reverse gear noise and moderate righthand turning noise

[grimaceNMike]

Two Christmas's ago I was driving over a mountain pass and my automatic transmission got really hot. When I pulled over I saw trail of Tranny oil behind my car on the snow. The radiator line had died of old age and burst under the pressure and sprayed a couple quarts on to the hood. I had the car towed, thinking I fried the tranny, and brought it home. When I got home I replaced both oil lines and refilled the transmission. To my relief the car still runs like it did before the incident. BUT for the last year or so I have noticed some awful sounds coming from what sounds like the transmission. First off is the reverse gear which I have a video for:

Is this just a bearing? Or is the gear toast? It gets louder when spun faster.

 

The other noise is when I am in 1st or 2nd gear accelerating and turning (turning right at an intersection from a stop for example) there is a similar buzzing grinding sound but you have to have the windows open to hear it.

I don't have a video of that yet. Its hard to capture

 

I have replaced both cv axels, wheel bearings, tie rods, and ball joints.

 

The car seems to drive fine unless you turn really hard and accelerate, then it feels like it goes into neutral then skids back into gear again.

[grimaceNMike]

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Edited October 6, 2014 by grimaceNMike

[Bushwick]

It sounds like an internal issue with the trans, like a busted band or something. I honestly haven't ever heard this noise before. Did you refill the trans with CORRECT fluid? Improper fluid would kill the trans. Does the fluid stink really bad? What color is it? If you know how, you can drain the fluid into a container, and inspect for broken bits or metal shavings, but that sort of noise at idle doesn't sound like it'll go away w/o repairs.

 

As far as the turning noise, that's usually a CV shaft failing. Did you put new ones in? Or did you go with used? With vehicle securely parked, turn wheel hard right, then inspect the rubber boot directly behind the rotor for rips, grease seepage, or even a busted clamp which would allow the boot to loosen, and grease to weep out over time. My Legacy had a boot that did this and it appeared to be in place. Only other things that can make noise is the strut assembly, inner tie rod, a loose bolt, etc.

 

I'd find a reputable shop like Good Year, and go in there being vague, and ask for a vehicle inspection. If they press you for specifics, say there's an odd noise on hard turns and weird noise at idle, and them do there job. Get a quote from them outlining what's wrong plus the cost, then come back here and share, and people will be able to assist further if it's something you can fix easily or not on your own. Careful though, as just because they say it's bad or failing, doesn't mean it necessarily is. Case in point my boot's band snapped, and a shop caught it while doing the tires. The guy was vague and assumed I wasn't knowledgeable, and almost inferred the entire CV axle would need replaced. I packed it with some more fresh grease, and bought a special stainless steel narrow band for a few dollars and it's been OK since. Others, would probably have just said "fix it" and next thing you know there's a $100 repair.

[grimaceNMike]

Brand new CV axels. No leaks or breaks in the boots I had completely destroyed cv axels before i changed therm and I know that sound, this is different. Like gears eating each other or something.

Thanks for the input! :]

[Bushwick]

Could be something else in the trans. I honestly don't know enough about bad trans noises, especially with Subaru. Most places do free inspections, so hopefully a local shop will be more helpful. The good side to this is these cars are so common and the trans usually last awhile, finding a good condition used unit should be fairly easy.