[Viscous Coupler failing?]

It's rare, and usually caused by an underinflated tire. Sadly it gives no hints that something bad is happening, unlike the auto which will give you one or two.

nipper

No hints is right. I still haven't been able to reproduce it. I've got to do some highway driving this afternoon so that might do it.

 

I suspect that the damage was done before we bought it because the tires are good, and I've kept them equally inflated. If that's the case, it means that the car has been driven thousands of miles without symptoms.

[Bellingham WA mechanic/shop for drivetrain work?]

Rods Japanese auto on the guide is were I go

Would you trust them to do fairly major work on a Subaru, or is there something you'd draw the line at?

[Bellingham WA mechanic/shop for drivetrain work?]

dont know of anything in B-ham but Smart Service is opening a store soon in Marysville and currently have a store in Shoreline...

That's the exact type of place I'm looking for! ...aside from how far away it is. I'm going to be working in Seattle on Monday, so I may stop by and check them out. Thanks.

[Bellingham WA mechanic/shop for drivetrain work?]

Anyone know of a good Subi mechanic/shop anywhere near Bellingham WA, specifically for drivetrain/AWD work? ... I mean, other than the dealership (which I have no problem with, it's just $$).

 

It seems you can't throw a rock in this town without hitting a Subaru, so there has got to be someone good and reasonably priced.

 

Specifically, it looks like I need a new viscous coupler, and I've read here that prices can vary dramatically.

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

As you probably know, the VC is a unit that contains a special fluid, usually silicone-based. Running the VC "backwards" sometimes will slightly redistribute the fluid, changing the characteristics of the bind. Some forum members have previously reported that doing a dozen or so of the figure-eights actually caused the bind to be significantly reduced for a while. It's not a cure, but may help in the diagnosis. Besides, if the VC is "toast", there likely isn't anything to loose in trying the maneuver; if you decide to go ahead, please let us know the result.

Ok, good to know that in a bind (pun intended) I could use this trick to get a few more miles.

 

As it stands, it's only happend once and I haven't been able to reproduce it, but I'll probably just go ahead and replace it when it acts up again.

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

...Dont wait it out, get it fixed.

nipper

OK, thanks for the help.

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

Same thing your feeling now. It doesnt really matter weather its forward or reverse, this isnt a Auto where sometimes it helps.

 

The Steering boot can be replaced.

 

nipper

 

Well, at least that's good to hear (the boot that is).

 

So my next question is how long can one go before total failure?

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

i'll be an echo of those guys...sounds like it, change the fluid anyway maybe?

was it ever driven with mismatched tires or towed (improperly)?

Not since I've owned it, but the first owner... who knows? They seemed to take good care of it though. It came with a full service record - all performed at the dealership they bought it from.

 

As for the fluid, isn't the VC a sealed unit?

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

Probably. Next time it happens, try doing some tight figure-eights while in reverse (in a safe place like a deserted parking lot, please); if there's a change in the symptom, it's likely the VC.

Intersesting. What change would I be looking for? Getting worse?

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

Yes...

Of course first make sure all the tires match and are properly inflated.

nipper

 

Done.

 

Yeah, I pretty much figured, but was hoping that maybe I overlooked something a little less expensive!

 

How about that torn boot on the steering rack? Think I can just replace it, or am I going to be looking at a new rack too? I've had mixed luck with that on other cars.

[Viscous Coupler failing?]

Hi all, first post, but I've been searching/reading for a while.

 

Does this sound like a failing VC? After about an hour of highway driving, I pulled into a parking lot where I had to make some sharp low speed turns, and there seemed to be some binding (similar to running a "part-time" 4x4 on dry pavement). There was a faint clunking sound (like a bad CV, but not as pronounced), and some side to side rocking. This only happened when making fairly tight turns. There was no drag/binding in a straight line or wide turns. Oh, and it didn't matter which direction - it happened at the same turn radius for both left and right.

 

That was last night and it was too late to have a good look at it, so today I checked the CV boots - all good - and tires/pressures - equal - and took the car for a drive but couldn't repoduce the problem. So I'm thinking the drivetrain needs to get hot, i.e. highway speed.

 

While having a look at it I noticed that one of the steering rack boots is torn, but the steering seems to work fine - no shuddering, pulling etc., and the fluid level is good. Otherwise, I can't see anything obviously wrong with the car (I'm a fairly good 'shady tree' mechanic, but not all that familiar with Subarus, and just too busy right now to start pulling the car apart).

 

The details on the car are 2002 Outback, 5 spd MT, 2.5 L, 145K miles.

 

So am I on the right track suspecting the VC?