Good points! I have another appointment with the dealer next week. Will be interesting to see their response particularly on the transfer clutch. I'll ask more questions next time. Tx for the advice!

 

 

If the service manager is not in work clothes, ask to talk to the technician who worked on the car. Not all service writers and managers are techs.

Another question or two if I may. Does my '03 GT, 5 spd manual have a transfer clutch? And if it does, what does it do, and is it possible that is the problem? Tx again all! D

The manual transmission does not have a transfer clutch.

 

I suspect that your SA was just confusing terms, or they are throwing around "transfer clutch" as a general term. I wouldn't worry about the terminology too much, but the tech recommending a fluid change as a fix for this scares me a bit. They should know that the viscous coupler is a sealed unit.

Hi grossgary: I asked about the transfer clutch because the dealer said my transfer clutch was going bad. I looked it up and just like you said, that's only on A/T, hence my question and confusion.

 

Tx! D

I believe I suggested in an earlier post you try a different dealer when he suggested an additive for the problem. His statement of the transfer clutch just confirms my original suggestion.

 

Having gone through the same thing with our Forester, I wish you the best of luck in getting it fixed. Just be careful, it should not cost more than $1000; that original estimate for $1800 is totally out of line.

I know that a great many people understand the automatic 4 wheel system.

Traditional 4 or 5 speed automatic transmission which is connected to the front wheels. The rear wheels get all this by way of a 5-7 disk viscous variable friction device. Analogue to the front wheel output are the rear wheels but with a variable friction coefficient .

 

But how does the viscous system work in the standard? Is this reverse viscosity like in the audi? But then again How does it work?

But how does the viscous system work in the standard? Is this reverse viscosity like in the audi? But then again How does it work?

 

 

http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/traction/tech_traction_4wd_2.htm

I want to thank all for their responses. Been very helpful!!

 

I'll post the final outcome here after I see the dealer next week. Cheers!

The final word - first my sincere thanks to those who responded. You saved me $700.

 

The dealer that could not diagnose the problem had in fact diagnosed the problem correctly. There had been a small communication problem between the mechanic and the guy in front.

 

I took the car to an independent mechanic who correctly diagnosed the viscous coupler as the problem. However he incorrectly told me it was in the tranny, that the tranny had to be taken apart, and it would cost $1800. Knowing what I knew from this blog, I knew he was wrong.

 

In the meantime, the Subaru dealer had called me back to apology for the miscommunciation, that the problem was the viscous coupler, that cost would be $1000 plus tax. Very reasonable for this part of the world. I took it to Subaru to fix.

 

Car is now fixed!! And running beautifully!

 

Tx all!

Very good dmorrow, that's great news. And thanks for letting us know how it turned out.