GC8 - loud pop then transmission slipping
 

Hi all,

So I was just driving my (unmodified) ‘99 wrx, and pulling away from a hairpin corner I put my foot down in second gear. Soon as the turbo spooled a loud “pop” noise occurred and I lost almost all drive from the transmission. I immediately pulled off the side of the road and let it sit for a few minutes while I checked underneath, no oil dripping or anything that looked unusual.

After a few minutes I tried driving away again, and it begun gripping slightly again so I was able to limp it home, and by the time I got home it felt normal again. When it would slip the speedometer increases as well as the RPM so I highly doubt it’s the clutch causing it.


Any help is much appreciated!

First check your driveshafts, the rears do snap. Other is a driveshaft/Cv joint has sheared off the splines. Other issues is a diff has failed (pinion gear gone); Probably rear.

Usually they whine before totally failing.

A start would be to jack up one wheel at a time and see if any rotate whilst in 1st gear; Shouldn't turn. If it does something's broke on that corner.

Ok,
so I tried moving it today so I could jack up the back wheels but for some reason it didn’t slip at low speeds. So I jacked up each rear wheel and I couldn’t get them to slip or freewheel with the transmission in gear at all, very strange.

So then I took it for a normal 30 minute drive and the slipping has gone completely, tried giving it some heavy throttle in 2nd and 3rd still hasn’t slipped at all. Still doesn’t make any strange noise, tried u turns, different speeds and acceleration ect. Nothing out of the ordinary.
still not going to give it a hard time because now I dunno if or when it’s gonna happen again. Really stuck on this one…