Vimy101

^ My interest in this problem comes from my interest in long term maintenance issues that this bushing problem may pose. Members with modded engines may have accelerated a wear and tear issue whose solution may eventually benefit LGT owners.

I agree... its a different tranny... but the mounting points and type of mounting systems will be the same.

 

Do we know that for certain? The mounting system might be the same but the unit is heavier and designed for even heavier power applications so it could very well have sturdier bushings and mounting points to match.

Vimy... where do you get your info?

 

The 6MT is supposed to be a more robust unit by all accounts. The 5MT drive train doesn't seem to have a problem handling extra Stage I/II power but something is noisily protesting during cold weather. Perhaps the 6MT might not but that is pure speculation.

 

My next prediction is that the noises will begin to reappear in 8 or 9 months.

If I got the relay and ECU replaced by the dealer 9 months ago, do I need to go back? Is this a newer relay or exactly what they had 9 months ago? I got the recall notice but does Subaru send this to all owners even when a fix has already been made to an owner's car?

 

You are covered under the emission systems warranty that runs 8(?) years or so. You should definitely contact the dealer about the part you bought. If they supplied the wrong part then I would think that you'd be covered. I am in the situation where I ordered and bought a new relay that's now sitting at the dealership just before the recall came out. So far, the car is running within spec. so I'm probably going to head the Sube of Schaumburg and see whats up (and pick up my ordered popits and drain plug gaskets).

I wonder if the 6MT Spec.s will have this issue. It's a heavier duty drive train and might have more robust bushings (if in fact that is the cause of the noise). However, I predict that most of these noises will disappear in about a month or so.

If I'm reading correctly the relay gets replaced and then the fan is checked to see if it is running. Mine is running constantly now. Could the ecu be alright even with the fan running all the time? Thanks. Al

 

No. If the fans are running, it means the ECU has been damaged.

^ Sounds like you saw an 06 Spec.

^ Thanks Opie. :thumbsup:

^ You might add suspension mods.

A guy in Quebec had his car modded by Julian at Lachute. The noise drove him nuts. He put his car back to stock, took it to the dealer and they never could make the noise go away!

 

He is now driving an AUDI!

 

^ Good point. Now we need a few members with OEM suspension Stage1/2 to check in and tell us if they have problem.

 

I have no intention of lowering the Spec.B because I like the road clearance rally heritage influence. However, once the waranty expires, I'm seriously considering going at least to Stage 1 so I am interested to see what might be responsible. Also, when it comes time to replace the struts, etc. if bushings might not also become a RR item.

Dollars to donuts its the lowering.

We should start to petition vendors to start supplying parts that will fix this issue. It is embarrasing and annoying.

 

I wonder if LGT numbers are sufficient to create profitable demand. I'm just guessing, but isn't the "growling" being reported primarily by modded LGTs? However, I would think that normal wear and tear on OEM ones would begin to create the noise over time.

Nice find.

I just did a quick count on this thread of the LGTs that seem to be having this problem. Most of the affected are 05s and most have undergone some amount of modding. One affected 06 owner also checked in.

^ I'm hoping that SOA is addressed this problem by installing stouter bushings in 06 and later model years. Any reports of 06s being afflicted by this problem?

^ I agree with the later. Oxidation and wear (age) are exacerbating the condition. Rubber parts wear out which is one of the reasons used cars are cheaper than new cars.

^ As I suspected. Bushings. I suggested that it might be subframe bushings but it was certainly some type of bushings were being affected by cold temps and allowing the differential to twist.

 

This is still relatively a new model but the rubber bits are now beginning to age.

^ Avons were on my short list but high mileage reviews on Tire Rack seemed to indicate that they got noisey over time which means to me that they get baked and hard. I find reading the long term reviews to be the most informative. When someone replaces their old tires, the new ones are always wonderful in comparison and, of course, they are. The haven't seen any heat cycles.

 

The ContiExtremes didn't appear to get as many bad long term reviews. However, I am using them as my winter set up (very good in the snow I've seen) and they will come off come spring. Perhaps the Avons would have been just fine in that kind of service where they wouldn't see really warm temperatures that might bake the life out of them.

^ I run closer to 40.

Please read the initial post. The poll is an open one so you can click on the number tallies to see who is getting what mileage. By going to the profiles of the the participating members you can compare regions, mods, etc.

^ Spectacular pix. Thanks. (Finally figured out how to see them.)

Looks as if the mileage numbers are slipping the longer the winter season progresses as members check in with their new data.

Keeping aerodynamic forces to a minimum will net you good mpg. Fuel consumption is roughly proportional to the square of your car's speed.

^ Bumping for additional data.