The more blocked the filter is, the better it filters.

BUT, if the gasket is shot, then it bypasses more when it gets blocked......

On mine the "Auto" function of the driver's window played up some years ago. A bit of superglue and patience.. solved that, and it's been fine since.
Last year, the geared motor output shaft stripped the splines inside the gearbox. Fixed that(see separate post), using a welder  , but it was not really worth it (fixing it.The <R2k welder... from Builder's was worth it).

Reason for "not worth it" is that this earlier this year I noticed the that the window was really struggling to close. Even opening was getting slow. (Auto or manual)

I swapped the geared motor with the one from the LH rear door, now the window work very lekker again.

See http://foresterforum.co.za/index.php/topic,3503.msg37198.html#msg37198

I have been running G015's for nearly 20 000. Good on gravel, sand and rocks. Did the Baviaans and Suurberg a week ago. Not that good on tar. But then it is an AT.

when you like doing gravel......., good tar tyres is not such a big issue.
I'm also running with G015's, and 140km/h on highway is not an issue. You prob can't go thru a mountainpass at 180km/h, but then, what's the point, you'll miss the nice view.
My previous G012's (gave) me 70k km I think, 75% tar.

My driver side window was getting slow. (That's the one I repaired before, where the splines of the driven shaft were stripped. A new welding machine took care of that.).

On the Cape Fozzies whatsapp group, someone advised that the opposite rear door motor is the same as the front motor.
So, i stripped it out. Yes, it is the same motor, except the little plastic breather thingy on the motor, near the cable connection, is different, as the motor sits at a different angle from vertical. This plastic breather must be transfered from one motor to the other, so that it remains in the same door.
The pic shows the plastic thingy, and they differ between the various motor locations.


The flyleads on the motors also seem to differ, but only in colour, so i left mine attached to the original motor.

My driver side window works fine again now.
The LH rear window is alomost never used (no more kids....)

During all this work, I tested the switching function. What I found: In Auto, the switch turns the motor off after the window reaches top/bottom. I assume this is due to excess current being drawn when the motor is forced to stop. All good.
However, if you keep the switch up/down, and the window reaches top/bottom, the motor remains powered. This will surely cause the motor to overheat if the switch is not released soon. This applies to all windows.

In hindsight (being the perfect science), if the motor fails (mechanically, as mine did), after +300k km, replace it, don't repair it, as the hassle of removing/re-installing the window+mechanism (and the paint damage you cause in the process) is just not worth it.

There would be a store. It's called Subaru.... 

Probably better to import from RockAuto (USA)

Hi Peeps,

Did any of you Forester XT owners experienced a chirp / squeaky noise when accelerating.
Noise seems to be only under low rpm and after 4000 rpm it seems to go away.
There is no lack of power and is not getting any louder.

thanks for the help

Increase your radio's volume.
The "chirp / squeaky noise" will fade.
 

There's a lot written on this forum regarding that, do a search.