Did any models come with rear lsd? which ones, how can it be identified? Mainly interested in '02 plus. Were all the 2.5na motors prone to head gasket failure or was this problem remedied at some point? Tia
If the Forester has the winter package, it would have a lsd. If you've got heated seats and mirrors, you've got a rear lsd. Otherwise they wouldn't normally have a rear lsd and just be open diffs like most of the Imprezas. I do believe it was a factory option though, so it's possible a buyer could still have a lsd installed even without the winter package. I think 04 plus was when headgaskets were a non-issue. The main thing with the head gaskets is that the engines simply weren't machined well enough. It's pretty much chalked up to manufacturing variation. Subaru puts in stop leak, aka conditioner, as the fix for it, and it largely works. I assume you could have the block and heads resurfaced some point down the road to fix it too. Subaru will warranty the head leak issue to 100,000 miles as long as the car has had all the service bulletins done and that the conditioner used. I've had it done once at 55k miles on my car. I've got another leak starting on the other head recently at 97k miles. It has the conditioner, so I don't know what they'd do at this point and if it requires actual work this time. My car hasn't been stock for a long time, so I don't really know if they'd cover anything this time around.
No, every SOHC 2.5 Untill THIS YEAR (2010 model...They changed the gasket to a much better one)WILL leak externally. We've done them new as 06, even with the stop leak. The STI head gasket is the fix for it. Subaru will not admit it. As for the LSD, the only non turbo model to get it was the XS.
