mckay Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 hey there... I bought a 99 Outback (manual transmission) in the spring and have been having an absolute blast with it...especially now that we have some snow on the ground!! Lately i have been noticing what i will call a grinding noise when I downshift. Does anybody have any idea what this could be? Its nothing brake related because when i release the brake after shifting and decelerating...it still occurs. is there a fluid i should be checking? Thanks mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Im sure that your problem lies in your syncros. When its cold out they are a bit slower than normal. Its just that the syncros cant line up the gears in time so u get a little bit of grind when u downshift. Does this happen only when the car is still cold? I will be willing to bet the "grinding" goes away once the car is fully warmed up. If you dont like the grinding while downshifting i would double clutch it when its really cold out ( ie. going from 4th to neutral...letting the clutch out in neutral...then pushing the clutch again and shoving it into 3rd). You might want to also think about changing your tranny fluid. Not sure if an outback takes auto tranny fluid or manual tranny fluid in their manual trannys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e4620 Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Try changing the gear oil in it, its pretty straightforeward to do. Just kind of a pain to fill back up, a long funnel will help a lot. It does NOT! take auto tranny fluid, its just gear oil. If i remember correctly its GL-5 80w-90 or so. I forget the quantity though, check the manual for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckay Posted December 6, 2007 Author Share Posted December 6, 2007 I'll have to take notice of it tonight once the car has warmed up. When I say grinding noise...it doesn't sound like grinding gears...it sounds more like the sound brake pads make when they are worn. I know it seems to be directly related with the colder weather...so chances are that is the case. I will look into changing the transmission oil in the next little while. Thanks for help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrturbo Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 For some reason the trannys in 99 Outbacks whether manual or auto have the worst fail rates I have ever seen in Subes next to the SVX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 For some reason the trannys in 99 Outbacks whether manual or auto have the worst fail rates I have ever seen in Subes next to the SVX. Sadly this is true, when did GM first buy into subaru? maybe its related nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAWalker Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 after shifting and decelerating...it still occurs. Thanks mark This part of your statement leads me to believe that this is not a syncro problem. Does the transmission shift OK whithout "grinding the gears"? If the noise is occuring on deceleration, after the gear change has been made, and you are useing "engine braking" to further slow the car.....................Then I would suggest. 1) Loose exhaust heat sheilds. 2) Front crossmember for the rear differentail making contact with the mounting plates on the body. 3) Ice and/or dirt between about mentioned crossmember and mounting plates. 4) I'll put this next to last, although I don't see bad MT mounts. 4.5) Broken transmission mount. 5) Internal transmission wear. Never hurts to change the fluid though:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAWalker Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Sadly this is true, when did GM first buy into subaru? maybe its related nipper No doubt! And being assembled in an Isuzu plante. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckay Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Well my problem seems to be getting progressively worse. Over the weekend the car has developed a ticking or knocking sound that is most noticeable when decelerating, along with the constant howling or whirring noise, both of which sound like they are coming from the front end of the car...gearbox area. It did slip out of reverse once when backing up...and I'm trying to figure out if that was when the noise actually started. It still shifts gears normally, including reverse. I took it to a garage and they checked all the fluids and said that everything seemed to be ok in that department. They diagnosed it as a front differential problem...either bearing or the whole front differential needs to be replaced. i was quoted $1800 CAN (for a used transmission + labour). Does any of this sound familiar? Could this be related to it slipping out of gear? I'm in a bad way really because there are no real subaru experts around other than the dealer who is over an hour away. Sorry for digging up an old thread...i thought this would be better than starting a new one. Thanks in advance for any advice. mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 It's cheaper to get a used tranny, as the diff is part of the transmision (you buy a tranny it comes with it)> How are your lubricant levels? Howlinfg is unique to a diff, so I wont argue with that. How are the front drive shafts? nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckay Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 It's cheaper to get a used tranny, as the diff is part of the transmision (you buy a tranny it comes with it)> How are your lubricant levels? Howlinfg is unique to a diff, so I wont argue with that. How are the front drive shafts? nipper The fluid levels are good. i can't say how the front drive shaft is for sure. is there something in particular one should be looking for? I'm taking it to another mechanic in the next day or so to get a second opinion. Should I just stop driving the car until I have it resolved or is it ok to continue driving it for a little while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 The fluid levels are good. i can't say how the front drive shaft is for sure. is there something in particular one should be looking for? I'm taking it to another mechanic in the next day or so to get a second opinion. Should I just stop driving the car until I have it resolved or is it ok to continue driving it for a little while? You cant make it worse. I wouldnt take any long drives. Pop the hood and inspect the CV boots, turn the wheels and inspect the boots behind the wheels, what condition are they in. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckay Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 You cant make it worse. I wouldnt take any long drives. Pop the hood and inspect the CV boots, turn the wheels and inspect the boots behind the wheels, what condition are they in. nipper Thanks for the tips...I will look into these. Appreciate your help. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Sily me, also see if they click when you make a slow tight turn. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screwbaru2 Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Could be your throwout bearing they make grinding / ratteling / scraping nosies depending how they fail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckay Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Well I took it to another mechanic over the weekend and he diagnosed that the front and rear are going in the car. Ugh. He says it wouldn't be worth it to fix...just to drive it till it fails. I'm just sick about it...I bought the car last April...and paid $6000 CAN for it. What are my options with year and model of subaru legacys and outbacks to look for parts from to repair? A friend of mine has a 1999 Outback limited (auto)...will the rear swap out with mine (5spd)? Subaru parts are a rare find in my neck of the woods (Truro, Nova Scotia)...the closest used 5spd transmission I could find was out of Ontario...which was $1000 delivered...but I'm leary about that since someone posted that for that yr of the vehicle...they had the worst fail rates. If anyone has any tips or ideas...i would really appreciate you input. Thanks again. mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Thats almost unheard of for both (diferentials) of them to go bad. That can happen by way of the car being abused, low lubricant, or really bad torque bind. This is something that subaru can't be blamed for, but the previous owner can. You spent 6000 canadian (which is 6000 us i think) for the car, its worth fixing. You can get parts for it used. Get another opinion, and ask them how they came to that conclusion. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckay Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 Well...after some searching...i came across a used transmission and rear differential. Swapped out both, replaced the oil separator (had a small oil leak), fixed up my emergency brake and the car drives like new...so happy!!! All of the above cost me $1500 taxes in with parts and labour included...so all worked out in the end. Funny....when my car was in for repair...i borrowed a friend's 2002 Outback (5 spd)...and I found it drove nowhere as nicely as my 99 OBW. But maybe that's just me being excited to have my car back. Anyway...thanks for everyone's input...I appreciate your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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