C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

was overtaking on my way home yesterday, went to put my 04wrx into 4th gear and there was a massive noise/grinding of gears (ouch!). Got home ok + thought no more of it. Went out today and it is now making a small grinding noise every time you change up into 4th.
It doesn't make a noise when changing up to 4th at low revs, only when you are above, say, 4000rpm?
Car is still under warranty so guess it will just have to go into dealer, just wanted to know any thoughts of what it maybe. e.g. can an adjustment be made or has the gearbox got to come out (i don't know much about gearboxes?)

cheers

RON

sounds like synchro ring....... not uncommon, but not normally on 4th.....

Varboy

get exactly the same problem if I rush a downchange to 4th, make sure you put the clutch right to the floor and make it a +ve fluid move, then everything is OK. Let me know what Subaru say as I may take mine in.

ben44

Sounds silly I know, but has the floor mate slipped, stopping you pressing the clutch enough for the gear change?

terryb

I had this on the P1 after some hard use, changing up into 4th, on a trackday. New, heavy duty gearbox oil cured the problem.

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

Bad news for you all I'm afraid.

My bugeye WRX had exactly the same problem, it crunched going from 3rd to 4th and 5th to 4th at anything over 3-4k rpm's.

I booked it into the main dealer who did some investigation (expensive as out of warranty) and, to cut a long story short, the gearbox HAD suffered from the common 5-speed box problem.

The nut on the end of the gearbox shaft comes loose and causes play in the gears. This strips some of the gears which have to be replaced.

My total repair bill came to £1588 inc VAT (and Subaru paid another £700 on top)!!!

See my previous thread http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...3&page=1&pp=20

Get it done under warranty ASAP!!!

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

went out in it yesterday and all was fine (only a short journey though) I don't often use the car during the week so will give it another try at the weekend and see how it goes.
warranty doesn't run out til 06/07 so not in any rush (though it did take them over 2 months to sort out my faulty wheels under warranty!)

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

oh yer, and it often grinds into 1st aswell if you try to put it in gear when moving (is ok when stood still) is this linked in any way?

Neilo

like trap2 says its bad news and will not go away....i had my gearbox replaced on my 03wrx as its an error in the casing so whenever they "fixed" it, it came bake pretty much straight away.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it woul dbe a very good idea to discuss this with your dealer.

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

Mine was the same, it was fine for the 1st 5 minutes or so but then it started doing it again.

Mine also did the same with 1st gear, the car had to be completely stationary to go into gear.

I wouldn't wait if I was you, I'd take it straight into the dealer and tell them about it, no point in hoping it'll go away........

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

as i have spotted it early (only done around 50 miles since it 1st started) do you recon it will just be a case of tightening up this shaft nut that you are saying about? if so, is that an easy job or will the car be in for days?

scoobys20mgh

Get it done sooner rather than later mate, mine had the same problem and the gearbox ended up seizing because of metal bits catching in the cogs - wasn't funny as it did this when I was in traffic on the motorway at about 20miles an hour!!!!

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

Mine did it at 4.30pm on a Tuesday and it was in Subaru workshop by 8.30am the next day. Damage was already done I'm afraid. They had it for 3 days due to a wrangle with Subaru's Customer Services/Warranty department. Mine was out of warranty but I applied for a concessionary goodwill payment due to it being a defect - hence they paid £700.

I'd just book it in, if you have a warranty it's a no-brainer. Shouldn't costs you anything so why wait?

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

rang dealer today + is booked in for tuesday.

I told them what you said trap2 + they said that the problem with the shaft nut only existed on the classic impreza (dispite me telling them that i know of someone who had it happen to a bugeye!) they seem to think it is the 1st and 4th syncro. said that they will strip gearbox + replace what is needed. booked in for 3 days work so will have to wait and see what they find....................................?

i'l keep you posted on my progress.

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

For them to say it only happened on Classics is total bollox, it even appears to be more common on newage's and specifically on the 5-speed box. The 6-speed is much stronger apparently.

Here is the (long) letter I sent to Subaru Head Office Customer Services manage.

Dear {x}

19th September 2005


Re: {my registration} - Subaru Impreza WRX Gearbox Failure


I feel compelled to write to express my astonishment at the recent experience I have had following a gearbox problem on my Subaru Impreza WRX (reg. {my registration}).

On the 18th August 2005 I started noticing difficulty selecting 4th gear when changing from 3rd into 4th or 5th into 4th, at 3000 rpm’s and higher. This is the first time I had experienced any problem with the gearbox since I bought the car privately on 9th May 2005.

I immediately phoned my nearest Subaru service department, CVC Cardiff, where the car had received its 30000 mile service a couple of months ago. I arranged to take my car in for an immediate assessment and it was taken for a test drive by a Subaru technician the following day.

The technician immediately confirmed that the car was suffering from a gearbox problem and that it would need further investigation. I left my details with the customer services receptionist and she advised me that she would book my car in for a more thorough investigation.


By Monday 12th September I had not heard back from them so I called CVC and they informed me that they had been expecting my car to be delivered that day. There had obviously been some confusion in their customer services department but I agreed to take my car in the following day, 13th September.


It now appears that there has been a fairly catastrophic failure of the gearbox and a concessional claim has been filed and processed by your Customer Services/Warranty Claims department.


During all verbal and telephone communications with Subaru staff over this matter, I have been repeatedly advised that there is a known, recurring fault with the Subaru 5-speed gearbox that is fitted to my Impreza, as well as other models within the Subaru range. It appears that the nut on the end of the gearbox shaft works itself loose, which in turn causes ‘play’ in the gears. This play is sufficient to cause damage to the gears and other internal parts, which cannot be repaired but have to be replaced. In addition to the cost of parts, there is a significant cost associated with the strip-down and rebuild of the gearbox.


As a result of this information, I have taken the opportunity during the last couple of weeks to carry out some investigation of my own and it seems that this is a relatively common and well known fault with this specific gearbox. Many of these gearboxes are repaired or replaced under warranty because the fault manifests itself relatively early in the cars life, with some having reportedly failed after only a few thousand miles from new.


Obviously if the gearbox suffers the ‘manufacturing defect’ (quote from Subaru customer services) early in life and the car accrues mileage at the standard rate, (30000 miles or 36 months), the gearbox is likely to fail within the 3 year warranty period.


My car, however, has only covered ~29,000 miles even though it is 4 years old. Therefore had the car completed the usual number of miles within the allotted time, the gearbox would have failed within the warranty period. As I specifically bought a low mileage car to avoid possible major component failures of this type, I am naturally very aggrieved that such a failure has occurred after so few miles.


CVC have now completed their investigation and the gearbox has been rebuilt using new parts and they have received an offer from the Subaru Warranty Claims department for 50% of the cost of the parts that were needed to repair it. However the Warranty Claims department has refused to pay anything towards the labour costs and this has left me with an outstanding balance to pay of £1588 inc. VAT.


The car has a full Subaru service history and has been serviced in accordance with Subaru technical advice. I appreciate that my car is out of warranty, (it was registered in October 2001) but I would like to appeal against the low offer of compensation that has been offered for what is obviously a manufacturing defect and/or build quality problem.


In addition to this, I find it unusual that a manufacturing problem as well known and publicised as this, has not been the subject of a factory recall program. It also seems ludicrous that Subaru have not designed and communicated a clear claims process for Subaru customers whose vehicles are outside of the original warranty period. It appears that the amount of compensation offered by the Warranty Claims department, varies greatly, depending more on ‘luck’ than professional assessment of the claim. I have been advised from the outset that the amount they may offer could be anything from 100%, to 50/50, to parts or labour only, to nothing at all. When I have challenged the criteria used for claims of this type I have been informed that “it depends who you get on the day”.


I also feel it is worth noting that this is the first Subaru car I have owned and was an experience I have been looking forward to for many years. Having finally managed to justify the above average outlay for servicing, insurance, tyres, etc, I am absolutely distraught that such a major component can fail on a car I believed was a class leader, especially a car with such deep-rooted motorsport history. In my opinion, a gearbox would be expected to cover 10 times the number of miles my car has, without suffering damage of this type.


I hope that you will review this matter on my behalf and that it can be resolved in a mutually acceptable way.

Yours faithfully,


Richard Gillingham.

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

do you have contact details for this warranty department? I was just thinking that I may get in touch with them too - the more people that get onto them may get them to do something about it! like trap2 says, a gearbox should last a long time, if you look after it. I have fun with mine but don't give it a constant thrashing, and mines only done 14k!!!!

was planning on going out in it a weekend, what do you recon? i look at it as if it does go altogether, subaru assistance will have to pick it up + dealer may replace whole gearbox then? as long as i avoid motorways + daring overtakes?

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

They told me that it would be ok to keep driving it before it was fixed, just don't thrash it.

Isuzu Motor Group (IMG) Customer Services number is: 01215222000. You then need to ask for either Subaru Customer Services or the Subaru Warranty Department.

They will tell you that they don't normally deal with customers direct and that repairs and warranty claims are normally dealt with through the dealer.

Don't be fobbed off though, insist they deal with you as well as the dealer.

(If you get any grief off them PM me and I'll give you some contact details for 'people in high places', if you know what I mean ).

explore

lol your not ment to put any car back down into 1st once its moving duh

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

what i mean is when you are pulling up at a junction, you have to stop completely, put it into 1st gear, then move off again. you should be able to select 1st when just coasting (well you can in other cars i drive + have driven!)

i don't mean slamming into 1st to go round a 30mph corner!!!!!!

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

went out in car yesterday - did around 50 miles with no noise/crunching/grinding of gearbox, then, on the last straight before home it crunched into 4th. Guess it must be something loose, like what has been said about the shaft nut?

anyway, it's in on tuesday so il have an R-reg leggy estate for a few days (oh what fun!) quite handy though coz i need to do a tip run! (though they will probably think im tipping the car!)

Trap2Terrorist

iTrader: (3)

Exactly, well said. Why do some people have to be so fu*king condescending and assume other people don't know how to drive.

I had the same type of responses when I posted on the subject.

terryb

Explore - You need to learn how to drive properly then - ever heard of heel & toeing?? http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=314866

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

THEY CHANGED THE GEARBOX OIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C8 DHC 04WRX

iTrader: (13)

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? been out today + still grinding into 4th - only at 5.5k+ revs so a slight improvement. Me thinks il be on to subaru customer services before returning it to dealer - and yet another week of 'legacy estate' no doubt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!