Front differential problems related to coolant leak?

Question

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 · Accepted Answer

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 wrote:

lakepancake · Answer

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

AS · Answer

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 questi> Thanks for the reply. Regarding the tires, I did try putting the FWD

lakepancake · Answer

The original diagnosis was from an independent shop that put it up ona rack and listened with a scope.  Said the howling noise was comingfrom the front differential and I that was looking at $1000-$1500probably to fix it.Last night I got a second opinion from a Subaru dealer.  They wereslightly more specific and said that it is the pinion bearing in thefront diff.  The only Subaru-authorized repair is to install a remantransmission-differential mated unit, $2868 (parts only).  Ouch.  Itook it back to the original shop.

spamTHISbrp · Answer

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

lakepancake · Answer

Got the car back...Cost me $1500 per the original estimate.  Themechanic said that the pinion bearing didn't show signs of lubricationproblems, and surmises that either the original bearing was defectiveor took some kind of shock that caused the problem, although hecouldn't imagine what that might have been.

Front differential problems related to coolant leak?

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