear lights and towards the back, also under the spare wheel. There are factory spray drain holes that are usually covered with plastic round tape tabs; sometime people put rubber caps in to seal. These tape ones can come unstuck and let water in under pressure from the road water spray.

Thanks I didn't put anti-freeze in the windscreen washer bottle I checked it first and that we blue, not green. LMAO - good job I'm not colour blind HA HA I reckon as stants says that the reservoir is not really taking it back into the main coolant system very quickly. So, I drained it from there along with a load of muck in the bottom and added this more concentrated anti-freeze liquid directly back into the radiator; green ethylene glycol, strengthened up to ensure there is more protection - it was really dilute there too, with only partial protection as it was. Now the top black reservoir is definitely linked up to the inter-cooler and I traced pipes back to the radiator today, and this had the same concentration of anti-freeze in it as in the radiator. So I put some in there too. I've just done a 100 mile trip with LOTS of queuing traffic so it should now be well circulated. I'm going to test it later in the week at the radiator and the inter-cooler reservoir to see if its any better. I'll get some pics of the engine when I'm back... the top of the engine has got this "greenish" thicker sludgy film over the top like its been covered in the past with Supa-guard, or perhaps anti-freeze???

I found my coolant needs some anti-freeze. So, I added anti-freeze to the lower clearer plastic over-flow reservoir right (from looking at front) with the high/low marks on it by the front radiator. However, even after running the car for many miles, the anti-freeze still remains concentrated in the reservoir where I added it as though its not moving through the system. When I checked the top black reservoir on the top of the engine with with inter-cooler, then its dilute. So, I checked the front radiator itself by removing that radiator cap and that's still dilute in there also. So, question is, what causes the coolant to move into the front radiator and rest of the system? Does the inter-cooler have a separate coolant system because of the black reservoir with it? Or is the coolant all one long system and there are 3 radiator caps (inter-coolant reservoir, radiator (cap) and coolant overflow) with reservoirs which take a long time for the coolant to move around? Cheers for any feedback.

ok so using a grade higher such as a 5W/xx should not be a problem, but using too thick an oil could cause a head gasket to blow if you push your engine too hard - worst case. The /30 and /40 are not a lot of difference, the /40 is usually used for higher temperatures such as the med countries. The mobil one will say /40 for this reason as it expects you to be in the USA near its Exxon plant probably where its much warmer lol. And if its showing Edge Oil for Castrol then that's cos their new oil tech means it can be thinner but cause less wear. I stick to 5W/30 though for UK spec due to the lower winter temperatures but also because of the diverse range of temperatures summer to winter. Using the right oil when you change it will make all the difference to how it runs, pulls and drives.