weird clutch failure mode

[RustyShackleford]

Wife just got a ride home, Outback is in a parking lot a few miles away. Apparently the car got where it wouldn't go over 40mph, and now, according to her, it won't move at all. You can put it in gear, let out the clutch pedal, and it doesn't move and the engine revs up. So somehow the engine is decoupled from the tranny. Failure modes I've seen before, the clutch will not release: the cable (in older vehicles) broke, or the hydraulics are messed up, or the throwout bearing or its yoke broke. I tested the clutch for slippage a few days back (put into 5th gear at low speed and tried to rev engine) and it seemed fine. But car does have 130K miles, far more than I've ever gotten from a Subie clutch before.

 

Does this make any sense to anyone ?

 

Oh well, I've got towing insurance and a $500 goodwill coupon that expires soon. And like I said, 130K miles, so I was figuring on replacing the clutch fairly soon anyhow. I'm just bewildered about this failure mode.

[Max Capacity]

Short of any odd noises, which I guess she didn't hear.

 

Are you sure the shifter is moving the tranny into gear ?

 

I guess your going to have to order a clutch kit. Pull the tranny and see what's up.

 

 

The is a 2.5i right ?

[RustyShackleford]

She denies any odd noises.

 

I just looked at it myself, and couldn't figure anything. It shows NO sign of trying to move when I put it in any of the 5 gears and let out the clutch. Clutch pedal feels normal, and slave cylinder and the fork appear to be moving normally. There is a smell, kind of like burning wiring, but I imagine could be the clutch disc spinning. Looked to see if front half-axles are spinning where they come out of tranny, and nothing.

 

Did NOT look to see if tranny linkage seems to be moving normally, but is it possible to even see that, from above at least ?

 

One of my local buddies mentioned the failure somewhere in tranny too. But said they'd really never heard of such a thing in Subie trannys, and if something like a u-joint/cv-joint broke, wife would've noticed some sort of noise, a clunk or something.

 

Yeah, with that $500 coupon will tow to Sube dealer. Clutch R&R is outside my skill level. Have to hope the dealer doesn't insist on replacing flywheel if not needed, but that coupon expires on election day, and there's nothing else really coming up to use it on.

 

If it's something beyond a simple clutch job, will have to decide if it's worth it to fix.

[RustyShackleford]

Oh well, it's on a tow truck on the way to dealer. Out of my hands. We shall see. Thanks much for the commiserations !

[Max Capacity]

I hope you meant a Flatbed truck picked up the car and is taking it, not a tow truck dragging it.

 

 

The dealer will at least have the FW resurfaced before installing the new clutch. Not sure if you have a DMFW in a 2.5i.

 

May be like a GT you can have a 07-09 SMFW and clutch installed in place of the DMFW if that's an option.

 

We do that on GT's.

[RustyShackleford]

It was simply the clutch; got that and flywheel replaced. I'm still perplexed it didn't show signs of slipping when I tested within a few hundred miles previous (put in 5th gear at 20mph and floor it). I've had previous Subarus that were slipping for quite awhile before I got around to having them serviced.

[RustyShackleford]

I hope you meant a Flatbed truck picked up the car and is taking it, not a tow truck dragging it.

Dollies. (Set rear wheels each on a little two-wheeled cart that they strap to the wheel. Pick up front wheels as normal). Guy claims he tows for the Subaru dealer all the time.

[Max Capacity]

Dollies. (Set rear wheels each on a little two-wheeled cart that they strap to the wheel. Pick up front wheels as normal). Guy claims he tows for the Subaru dealer all the time.

 

That is fine. Thanks,