fishbone

125K? Has it ever had the fluid changed? Go for a full change, not just a pan drain/fill, that will only replace about a quarter. ATF flushing machines on high mileage transmissions got a bad rep for good reasons, but if you find someone that has a fluid exchange machine you should be safe. It will let the trans pump move the fluid and it will do a complete change. There are several to choose from, as long as the machine doesn't do a reverse flush or pressurizes the fluid, it's OK. Call and ask, but I do believe Valvoline can handle it, and any shop that has a BG machine on site. Both fluids are compatible with Subaru ATF-HP spec.

I'll continue to look to the community and see what others have done regarding flushing. There are more and more aftermarket fluids that are cropping up as compatible with OEM, as well as flushing machines that can handle the CVT, BG being one. For all intents and purposes a DIY job is like a drain/fill of a diff, the one issue being ensuring correct fill level. I've tackled something similar in another trans that used a pan stand pipe and it's not hard to do, just takes time. If I can get a flush done and not have to spend hours under the car, I'll call that a win.

For those of you that had the fluid changed at the dealer, did they do a pan drain/fill, or a complete flush? What was the cost?

I'm waiting for colder temps here to do some ATF monitoring, what I've noticed is that there's a 100*F difference between ambient and ATF temp. In the summer, if it's 80, ATF is 180. If it's 40 outside, ATF is 140. I'm hoping it doesn't dip lower.

Not to mention good luck aiming that straw in there with the starter mounted on the car. I tried, and gave up after realizing it was damn impossible, so I just took the thing off.

I am glad I was wrong! Here's the full quote.

There is NO evidence of this taking place. Am I missing it? As of now, FTDI is not planning to change their stance.

There are no guarantees, wherever you get the cables from. That's what the problem is. The work-around, from what I understand, is to NOT use the latest drivers and to NOT allow Windows to automatically install them.

Since this thread is still active, be warned http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/ftdi-drivers-bricking-counterfeit-chips-232269.html

Since this thread is still active, be warned http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/ftdi-drivers-bricking-counterfeit-chips-232269.html

Doesn't hurt but is excessive to change the one in the pan. Leave it alone and just do the one behind the battery, which is also excessive to do at only 29K miles on fluid that looks clean. I would leave both alone for now.

I wasn't giving you a straight answer, I was saying it is up to you and to take it for what it's worth. If the fluid you are going to use meets the specification from Subaru, being ATF-HP, then you can use it safely. I was showing you that Mobil 1 used to say it met that spec and then changed the bottle in recent years, with no seeming explanation. Where do you live? You should find Redline, Royal Purple etc at your local Walmart or any automotive store. Amsoil is only sold through local dealers and you cand find one in your area by going to amsoil.com and look up your zip code. OR (and this is your easiest option), you can call your local Valvoline oil change service center and ask them if they perform transmission fluid flushes and if they use their synthetic fluid. If they do, then take your Legacy there and have them do it. It will cost you around $100 and take about 30-45 minutes. Done and done! This is the Valvoline fluid you want http://www.valvoline.com/products/brands/valvoline/automatic-transmission-fluid/137

Yes. But what frank_ster said is also valid, so you need to eliminate the possibility of the trans having learned to shift "lazy" by you having driven it sedate for a long time.

As long as it is compatible with the Subaru ATF-HP spec, yes. Mobil 1 does not currently list that spec, although I could have sworn it used to. LE: take a look at this thread. I KNEW they changed their spec sheet because it now no longer lists JWS3309 and I know for a fact it was compatible at some point since I used it on a Mini Cooper S which called for that spec. The thread has a picture of their quart bottles from a few years ago. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210-e-class/1425392-new-mobil-atf-134-meets-236-a-3.html It seems ATF-HP was never on the spec list. I do believe Valvoline meets that spec, I know Amsoil does for sure, even Redline I believe.

Define "thinks". Are you saying it stays in the gear before it shifts? Does it continue to rev up while you are feeling that the car loses forward movement? You might be feeling the fact that the transmission is slipping.

Mine's been going strong on the lithium grease I used back in January In retrospect I think I got a wee bit of grease on the bendix gear/teeth when lubbing the shaft, might wanna look with a flashlight but the amount was so minisculse I'm not going to worry about it too much especially since it's been working great since.

I am by no means a tuning expert, but from what I have been told, if you see FBKC at WOT and high revs, it is likely that is not noise. Keep an eye on it.

I just wanted to point out, in case I am confused as to what you're saying, that when it comes to knock control strategy, it's either or. In other words the car is either in FLKC mode or FBKC mode, but never both at the same time. There's many things that go into it but as a general understanding, from what I know is that FBKC is active on fast load changes, whereas FLKC is more granular and active when throttle changes are not large and sudden. Here is what I sometimes see on my car. Knock sum goes up, and no FBKC registered. It is a situation, from what I understand, that the car thinks there was a knock event, but the situation did not call for a correction to timing. Seeing pulled FLKC will never tell you if this is a new event or just learned FLKC. Am I helping or just confusing you? You are saying the car is actually showing pulled FBKC, that can be either real knock or noise. In the tune itself, you can tune how much timing to pull, then the TCU tells the ECU it is about to shift. But this timing retard is not shown in FBKC or FLKC. So now it's a matter of looking into your FBKC, is it happening at high load or low load, how often, how much it is pulling etc. I have had what has been deemed noise induced FBKC since I have owned this car.

^ I was just about to write that. It is the safe mode fallback to maintain proper shifting speed.

We ARE special, in an autotragic kind of way.

Yep, welcome to the world of 5EAT phantom knock.

If I were in the position to replace the trans, I'd limp the one I have and make sure the replacement has a new set of clutches in it, depending on mileage. I'd have a good trans shop handle the assembly, cleaning, etc.

Something interesting I noted. This past fall the noise went completely away. I thought it fixed itself. Now that summer is here and have been using AC intensely, the noise is back.

Yep, I also checked, and manual does say power steering to just use Dexron III. I wouldn't bother going out of my way to get Subaru ATF. I ran to Walmart and picked up a quart of Valvoline Dex III. I plan on going through 2 quarts just to be sure I've got it as clean as possible for a measly $8 total. So far I've replaced half of a quart and already I am seeing a difference. The power steering whine is completely gone. What I am wondering is ... is there any way to drain any of the fluid from the bottom? I have to wonder about deposits just sitting in the lowest parts of the steering system.

I'm glad this thread got bumped because I've totally neglected my power steering. It always whines at full turn and upon checking the fluid, although it looks a clean red, by putting it side by side with fresh ATF, it is definitely darker and also feels thinner. Unfortunately it is both too hot outside to be working on the car and I'm not going to have even 15 minutes, so I just plan on sucking out the reservoir and line and topping it off repeatedly until it's all clean. 115K miles on the factory fill is outstanding.