I have a 98 Forester Automatic. The front end is making noise constantly now, 208K mi. Fluid is OK. Pretty noisy, good thing the radio is good.

So, here's the question, when do I go ahead and replace this? I want to ride it all the way out stopping just before it strands me. Anybody had one totally fail? How does that normally happen? Thanks....

Can you better describe "front end noise?" Is it suspension noise, steering noise, or engine noise?

Can you better describe "front end noise?" Is it suspension noise, steering noise, or engine noise?

Indeed, or differential noise, transmission noise, axle noise, "etc." noise?

 

Realistically, even with a good description, it would be difficult to tell you precisely how much longer it would be before a part failed and left you stranded (or worse).

Guessing on your ... short... description you mean the front differential.

 

Which fluid did you check?

Oh yeah, Im sure it is front diff noise. And that would be gear lube that was checked. I guess I am looking to find someone who has had diff failure. What happens when it goes? Does it just stop going or does it lock up? Maybe it just gets so loud you cant take it.

It'll probably lock up, and you'll be stuck wherever it happens. Whether its on your street or going down the interstate it'll stop dead in it's tracks and it just plain won't move no matter how hard you try to make it.

Either that or it will lock then explode and take out the rest of the transmission with the chunks that go flying.

 

You won't get much warning when it quits. If you're going 25 or something you might get a few seconds of a jerky feeling or thunking that might feel like a misfire, then it'll jam and that'll be all she wrote.

 

There used to be a video of a guy racing on Youtube and the diff locked up on him. I can't find it anymore, but it was pretty fun to watch.

Failures are not predictable and one failure doesn't mean the next will happen the same way. So there's no way to stop just before it fails except by luck. You should have been an engineer, going around thinking everything is predictable, repeatable, zeroes and ones, and black and white

 

Repair it. If you're going to repair it then it doesn't much matter if you get another 7,000 or 1,000 miles out of the bad one - the next transmission will likely outlast all sorts of other things on the car.

 

I've had and seen front diff failure. There are variations in the failure mode and what happens from there but in general stuck starts breaking, the noise will turn into incessantly loud grinding, and then it'll lock up. The TCU begins to try and compensate for the "lost traction" by varying the AWD output. Once it gets really bad the car will not go anywhere...then the rears wheels kick in, car lurches...then slows again until the rear wheels kick in again...etc. If it's not too bad and you sort of "baby" it up to speed and keep moving - sometimes. Once it's bad you're not really going anywhere. And they can completely lock up too.

 

If you're that set on maximizing your mileage on this transmission then your next option, which I would consider a fun exercise would be transforming it into a RWD vehicle. Remove the front axles (and the load from the front diff) and cut your Duty C Solenoid wire. That will "lock" the rear transfer clutches and you'll have RWD. I've done it, very simple and easy to go back to AWD - install axles and repair one wire.

 

Front axles are notorious for noises too - particularly if they've ever been replaced and are any aftermarket brand. Aftermarket axles are just about the poorest replacement part you can put on a Subaru in terms of reliability and quality.

 

Sounds like you're fairly confident it's the front diff. If you plan on repairing it, just get a used transmission since these transaxle units are a combined front diff/trans assembly. The transmissions don't fail that often and getting a used one is easy. Find one from a wreck and you're good to go. Since they dont' fail often that means demand is low and they're easy to find cheap, particularly in Subaru rich areas.

Edited March 10, 201016 yr by grossgary

It'll probably lock up, and you'll be stuck wherever it happens. Whether its on your street or going down the interstate it'll stop dead in it's tracks and it just plain won't move no matter how hard you try to make it.

Either that or it will lock then explode and take out the rest of the transmission with the chunks that go flying.

 

You won't get much warning when it quits. If you're going 25 or something you might get a few seconds of a jerky feeling or thunking that might feel like a misfire, then it'll jam and that'll be all she wrote.

 

There used to be a video of a guy racing on Youtube and the diff locked up on him. I can't find it anymore, but it was pretty fun to watch.

 

lol I just woke up but I think you speak of the Diff?

 

If so yeah you are right..

 

Long story short I had the oil seals for the front diff that leaked and forgot to check the oil level.. Got on the highway and the sound of the diff was unmistakeable.. the wurlling sound got louder and louder so I pulled off the next exit to make it to the Subaru dealership.

 

Anyways the funny thing about how it just fell apart was I was leaving from a stop light at like 5% throttle and it just went kaboom lol.. it was a chipped gear and once the rest exploded the car was unable to move but the speedo still worked.. 0-120 Mph in 2 seconds!

 

*edit

 

added pictures of my old 03 Forester XS I sure do miss that car

 

Edited March 12, 201016 yr by 1-3-2-4

You got rid of the car because you blew the diff? An 03 would have been worth it to fix.

 

I had a front diff let go on my Loyale wagon, it started whining on the way home from the woods one day, it would whine louder when coasting than under load. I figured it would make it to work and back the next day, but no.. It let go the next morning. Blew chunks out of the case. I was able to nurse it back home, but it was ugly.

You got rid of the car because you blew the diff? An 03 would have been worth it to fix.

 

It was over 3K to fix it and I was making payments on the car.

 

take me to the money tree...

By fixing it you mean having a Subie shop do the work? Why waste a good car ?

the car is gone so it does not matter now.

Hmmm... The car has been making this noise for 5000mi now. Sounds like it's the bearings. I guess Im just waiting to see how far I can go.

You can pop the bearings caps off and look to see how bad they are. Just mark them so you can put them back in the same spot.