1 Lucky Texan

ask Kevin or Carl Abrams over at http://www.subaruoutback.org they are Subaru salesmen

hate to see folks jump to dumping good rotors if not needed. Of course, the brake system is fiddly enough that it's always good to inspect it. Things must be able to move evenly and center themselves under hydraulic force, but also release and float when not used. I have cured brake pulsing in 3 cars by left-foot dragging. Daughter's car took a second, more aggressive attempt. I did the wife's 03 once. Worked fine. If I'm not hard-driving on my WRX often enough, it will get a little uneven feeling and the technique brings it back to smooth for me. Could be the StopTech pads are different enough that they need aggressive use more regularly. That seems to be everyone's theory about them and my limited experience confirms it. (man, after I do the technique on my WRX, it really bites and modulates smoothly!) It's easy to try and safe - IF you select your road carefully, and make sure to do the cool-down run with no stops. You don't want to clamp hot pads onto a hot rotor. That's how 90% of the uneven pad material transfer issues start. An emergency-type stop followed by sitting at a light or RR crossing w'ever with hot pads in one spot on the rotor. If you MUST stop of course, do w'ever you need to to be safe. If possible, use the hand brake to hold the car at a light. (works on Subarus with the little drum/hat parking brake shoes - won't work if the p-brake use the regular pads) On my daughter's Impala, I could SEE the outline of a pad on the rotor through the wheels! I have a low-use highway service road near where I live that I can easily cruise down on a weekend morning to check for activity/cops. Then come back through and do any brake bedding-in or other runs I might need to do. Again, doesn't really take long and, if there's no sign of improvement or the problem gets worse, you probably need new rotors. I have read that under extreme condistions of overheating, the rotor alloy under the pad can alter to 'cementite' and the change goes far enough under the surface that even a lathe may not remove all of it. Modern brake rotors may only have a millimeter you can take off each side. I'd replace it instead of cutting it deeper than the minimum thickness - or maybe even getting 'close'.

If there's more than about 3mm left on the front pads and there's no sticking parts - I'd try left foot dragging the brakes for a coupla blocks while maintaining 30-40 mph. Then, drive 1/2 mile or more WITHOUT STOPPING to cool-down the brakes. If it helps, try it again or maybe investigate a more aggressive bedding-in procedure. If it gets worse, you may need a new rotor. 'warped' rotors are almost never 'potato-chipped' or non-parallel. They can develop uneven pad deposits which create a pulsing feeling. But, if the rotor's metal has been severely overheated in one spot, the alloy may not be cut-down enough to prevent the problem from coming back quickly. good info about it here; http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/bed-in-theory-definitions-and-procedures/brake-pad-bed-in

no question manuals are going extinct. And it even affects resale/residual value. I like driving my WRX, but it's probably the last stick I'll own.

dealers are often afraid to proceed on something odd so, contacting SOA is the best approach.

Forester /thread

it won't get better. General Disorder is a professional mechanic. Rebuilding the solenoid as he suggested is your best next move..

is there an opportunity to get better tires on the car? anyway, try 1st or second gear next time.

in slipping situations, have you tried manually selecting 1st gear? The TCUs programming seems to have varying amounts of torque transfer as a 'base' depending on gear selection.

9 year old car. Has the system ever been serviced? you could easily have lost refrigerant in 9 years.

broken springs are uncommon. Worn struts ,though ,can stress springs so, I guess age and poor roads could take one out. sounds like it's driving OK for you now.

FWIW, the aftermarket pump I got at the parts store has been working great in our 03 for years.

weak TB tensioner can somewhat mimic rod knock.

have you checked front diff oil level? the stick on the other side of the engine from the ATF dipstick. low and further back.

sometimes they'll run but might still have low compression - maybe a comp test would still be a good idea?

be very careful the torque converter doesn't slip forward - even 1/4" - very tricky to re-seat and, if you force it - the hydraulic pump cracks. many people find Fact. Serv. Man. (FSM) scans on-line, might have to add ' .pdf ' to the end of a google search string. Be careful about clicking anything else on an Asian or Russian page. maybe someone else will chime in with better info. I read a lot on the forums, but several folks here are pros or have many years of experience with deep wrenching on Subarus. I just maintain and do light/medium repairs on my 2 cars.

after the axle broke, that stub was probably spinning fast enough to be sensed as slipping tire by the trans so, the clutch pack was desperately trying to shift torqu to the rear. mayeb the appearance of the fluid was from the clutch packs wearing? could be front DIFFERENTIAL oil has leaked out if the axle pulled the stub out while driving or somehow destroyed the output seal. or, unlucky failure of the air-oil separator plate or rear main seal?

weak struts as said, worn suspension link bushings.

tough spot - try priceline.com for cheap car rentals in Phoenix. (brief search seems like rent-a-wreck is closed) and get acquainted with valley metro and the bus services? Subarus definitely have their quirky problems and even bum years for major issues, but, ANY 20 year old car could break. maybe post in a new thread here asking for some guidance. An experienced member near you might take a look at the car for pizza and beers.

on an older car I wouldn't hesitate to use a name-brand aftermarket bearing. The Timken I put in my daughter's Impala seemed very nice and lasted for the next several years until she replaced the car. Subaru wheel bearings fail frequently enough that I'm not convinced they are all that special. Still, yours seems to have lasted 25 years so - there's that.

I dunno that folks reading the story on the internet are well-suited to recreating how the failure occurred. I think dealing with the issue now present will be the best use of your attention. get the engine running, shop for a trans.

If you shift into N before stopping, would the car die? maybe the TC is not releasing. have there been any other codes retrieved? were OEM/NGK parts used when plugs and wires were installed? when idling poorly, you could try squirting some starter fluid in the intake. If it smooths-out, that could indicate a fuel problem. Live data may be required to pinpoint the problem. is the car new to you? did the car get it's timing belt system service 30K miles ago?

my first concern would e that fluid drain/fill was confused. You need to triple check trans a dn engine oil levels and 'quality' of fluid. The trans is checked while idling.

if your car has an open diff in the rear (pretty sure it does) you could get 2 matching tires and run them on opposite corners with 2 of your present matching tires. some folks have found worn tires on ebay to match their set of 3. not sure I understand your 'skid' complaint - if front tires are wearing the inner edges, maybe you need a toe adjustment or you have worn tie rods or ???

'hub tamer' or similar kits - I think Harbor Freight has one, I'd also call around larger parts stores to see if they loan/rent some kinda kit.