danielcdh Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I have a 99 Legacy Outback 2.5L, with 167k on it. Now the transmission becomes a big problem. It's really difficult to engage from N gear to D, which takes around 2 seconds when the car is cold. However, when the car is hot (e.g. run on the highway for 1 hour), it seems take forever to engage from N gear to D. When I shift to D, and release the brake pedal, it simply stays still. I'd need to shift between N and D for several times, and may also need to hit the acceleration pedal to make it engaged to D. However, there's no problem at all when shifting from N to R. Could anyone tell me what possibly could go wrong? And what should I do to repair it? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 2 seconds to engage from N to D or R is normal but should not take any longer than that. Have you ever drained the ATF? I would start there, as a matter of fact I would perform a flush at the dealer using nothing but OEM ATF. If that does not take care of it, then it will be time to look at mechanical. Does the transmission shift normally? How about under load (wide open throttle). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 I don't think I had drained the ATF, and I'll try to drain it at the dealer. How much does it usually cost? The transmission shifts okay. I can feel that it's not that smooth. It sometime hesitate to shift from gear 1 to 2. It also hesitate when it shifts from 2 to 3 when the accelerate, but when I release the accelerate pedal, it can shift normally from 2 to 3. I didn't dare to try wide open throttle when it failed from N to D. Do you mean that use wide open throttle would help shift from N to D? Thanks very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I asked about wide open throttle because sometimes failing transmissions will shift fine when you putz around town, but will show slipping when you nail the throttle because that's when you are putting load on the clutchpacks. A flush at the dealer should be somewhere around $130. I would also check your transmission fluid level before going in. I'm not sure but if there is a serviceable external transmission filter, I would replace that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 Thanks very much. I tried to read the fluid level. When it's cold, it's even more than "full" don't know if this could cause problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 The transmission should be in the N position when checking the fluid level. Check it at warm temperature as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Just went to the dealership, and was told that I should replace the entire transmission, which costs $3400 ($3000 for part, $400 for labor)... Is this price fair? Any suggestions on what alternatives that I could possibly have? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClimberDHexMods Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 The dealer is the worst place to go for an honest opinion. Go to a transmission specialist. My bet is that you had some crud build up and it got knocked loose and started really screwing everything up. You can try a flush, but it might not do anything (or it could possibly help). This is my second subi AT, and I have never seen the condition of one get better after getting worse, but your situation is more extreme and maybe different. FYI no good can come of the dealer. The don't fix things. They replace things. If you do end up needing a new trans, buy used at a small fraction the cost of new. Seriously. And have a trans shop install it. A good trans-only tech will blow your mind with how he can repla e your trans so easily and quickly. [CENTER][B][I] Front Limited Slip Racing Differentials for the 5EAT now available for $1895 shipped, please inquire for details! [/I][/B][/CENTER] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 asked around all the mechanics in town, nobody want to touch the subaru tranny. They even don't want to replace a used one for me. so frustrating... any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Why did the dealer believe the transmission should be replaced? What diagnostic did they do and what did it come back as being broken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-WDC Spec B Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 ^ I know that dealers find it easier to replace parts then fix it. especially trannies as most dealers dont have a master transmission rebuilder and they have to out source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 The dealer simply charged me $100 for diagnose, and tells me that the result of diagnose is you need to replace the tranny.... I'm not happy at that. Why do I need to pay $100 for such a diagnose? Do they need to spend 1 hour to draw this decision without giving any more detailed explanation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 That is correct, they need to clarify what prompted that decision and exactly what part failed and is not repairable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 Do you think I could be able to get a report or something from them? Would that be helpful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbone Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 The only way to find out is to contact them and ask them exactly how they performed the diagnosis and what their conclusion was. Sounds to me the only thing they did is a road test and for the privilege of agreeing that yes, you have a malfunctioning transmission they charged you 100 bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 I consulted another tranny shop. They offer $1700 to replace for another tranny, with around 70k miles on it. But they could not provide the VIN number of that part to verify the mileage. Can I do the replacement without knowing the VIN number? Is $1700 a reasonable offer? (They provide 90 days warranty). The other shop told me that they could do the rebuild for $950 in labor, but not sure how much do I have to pay for the parts for the rebuild. Which choice should I go for? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClimberDHexMods Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 The other shop told me that they could do the rebuild for $950 in labor, but not sure how much do I have to pay for the parts for the rebuild. Find out. [CENTER][B][I] Front Limited Slip Racing Differentials for the 5EAT now available for $1895 shipped, please inquire for details! [/I][/B][/CENTER] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielcdh Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Well, they say to find out, they need to take the tranny apart and open it, which they'll charge me 500 for it if I finally decided not to fix it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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