The Subaru SVX World Network   SVX Network Forums
Live Chat!
SVX or Subaru Links
Old Lockers
Photo Post
How-To Documents
Message Archive
SVX Shop Search
IRC users:

Go Back   The Subaru SVX World Network > SVX Main Forums > Technical Q & A

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16  
Old 06-14-2005, 05:02 PM
Earthworm's Avatar
Earthworm Earthworm is offline
Meow!
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 11,957
Send a message via ICQ to Earthworm Send a message via AIM to Earthworm Send a message via MSN to Earthworm Send a message via Yahoo to Earthworm Send a message via Skype™ to Earthworm
Do you have front axles??
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 06-14-2005, 06:10 PM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Earthworm
Do you have front axles??
last time i checked i did.. lol..
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 06-14-2005, 06:35 PM
NikFu S.'s Avatar
NikFu S. NikFu S. is offline
Takin tools to task
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: A-town, Alaska
Posts: 7,280
Send a message via MSN to NikFu S.
Registered SVX
Your front dif is probably gone or thrashed.
__________________
"That which can be asserted without evidence
can be dismissed without evidence."


'92 Dark Teal SVX LS-L, >146,000m
3 pedals, 5 speeds., restoration underway.
2012 Honda Insight, slow but cute.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 06-15-2005, 09:32 PM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I duno, but the awd vibration isnt constant... its on and off... and i dont know if its my imagination, but it seems like the car struggles when the fuse is out, it may just be me though

But i uploaded that video with the link u sent me where the hell is it? haha

Can u just PM ME UR EMAIL, and i can send in email.. lol

Last edited by 92AWDSVX; 06-15-2005 at 09:44 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 06-16-2005, 07:27 AM
SVXer95 SVXer95 is offline
Word to Yo Motha
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Posts: 1,637
Send a message via AIM to SVXer95
Let's start over again. Does your power light flash when you start the car? You said that your rear wheel spun when the car was up in the air, did the front wheels spin at all? Even the slightest amount?

It sounds like you may be experiencing a solenoid C failure. If your power light flashes 16 times at startup, the TCU is storing a problem code. There are ways to check this to fix the problem. Is this vibration better described as binding?

Running the car for prolonged periods with the FWD fuse in is detrimental. You will cause damage to the front diff and transfer clutches.

What size tires are you running? Are they the same front to back? Are they the same brand with the same amount of wear front to back? What does this 'vibration' feel like?
__________________
Collin

1995 L AWD
Locker

1987 Porsche 944 turbo
80k miles. MBC + Chips. Relatively Stock
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 06-16-2005, 09:42 AM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by SVXer95
Let's start over again. Does your power light flash when you start the car? You said that your rear wheel spun when the car was up in the air, did the front wheels spin at all? Even the slightest amount?

It sounds like you may be experiencing a solenoid C failure. If your power light flashes 16 times at startup, the TCU is storing a problem code. There are ways to check this to fix the problem. Is this vibration better described as binding?

Running the car for prolonged periods with the FWD fuse in is detrimental. You will cause damage to the front diff and transfer clutches.

What size tires are you running? Are they the same front to back? Are they the same brand with the same amount of wear front to back? What does this 'vibration' feel like?
No the power light does not flash. It comes on stays on then goes off like it is supposed to. When the rear wheels were spinning the fuse was in, and no the front tires did not spin at all, it was like the car was RWD. I am running the same size tires, front and back. The vibration feels like.... like a rumble, and is not constant. it will go away and come back on and off..
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 06-16-2005, 10:22 AM
Mr. Pockets's Avatar
Mr. Pockets Mr. Pockets is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Champaign, IL
Posts: 6,916
Send a message via ICQ to Mr. Pockets
Registered SVX
Holy cow, I just stumbled on this thread. No offense to Nik, but this is like the blind leading the blind here. Nik, you know I love you, dude, but you don't know what the hell you're talking about. This guy actually reads a lot like you did when you first joined this site, swearing up and down that your car somehow worked different than everybody else's.

92AWDSVX, for what I hope will be the last time, your car does not have a magical fuse that puts it in RWD.

It just doesn't, okay? I'm not the only person to have told you this.

That fuse, labeled 'FWD,' effectively turns off your AWD. It makes your car forget about the back half of the drivetrain.

The front half of your drivetrain is permanent. It cannot be disabled through any electronic means. There is a reduction gearset that drives the front wheels directly off the gearbox. The rear wheels get their torque through something called the transfer clutch. It works like the clutch in a manual-transmission car, except that instead of a pedal, the pressure on the clutch is controlled by a solenoid. That solenoid turns on and off at different frequencies, depending on how much pressure the transmission computer wants to apply to the clutch. That's how torque is transferred to the rear.

What I'm convinced you have is a bad transfer clutch solenoid - also called 'duty solenoid C.' Since that solenoid is bad, it sticks open or closed, applying the wrong amount of pressure to the transfer clutch. That clutch also acts like a differential between the front and rear wheels, so if the wrong amount of pressure is applied, the clutch 'binds.' That's what your 'vibration' is when you don't have the fuse in.

So, in summary so far, your AWD is not fine. If you have to drive with that fuse in, then your transfer clutch is not working right, and you're driving around in FWD mode.

Trust me on this. I know what I'm talking about.

As for the 'braking' effect when your car shifts from first to second, I think your brake band needs to be adjusted. Because I don't think you should be performing the adjustment yourself, I am not going to tell you where the brake band adjuster is located. You need to have somebody qualified do that for you.

Long story short, if the brake band is too loose, your transmission can 'slip' (RPMs will flare up suddenly then go down during shifts). If it's too tight, you can get that 'braking' effect you're seeing, where RPMs drop for a bit during shifts.

I'm going to say it again: your car needs to be looked at by a qualified mechanic. The above is what I think is going on with your car, but it's always difficult to diagnose stuff in a newsgroup. At any rate, you need to take the car to a mechanic who knows Subaru transmissions. It is very likely that said mechanic will tell you that you need a new transmission. It is possible that replacing duty solenoid C and the transfer clutch, and adjusting the brake band, will fix all your problems. But I doubt it.

If you have any questions about this stuff, by all means ask. I'd be happy to answer them. But you have to listen, man. So far you've ignored every bit of advice given to you.
__________________


2005 RX-8 Grand Touring
2005 Outback
2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon

END OF LINE

Last edited by Mr. Pockets; 06-16-2005 at 10:29 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 06-16-2005, 10:35 AM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Pockets
Holy cow, I just stumbled on this thread. No offense to Nik, but this is like the blind leading the blind here. Nik, you know I love you, dude, but you don't know what the hell you're talking about. This guy actually reads a lot like you did when you first joined this site, swearing up and down that your car somehow worked different than everybody else's.

92AWDSVX, for what I hope will be the last time, your car does not have a magical fuse that puts it in RWD.

It just doesn't, okay? I'm not the only person to have told you this.

That fuse, labeled 'FWD,' effectively turns off your AWD. It makes your car forget about the back half of the drivetrain.

The front half of your drivetrain is permanent. It cannot be disabled through any electronic means. There is a reduction gearset that drives the front wheels directly off the gearbox. The rear wheels get their torque through something called the transfer clutch. It works like the clutch in a manual-transmission car, except that instead of a pedal, the pressure on the clutch is controlled by a solenoid. That solenoid turns on and off at different frequencies, depending on how much pressure the transmission computer wants to apply to the clutch. That's how torque is transferred to the rear.

What I'm convinced you have is a bad transfer clutch solenoid - also called 'duty solenoid C.' Since that solenoid is bad, it sticks open or closed, applying the wrong amount of pressure to the transfer clutch. That clutch also acts like a differential between the front and rear wheels, so if the wrong amount of pressure is applied, the clutch 'binds.' That's what your 'vibration' is when you don't have the fuse in.

So, in summary so far, your AWD is not fine. If you have to drive with that fuse in, then your transfer clutch is not working right, and you're driving around in FWD mode.

Trust me on this. I know what I'm talking about.

As for the 'braking' effect when your car shifts from first to second, I think your brake band needs to be adjusted. Because I don't think you should be performing the adjustment yourself, I am not going to tell you where the brake band adjuster is located. You need to have somebody qualified do that for you.

Long story short, if the brake band is too loose, your transmission can 'slip' (RPMs will flare up suddenly then go down during shifts). If it's too tight, you can get that 'braking' effect you're seeing, where RPMs drop for a bit during shifts.

I'm going to say it again: your car needs to be looked at by a qualified mechanic. The above is what I think is going on with your car, but it's always difficult to diagnose stuff in a newsgroup. At any rate, you need to take the car to a mechanic who knows Subaru transmissions. It is very likely that said mechanic will tell you that you need a new transmission. It is possible that replacing duty solenoid C and the transfer clutch, and adjusting the brake band, will fix all your problems. But I doubt it.

If you have any questions about this stuff, by all means ask. I'd be happy to answer them. But you have to listen, man. So far you've ignored every bit of advice given to you.

LoL, i listen and absorb everything you guys tell me, and u seem like you know what you're talkin about with these cars. But the thing is i cant have a professional do anythign right now i have no money to have them do it. So thats why it needs to stay, and it may seem like im not listening to what u say, but i am, i just try to describe the preoblem more and more so you can get a better detail of what is going on. I have that video but i dont know how to get it in your posession. I have a feeling my transmission is shot. thats what im thinking. Because it does slip in 1st gear a little bit when the pedal is barely pressed. So i do think the tranny is shot. And if i put a new transmission in it will fix all these problems right?

But what i dont get is, how the heck if it is supposed to be FWD is it RWD haha... that still doesnt make sence to me. You would think that if it was messed up it just wouldnt work.. lol i duno

Last edited by 92AWDSVX; 06-16-2005 at 10:42 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 06-16-2005, 10:50 AM
Mr. Pockets's Avatar
Mr. Pockets Mr. Pockets is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Champaign, IL
Posts: 6,916
Send a message via ICQ to Mr. Pockets
Registered SVX
Quote:
Originally Posted by 92AWDSVX
LoL, i listen and absorb everything you guys tell me, and u seem like you know what you're talkin about with these cars. But the thing is i cant have a professional do anythign right now i have no money to have them do it. So thats why it needs to stay, and it may seem like im not listening to what u say, but i am, i just try to describe the preoblem more and more so you can get a better detail of what is going on. I have that video but i dont know how to get it in your posession. I have a feeling my transmission is shot. thats what im thinking. Because it does slip in 1st gear a little bit when the pedal is barely pressed. So i do think the tranny is shot. And if i put a new transmission in it will fix all these problems right?

But what i dont get is, how the heck if it is supposed to be FWD is it RWD haha... that still doesnt make sence to me. You would think that if it was messed up it just wouldnt work.. lol i duno
When you put that fuse in, the car is not RWD, okay? It's just not. The transmission simply cannot work that way. The front wheels are driven by hard things - gears - that cannot be disabled by a fuse. The rear wheels are driven by something softer - electronics and a clutch - that can be disabled. Your car doesn't shake and bind when the fuse is in because the rear wheels aren't being driven and the broken solenoid can't mess things up.

I know you're confused by what you saw when the car was in the air, but that's simply not a good indicator, okay? It's not a reliable way to diagnose transmission problems.

In my opinion, yes, a new transmission would fix all your problems. There's always the chance, since these cars are getting pretty old, that something else is also bad - like your transmission computer. But that's rare.

I think it is possible that adjusting the brake band and replacing duty solenoid C and the transfer clutch itself will fix your problems. But I think that's unlikely, and the longer you wait the less likely it will be.

The fact that your transmission slips a lot under light throttle is not a good sign. That tells me that the gearbox's clutches are going bad and slip under low hydraulic pressure. Eventually they won't grab at all, ever.

I can understand that you can't afford to get the car looked at right now. But if that's the case, then there's nothing any of us can do for you. There is no magical trick you can play to keep your ailing tranny alive. It might last a year, it might not last until tomorrow.

Good luck.
__________________


2005 RX-8 Grand Touring
2005 Outback
2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon

END OF LINE
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 06-16-2005, 10:56 AM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Pockets
When you put that fuse in, the car is not RWD, okay? It's just not. The transmission simply cannot work that way. The front wheels are driven by hard things - gears - that cannot be disabled by a fuse. The rear wheels are driven by something softer - electronics and a clutch - that can be disabled. Your car doesn't shake and bind when the fuse is in because the rear wheels aren't being driven and the broken solenoid can't mess things up.

I know you're confused by what you saw when the car was in the air, but that's simply not a good indicator, okay? It's not a reliable way to diagnose transmission problems.

In my opinion, yes, a new transmission would fix all your problems. There's always the chance, since these cars are getting pretty old, that something else is also bad - like your transmission computer. But that's rare.

I think it is possible that adjusting the brake band and replacing duty solenoid C and the transfer clutch itself will fix your problems. But I think that's unlikely, and the longer you wait the less likely it will be.

The fact that your transmission slips a lot under light throttle is not a good sign. That tells me that the gearbox's clutches are going bad and slip under low hydraulic pressure. Eventually they won't grab at all, ever.

I can understand that you can't afford to get the car looked at right now. But if that's the case, then there's nothing any of us can do for you. There is no magical trick you can play to keep your ailing tranny alive. It might last a year, it might not last until tomorrow.

Good luck.
LoL well this has been goin on for a bout 1 1/2 years or so.. lol but thanks alot guys i really appreciate it. Ur right in champaign maybe i can take a trip out there and u can see what its doing in person, or we can meet somewhere or something..
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 06-16-2005, 12:25 PM
Mr. Pockets's Avatar
Mr. Pockets Mr. Pockets is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Champaign, IL
Posts: 6,916
Send a message via ICQ to Mr. Pockets
Registered SVX
Well, hey, as I said it might last for a long time yet and it might not.

I don't know that there's anything I'm going to be able to do for you beyond the advice I've given you, sorry. I can't conjur up a new transmission or anything. Besides that, I'm really busy over the next couple months.
__________________


2005 RX-8 Grand Touring
2005 Outback
2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon

END OF LINE
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 06-16-2005, 01:54 PM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Pockets
Well, hey, as I said it might last for a long time yet and it might not.

I don't know that there's anything I'm going to be able to do for you beyond the advice I've given you, sorry. I can't conjur up a new transmission or anything. Besides that, I'm really busy over the next couple months.

LoL ya...
I willl et it go til it blows, then buy a 6 speed or another auto if i can find one cheap
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 06-16-2005, 05:43 PM
Earthworm's Avatar
Earthworm Earthworm is offline
Meow!
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 11,957
Send a message via ICQ to Earthworm Send a message via AIM to Earthworm Send a message via MSN to Earthworm Send a message via Yahoo to Earthworm Send a message via Skype™ to Earthworm
Maybe your front diff was gutted out and your AWD clutch is welded solid?

It's been done before.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 06-16-2005, 07:47 PM
NikFu S.'s Avatar
NikFu S. NikFu S. is offline
Takin tools to task
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: A-town, Alaska
Posts: 7,280
Send a message via MSN to NikFu S.
Registered SVX
Quote:
Originally Posted by Earthworm
Maybe your front diff was gutted out and your AWD clutch is welded solid?

It's been done before.
Always a possibility, however doubtful.
__________________
"That which can be asserted without evidence
can be dismissed without evidence."


'92 Dark Teal SVX LS-L, >146,000m
3 pedals, 5 speeds., restoration underway.
2012 Honda Insight, slow but cute.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 06-16-2005, 07:58 PM
92AWDSVX
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by Earthworm
Maybe your front diff was gutted out and your AWD clutch is welded solid?

It's been done before.

Ya MAYBE who knows with this car lol
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:45 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
© 2001-2015 SVX World Network
(208)-906-1122