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2010 MT Torque bind? Using fuse 15 to force into FWD does NOT alleviate the symptoms.

('09-'13)
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1.5K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  CO17Forester  
I
#1 ·
Vehicle Details:
2010 non-turbo
Transmission:
5spd manual
I recently bought a 2010 Forester 5spd non-turbo at auction. 170k miles. The engine was replaced with a used one out of an 09. When I turn nearly full lock at very low speeds there is a juttering kinda vibration, sometimes making the whole car feel like it is lurching. I have to feather the clutch and give more throttle than normal to avoid stalling. After looking into it my first thought was the center diff failing, but when I insert a 10amp fuse into slot 15 to disable AWD I don't notice any difference in the symptoms. All the tires are the same size and wear. All tires are properly inflated. The transmission/front diff oil is full and appears clean. I have not checked the rear diff oil.

When I install the 10amp fuse to force it into AWD, are any dash lights supposed to come on? I can't really notice any difference at all. I didn't try to lose traction to ensure that the car is in fact being forced into FWD.

1. Is it safe to continue driving the vehicle like this? The problem only occurs at slow speeds while making very sharp turns

2. Could a binding front CV shaft cause these symptoms, and is there an easy way to definitively diagnose which CV shaft is bad on these vehicles?

3. Is it possible the front diff (which as I understand is a part of the transmission) is failing?

4. Could doing the "drive full lock in a circle 20 times in each direction" advice actually help anything? is there any risk associated with doing so?

Any guidance is greatly appreciated. This is my first ever Subaru and I'm hoping I can properly fix this for a reasonable cost.
 
B
#2 ·
  1. I don't remember if their will be a FWD light on the dash or not.
  2. Is is safe to continue driving? Yes it is
  3. Never heard of a binding CV, CV if bad usually makes noises.
  4. Torque bind shows up when doing sharp/parking lot turns.

The only fix is a replacement transmission, unless you're willing to pull apart the transmission to get the to differential where the torque bind is occurring.
 
#4 ·
I can confirm that gen Forester has a viscous limited slip center diff. Nothing you can do to disconnect it. I drove my '09 MT for 120k miles and my son has it at 199k, no issues with the center diff.
 
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#6 ·
I flatted once in the summer when my Foz was young, and my tires were 1" oversized. I cringed, put on the undersized spare, and had to drive 20-30 miles in really hot weather. No apparent damage to mine. There is some kind of specific limited slip fluid inside the unit, and if that is fried or has leaked out, that could be a problem. I am fortunate to know nothing about failed center diffs. Our '17 has a CVT and no fuse to make it 2WD.
 
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#9 ·
With the manual transmission, Subaru recommends using the undersized spare on the rear axle.
The 20 circle thing is for the CVT, they are trying to burp air from the pulley control system. Like the fuse trick it is not for a manual transmission.

$532 for a new center diff.
38913AA101 Genuine Subaru Center Differential Assembly

Have fun
 
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