If I accelerate from a stop with the steering wheel turned I'm getting a rumble that I can feel through the wheel and gas pedal and it has a kinda deep throaty sound. This doesn't happen at all when the wheel is straight or even close to straight, only with the wheel turned a significant amount. In all of my old 4WD rigs this would happen if the front hubs were locked but that was expected, it was called chunking or something similar, but I've never experienced this with any of my Subarus. Has anyone else noticed this? It seems to be getting worse as the miles build, wasn't noticeable at all when new but after 11,500 miles it happens almost all the time now.
gravitylover
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168 Posts
Well that helps make me feel better 
It's weird though, I hadn't thought of it as a steering issue but more of a drivetrain thing. I'm making a list of things for Subaru to take a look at when I bring the car in for the second oil change in two or three weeks, this will be one of them.
It's weird though, I hadn't thought of it as a steering issue but more of a drivetrain thing. I'm making a list of things for Subaru to take a look at when I bring the car in for the second oil change in two or three weeks, this will be one of them.
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168 Posts
I forgot to reply to part of the above, it's not only at full lock, this rumble or whatever happens with the wheel turned as little as 10% and anything other than the lightest throttle input.
Had the car in this morning and the "resolution" of the issue is - Transfer clutches. Apparently there is a clutch pack that redistributes power to the front wheels so they can spin at different speeds when they're turned. These clutches engage and disengage based on slip thus causing a vibration that you feel in the steering wheel and sometimes in the pedals. The service mgr. said this is usually more evident in the Outback but not unheard of in the Impreza with the cvt.
They also said the avg. mpg gauge can't be reprogrammed and that it is an estimate not an exact science. Implied was - Live with it... I know some people on other forums have had theirs reprogrammed, anybody know how? Part number or maybe there's a tech on here that can explain how to access it.
Had the car in this morning and the "resolution" of the issue is - Transfer clutches. Apparently there is a clutch pack that redistributes power to the front wheels so they can spin at different speeds when they're turned. These clutches engage and disengage based on slip thus causing a vibration that you feel in the steering wheel and sometimes in the pedals. The service mgr. said this is usually more evident in the Outback but not unheard of in the Impreza with the cvt.
They also said the avg. mpg gauge can't be reprogrammed and that it is an estimate not an exact science. Implied was - Live with it... I know some people on other forums have had theirs reprogrammed, anybody know how? Part number or maybe there's a tech on here that can explain how to access it.
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168 Posts
I'm not sold on their reply. It really does seem to me that the rumble is getting worse, maybe I'm just more attuned to it but... I think I need to stop at another Subie dealer and have a tech take the car for a test ride and see what the answer is. I keep wondering if I should just fork over the $300 for a tranny fluid and filter flush and refill if that would solve the problem then try to figure out how to make Subaru pay.
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168 Posts
^^ So the rumble has been getting "worse." Now it does it with the wheel hardly turned at all, sometimes even when it's pointed straight and accelerating uphill from a stop. I've tried it a few times with the traction/spin control off and it doesn't do it at all. Time for the fourth oil change anyway so, off to the dealer it goes on Tuesday.
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168 Posts
Woah, haven't been around the forum in a while. Hey folks!
I still have the rumble and it hasn't gotten any worse or even changed much at all since it started. Still frustrating as could be though.
About that TSB, I had the car at the dealer for an extremely overpriced 60k service and asked them to look into this and a few other things. According to them the bulletin doesn't exist it's all an internet fantasy and the transmission is a sealed and unserviceable unit. There is nothing they can do to alleviate the rattling in the front end at low speeds on rough pavement and you can't flush and refill the transmission ever.
After 60,000 miles this car has more rattles and clunks and a general loose sloppy feeling than I can count. This is my fourth Subie and I expected more from it not less. Ahh well, 21st century decontenting at its finest ???
I still have the rumble and it hasn't gotten any worse or even changed much at all since it started. Still frustrating as could be though.
About that TSB, I had the car at the dealer for an extremely overpriced 60k service and asked them to look into this and a few other things. According to them the bulletin doesn't exist it's all an internet fantasy and the transmission is a sealed and unserviceable unit. There is nothing they can do to alleviate the rattling in the front end at low speeds on rough pavement and you can't flush and refill the transmission ever.
After 60,000 miles this car has more rattles and clunks and a general loose sloppy feeling than I can count. This is my fourth Subie and I expected more from it not less. Ahh well, 21st century decontenting at its finest ???
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