Hello everyone. I have a Subaru 1998 Outback which has been a disaster
since I bought it used in 2001. Although it has only about 80,000
miles on it, I have replaced the viscous coupling, the harmonic
balancer, the clutch--and I just paid a ton to replace a blown head
gasket. When I brought the car home after having the head gasket
replaced, I noticed, when pulling into the driveway, that it exhibited
the same problems it had when the viscous coupling had failed in 2002.
I took it back to the dealer immediately, who said that indeed it was
the viscous coupling. They put some fluid in it and told me to drive
it for a few days in the hopes that that would work. Having done so,
it is clear to me that the car is fine for errands around town, but
after 30 minutes of highway driving, when you pull off the road to
park, the viscous coupling is malfunctioning and the car grinds on
tight turns.

My questions: 1. is it normal to go through 2 of these things before
the car even reaches middle age? 2. could the dealer have damaged
something in replacing the blown head gasket--or the harmonic balancer?
3. what happens if I don't get this fixed? I am SO tired to this
wretched car that I just want to sell it--but I hate to try to pawn it
off on someone knowing that he will have to pay $1000 for the viscous
coupling.

Thanks,
David

On 10 Jul 2006 06:49:31 -0700, "ownbyd" <david.ownby@umontreal.ca>
wrote:
Subarus are usually pretty relable cars so this is interesting. Do you
have the same tire front and rear and the proper pressues so that
their rolling diameters are the same? You bought it used so no telling
what abuse it suffered before you got it. Does it make just noise and
can you feel it too?


>Hello everyone. I have a Subaru 1998 Outback which has been a disaster
>since I bought it used in 2001. Although it has only about 80,000
>miles on it, I have replaced the viscous coupling, the harmonic
>balancer, the clutch--and I just paid a ton to replace a blown head
>gasket. When I brought the car home after having the head gasket
>replaced, I noticed, when pulling into the driveway, that it exhibited
>the same problems it had when the viscous coupling had failed in 2002.
>I took it back to the dealer immediately, who said that indeed it was
>the viscous coupling. They put some fluid in it and told me to drive
>it for a few days in the hopes that that would work. Having done so,
>it is clear to me that the car is fine for errands around town, but
>after 30 minutes of highway driving, when you pull off the road to
>park, the viscous coupling is malfunctioning and the car grinds on
>tight turns.
>
>My questions: 1. is it normal to go through 2 of these things before
>the car even reaches middle age? 2. could the dealer have damaged
>something in replacing the blown head gasket--or the harmonic balancer?
> 3. what happens if I don't get this fixed? I am SO tired to this
>wretched car that I just want to sell it--but I hate to try to pawn it
>off on someone knowing that he will have to pay $1000 for the viscous
>coupling.
>
>Thanks,
>David
-----------------
The SnoMan
www.thesnoman.com