Low very speed turn= big rumble
 

Hey all

In making a low speed (less than 10mph) turn, right or left, I get a huge rumble from down below. There is no other sound like squealing or grinding. It does not happen at higher speeds. It progressed from what seemed like a little bit to a whole lotta vibration in just a few days.

It does not happen at higher speeds. No weird vibes at any other time.

I have a stock 115K '93 with a Subaru rebuilt tranny installed at 106K.

Any insights and or experience is appreciated.

Be well (sorted),

Jerry

Alright, if it only happens when you are TURNING the steering wheel, but when you quit TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL (and the wheels are still turned) it kinda stops, its your O-ring.

I'm betting 5 bucks its your power steering o-ring. Look in the lockers section under how-to and it sthe Oring fix. Thats what my car was doing and now its fine again. :)

- ca$h

Testing, testing.....
 

Thanks, I'll do the test tomorrow and post the results. I have seen the posts on the 'O' ring, but I did not suspect it because my power steering pump was replaced just 25K ago.

But, I'd love for it to be the answer.

We shall see.

Jerry

Failed test
 

I went to my local mall and found a nice smooth piece of asphault, practiced turning the wheel while accerating, turning the wheel while keeping a constant speed, and holding the wheel constant in a turn.

The rumble only happens when I have the wheels turned and held constant (left and right circles rumble equally well) and held while driving at sub tire-scrubbing speed.

You can keep your $5.

I welcome any other test ideas.

Jerry

I believe it to me your AWD transfer clutches binding. How are your tires? Same brand and model with equal tread wear?

Mike

Test bed stats
 

All my tires are good and were put on at the same time about 15K ago. Are there other ways to test the Transfer Clutch? Is the remedy replacing the transfer clutches? Are they part of the Transmission, as it is still under warranty.

Thanks,

Jerry

Put in your FWD fuse under the hood. If the problem goes away, it is your transfer clutches. These are part of the transmission, and should be covered under warranty.

Mike

Mee tooo
 

Hey. let me know what happens with your transfer cluch. The tech did the same thing (FWD mode) and the 'grinding' went away. It's going in the shop tonight for a new clutch....under warrenty.

Wish me luck!

Test success!!
 

I tried the FWD fuse insert and it was confirmed by the "FWD" letters lighting up on the dash. I drove the car in circles both left and right, forward and reverse and no rumble. Removed fuse and big rumble returned!

I am calling the Subaru dealer (Carter in Seattle) tomorrow for the warranty repair. They are the ones who installed the tranny. I am going to clean the car real well before I take it in as I believe the mechanics have more respect (or at least fear the owner more) when it is all polished up.

I'll keep you tuned in on how I fare with Carter.

Thanks for the help,

Jerry

You've got the right idea by cleaning it up first. The real reason is nobody likes working on a hunk-o-crap. When the tech first gets into a car and it looks and smells like a dumpster you can bet he won't be putting his best effort into the job.

On the other hand, if the car is clean (it doesn't have to be detailed, just reasonably clean) and looks as though it's someone's 'baby', techs generally do their best work and put pride into what they do. The same goes for under the hood and under the car. When I get a car that's been leaking oil for a couple decades you can bet I'll be doing anything I can to expedite its departure from my end of the shop.

Sorry I just joined this thread so late, but the binding that goes away with the FWD fuse can also be a clogged filter or cooler. I had binding for years (started after a tranny rebuild) and it went away after I replaced the campaign filter and bypassed the stock cooler with an aftermarket one.

From what I gather from other people trying to explain it is that the pressure is so great when the cooling circuit is clogged that the solenoid that engages the AWD can't hold back all the pressure and some leaks through engaging the AWD when it shouldn't be.

You can (Temporarily) test by taking a piece of hose and bypassing the cooler and filter. Just connect the hose to the two metal lines along the driver's frame rail under the battery and drive in some tight circles to see what happens.

Doug

Is there a direct replacement for that tranny campaign filter?

You can get one from Subaru, or you can install an aftermarket filter. The latter will do a better job, and the filter is easily replaced. Many of the aftermarket filter mounts also have a threaded hole for a temp sensor, so you can add one of those if you like.

Can you take a fram filter and install it in the existing mounting from the filter?

I don't know. My car never had the external Subaru ATF filter.