I have a 2000 forester with a 5MT. I am pretty sure the center diff is bad. It has the right symptoms, once it is warmed up it will clunk when I turn hard at slow speeds. I am wondering how much does a fried center diff effect the whole AWD system? As far as I can tell the AWD is working, but I don't know how much it is working.

 

thanks

-Lance

If it's clunking, that's the AWD system starting to turn into a 4wd system. When it gets worse it will bind like an old 4x4 truck when you try to turn hard.

 

If the viscous coupler that limits the slip of the center differential fails unlocked, you won't get any binding, but you will get stuck with just one wheel spinning, be it front or rear. Yours is failing to the locked direction, so you will get an even front/rear power split if you get stuck, but it will bind taking corners.