Lars

I hope to find the transmission oil Saturday morning. I'll see if I can get a picture of the axle as well. Any directions for how to shoot it? I'm afraid I don't know what the axle cup or the boot bands are, but I'm guessing that you want to see where the axle gets close to the wheel(s)?

Grossgary, thanks for your responses. Vibration is not quite the right description of this sound. It's sharp, distinct, rhythmic, and steady--not loose, like I think of a vibration. And no, hard acceleration does not produce more of the sound than mild acceleration. No, not me, but I bought the car a few months ago (@ 125,000 miles), so I don't know prior to that. Same answer. Lars

No.

That is a good question. At the risk of revealing my ignorance, I'm not sure where or how to check that? I know where the motor oil is, but I haven't yet located the transmission oil. I hadn't really thought about this, so after seeing your question, I tried it out on the way home from work. If I coast with the clutch in, no noise. If I rev the engine with the clutch in, a little bit of that same noise. Yes. What I was able to determine on the way home is this: the noise is at its worst when A) RPMs are increasing while the car is in motion and in gear.

I hear a rapid, steady tick or knock that I can also feel in the stick shift of my 5-speed '98 Outback--in all gears and at all speeds--audible probably 80% of the time. Seems to be some slight slipping in the clutch as well. Is this a recognizable problem? Any ideas as to what it might be? Thanks much. ML