Hey, I've taken my 98 Outback Legacy 8 thousand miles around the US, and in just the past 600 miles a plume of white smoke came out from the hood need the windshield on the drivers side. Not just a puff, but 30-90 seconds of "holy s#!+" It happened once I was driving, the 2nd time my partner was driving.

 

In both cases, we noticed strange behavior when starting from a complete stop. It felt like the parking break was engaged, and that sensation quickly got worse until the engine was smoking. In both cases we were alone, freaked out, shut the car down, then were able to restart without incident.

 

I had the clutch replaced about 6 thousand miles ago.

 

The owners manual does mention the Hill Holder, and that would explain the annoying lurching and "sticky brake" feeling i get when starting from a complete stop. Looking under the brake fluid reservoir, where the manual suggested I found nothing that resembles the diagram (no spring) but maybe it was deeper inside and looked more like what this guy has:

 

http://www.lackhead.org/2008/09/disabling-my-subarus-hill-holder-clutch/

 

Still, would that explain the smoke? The Hill Holder is always a little annoying, but why would it occasionally get worse, then magically get better by shutting down and restarting the engine?

 

It might never happen again, or in another 400 miles i might get my third scare.

 

Thoughts?

Edited March 12, 201214 yr by bikesmut
typo

any wrecks or work done the vehicle before this happened?

 

has anyone examined the vehicle or at least checked fluids?

 

was there a smell associated with the smoke?

 

any CEL lit?

the title is clean, no wrecks im aware of.

i had my friend, an experienced amateur mechanic, take a look at it days after the 1st smoke out. we changed the oxygen sensors, master/slave cylinder and adjusted the fluids . He is the person who originally told me about the Hill Holder feature.

 

I was not able to smell the fumes when I was driving, but my partner described it as a "clutchy, gas-y, plastic-y"

 

by CEL do you mean warning lights on the dashboard? The Check Engine light was lit during the majority of time we were traveling, but it went off after we changed the O2 sensors. Presently no lights on the dash are lit.

I would definitely check for fluid loss/leaks. Power steering, or brake or ??? may be getting on the exhaust for some reason(maybe Hill Holder/hydraulic clutch or ABS related?). Doesn't take much to create a lot of vapor. maybe diff seal is leaking onto exhaust - or CV joint grease got slung onto it. Inner joints commonly split and sling nasty smelling grease onto the exhausr - but probably wouldn't be intermittently 'grabby/draggy' as explained. Glycol based coolants would have a sweet/toasted marshmallow smell so, not cooling system related.

 

Sometimes, road debris like tar or a plastic bag can get onto the exhaust system and stink. Again, wouldn't explain the grabbiness. And definitely have the calipers examined to make certain the are sliding well on the pins.

 

again, has anyone been under the vehicle to look around or check fluid levels?

Edited March 12, 201214 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

those all are possible solutions, I hadnt thought about the liklyhood of a plastic bag causing it, which would be quite a coincidence.

 

as i said before, my mechanic checked and adjusted all the levels after the 1st time it happened. we spent many hours going over the systems. he figured it was just a pool of some unimportant fluid, as there is a small oil leak but i have my doubts.

 

off to see if i can find/disable the hill holder

those all are possible solutions, I hadnt thought about the liklyhood of a plastic bag causing it, which would be quite a coincidence.

 

as i said before, my mechanic checked and adjusted all the levels after the 1st time it happened. we spent many hours going over the systems. he figured it was just a pool of some unimportant fluid, as there is a small oil leak but i have my doubts.

 

off to see if i can find/disable the hill holder

 

There have been many reports of extreme cold causing some fuel leaks - mostly newer models - but maybe double-check fuel filter and other connections?

extreme cold shouldnt have been a problem, it might have dipped below freezing at some point, but really, this 1st happened in Oakland in mild temperatures.

 

In both cases the car had been driven in the late morning/early afternoon for about 30-60 min around town. no high speeds, but a bit of start and stop.

The clutch can make a huge stinky cloud if allowed to slip to much. The smell is unmistakable ( smells kinda like burning wiring and mattress mixed together). Could be your hill holder was locked on and your clutch slipped and smoked some. Check if you have a HH and if you do, make sure it adjusted right. Did you use Subaru clutch parts?

Edited March 13, 201214 yr by Robert Harik

A seizing CV joint? A dragging brake caliper ...

 

not many things make that smell with loss of power.

I havn't been able to locate the Hill Holder yet. A part of me thinks that the calipers are not releasing properly, as the brakes have had some specious behavior now and again. But it is intermittent, which is making diagnosis challenging.

The trouble might be due to the PCV valve.

Well thats because you don't have one. They are great little units and you would have discovered by now if you had one (by accident).

 

If you suspect brakes you are going to need rotors too and a brake flush. If the brakes are getting that hot to smoke the rotors are probably over heated along with the brake fluid. Over heated rotors can cause warping.

 

There arent many thing that will do this in the front of the car with that smell.

right, now to explore the various auto mechanic options in Portland.

 

but would sticky breaks cause the very off-and-on problems im experiencing?

Yes. just like anything else it can be intermittent. The next time it happens (do NOT touch) get your hand close to the wheel and feel if it is hot. Your judgement to touch it as if that is the issue I do not want you getting burned.

thanks for the suggestion! Ill give that a shot.

 

hope i can find a decent mechanic