Tools and Supplies
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Replacement idler pulley | ~$37 |
| Replacement bolt and plate | You can re-use your old bolt and plate but it was cheap to get new |
| 15mm wrench / socket | For releasing the tensioner |
| 14mm wrench / socket | For idler pulley bolt |
| Torque wrench | |
| 2013–2019 Subaru Idler Pulley | 23770AA07A |
| 2013–2019 Subaru Idler Pulley Bolt | 23771AA04A |
| 2011–2024 Subaru Idler Pulley Cover | 23772AA050 |
Specs
The belt was squealing on cold/damp mornings. Since I had never replaced it and I am almost at 90k it seemed like a simple thing to tackle. It wasn’t on the dealer’s list. I vaguely remember them mentioning it a while back during an oil change service but I blew it off (because it hadn’t started squealing and I’m sure they quoted me $350).
This is one of the easiest things you can replace. It’s a $30 belt, and to get it off, you just need a 15mm wrench/socket to move the tensioner to put slack on the belt. Then it’s just a matter of routing the belt properly.
The PCV valve wasn’t on the dealership’s list but one of the youtuber’s that I stumbled on while learning how to do all of the maintenance, MrSubaru1387 (https://www.youtube.com/@MrSubaru1387), flagged it as an easy and important item to swap at this mileage. It’s a $15 part and a few minutes of work.
I remember replacing this on my Prelude back in the day.
Here is the pdf guide I made.
This is one of the easiest DIY maintenance things you can do your Subaru. I believe the dealership wanted to charge me $495 to do it. To DIY its about ~$40 in OEM coolant (from the dealership) and $30 in parts/tools. You could probably get by without the special funnel but it makes ‘bleeding’ the system more straightforward.
Like the CVT Fluid change, I did a lot of research and consolidated it into a list of steps then had ChatGPT organize it into a printable procedure PDF.
One of the first ‘big’ maintenance items I decided to tackle as part of my 88k maintenance adventure was the CVT transmission fluid flush. I did tons of research and watched a handful of youtube videos. Its a pretty straightforward process. I wrote up the procedure, as I understood it from all of my research, then had ChatGPT verify it and format it for me and put it into a guide I could follow.
