For the record, I’m reporting that the Forester got a new dose of oil (Castrol Edge LL 5W30), plus the filters (air and oil); mileage: 332430 km.

And since I was already tinkering with it, I also fixed the wipers. The plastic bushings in the linkages were completely worn out, which resulted in the wipers mainly focusing on the A-pillar and the cowl panel. A simple fix, though a bit costly; I know that the plastic parts alone are available, but I didn’t manage to find them and with a holiday trip fast approaching I went for the whole set. You just need to unscrew the wiper arms and remove the cowl panel.

Next, disassemble the entire wiper mechanism and get access to replace the linkages. The photo clearly shows the level of wear - the plastic bushings were completely worn through and had broken into two parts.

It’s a good idea to apply a bit of grease inside, but not too much, as the ball stud won’t want to snap into place if there’s too much.

• Forester
• Sg
• Maintenance