Hi......am back in the forum after 5 years since i got rid of my Impreza STI, and now thinking of getting a Forester STI jdm import ......only to find this in the forester forum
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Circumference of all four tires must be about the same, or you risk damage to the AWD system. Subaru once specified a maximum difference in rolling circumference of 1/4" (which is pretty tiny when translated into difference in tread depth—divide by 2 Pi—and not that easy to measure with any degree of accuracy!), though they have since largely backed off from that specific figure. But, sad to say, if you blow out one tire after they have worn down a bit, you will need to buy four new ones. If there's still a reasonable amount of tread left on the three good ones, you might find a market for them here in the person of somebody else in the same situation, especially if you have the original stock tires. Alternatively, if you can find the right shop, you could consider shaving the new tire down to match the three remaining ones if you don't mind seeing all that good rubber falling on the floor. And even without regard to Subarus or All Wheel Drive, it's never wise to mix tire styles or brands due to differences in handling.


Foresters prior to 2003 ('SF' models) are unfortunately susceptible to head gasket failure, and this is not unknown in later models (or in cars of any variety). Symptoms may include overheating, froth in the oil, oil slick in the coolant, and visible leaks where the heads meet the block. Once repaired, they tend to be pretty stable. You can get a good sense of members' experiences by reading this thread and those it links to. The job tends to cost about $1000 but is suitable for very advanced DIY, with possible outside help if the heads need to be machined.
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i was a bit concern with the 2nd paragraph, after owning an impreza sit for 5 years and never heard of this problem in any forum i have ever been, what makes the forester sit engine any different to an impreza, or is this just related to the normal and common forester of that year ......

your thoughts plz

gibo

 

LOL it was the first forester forum i come across, need a europe one lol

 

Obviously a US forum as all their Foresters, N/A or turbo, are 2.5L and the early ones were prone to head gasket failure. Open deck blocks, lots of movement and one reason why Subaru introduced their cooling system conditioner.............



better known here as Holts Radweld

Subaruforesters.org has a good european forum section......

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f75/

or try

http://www.ukforester.com/

Most forester owners are on both.

The Forester STi, having an EJ255 (WRX based) engine is relatively safe.