I havea 2000 Forester S, automatic. For all 70,000 miles The car has been nothing but a charm, I love it, it is my winter beast! Recently i have noticed something. While making a right turn up a steep hill in the rain i felt the front tires slip alot. The car stuggled to get traction up the hill. I figured it was just extra slippery. Then on a dry day, i pulled out into traffic, i needed to floor it so i didint get rear ended. The front tires peeled for like 15 feet. So im starting to sense problems. Then i go to a large grass hill and attempt to go up it, I GET STUCK!! The front tires just spin, no back tire movement!! A strange banging noise happens from the rear every so often. The FWD light is not on either. What can be wrong with my car, and is this a common, or a thing that occasionally happens? How much do you think it will cost to fix?? thanks for your help!!!

sounds like a problem with the transfer case (actually, it's built into the end of the transmission). it could be just an electrical problem with the solonoid, or it could a problem with the clutches.

 

think if any of these have happened to the car:

 

was it towed? with the rear wheels on the ground?

 

did you replace only 1 tire? (all tires must be of the same diameter, or the FWD fuse must be installed).

 

did you get a flat and use the spare tire without installing the FWD fuse?

 

these are just some of the things that can cause problems with the transfer case. if you are up to it, others here may be able to give you more diagnostic info to help you narrow the problem, or a dealer would be able to help...

i did get a flat and use the spare... i didnt even know you could manually make the car fwd.......is the transfercase part of the transmission or just built on to the end?

the center differential (not really a transfer case) is bolted onto the rear of the transmission. it sounds like it got hosed and burned up its clutches. i believe that they can change the diff out without rebuilding the entire transmission, but i know the cost is pretty steep (i think parts or maybe the whole repair are $700, but i'm not sure - i'm going on memory of other people's posts here).

 

if you read through the manual, it will tell you about the FWD fuse. whenever you use the spare tire, you should install this fuse (its in the engine compartment fuse box) to disable the AWD system. by not installing it, the center diff thought that one wheel was always slipping (since the spare's diameter is different), and it tried to lock the AWD system. after so long, the clutches will burn up, and the AWD will be gone.

 

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

to learn more, you can search the archives for things like 'FWD fuse', 'torque bind' and 'center diff'