NeilHopkins Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Hello everyone - can you help me out? I recently had a new clutch put into my 07 Forester. it's smelled a bit clutchy since (esp when reversing) but have had new clutches before and they take a while to bed in (probably haven't done 400 miles since). Anyway, today, I decided to put it into Lo range for the first time (haven't owned it that long) mostly to check that the lever actually shifted! Pressed the clutch, went into Lo fine, drove back and forth for a few meters, all seemed happy. Now it will not go into Hi range - it feels as though I'm trying to engage a gear without depressing the clutch. The lever goes into the Hi position, but it just grinds as though the clutch/gear isn't engaging. I found this post on another forum about driving it backwards and forwards while turning the wheel - https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2003-stuck-in-low-range.820453/ - but I think that this is for an auto gear box, which mine isn't! Any help or nudges would be appreciated. Having just spent a load on the clutch (plus drive shaft and wheel bearing) I really don't fancy another big bill....... have you had this happen and, if so, what fixed it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judd Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 On some of the larger 4x4s with low range, some owners switch the engine off and then shift range to avoid that grating sound, might be worth a try. You shouldn't be smelling clutch in any normal driving, something may be amiss there, don't know if there's any adjustment possible on the Foz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilHopkins Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 minute ago, Judd said: On some of the larger 4x4s with low range, some owners switch the engine off and then shift range to avoid that grating sound, might be worth a try. You shouldn't be smelling clutch in any normal driving, something may be amiss there, don't know if there's any adjustment possible on the Foz. Thanks Judd - I did try that but didn't have much joy. Will leave it to completely cool down and see what it does tomorrow! Re the clutch smell, it's on idle (getting better slowly)/stationary and when reversing. I'd like to think that it was all fitted properly and so shouldn't need adjustment so soon but...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 You should be able change range on the fly easily on these as got syncro . My first guess would be high low selector arm possibly bent/fitted wrong ar something blocking it's full travel to high position . If they pulled transmission (rather than pulling engine) do clutch then they would of messed with this . Shouldn't get too much clutch smell, if clutch feel odd or smell persists don't ignore it . When driving do all other gears select okay (including reverse ?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilHopkins Posted January 3, 2022 Author Share Posted January 3, 2022 That sounds about right re the arm. I took it around the block this morning (tried the reversing trick a few times as detailed in the link I previously shared) - no better and, at one point, the car didn't want to move at all after trying to shift (stationary) into hi then back to lo. With a bit of revving it did pull away and then drove as before in Lo. Given that it didn't do this until I selected lo, presumably if it was fitted wrong, it may now have 'slipped' or similar? Re clutch behaviour - it feels quiet smooth. It's a bit on the low side (ie it feels like you need to push it a far way to disengage, but I had a Legacy that was the same. Kinda prefer to it a clutch that disengages at the absolute top of the range) and improved after the replacement. Re gear selection - never had any complaints. You could describe first as a 'little tough' but the car has got 108k on the clock and I've driven far, far worse. It's not hard to get it into 1st, just not quite hot-knife-through-butter. Even now, once moving in Lo, first three gears select fine. I haven't gone to any speed that would require a higher gear as I'm not sure that's the best thing to do... Re smell - it was quite smelly after the replacement but has been getting better. I had this in a previous couple of cars - first few hundred miles there was a smell which went as everything settled in. If it is the selector arm, are these a difficult (expensive) replacement? I've found a Subaru specialist around the corner from me so won't be going back to the local garage how had such a hard time changing the clutch in the first place... UPDATE @Mr B - I think that you've hit the nail on the head! Found this when searching for 'selector arm': https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2000-help-my-dual-range-high-low-transmission-keeps-slipping-into-neutral.88579/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Clutches on these are super easy, main issue is most normal garages only use to euro garbage so got little experience thus you the owner suffer as they learning on your dime . Unfortunately as you never tested range before it may have internal issue but it not that common to Hopefully it selector arm/lever or something blocking its full travel to high position . Generally on these we pull engine do the clutch as quicker/easier . I'm guessing they pulled the gearbox 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 If they done something to external range selection lever it should be pretty simple fix ... If you unlucky it be internal fault and a possible fault from when you bought it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilHopkins Posted January 3, 2022 Author Share Posted January 3, 2022 (edited) 29 minutes ago, Mr B said: If they done something to external range selection lever it should be pretty simple fix ... If you unlucky it be internal fault and a possible fault from when you bought it ! Well, fingers crossed. At least I now know what to tell the garage to look for! Wish I had gone to the local specialist first - but I didn't know about them 😞. Clutch cost a load to do - and they had to put in a new driveshaft/wheel bearing as the old shaft got bent somewhere... I'll let you know how it works out - thanks for the help! Edited January 3, 2022 by NeilHopkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 they had an education at your expense by sounds of it ! If you know what you doing you pull the engine as takes about an hour have it out . On older cars not everything goes to plan but experience and brand knowledge can keep problems and costs down . Clutch job on sg9 2.0x should be around £350-450 including decent quality japan clutch or luk . Hope works out okay . Need any more advice post away ... happy new year hopefully 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilHopkins Posted January 3, 2022 Author Share Posted January 3, 2022 1 minute ago, Mr B said: ^ Yeah they had an education at your expense by sounds of it ! If you know what you doing you pull the engine as takes about an hour have it out . On older cars not everything goes to plan but experience and brand knowledge can keep problems and costs down . Clutch job on sg9 2.0x should be around £350-450 including decent quality japan clutch or luk . Hope works out okay . Need anymore advice post away ... happy ne year hopefully 🙂 Sigh. It was more than that (even the original quote before all of the unexpected extras). Never mind, live/learn etc - but hopefully the next bill won't be too much as I really don't want to pile cash into it... Happy New Year to you too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilHopkins Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 Thanks for your help all! It was a misalignment with the hi/lo selector. £40 and an adjusted clutch later and it feels like a new car! Have a great weekend! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 5 hours ago, NeilHopkins said: Thanks for your help all! It was a misalignment with the hi/lo selector. £40 and an adjusted clutch later and it feels like a new car! Have a great weekend! Well that is brilliant result . I would take this experience as a cheap education on being more fussy on who works on your cars and doing some research on what jobs involve and best part brands to use. Quite simply experience and knowledge is difference between 5 minutes it fixed or 5 days of misery between yourself and a garage that making a bigger mess of your car the longer they got it in the shop . I worked on Subaru and Japanese cars for over 3 decades, most jobs and faults we know likely scenario before even got car in shop purely as we seen and done/come across it a hundred times already . Now throw some french garbage on my lift and besides sulking as I detest the badly engineered garbage I also be slowed down through lack of knowledge . Quite simply you can't be a master of all makes and issue with subaru is they pretty reliable and pretty quirky so lot of garages hardly ever see one so they got zero practical experience on them thus high potential for less than ideal repairs and plain bad advice should they assume they competent enough take job . Now if you got french and german cars they in the garage more than on the road so most all make garages get to know them well . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilHopkins Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 Just a shame the first bit wasnt so reasonable! Ironically I did do some investigation before choosing the last garage. But never mind what is done is done! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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