Shuddering, leaking 98 Automatic Outback

[RKent]

My 98 Outback has about 135K on it and apparently is due an engine oil leak and

a head gasket repair. I am also noticing a shudder when making sharp (like U) turns. One person with a 96 wrote in and was advised about a clutch pack wearing out a housing. do the 98's have the same problem?

 

Ray

[1 Lucky Texan]

  RKent said:

My 98 Outback has about 135K on it and apparently is due an engine oil leak and

a head gasket repair. I am also noticing a shudder when making sharp (like U) turns. One person with a 96 wrote in and was advised about a clutch pack wearing out a housing. do the 98's have the same problem?

 

Ray

 

Any AWD vehicle could probably experience 'torque bind'. With the automatic soobs, there will be a fuse slot in the box under the hood for a spare (15A IIRC) fuse in the FWD position. If the shuddering goes away, you have 2-3 course of action. There have been limited reports of people doing tranny flushes and maybe using an additive and, at least temporarily, regaining normal function. Othertimes a bad solenoid is the cause, sometimes a tranny rebuild is required.

make sure you tires are all the same brand and within 1/4" in circumference of each other. Odd mix of tires stresses the AWD because it is detected as constant slippage.

Do a search for 'torque bind' here. It MAY be possible, that, if you have a bad tranny and a bad enough engine, that swapping in rebuilt units would be enough labor savings to proceed that way. Sounds like you MAY have 2-3 expesive repairs upcoming.

 

Carl