Front differential problems related to coolant leak?

[lakepancake]

I've got a 2001 Legacy L wagon 2.5L automatic. About a year ago at 76K
miles one head gasket was replaced by the dealer under the terms of
the head gasket recall.

Now at 97K miles the car has developed a howl in the front
drivetrain. I had an independent mechanic diagnose the source of the
sound as the front differential. I wonder, could a failing head
gasket have caused this problem, by letting the coolant run along the
outside of the engine and into places where it shouldn't go?

Anyone care to share other relevant info I should know about before I
pay $1000-$1500 to have the front diff fixed?

Thanks

 

[AS]

Coolant leaking would have nothing to do with the differential, not
directrly anyway.

I guess you have discarded the tires as the cause of your noise. Never
heard of the differential being a problem in the 2001, I might be wrong
though.

Good luck

 

[lakepancake]

Thanks for the reply. Regarding the tires, I did try putting the FWD
fuse in and the sound is the same, so as I understand it that
eliminates that possibility.

 

[AS]

How did your mechanic diagnose it, test drive, esthetoscope?

Again, the answer to your original question is, the two problems
head/differential are not related.

My question about the tires has to do with the sounds some tires with
uneven wear produce, but I guess you already discarded this posibility.

 

[lakepancake]

The original diagnosis was from an independent shop that put it up on
a rack and listened with a scope. Said the howling noise was coming
from the front differential and I that was looking at $1000-$1500
probably to fix it.

Last night I got a second opinion from a Subaru dealer. They were
slightly more specific and said that it is the pinion bearing in the
front diff. The only Subaru-authorized repair is to install a reman
transmission-differential mated unit, $2868 (parts only). Ouch. I
took it back to the original shop.

 

[Guest]

The original diagnosis was from an independent shop that put it up on
a rack and listened with a scope. Said the howling noise was coming
from the front differential and I that was looking at $1000-$1500
probably to fix it.

Last night I got a second opinion from a Subaru dealer. They were
slightly more specific and said that it is the pinion bearing in the
front diff. The only Subaru-authorized repair is to install a reman
transmission-differential mated unit, $2868 (parts only). Ouch. I
took it back to the original shop.

From what I understand about subies, auto or manual trans, if the
fluid level has been kept adequate this is a fairly unusual failure.


Dave

 

[lakepancake]

From what I understand about subies, auto or manual trans, if the
fluid level has been kept adequate this is a fairly unusual failure.

Dave

Got the car back...Cost me $1500 per the original estimate. The
mechanic said that the pinion bearing didn't show signs of lubrication
problems, and surmises that either the original bearing was defective
or took some kind of shock that caused the problem, although he
couldn't imagine what that might have been.