I took an '05 Outback. 2.5L with AT, for a test drive.  Beautiful car, clean as a whistle and no dents or rust, available at a good price.  But it drove like an overweight pig!  After 30 years of driving peppy 1.8 and 2.2L wagons I was really disappointed.

 

​Found a parking lot and tried a torque bind test--turned the steering wheel full R and the car would not move at idle,  Had to give it some gas to force it to go, same thing to the L.  No bucking or jerking.  Later tried to back into the seller's driveway and at idle it stalled the engine.

 

​Was that torque bind?  Some other transmission problem?

 

​I'd consider buying the car if it's just the transfer clutch behind the tranny--but I don't want to buy big problems!

 

​Thanks for any input.

 

 

 I 'think' that should still have the FWD fuse - moved to the fuse block by the battery. If the owner is willing, I'd put in the fuse and try the same tests as b4.

Edited May 10, 20187 yr by wtdash

Thanks wt--the guy is not "mechanically inclined" but I'll ask him if he can check that.

I'm wondering about sticking calipers.  lots of salt air and lately lava... in Hawaii. 

Yeah, that's worth checking tom.  There is a clunk in the front brakes--may need pads/rotor(s).  Lotsa' salt air but fortunately the lava is 200 miles away on the Big Island!

a Toyota Avalon would be the best car to back away from an eruption.

 

because, backwards, it spells;  no lavA

 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA *cough* HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Eeeeeew!  How long have you been waiting to pop that one Tex?

when was the Avalon introduced?

 

yeah, a long time