Possible transmission problem??

[Subarufreak]

I own a 1998 Legacy outback that I just bought back in September from the Subaru dealership. It was a one owner car and had 219000 miles on it. I just rolled 223000 miles and all of a sudden my transmission is acting up (at least I think it’s just my transmission). When I need to accelerate hard out of 1st gear sometimes it will suddenly lose all power and the revs will fall to idle. This does not happen all the time, but I found one corner and slight hill where EVERY time I come around it in 1st and hit the gas it'll go, then in the same place the revs drop and go to idle. As soon as I let off the gas the revs will go back up and drive normal again, BUT if I keep my foot on the gas, it will stall out. When I did this I shut it off and started it again, upon starting the AT oil temp light flashed. I shut it off again and started it and it didn’t flash the 2nd time. Now here is something that’s really weird... when driven normally the trans shifts like a brand new one. which I don’t get because my trans fluid is old and brown, but because I don’t know when the other owners last had changed the fluid I’m skeptical about changing my fluid out.
The only other things I’ve done to my car recently is replace the fuel pump, messed with my air intake, but it’s all put back together and no leaks after the MAF sensor (I also did not mess with the MAF, just the resonator box) it was driving fine the same day I messed with the air intake, and I even had gone driving down some muddy roads without any problems (I believe that it was Friday)

Does anyone have any ideas on what is going on? A new Trans is like 5 grand (including installation) and I just don’t have the money for that, nor do I have the money for a new car
Please let me know what you think
I’ll try to add a video too

[Subarufreak]

Here is a Video
My foot was about 3/4's throttle all the way up the hill until i let off so it didnt stall on me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smzgiRHzDMM

[phi11]

I don't know anything about AT,
but after I replace my MT, I had no power, none,
it turns out I had a clogged cat.

[harrymaneuvers]

No clue what that is from. If you are just draining and refilling your ATF you shouldnt have any issues at all. It is when you FLUSH your ATF that people report problems.

If it does turn out that you need a new transmission... I have my old one from my 1999 BD sitting in my garage. You can have that one for next to nothing if you want.

It shifts perfect I am just replacing it with a MT.

[Subarufreak]

I don't know anything about AT,
but after I replace my MT, I had no power, none,
it turns out I had a clogged cat.

how would I check to see if my cat is clogged?


No clue what that is from. If you are just draining and refilling your ATF you shouldn’t have any issues at all. It is when you FLUSH your ATF that people report problems.

If it does turn out that you need a new transmission... I have my old one from my 1999 BD sitting in my garage. You can have that one for next to nothing if you want.

It shifts perfect I am just replacing it with a MT.

how sure are you about that flush vs. draining? because I would love to be able to change the fluid out, and it has been shifting perfect before this happened.
how many miles are on it too?

and I went to a local mechanic today, not the Subaru ones, and he rode with me till I got it to do it again. when I told him that I had a new fuel pump in it, after market from NAPA and that it was a little smaller than my old one, he thinks that it was because of how much fuel I had in my tank and the speed/ direction I was turning was moving the gas away from the pump and causing it to "run out" of gas. so I filled up full and tried it again and it didn’t do it, but then he said because that it didn’t do it on a full tank that the upper part of the pump must have something wrong (clamps/ hose that’s all I can think of) but that also doesn’t exactly make sense that he would say that though at a full tank it’s not doing it...
I’m getting an engine oil change tomorrow so I’m going to run it by the techs at Subaru and see what they think about what he said.

What do you guys think about the fuel pump idea?

[harrymaneuvers]

I think he is on to something there. Have you ever been able to get it to do that when going around a left hand turn? Your fuel pump is on the passanger side of your car... so turning hard and to the right would cause the fuel to slosh to the far side of the tank.

Did you reuse your OEM filter "sock" or did you use the one from NAPA if it came with one? Shot, it might have even fallen off.

I know that when I did the fuel pump install on the WRX... the "sock" that came with the new DW pump was shorter than the "sock" that was on the OEM unit. I opted to install the OEM sock on the new fuel pump to make sure I didnt have any issues.


Now that I watch the videos again... it really does look like you are running out of fuel. I am heavily leaning on this being the issue.

With a full tank... try as hard as you can to re-create the problem.

Then as you start to use more gas... try to re-create it with 1/4 tank or less.

FWIW though, my transmission has 242k miles on it and I wouldnt hesitate to drain and refill your transmission with new fluid. Drive around for a couple hundred miles than repeat. You are only going to get like 1/3 of the fluid out per drain so you have to do it a few times to make a difference.

[Subarufreak]

I think he is on to something there. Have you ever been able to get it to do that when going around a left hand turn? Your fuel pump is on the passanger side of your car... so turning hard and to the right would cause the fuel to slosh to the far side of the tank.

Did you reuse your OEM filter "sock" or did you use the one from NAPA if it came with one? Shot, it might have even fallen off.

I know that when I did the fuel pump install on the WRX... the "sock" that came with the new DW pump was shorter than the "sock" that was on the OEM unit. I opted to install the OEM sock on the new fuel pump to make sure I didnt have any issues.


Now that I watch the videos again... it really does look like you are running out of fuel. I am heavily leaning on this being the issue.

With a full tank... try as hard as you can to re-create the problem.

Then as you start to use more gas... try to re-create it with 1/4 tank or less.

FWIW though, my transmission has 242k miles on it and I wouldnt hesitate to drain and refill your transmission with new fluid. Drive around for a couple hundred miles than repeat. You are only going to get like 1/3 of the fluid out per drain so you have to do it a few times to make a difference.

i did use the crappy little one that came with the pump, when i get some free time i will pull my pump again and replace the Stock (filter bag) with the OME one and see if it still does it at 1/2 a tank or less. it would also explain why it stalled once when i didnt let off the gas at all.

as for the trans fluid, i was thinking of doing like one quart at a time until ive gone through all 10, that way i dont shock my trans by doing it all at once
it didnt seem to mind the lucas oil transmission slip protector, or the little bit of ATF that i topped it off with yesterday

the weather here has been really bipolar lately, last week it was in the teens and this week its in the 60-70s, so i wonder if thats effecting it
(also whats the easiest way to add pics to the posts? that way i can show some of the stuff)

[harrymaneuvers]

You are NOT going to shock your transmission by replacing 1/3rd of the fluid at a time. In fact... If the flud is really as brown as you say, you will almost certainly notice improved shifts to some degree. The transmission wasn't designed with the operating parameters of dirty fluid. It was designed with the operating parameters of bad fluid.

Think of a brake system with brake fluid... The brake lines, calipers, brake boosters ect will operate with dirty fluid... But not as well as it would with clean fluid.

You are actually just making your transmission and its components work harder by continuing to run it with contaminated fluid.

[Subarufreak]

im going to change out a quart or 2 tomorrow to see what it does, im also getting an oil change and that should help me a little bit too

[Subarufreak]

No clue what that is from. If you are just draining and refilling your ATF you shouldnt have any issues at all. It is when you FLUSH your ATF that people report problems.

If it does turn out that you need a new transmission... I have my old one from my 1999 BD sitting in my garage. You can have that one for next to nothing if you want.

It shifts perfect I am just replacing it with a MT.


It was the filter bag, so I put the OEM one on and now it works fine. On the other hand I did a drain and fill and it feels like its shifting better, but I’m still losing power. I took it to COBB and they drove it around for me and the tech said that it was slipping a little in the gears, and that he thinks my torque converter is going and that’s why it’s revving too high. I’m still going to change my fuel filter just to see if that changes anything, but I don’t think it will

harrymaneuvers, do you still have that transmission?

[harrymaneuvers]

Glad to hear you got part of it sorted out.

I dont have the transmission but luckily I DO still have the torque converter!!!


Actually scratch that... I might be able to call the guy who picked it up for scrap but honestly... in what you will pay for shipping, you should be able to find a local 4EAT with much less miles for the same price.

If it is the Torque Converter though... I would be more than happy to sell you mine... be advised though... you are talking about pulling the motor or dropping the tranny to replace the Torque Converter.

This is taken from another post over on Subaruforester.org

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin ... ter-54575/ (http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f89/bad-torque-converter-54575/)


"sounds like it may be a torque converter lockup solenoid issue.

A solenoid that is sticking on will/can cause jerky shifts and when coming to a stop if it fails to unlock can stall the engine, about the same as not pushing in the clutch on a manual"

[Subarufreak]

Glad to hear you got part of it sorted out.

I dont have the transmission but luckily I DO still have the torque converter!!!


Actually scratch that... I might be able to call the guy who picked it up for scrap but honestly... in what you will pay for shipping, you should be able to find a local 4EAT with much less miles for the same price.

If it is the Torque Converter though... I would be more than happy to sell you mine... be advised though... you are talking about pulling the motor or dropping the tranny to replace the Torque Converter.

This is taken from another post over on Subaruforester.org

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin ... ter-54575/ (http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f89/bad-torque-converter-54575/)


"sounds like it may be a torque converter lockup solenoid issue.

A solenoid that is sticking on will/can cause jerky shifts and when coming to a stop if it fails to unlock can stall the engine, about the same as not pushing in the clutch on a manual"

yesterday it was driving pretty good, it would rev too high from time to time, but if i waited long enough (about 30 sec) they would drop down to the right range again. i think im going to wait and see what it does, and im also going to change out the fluid again in a week or so. if it does die on me, im going to see if i can find someone who would be willing to replace it for me with a manual and i just pay them back haha

[Subarufreak]

ill try to record a video today while im driving to show you how it acts

[98legacygt22]

ill try to record a video today while im driving to show you how it acts

You can have the auto trans out of my 98 GT when I swap to 5 speed but I can't guarantee that it's in tip top shape I just bought the car the other day. However I did find a packet about 2 inches thick full or maintenance receipts. You would have to pay to ship it (which may be a pretty penny)

[Subarufreak]

ill try to record a video today while im driving to show you how it acts

You can have the auto trans out of my 98 GT when I swap to 5 speed but I can't guarantee that it's in tip top shape I just bought the car the other day. However I did find a packet about 2 inches thick full or maintenance receipts. You would have to pay to ship it (which may be a pretty penny)

Im about to buy a 95' impreza 5-speed but my outback hasnt sold yet so i may endup just keeping it. if so id be interested in any working transmission and torque converter really haha

[98legacygt22]

ill try to record a video today while im driving to show you how it acts

You can have the auto trans out of my 98 GT when I swap to 5 speed but I can't guarantee that it's in tip top shape I just bought the car the other day. However I did find a packet about 2 inches thick full or maintenance receipts. You would have to pay to ship it (which may be a pretty penny)

Im about to buy a 95' impreza 5-speed but my outback hasnt sold yet so i may endup just keeping it. if so id be interested in any working transmission and torque converter really haha

Keep it in mind lol the only thing I will wind up doing with it is scrapping it if someone doesn't want it. Or maybe build some kind of buggy with it.

[Subarufreak]

I was able to sell my outback, now im in the Impreza, things are working pretty good, a few noises im not sure of though