Kevinch

Thanks Chad - if I can ask - how expensive?

Thanks for the tip, PAezb. The tires are pretty new & the alignment was done at that time. I did feel this shudder before the new rubber was mounted, but you never know - so I'll have it checked out.

Well, I dunno. I know of 2 other high mileage Subarus that have never had the transmission fluid changed & they are fine. I bought the 100k warranty for mine & at least up until that time it was fine - but I can't argue that something seems wrong now. Commuter: would you pull the pan & replace the filter, or pump it out from the top? I'm wondering if it would be wise to go down thru the dip stick tube with a vacuum pump & suck out maybe 2 quarts & then refill with fresh, drive 500 miles & do it again, etc. or if I should just drop the pan & go that route. Any ideas?

No, I haven't changed the automatic transmission fluid. I know that might sound like poor maintenance, but the owner's manual doesn't recommend it under normal driving conditions - only that fluid be inspected. Mine never looked burnt or dirty, & the transmission has always worked perfectly, so I left it alone.

Hi folks. I have a problem with my Subaru, & any opinions on what it might be are very much appreciated! Model:Impreza (AWD) MY: 1996 Engine: 2.2 Trans: Automatic 4 Speed Mileage: 150,000 Within the last 25k miles or so, I’ve begun to experience a shudder somewhere in the drivetrain. It only occurs when starting from a stop when the front wheels are cranked over hard to the left or right. Although it seems to be worse when moving forward, it will happen in reverse too. The only way I can think to describe what it feels like is it is similar to the shudder that occurs when turning in a 4WD vehicle on hard pavement with the hubs locked. Other than that, the car drives & runs fine. There is no issue with the front end at any speed – it feels rock solid. The transmission shifts fine. I had my local shop look at it – not a dealer, but where all my maintenance work is done - & they could not find anything wrong as far as they looked. They did tell me that the transmission was a little low on fluid. (I’m the original owner, & the fluid & filter have never been changed since the car was new.) I’ve been told some of the hardware that drives the front wheels is really a part of the transmission on my car, & they advised that their shop is really not well equipped to tear into all of that. Has anyone else experienced something similar? I asked about draining the tranny & changing the filter but was advised against it due to the fact that it has never been changed in just over 150k miles. This car is in really great shape; the body looks good & the engine runs great – it doesn’t use or loose any oil between changes which I have done at every 5k miles. Thanks for reading and any advice you can offer!

Hello Folks! I think this is my first post - although I do cruise the board often. Lot of good info here! We own 3 Surarus. Two of them are 1996 LX Imprezas, each of which was bought new. My wife's is a 4 door dark green, which my step daughter drives everyday. We'll sign the title over to here when she graduates from college this coming December. The other is my 2 door, which is a sort of red metallic. Both run great, mine has about 147k miles & my wife's has over 150k. The 3rd Subaru is a 1999 Black/Gray Outback SUS Limited, 30th Anniversary Edition, 51k miles. We just bought this one used in a private sale; I've known the car since it rolled off the showroom floor. My wife will drive this most of the time - the 2000 Nissan Sentra she has been driving will be up for sale soon! We are a Subaru family! Anyway, I'm thinking about upgrading the stereo in my '96 coupe. These are one of those projects that can really run away from me - I started out just looking for a new head unit. Now I'm looking at component speakers, amps, a subwoofer...... To my question - is the stock radio hard to remove? It looks like it would be simple enough, but I've never been back there & I don't have a clue if it's harder than what it seems. Also - has anyone installed a subwoofer under one of the front seats? I'm not after ground shaking volume or bass, but would like to install a small sub (maybe 8") without affecting my luggage or people capacity. Thanks in advance - glad to be a member!