1 Lucky Texan

This seems very odd to me. I assume you are the original owner and the fronst have not been changed in the pst? maybe there is a problem with the master cylinder/brake proportioning valve or something? I dunno

VERY important to check the above, but a low refrigerant condition can sound a little like water 'whooshing' and the A/C compressor would likely be engaged for defrosting. Try testing the air conditioner with and without the A/C compressor and give a listen. (I'm actually overdue for taking my '03 OBW in for low refrig. - too many family 'emergencies' right now for my wife to give up her car - grrrr!)

I think this would be a good mod for re-wiring that parking light switch on top of the steering column. Much more useful and no need for a new hole in the dash.

I agree generally with the idea of a fluid dripping or blowing onto the exhaust but wonder if it might be power steeri ng fluid? Might be worth checking the level.

I agree with the above, tell the steal - uh - dealership you want to talk to the zone rep about covering this in good faith as a drivetrain warranty issue. Then if that goes no where, ask him how HE would feel in your position and if he would get a 'third party' involved. I'd bet you could at least get FHI to comp the labor and you pay for parts. I dunno

Dang - that's a shame. If you could park it overnight in a large area, with the wheels cut hard to the lock, I wonder if you would feel the torque bind immediately doing a slow 'donut' after starting? I dunno what to think if the answer is; 'Its OK till you do 17 circles' - but it is weird the way its behaving. What about testing for the weird feeling with the rear shaft removed? Could it be a front diff problem (what?). I dunno.

Are they 'safe' for wiring/connectors on newer soobs?

OK - I'm risking this question, How do you know its torque bind and not some other issue? Nipper often points out the possibilty some off feeling in the drivetrain can be a U joint or carrier bearing.

I used my handbrake if I needed to come to a complete stop during the bedding in procedure. It pays to pick the spot for doing this carefully so you minimize the risk of NEEDING to stop - kinda tricky. Don't be surprised to see some smoke/vapor. I have no experience with ceramic pads - but likely they are bonded on the backing plate and that material might 'outgas' at high temps. Let us know what you think about the pads later on OK?

I dunno about cryo-ing them, but here's a link with some (possibly controversial) info on pad/rotor failure modes and wear, etc. http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml

If we're talking about the manual tranny, the ECU is outta the picture. But ,yeah, the auto senses wheel slip and then starts to allow the clutch pack to engage more, transfering the power to the rear axle.

OT question. Tell me about Rust Check because I bought some splash gurads for my car that likely will require some drilling but the thought of exposing the metal is a little frightening. I had considered using some silicone or other sealant to help prevent moisture from getting to the area - but a substance that is applied to the holes to deter rust appeals to me. I guess it is common knowledge to some folks. is it readily availabel? tia

I guess that goes back to what ya'll have been sayin' about the NOx, etc. I wonder if it's significant which END of the cat is the hottest? Like the upstream end could indicate a lean condition whlie the downstreeam section might be hot in a rich condition? I dunno.

I dunno why the o'flow tank is dry, unless as mentioned the leak is other than a bad cap - but have you considered you may have a stuck or partly stuck thermostat? Here especially, I've read you DO NOT want an aftermarket part. Subaru thermostats only please. Also, it may be worth checking the spark plugs. If one looks distinctly different from the others, you might be blowing the coolant out the tail pipe.

Get one of those IV thingies at the hospital. Do you feel OK? You don't look good. ;^)

In all fairness, the 'junk' (leaves, gravel,etc.) in the gutter may HELP keep a soob's drivetrain from binding. I dunno. Do your brakes also wear unevenly? I heard a letter carrier ask Click and Clack once if it were OK to change just the pads on the left side! They finally said 'go ahead' . I think it MAY be overemphasised, usually these things are a compromise between engineering, marketing, sales, legal, etc. But it is an expensive part. The manual says change the oil at 7500 miles too. Likely that is a compromise too. But I doubt folks would just dismiss it as overkill and start telling people 12,000 is OK. Plus, a ONE TIME miss of an oil change that goes to 12,000 miles probably would not destroy the engine. BUT a ONE TIME period of 3 weeks driving a donut spare COULD mean a new tranny. Once you educate yourself, you can assume whatever risk level you're comfortable with. Curiously, those very folks who may not be able to afford a set of tires , will have an EXTREMELY difficult time buying a transmission! ymmv

S0, how would I know what type lambda sensor my soobs have? Or is one type exceedingly rare....

Not a bad beginning explanation. also, from that site, check out this!; http://www.picotech.com/auto/lambda_sensor.html VERY detailed O2 sensor stuff with diagnostic hints, etc. particularly interesting for some of us, how easily the sensors can be damaged by coolant in the exhaust or by an ohmmeter!

Yeah, I'd expect reducing the NOx ,even in the presence of a catalyst, probably requires an elevated temperature or possibly the presence of one of the other compounds from the HC or CO reactions. I will try to locate an explanation I can get my braincell around. thanx

Check the tire pressure. I've read of other folks taking delivery of soobs that had greatly over inflated tires. That can worsen the ride feel. just a thought

MAN! that's cool! ( BoM - Bank of Mom - helped me out a coupla times in the past)

No clutch packs in a manual. The heated up silicone emersed discs/whatever cause a diff to lock. I dunno. maybe he's OK. The manual kinda indicates it should be very temporary with limited speed and distance.

Interesting on the cats - I was speaking from fairly old knowledge. so, shouldn't my cars be molten right now since there is 0 fuel going through them? That's about as lean as it gets. ;^) (any links to an explanation of the chemistry that goes on inside newer type converters?) I love learning new stuff.

It will likely last longer in PA in winter than in TX in summer. But every inch the car moves the center diff fluid will be heating up, just as if he were trying to drive on ice or through mud - temporary situations at lower speeds usually. And, if the center diff is locked, the drivetrain is also now being driven on pavement in a lot of strain. Obviously, the sooner he fixes this the better. But he may have alternatives, like borrowing a car or paying someone to carpool with - I dunno. It's not a black/white issue, but suppose he said he needed to drive this way for 6 months? He'd get a differnet response from us than if he said 6 days. I dunno.

Too much fuel reaching the cat. Either some kinda seriously bad missfire issues or bad injectors or something. Doesn't mean you couldn't suffer 2 or more problems at once or that one problem can create another.