CNY_Dave

Typically the bad bearing gets noisier when on the outside of the turn. Mine was the opposite, so they can fool you.

If it occurs only when moving and you are pressing on the brake pedal, it could be the ABS activating when it does not need to, caused most often by a bad sensor or (more often) a cracked tone-ring. When it seems to be prone to it happening, try removing the ABS fuse and see if it stops.

Yeah, if that big flat o-ring is leaking, that could delay the AWD kicking in. The screen filter I was talking about is shoved into a passage behind the AWD valve.

Heck of a lot easier to pop the tapered ball-joint stud from the lower control arm, in my opinion, unless you also have to change the ball joint.

Sounds more like a front axle has let go.

Codes: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/113278-how-to-read-transmission-codes/ The flashing light indicates it is most likely a bad solenoid, a broken/intermittent wire, or a bad TCU (burned out solenoid driver chip).

For the ball joint I strongly recommend- 1) Make or borrow the ball-joint removal tool 2) Get the horrid-freight ball-joint tool that presses out tie-rod-ends and ball-joints (pushes on the stud) 3) Heat where the pinch-bolt threads in with an acetylene torch I did my ball-joint a couple weeks ago- without 1 & 3 I'd still be screwing with it... 2 isn't necessary if you have a pickle-fork (since in this case you don't care if you wreck the boot), there is a wedging alternative to (2) as well. I scraped out the groove to expose the bolt and the top of the ball joint, the better for freeing oil to penetrate. My pinch bolt was trashed from corrosion, it's 10x1.25 I believe. I used an 8.8 'grade' from lowes.

The TCU is the Transmission Control Unit. The solenoid and the valve are inside the tailshaft housing which is typically removed with the trans in the car.

I can say with all assurance the FWD light will tell you if the TCU thinks it is operating the duty-c, but it only says the TCU is receiving the signal to operate it. If the duty-C is open or shorted the ATF temp light will flash and no FWD light, but the duty-c could be shot with the resistance not at either extreme end and the FWD light will illuminate. So if the trans light is not coming on and the FWD light is intermittent, the one thing that's not causing the FWD light to be intermittent is the solenoid. Doesn't mean the solenoid is good, though.

Oh, you can get a filter that comes with a cap that will work (on the H6 anyway), the '04 filter and cap is about $35. No o-ring though. You use the cap and leave out the filter.

Hmmm, that problem is usually seen on the H6 cars, had you a 6 cyl we all would have been going 'It's that ^%$^ cap again!'

Sounds like the fuel pump isn't generating any pressure.

The clutchpack you see is indeed the transfer clutch. Delayed engagement could be the solenoid, a sticky transfer valve, or a grooved clutch basket. Less likely to be the solenoid. Does the ATF temp light flash when you turn the key on? If the valve is sticky or crapped up, running the engine and putting in/removing the FWD fuse a bunch of times might free it up. Not sure anyone has ever seen that valve stick, but who knows. It's finicky enough it even has it's own little screen filter.

The light should come on even if the connections to the trans are severed, it sounds as though something more electrical and more general is amiss. The fuse grounds a pin on the TCU, and carries almost no current whatsoever, the TCU senses the grounded pin and turns on the light and feeds +12V to the solenoid. Could the TCU have a loose plug, or a wire loose in one of the plugs?

Lurch after turning the key off could be caused by the solenoid being bad or plugged or stuck (or same for the transfer valve itself) - that year, +12V fed to the solenoid releases the pressure, so if the solenoid does not work it locks the AWD. That is less likely if the FWD fuse cures the problem- did the fuse have any effect?

The manual trans cars have the sealed center diff, the H6s are all autos from the factory, with either the multiplate clutch or a center duiff with clutch on the VDC cars. Try putting in the FWD fuse and see what happens, but this type of jerk is usually the torque converter lockup clutch disengaging late, I think. Any service done recently? new trans filter etc?

Have you recently put in a trans or had some trans work done? Did this problem start suddenly? FWD fuse test is 1st thing to try, as said.

Each manufacturer has its equivalent. I hear on chevy blazers if you raise the front end and run the steering wheel end-end quickly with the engine off you can damage a valve in the rack!

I would say H6s need a head gasket about as often as you'd see from any other engine type. I haven't checked my 'blue crust' recently...

2 votes for the horrid-freight ball-joint and tie-rod tool. It can apply an impressive amount of force!

Wow, my parts were not nearly that much from the dealer. I wouldn't pay that much either!

Sounds like a broken oil pump.

The last sensor on the drivers side is the rear vehicle speed sensor.

Maybe the PO put in a '4wd' switch?

O-ring does al the sealing, just need to keep it from falling out.