Help/Advice needed for my Legacy B4

D

DrivenMad

Guest
Hey,

I've had this ongoing small problem with my 1999 Legacy B4 which is bugging me for a while now. I have been to 3 different mechanics about it but neither know whats wrong so I thought i'd ask here. Maybe someone could recommend someone or had the same problem? Which is:

Everytime I drive it, after about 10 miles, she starts pulling to the left a bit. The steering then gets harder turning right and gets worse the more I drive. Its fine turning left just much heavier turning right. It also seems to come on quicker the less fuel thats in her too (or could be my imagination). after a good run, when I go to park and turn the wheel full lock there is a thumping clicking sound. One mechanic said it was the dif, and not to worry, but I had that replaced recently and its the same. This might be unrealted but yesterday as I was moving in traffic I heard a sound like 2 kitchen knifes being rubbed together! (zing!)
When I park it for a bit and turn it on again its fine! I dont drive the crap outa it (obviously I do drive it on now and again!)all the time, i'm very kind to her! Is something overheating? could it be the brake discs?

Its really driving me nuts at this stage! Please help! :(
 
Thanks for the reply.
Could be. Not too certain myself. Is there a way of checking do you know (without bringing to a garage). If it was that though wouldn't it be a constant problem?
 
Clicking noise on full lock sounds like a CV joint is gone!did you get the tracking done?if not,it might be worth doing,just too rule that out!
Is it pulling on low speed or just pulling over a certain speed?
 
As dave said cv will click when your turning
Bring it to a big car park full lock left and right see if it clicking :dunno:
 
Cheers lads. Should have said I checked for that, but its not the CV joint. Had that happen on my first car though! Had the tracking done 3 or 4 times but made no difference. replaced all the pads as I thought it might be something to do with that. cant think now what else I did.
see its fine when I get into it but after a while these things happen. can do a full lock both ways fine and the steering is light but as i go it gets worse :( It clicks full lock left or right btw & pulls at low & high speed, after a while of driving.

:wall:
 
Sounds like a power steering or steering rack problem to me. You have described very similar things I experienced when my power steering pump broke.
 
I have a service manual at home with all types of problems listed,when i get home from work i'll post it up and ya can see what ye make of it :thumbsup:
 
Had the same problem about 6-8 months ago, and it was a piston getting stuck in the caliper, one way to find out is the next time you go for a spin, pull in and see if one disc is a lot hotter than the rest " without touching it " if so thats your problem


regds.
Fergus.
 
[quote author=thequadcam link=topic=6701.msg77809#msg77809 date=1208296769]
Had the same problem about 6-8 months ago, and it was a piston getting stuck in the caliper, one way to find out is the next time you go for a spin, pull in and see if one disc is a lot hotter than the rest " without touching it " if so thats your problem


regds.
Fergus.
[/quote]

Yes ...very important...do not touch the disc...the same kinda thing happened me and i drove into a nearby garage(wont mention names for fear of embarassment) and the guy came out..i explained what i was experiencing...he bent down and put his finger right on the disc that was visibly red with heat....he ran off cursing in some language....i did warn him VERY HOT....lol suppose he had to find out of himself
The piston seizing was my problem too
hope u solve ur prob soon....
 
Thanks for all the replies! :thumbsup:

@eliroche
my heart sank when i read "piston" until I read "caliper". Could very well be that. I'll sus that out, thanks.

@BlackScooby
she was never crashed so i'll rule out the drive shaft, for now! Thanks.

@AndyC
problem with the power steering could well be it too, if not both that & the brake caliper. Another suggestion was to tighten the PS belt before replacing the pump, see if that works. How did you fix yours?

@b4_rsk
I'd appreciate it if you could bud, thanks!

@thequadcam
I'll try that later thanks! I live 20 miles from work so that will be a good test.

@Liz
LOL its one way to learn anyway! Thanks, I hope so too!

Thanks again everyone, much appreciated :thumbsup:
 
I had a problem with a clicking sound before, had both cv joints and driveshafts replaced but didnt help at all. The problem only started after driving the car for over half an hour from cold. Turned out to be the centre diff in the gearbox and the whole thing had to be replaced. Mine never pulled either direction though so hopefully its not the diff but thought you should be aware of it anyway. Good luck
 
[quote author=BlackLegacy link=topic=6701.msg77904#msg77904 date=1208350215]
I had a problem with a clicking sound before, had both cv joints and driveshafts replaced but didnt help at all. The problem only started after driving the car for over half an hour from cold. Turned out to be the centre diff in the gearbox and the whole thing had to be replaced. Mine never pulled either direction though so hopefully its not the diff but thought you should be aware of it anyway. Good luck
[/quote]

Thanks man for the info. :thumbsup:
Was the clicking only on full lock or was it when driving? I only just had a new gearbox fitted so shouldn't be that. Ive had this problem a good long while now
 
Was clicking when i turned slightly but went mental when i put on full lock. So you've had it before you replaced the gearbox then ye? If so, I would say its the cv joint, I'm no mechanic but i did a bit of research when on them and often they only start clicking when they heat up so its probably that
 
ya its been there a good while now. 2 years, but i was off the road for a year from an accident in another car. according to 1 mechanic its not the cv joint coz i though that first. its more severe thump to a cv joint gone though, from what i remember of another car.
it was only 1 mechnics opinion so he could be wrong, i dunno!
 
[quote author=DrivenMad link=topic=6701.msg77902#msg77902 date=1208349361]
@AndyC
problem with the power steering could well be it too, if not both that & the brake caliper. Another suggestion was to tighten the PS belt before replacing the pump, see if that works. How did you fix yours?
[/quote]

Fitted new power steering pump.
 
[quote author=AndyC link=topic=6701.msg77956#msg77956 date=1208358840]
[quote author=DrivenMad link=topic=6701.msg77902#msg77902 date=1208349361]
@AndyC
problem with the power steering could well be it too, if not both that & the brake caliper. Another suggestion was to tighten the PS belt before replacing the pump, see if that works. How did you fix yours?
[/quote]

Fitted new power steering pump.
[/quote]

Thanks, was it expensive? just wondering will i explore the other options first or just "bite the bullet" and replace it.
 
Rule out a problem with the brakes first.

The pump was 125euro and labour for fitting was around 100euro I think.
 
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