My 1998 Terzo is just about to go in for a new gearbox after only 18,000 miles. The driver's window jumps on the way down and the car shudders violently on takeoff in first when cold.

Anyone had any similar problems?

Mark
ps - Still having great fun with the car though!

[This message has been edited by Ferdie (edited 07-09-1999).]

Ferdie,

Why was it necessary to replace the gearbox on your car?. I have problems with mine in terms of excessive noise in 1st and 2nd gears which I am trying (without success) to get resolved. I have had an inspection done by IM technician, who said 'they all do that', and didn't propose to do anything else about it.

Cheers,

Alex

Ferdie,

BTW, my car also had to have it's clutch assembly replaced due to judder on moving off when the car was cold. This was done as a warranty job after 4500 miles.
Nothing else too significant has fallen off so far.

My car is a UK MY98 with 9500 miles on the clock.

Cheers,

Alex

Hi Alex,

I've only had the car for 1 month and the main problem for me is the shudder when the car is cold. It can be quite violent sometimes and dangerous if you're trying to pull away quickly in front of traffic. When I returned the car to the dealership, I also mentioned that there was a definite crunch occasionally into third gear.

The dealership used the Subaru warranty to replace the 3rd and 4th cogs and told me if I still wasn't happy after 200 miles to get them to arrange for a UK Subaru specialist to have a look. When I returned to the dealership with the same problem, they said Subaru UK have decided to replace the gearbox - without even trying out the car themselves! I am currently waiting for the gearbox to arrive at the dealership!

cheers

mark

Mark,

As I mentioned previously, my clutch was replaced under warranty for juddering.
When my car was last in for a service, I mentioned that the judder had returned as an aside.

When the car came back, the service invoice said that the clutch had been 'deglazed' (sp?). I presume this means that the mechanic gave it a few max effort standing starts to clean the friction surfaces up. It was much better after this.

I think Subaru change the specification of the clutch plates quite often. The spec of the clutch plate is always a juggling act between 'user friendliness' and reasonable wear rates. If you drive in town alot, the friction lining can glaze up, which gives you inconsistent friction between the clutch plate and flywheel. This results in the judder you are experiencing.

If your car is out of warranty, or has covered too much mileage for your dealer to entertain replacing the clutch, you could try a few maximum attach starts and see what happens.

Be careful though - its a fine line between cleaning the clutch up and frying it!.

Cheers,

Alex

I too get the juddering when cold, but now I get a crunch when I put it into fifth gear. It only happens when I accelerate to 70+ mph and put it into fifth. I have booked my car in for it's 7500 mile service, I'll let you know what they are going to do.

Cheers

Bash
MY99

I have a 97MY UK 4-Dr 22K. Have started to get clutch judder when cold and sometimes when hot. Very occasionally severe most times not.

Got the car serviced about a month ago.

Service chaps said its not bad enough (yet) for a warranty job, but it is a known concern.

Now in the last two weeks, sitting at a junction / traffic lights in neutral clutch up.

Push clutch in go for 1st and get a REALLY nasty crunch and jolt as it engauges. Doesn`t happen all the time though!

Anyone know what the clutch `concern` is and any thoughts on crunching 1st gear? Could it be the gear or the syncro on the way?

1st gear crunch could be clutch not disengaging properly.

I find that although the biting point seems quite high up the pedal travel, I need to fully depress the pedal for clean engagement of first gear.




[This message has been edited by Scottie (edited 07-09-1999).]

HI Ferdie,

I was wondering about the miles on your car!, has any one else noticed that you said your car is 1988 with 18,000 miles?????

I can't see how, you not drive it any where??

Cheers
Bob

Well spotted - my car is abviously a 1998 Terzo and not 1988 as I wrote earlier!

Ferdie

My Terzo has now done 17,000 miles and I get a bit of judder from cold. Maybe its the Metz!!!!!!
Does anyone know haw much abuse the standard clutch can take. I must have lit it up at least 10 times what with track days etc...

I've got an UK MY98 Turbo, which is nigh on exactly a year old, covered 21500 miles, and the clutch is awful. If I have more than 3 people in the car it slips when you try to pull away, or on my own reversing up hill.

Just to add to the amusement, on downchanges to 2nd gear unless you are really on the case, it won't go in (ie I can't engage the gear) without double declutching or if it does go in on take up it pops out of gear!

Needless to say I'm not at all amused (also had new brake pads at the 15k service which now seem to need replacing again - I do most of my mileage on the motorway incidentally) and I'm really getting fed up with the car now.

As I'm in the process of changing jobs I'll probably be saying bye bye to the car this month (can't justify keeping it), and at the moment I'm begining to feel this isn't a bad thing! Tragic I know, but the last month of ownership I've got mighty fed up with the so called reliability of Subarus. I love the car to bits, but I can't keep forking out the amount of money needed to keep the thing running, and afford to live!

I'll probably bye myself another car as a weekend toy (old shape M3 or early WRX), and put up with rep mobile for daily use.

Cheers,

Tim

I've just had the clucth changed on MY99 after 7500 miles. Dealer said it was pretty common for the clutch plate to warp slightly and then cause problems with only hitting the flywheel at certain points. They also change the flywheel as a matter of course on these problems. Approximate cost, out of waranty, would be just over £800. So if you've got any clutch problems get to the dealer as soon as possible as the longer you leave it the more chance they will say its not a waranty item.

Julian.

I believe 'deglazing' a clutch involves sitting slipping the clutch in 4th gear with the hand brake on.
I had similar problems with my 220gti. Sitting in the driveway in 4th slipping the clutch did seem to help a bit but I think it really needed a new flywheel. I think the deglazing option is good to do as soon as your clutch shows signs of judder. That way you can hopefully prevent any unrecoverable damage being done to the flywheel.
I seem to have a habit of causing clutches to judder and I think it is not that I am too heavy on them but too light - low rev starts, quick gear changes, maybe these don't wear the clutch as evenly.