[Z-man]

Hi guys, new to the forum, thanks in advance for the help. My 98 Forester (manual, 135,000 miles) has developed a grumbling when accelerating in first. It sounds like its coming from the rear or center of the car. I've done a bit of Googling and come up with the noise coming from the drive shaft, u-joints, and center bearing. What do you think? Can a former VW hobbiest tackle this job?

Thanks, R

 

[Wormguy]

Does it happen in reverse too? Or if you start from rest in 2nd gear? At first I was thinking bad clutch ('clutch judder' is a frequent problem), but if it is in the back of the car then it may be the suspension. You could get a second person to go into the back seat to see where the sound is coming from.