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subaru transmission problems
My 98 forester kept overheating and was told the headgasket needed to be replaced. I took it in to the dealership and they said it would be ready in two days. Got a call from the service manager who wanted to know if I had had any problems with the transmission. Any hesitation, jerking, loss of acceleration. I said no, it's always had a smooth ride. Well when they put everything bakc together, it would not shift to drive or any gear. It's automatic. The manager said he had never seen this before, and that the only thing he could see was a dent on the transmission fluid pan, and has taken the car to a transmission specialist. I am very upset because I don't understand how the transmission could be messed up when they weren't even working on it. They also seem to be implying that I will be responsible for the repair cost. How could this have happened, any ideas?
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Seems likely they may have caused the damage themselves. :sick:
-mike
Hoping you can help me source solenoids 'C' & 'D' for the SG5 Forester models after 2003 in America.
Also prices which I would expect to pay.
Any address or e-mail address would be very helpful for me.
Thanks in anticipation....Trinny (steve@crism.com)
My mechanic has isolated the problem a bit, by taking the tranny out of "all wheel 4 wheel drive" and putting it in front wheel drive. Essentially, he said that there was too much pressure being applied while the car was in all wheel drive. He thinks the problem might be with the electric solanoid that is in the front transfer case, but he's gotten stalled because he didn't have the electronic specs diagram for 2002 models.
Has anyone experienced this type of problem? Is it the solanoid that's failing to get the signal to transaxle to release pressure, or could it be a problem with entire transmission?
Does he have to take out the whole transfer case to get to the transmission to repair or replace this solanoid, or is there a way to test it without unpacking thr tranny?
Any thoughts or help would be appreciated!!!
Thanks, :sick:
Then drive it, and observe closely to see if you detect any difference.
If you do, then it's definitely caused by the AWD system.
some say it is the rear clutch that needs replacing; some say it is a solenoid that is failing to send the proper signal to the rear differential. How tough is it to isolate the proper solenoid (I now know there are about 8-9 of them) that we can test?
Does testing the solenoid involve as much labor as unpacking the entire transmission to check or replace the clutch???
Thank you!
I have posted messages regarding a saga I'm in about my 2002 Forester transmission. The car was binding or seizing up on very slow and sharp turns. To isolate whether it was a tranny problem, we put in the FWD fuse and ran the car on FWD, and the problem went away. My mechanic and I were hoping that the problem was the solenoid for the rear wheel drive clutch--that it was an electrical problem of the rear clutch not getting the right signal, but he has ruled out that as the problem and says it probably means my rear-wheel clutch has failed.
Questions:
1) I rarely drive in very bad conditions, and live in a town where there are no freeways--even if the snow if deep, speed limit of 30 mph makes driving relatively sane. What is the harm in just keeping that fuse in and driving the car in FWD?
2) Should I trust a dealer to replace the rear clutch and NOT tell me the car needs a whole new transmission?? Anyone out there who can give me an estimate on replacing the rear clutch? Any other Forester owners who have had this problem?
THANKS! :confuse:
I think that fuse powers a solenoid that disengages the drive to the rear wheels. Keeping that solenoid permanently powered might burn it out.
But, you are saying that the binding went away with the application of that fuse, yet the mechanic thinks the problem is in the rear differential? Why? If the rear differential was binding, it would bind any time there was a speed differential between the two rear tires (i.e., any time you turned). It sounds to me like the issue is with the rear drive system, but in the center differential. If so, it is likely an expensive fix. You might want to look at the possibility of a used or refurbished transaxle in cost-comparison to repairing yours.
Good luck!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
I believe they do have revised part numbers that are beefier, the key is to replace yours with that more robust design.
The bearings on a particular wheel could be bad and you could then have to replace another set but not the same set. Also there are no more of the "inferior" design bearings in circulation anymore, they've all been replaced with the new design.
I'd get the bearings done and see what happens, that will probably clear up the problem.
-mike
I don't think so. I agree with Mike, their trying to sell you a major snow job. Manual transmissions don't need "cleaning".
The initial problem may very well have been bad wheel bearings and as Mike pointed out, another wheel could have since gone bad (although that would be a heck of a coincidence timing wise). I think it's also possible that they botched the first job and the replacement bearings are now bad.
I'd take it to a different shop and ask them to tell you what's wrong (don't tell them what the other shop said or what they replaced). If the diagnosis is bad bearings on the same wheel, then I'd go back to the first shop and demand my money back and/or file a complaint with the BBB.
-Frank
P.S. Your post mentioned bad "ball bearings" and we're assuming that you're referring to the ones in the wheels
Wheel bearings that I have seen are roller bearings. Wonder where he specifically got the word "ball"?
problem? I read about a control module for the center diff., but I'm not sure what
models have it. The module locks and unlocks the center diff. I am now wondering
if maybe it is locking when it should not be-eg. front wheels are not spinning.
Please let me know. Thank You
What was most disappointing in the whole thing was when I pressed the service manager about what MAKES this happen, he shook his head and said there really wasn't an answer to that, other than it was a design flaw that Subaru (let's hope) has corrected. I asked for the parts they replaced and took them to my local mechanic and asked him if he could see something that would suggest what caused it, and he said nothing looked suspicious.
So if these are your symptoms, my guess would be it's the transfer clutch/transmission.
hope this helps.
So my question to anyone who really knows about Subaru AT design: do you know whether this problem has indeed be fixed in later models of Subaru??? Overall, I've been satisfied with my forester, but this has given me major pause about whether I will buy one again.
I think you just had some bad luck.
How is it that a Forester properly maintained per their specs at one of their dealerships can need a automatic transmission replaced at 46,000 miles?
Is it really just several of us with "bad luck"?
The only typical reason I can think of for early transmission failure is prolonged towing. Even if the trailer is within manufacturer specifications, I have seen them fail. I had a friend who moved his Subaru (with a trailer that was about 1500#) from Maryland to Alaska, and his transmission failed a couple months after arriving here. Subaru replaced it, no questions asked. His vehicle was somewhere between 35 and 40 thousand miles, and was about three years old at that time.
Well, heck, that is a tough one. Yes, the transmission probably failed from some crazy manufacturing-related malady but, as it is outside of the warranty period, the company has no obligation to the car any longer. It is good that they are willing to offer some assistance in the case, which is indicative that they feel they are possibly not blameless in the failure. I doubt anyone would ever see Nissan, Chrysler, or many other companies ever make a good faith gesture like that.
Wow. 46,000 miles and it is seven years old! Get out and drive that thing more! :P
Of course I am joking there, but I cannot imagine putting that few miles on a car. I recently purchased a 1998 vehicle and it only had 108,000 miles on it. I thought, "Wohoo! A baby!"
My Forester will be a year old next month and has 7,100 miles. Easy if you don't commute to a school or job.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
We've had about 7 Subarus in my family and zero transmission problems. I just happen to subscribe to all the Subaru threads. No bad luck here, though.