Think I have susseed out from a few posts on here that my centre Diff has gone. When its hot it seems to bind and crab the back of the car, mainly when reversing etc.
So was wondering how much they tend to be and if anyone has had it done?
The Car is MY00 and its a UK model.. 5 1/2 years motoring without a hitch untill now..

 

got mine done at stan palmer subaru in carlisle and it was expensive(£1600).... 52plate wrx.. only had it 2months when it was needing done... this is what happens when you think you`re getting a bargain..

 

you also might want to check rear diff oil too as it will prob be red hot and black.....

 

A secondhand viscuous unit should be available for less than £200 in good condition and swapping it over £150 tops.

 

Wow... £1600.. Just picking my jaw up off the floor..

I changed the fluids last summer for all Sikloene sliktran and wondering if this has added to my problems. Its great stuff but seems to be close in the time frames of things going wrong. Will chnage the fluids again for basic book recommended fuilds and see is it eases it.

Where do you think I could get hold of a re-con or secondhand unit from??

 

Chris, How did you know that yours needed doing??
Any noticable signs?
Is this becomming a common fault?

 

drive car til everythings warmed up(i drove for 20-30 mins). turning on nearly full lock(both turning left and right) you can feel and hear loud click in rotation. but it goes away when u straighten up. also does it when reversing. at first i thought it was the brakes binding when hot. the rear diff gets really hot and started to burn oil.. it burnt to breather pipe at top of mine and set fire to it at motorway services.. i was so tempted to let it burn.. got it home and let a mechanic in village look at it(he`s an ex subaru mech 10yrs exp.) knew right away what it was. i had only done 1500 miles in it since i got it(its got 32500 on it now fssh as well) previous owner must have been a bad man...

 

set on fire! I think i'd actually let mine burn right now!
I can feel my crabbing when reversing on lock, straight line is fine. Dont have any noise from mines, its just that I can feel it through the car.
Suppose after 5 1/2 years I should count myself lucky its not be nicked.
Oh well, just have to locate one now and good mechanic.

 

If the rear diff is getting that hot, it implies to me its the rear diff thats the problem! Besides if its that hot the VC will be locked solid in there! Much easier and DIY style swap, lots of diffs on Ebay, just get a good one with the right FDR and do a straight swap as a starter.

Simon

 

mines has same problem by the way borderlinechris im karls mate chris he told me about yours then i got mines and same problem
i get a really bad metal noise from mines when accelerating under load when hot it sounded to me like something was loose in rear diff, i get the same symptoms as you all when hot rear wheels thumping and clicking when turning full lock and when your going round a tight roundabout im fighting to get the car moving its horrendous.

my plan is to buy a centre diff and a rear diff and just change one at a time then i will know which one is duff, ive been told the centre diff is a case of changing with the gearbox in place mines is a 99uk which is seemingly easier to get into.
once i get it sorted i will write a post to solve this mystery its a nightmare all i want to do is drive my car not fix it but i guess thats life.

also im not sure about driving a long distance as it gets really bad just going 30 mins on a motorway.

 

Rear diff would be easiest swap and there is one on the well known internet auction site ending tomorrow for just 99p!

Simon

 

Are you a Weegie ? If so I have both of the above items sitting not 20 miles from you !!


---john---

 

whereabouts are you john im half an hour from glasgow and how much you looking for the lot. will they fit my car ok

 

PM'd

 

The centre diff has no access to the gearbox lubricant and is separate from the gearbox, being a completely separate unit attached to the back end of the gearbox.
It has silicon lubricant in it.

When the centre viscuous goes there can be a lot of friction within the centre diff causing the transmission to become tight and you will notice the car is often reluctant to free wheel at very low speed and comes to a stop as if you had a gentle brake application.
Because front and rear axles are semi locked as the centre viscuous fails, front and rear diff are forced to turn at the same speed with no differential front to rear and this frequently causes the rear diff to overheat.
I hope this helps everybody.

 

Certainly explains it Harvey.. I didnt reaile it was completly seperate.. Might have to drain and fill the bugger up see is that makes any difference! Can you access it to fill it?
I dont have any problems with noise at any point either which some people are complaining about. Also dont have problmes free wheeling either, is this when hot or would it be the same all the time?
So let me get this straight, to test it (centre), if I put the hand brake on and get someone to hold one front wheel, I should or shouldnt be able to turn the other front wheel? If I can turn it, is test the rear as simple as spinning one side and watching the other spin??
Appolgies if I'm being think but its easire if I understand it fully..

If I am being thick , can you tell me some simple steps to rule out and pin point the problem.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

I had my centre diff done on MY03 STi at KT Greens in Leeds, it cost £1200 fitted not bad for a main dealer. Fortunately under warranty still