Send your comments or questions for Tom and Ray to: Car Talk Plaza, P.O. Box 3500 Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02238. Listen to them Saturdays at 10 a.m. on 91.3 FM or 88.5 FM. Visit them on the Internet at www.cartalk.com.
Dear Tom and Ray:
I have a manual-transmission 2000 Subaru Forester with 126,000 miles that I’ve had since it had 12 miles on it. I also have a 1-month-old baby. As a new mom, my car has me a little worried. During the past year, it has started shaking violently whenever I make a left turn. This starts happening after I’ve driven it about 10 miles. When I say “shaking violently,” I mean it feels like the body is going to rip itself off the chassis.
I’ve taken it to the dealership and multiple mechanics who won’t get in the car long enough to feel the problem, so it hasn’t been reproduced for a professional. They have all told me, “That’s what happens to Subarus with high mileage.” I find that hard to believe. Any thoughts? Is it still safe to take on long trips? Thanks. — Piper
TOM: Gee, Piper. My 1977 Fiat shakes violently when I drive it, too. But that’s how I know it’s running!
RAY: You need several things, Piper. First, you need a mechanic who’s actually interested in helping you. Try checking the Mechanics Files on our Web site (www.cartalk.com/mechanics). That’s a list of mechanics who are personally recommended by other readers and listeners of ours.
TOM: Anyone who won’t spend 10 minutes riding with you to see what’s wrong with your car is not terribly interested in your business. Or your welfare.
RAY: When you find someone willing to experience the shaking firsthand, I suspect the diagnosis is going to be that you need a new viscous coupling. We’ve seen viscous couplings go bad on some Subarus around the same age as yours.
TOM: The viscous coupling is Subaru’s version of a center differential, which allows the front and back wheels of an all-wheel-drive car to turn at different speeds when you’re cornering. If it’s binding up, it’ll result in one or more wheels dragging on the pavement while you turn. You’ll feel that as a violent chattering sensation. Sound familiar?
RAY: They usually don’t take 10 miles to start misbehaving when they go bad, but that would still be my first guess. If you need a new viscous coupling, it’ll cost you in the neighborhood of $700-$900.
TOM: If it’s not the viscous coupling, the next thing I would check is your CV (constant velocity) joints. One of them could be binding up. It could be in the front or the back, inner or outer. You’ve got eight of them.
RAY: And can you still take this car on long trips? I wouldn’t. At least not until this is fixed, Piper. If it’s the viscous coupling, it can really mess up the car’s handling. And if it binds up while you’re cornering at a high enough speed, you could even lose control of the car.
TOM: Not to mention that all that shaking will keep waking the baby!
Dad should let daughter get car she wants
Dear Tom and Ray:
My 24-year-old daughter is moving to Los Angeles from New York City and will need a car. She is in love with the Jaguar XJS Coupe. Her budget will allow an early-1990s model with 100,000-plus miles.
My questions are many, but I really need to know how much trouble she is in if she purchases one of these cars. Is the maintenance affordable? Do they run, or only look good on the curb? Should Dad stay out of the decision-making process? Thanks for any insight you can offer. — David
RAY: You cannot protect your children from everything, David. Nor should you.
TOM: Right. My parents let my brother fall out the window of the car several times when he was a kid. And it wasn’t until it happened while we were crossing the George Washington Bridge that it caused him any long-term damage.
RAY: I think kids have to make their own mistakes, David. Otherwise, how are they ever going to learn anything?
TOM: Your daughter is about to embark on a wonderful learning experience!
RAY: Yeah. My vote is that Dad butts out. You have a legitimate interest in her safety. But this is a big, relatively safe car. And if she has a cell phone, and a credit card —
TOM: — and a can of Mace --
RAY: — she ought to be able to handle any breakdown along the way. It’ll be an adventure for her. A learning experience.
TOM: It IS a beautiful car, David. The convertible XJS is one of my all-time favorites. But no, it’s not terribly reliable. Repairs and maintenance are expensive. And parts may be hard to find out in rural areas — like that thin strip between California and New York.
RAY: But your daughter will have some wonderful adventures. She’ll have some great stories to tell. And she’ll learn a very important lesson: that you can’t make decisions based on looks alone. My first wife made that mistake when she chose me.
TOM: No, she based her decision on looks when she divorced him. Don’t worry, David. She’s 24. As long as she’s safe, let her have her own adventures.
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