smoke from engine
 

I have been driving my 02 wrx wagon with one stock wheel and tire on the front left axle and 3 17 inch wheels with 40s on the rest ( due to flat ) there is about a 1/2 inch difference. After about 3 weeks of waiting for my replacement wheels and tires, smoke is coming out of the engine. I realized recently that its not good for the tires to spin at different speeds. Does anybody know what has happened?!? What can I do about it??(24K miles, under warranty) Please reply

Judging by your lack of responces you may want to have a mod move this thread to the powerplant section. I realize driving w/ different diameter wheels would normally affect your tranny/differentials, but if your getting smoke from your engine, you may have more luck there.

-Chris

I'm not really sure why the smoke is coming out of your engine. But by having the tires move at different speeds, your destroying the posi. Maybe the smoke is coming from the front diffs, but the smoke is traveling through the engine bay to get out. Next time it smokes look under your car to see where the smoke is coming from. About the warranty question, if you messed up the posi and smoke is coming from the diffs, then your warranty won't cover that. Since you changed the wheels subaru doesn't have to fix it under warranty. Hope this helps a bit! Good luck!

Yeah, I agree that the smoke you are seeing/saw was your center differential being cooked. That is why people upgrade their spare tires when they uprgade tires. If you have a spare (or in your case stock) That is a 1/2 difference that one side of the center differential has to make up for and the other side is losing. Good Luck|

WRX Rush

sounds like your front differential is destroyed. subaru definitely will not cover this under warranty...you're probably looking at thousands of dollars in repairs. i know the front differential is connected to the transmission, so you may have to replace that as well at the same time. bring the car to a garage that has experience with AWD cars and ask for their advice on your best option.

good luck and don't lose hope!!

Yep, sounds like your tranny is toasted.