Yeah. To 2000mc, I didn't have much chance to underplay any role I had after she called me a little panicked about it. When I got rid of the warnings about 4 hours later, it was also hard to downplay her texted reaction on a subsequent errand: "You fixed my car!!"
She has so little faith. Now a little "humble brag" on this forum... just in fun and gratitude.
Part of the info I used, the best part, that helped separate "wheat from chaff" was this
P0026 Subaru Intake Valve Control Solenoid Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1 OBDII Engine Light Trouble Code | Engine-Codes.com ...given what it said and how young the car still is, I figured it was sensible to try the simplest things first, since the oil was on the low line and the air filter was awfully dirty. Horray for not throwing parts at problems!