Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Recommended Posts

Hi, new to this site, was wonderin if anyone could help me out. We have a 1993 Impreza, with 163,085 Miles. other than the usual oil leaks and such, it runs pretty good yet. only major problem right now, is that in the winter time, when the roads are bad, it doesnt want to kick in the rear wheels the way it should. last winter, it seemed that I had to almost work the throttle to try and get it to engage. and when it would, it did so with one heck of a clunk, almost as if the only way it would kick in, is when the fronts were slipping alot. I have owned four wagons before, (man do I miss them) they were all manual select 4WD, never any problems with them, so never had to figure them out, but this one, it has me baffled since I am not at all familiar with the AWD workings. I appreciate any info, and thank you in advance. Hope I can be of some help with some questions to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems my my 93 leg. I suggest u do a tranny flush, because the clutch for the awd gets guky, and doesnt engage. But with my 93 leg at the time i didnt know so, i burnt out my drive solenoid that kicks in awd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i burnt out my drive solenoid that kicks in awd.

 

I was wondering if the tranny fluid could have anything to do with it,.. will do the serch suggested, If the Drive Solenoid burns out, will it kick in the awd at all??? and WOW, talk about quick service, hell, McDonalds aint got nuttin on this place!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BURN!! anyway what happens is the clutchs get gunky thats all. ANd a flush usually fixes the issue.

 

Not true. If it gets really bad, they weld themselves together, mandating replacement of the clutch plates or clutchpack unit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

as i have read here over the past 6 months, there are 2 things in the trans that can cause tourque bind.

1. duty c solenoid - electric failure or gummed up

 

electric failure you had to pull and replace the sol. ( don't let them trick you into thinking that the clutchplates are bad too. matbe, maybe not.)

 

trannys around 95 had the tendancy to gum up the duty c valve seat. this was corrected in 96/97. changing the trans fluid could usually help.

 

2. clutch plates - gummed up? or welded together (not sure)

 

running long term with torque bind caused by gummed plates or duty c, i think, could lead to welded plates. fluid change could help gumming, but only replacement parts can help welded plates. $850-1000.

 

i spent $275 labor putting in a used clutch pack, duty c included. ( i knew the trans, no TB) if you go this way i suggest a new duty c in the process. you would hate to have a duty c failure 6 months after replacing the clutch pack. ($275 labor again)

 

good luck.

 

 

Not true. If it gets really bad, they weld themselves together, mandating replacement of the clutch plates or clutchpack unit.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i had a problem like this and everyone seemed to think my clutches were bad. i lifted the wheels off the ground and only the front would spin until i gave it some gas then it would clunk really loud and the rear would spin a little and stop again. i unpluged the wire that goes to the solonoid and the rear spun fine. so i spliced a switch into the duty-c wire and when i need awd i flip the switch.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60016&highlight=pamike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sigh.

Torque bind in its purest defanition is when there is no speed differnce between the front and rea axles on turns. The front axle turns at a differnt speed then the rear axle on turns, and there has to be some way to compenstate this. on automtics its a clutch pack.

The clutch pack is designed to allow for slippage on turns, but wont tolerate alot of slippage. A failed duty c solenoid or welded clutches can cause torque bind.

No response to the rear wheels is the reverse problem. This is just like a slipping automatic tranny. The AWD unit is working fine, except your clutches are glazed/worn/wiped. There is no more clutch material on the discs, so like any clutch, its slipping.

Installing a switch forces the awd curcuit to go to max pressure (putting the car in low will do the same thing). This will work, but only for so long.

In the meeantime you have lost the sfatey of AWD traction in all conditions. The AWD works not just in the snow, but it works extreemly well on dry surfaces as well as rain. There is a reason you cant get a sooby to spin tires when the front wheel is cut hard.

 

nipper

Link to comment
Share on other sites

*sigh* Please read before you mis-interpret torquebind.

 

http://legacycentral.org/library/torquebind.htm

 

Sloppy clutch packs and solenoid C being busted is cause for AWD not to engage, not for the infamous torquebind as described by most early Legacy owners.

 

actually a busted duty c solenoid, if it throws a code, will cause torque bind, as the default mode for a filaed solenoid is a 50/50 split (fully closed solenoid, full pressure to clutches)

Why they do this i dont know, personally i would have designed it the other way around.

 

Otherwise your correct

 

now lets all sigh together, then go over to the gas mileage thread and sigh there

 

one two three

 

SIGH

 

 

:brow::D

nipper

Link to comment
Share on other sites

unfortunatly, I think I am getting more confused as to what the problem may be now. yes, it is an auto trans. will the fluid change still help the cause? I do not have a clue what the "duty c" solenoid is, or where it may be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Installing a switch forces the awd curcuit to go to max pressure (putting the car in low will do the same thing).

 

In the meeantime you have lost the sfatey of AWD traction in all conditions. The AWD works not just in the snow, but it works extreemly well on dry surfaces as well as rain. There is a reason you cant get a sooby to spin tires when the front wheel is cut hard.

 

nipper

 

before i put the switch in i tried putting the car in low to make it work and it made no difference. the car acted just like a fwd. it WOULD spin if i was in a parking lot. the switch is not something that is used everyday, just incase the car would get stuck i would have it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...