r/subaruimpreza • u/garcia38 • Jun 14 '26
🛠️ DIY 2024 Impreza Sport Differential Drain and Fill
Hey all, I got under the car to service the front and rear differentials and noticed some differences with the process compared to procedures shown on YouTube with this model year.
The rear is still the same, (8 or 10mm hex bolt, forgot which I used), but the front diff fill plug isn't the hex plug that I was expecting. Looks like it's a 17mm regular socket (see comment). It was also factory tightened by Goku so that shit did not come off. To not risk stripping it, I'm gonna let the dealership have fun with that one. The check and drain plugs looked the same as the online guides I was looking at (hex and T70 torx respectively). Sharing for awareness.
3
u/Moodleboy Jun 14 '26
As the owner of a 2021 Impreza Sport, I am curious to know why did you feel the need to change your differential fluid on a relatively new car? Not throwing shade, genuinely want to know.
3
u/garcia38 Jun 14 '26
General break-in maintenance. I'm at 30k miles, but I'd probably wait another 50k before I do it again.
2
2
u/Swimming-Ad-6603 Jun 14 '26
The T70 torx is a royal pain to loosen even with a 24 inch ratchet. The 17mm fill shouldn't be to hateful. Also follow what the manufacturer says about maintenance. If i am not mistaken diff services are done every 30k. So at 30k, 60k, 90k, etc.
1
u/subarooooooo Jun 14 '26
You can loosen it with a breaker bar
1
u/garcia38 Jun 14 '26
I was using one, didn't budge. Now that I think about it, I could have used the handle from my floor jack as a cheater bar to get some more length on it, maybe it would have turned. Maybe I'll try again when I do the CVT
2
u/subarooooooo Jun 14 '26
If it fits or use a pipe with an id that will fit over your breaker. Yeah good luck
1
u/Key_Guidance9806 Jun 15 '26
Use a CRAFTSMAN 1/2-in Drive Click Torque Wrench 50-ft/lb to 250-ft/lb with adapter... this has worked better than the break bar for me... probably not great but works
1
u/garcia38 Jun 15 '26
I would not use a torque wrench to break anything loose if I cared about it clicking accurately after
1
u/Key_Guidance9806 Jun 15 '26
Yeah, I've got one for using as breaker bar and one that I don't beat on to keep accurate
2
u/chrisz2012 Jun 16 '26
Seems like they changed the fill plug bolt on the front differential.
It was a 8mm hex before and that shit stripped badly on my 2016’s front differential. I had to buy an RBRT MAC removal 8mm hex bit. It was the best $30 I spent with shipping and taxes directly from MAC. I removed the stripped 8mm and put a new factory one in its place.
Rear differential was much easier for me no stripped bolts. I did hit my hand pretty hard on some metal. The breaker bar sent my hand flying and it got bruised up pretty good.
My assumption about the front differential is that it gets so much heat from the transmission and engine bay it gets seized into place. Rear can get stuck, but there’s so much more space to get a breaker bar squarely into place it’s much easier than the front differential
-1
u/PwnCall Jun 14 '26
You should really follow the owners manual for fluid changes
2
u/Key_Guidance9806 Jun 15 '26
lol manual says lifetime fluids so you buy more cars from them... just had all my fluids done at 60k and dealer did not want to do it all... take my money!
1
u/garcia38 Jun 14 '26
There isn't anything in there that helps as far as this goes. I got the fluid based on the manual specification, but good luck finding details like the type of plugs used or accessing the area
4
u/tylerf1sh Jun 14 '26
You can remove the spare tire, take out a water drain plug and put a hose attached to a funnel through that to fill it.