atf refill

[car-hole]

hello

i was just given a 91 legacy ls wagon. me & my buddys have been trying 2 do a few minor repairs to get it on the road. we drained the atf & was told by canadian tire that it held 8.3 liters. when we tried 2 refill it we found out that only 3 or so comes out during a simple drain & fill so we ended up over filling it (to the point of overflow). i was told that it shouldn't be a problem, i only needed to drain some out & top it off. when i took out the plug nothing came out which perplexes everyone i talk to including the subaru techs @ the dealership. we have it up on ramps so i thought getting it down & up on jack stands leveled off may miraculously empty it, but it's stuck in park & won't go into neutral to push it down. the ramps are quite high & our tallest jack doesn't get high enough to pull them out (they are dug into the ground a bit). so does anyone have advice to get it down & if there is a trick to getting the fluid through the tranny. we aren't really car guys & our knowledge is limited. any theory would be appreciated. i hope there's a simple trick even if it's so simple i feel stupid when i read it. this is my first time posting on a forum so please forgive me if i'm not doing this properly. thanx.

[Platinum_Racing]

Did you drain the front differential by accident? The large 21mm drain bolt is for the front differential, which requires GL-5 gear oil. The dipstick for the differential is to the left of the engine, on the transmission, with a yellow handle that says "DIFF" on it. If you go under the car from the front, the first drain plug you see is the engine oil. The second drain plug you see is the front differential. If you drained the diff, you can remove this drain plug again and let all the fluid out, then fill it up again with GL-5. Just to be on the safe side, remove all the GL-5 one more time before filling it again with GL-5. This will ensure that all the ATF has been flushed from the differential. Don't feel stupid, I did the same exact thing. The actual transmission dipstick is located to the right of the engine, and it is MUCH longer.

 

Most of the transmission fluid in a transmission resides in the torque converter. I've been where you are right now, and the best way to go would be to remove the transmission pan, remove the little steel tube under the pan that feeds into the transmission valve body, and replace the transmission filter. The new filter and gasket cost under $20. Removing the tube will empty most of the torque converter, and replacing the filter is always a good idea. This will flush most of the transmission, making way for fresh fluid. Its an overall simple job that takes about an hour and gives you the best results.

[Bdubs]

Yeah, if you only got 3 out, I'd bet you drained the diff. instead.

[Legacy Wagon]

Well, the transmission system holds a lot and it's not exactly the easiest to get to if you dont know where to look. That's why they tend to use those machines to run the old out and put the new in. It can often throw all of the old crap that was floating around your transmission into the filter and a body shop wont change it most likely. This is why it's better to do it yourself so kudos for the right idea.

 

If your oil was a clear color it was probably from the differential. If it was a reddish or brown it was probably the transmission and you didnt drain enough.

 

Also there is a button on your shifter. You can shift into Neutral with your car completely off.

Sorry for the crappy picture, it's the only one I can find.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/TetsuoShima/shift.jpg

[car-hole]

thank you all for your quick advice.

 

we had drained the atf but were trying to refill it through where the diff. oil goes. we got the tranny refilled & flushed the diff. & refilled it. i can't believe how much harder it is to find the tranny dip stick. i've never heard of a car having a dip stick for the diff. it was all a good learning experience even though it was very stressful.

 

tomorrow i replace the alternator, that shouldn't be too bad. i was going to replace the e brake shoes but no one around here carries them. they couldn't even order me one, so i guess i'll have to have it done when i get the safety. it's to bad after all this i have to pay to have that done. oh well, maybe it's for the best.

 

thanks again to everyone for all the help.

[Platinum_Racing]

http://www.partstrain.com/store/?Ntt=brake+shoes+subaru+legacy+1992&x=0&y=0&N=0&src=search

 

$23 for the brake shoes. Not sure how you feel about ordering online, I know some people still have reservations to putting their credit card info on the net. To each his own I guess.

 

The alternator takes 15 minutes at most. My AC stopped working a long time ago (Seized compressor & clutch) so for maintenance and fuel economy reasons I just left the belt off. If your AC compressor is seized and you have no plans on fixing it, just leave the belt off. You also need to remove the tensioner for the AC belt or it might rub the crank pulley. Its only an extra 5 minutes of work and 3 bolts though.

 

And just a side note; when I flushed my transmission I did pretty much the same thing, since I wasn't expecting a front diff dipstick either. I just thought "DIFF" was "Engrish" (Japanese English) for transmission. :lol: I posted my issue on here and the guys helped me out, then the next day when I went to finish the car up I noticed that the lighter viscosity ATF had already leaked out of the diff anyway. I guess I'm just used to American pickups with the 1/2 drive square bolt to check the gear oil. Oh well, at least its all fixed now.

 

Have fun!

[car-hole]

wow!!! after all that work i had it towed in 2 get the e-brakes & safety done w/fingers crossed. the mechanic (a friends uncle) looks @ it & says the rear differential is shot. game over. i've put over $500 into it already. i'll have 2 see if i can take the rear pads, rotors & calipers back 4 a refund. i'll b scrapping the car. if anyone needs parts i'm open 2 suggestions. thanx again for the help guys.

[Legacy Wagon]

Diffs arent that much. Besides, it has a FWD mode if you put the fuse in under the hood.

 

See the FWD slot on there? Stick a 20 amp fuse in there and your car will drive in FWD mode

til you can fix it. The rear diff will still get play since you're moving, but it shouldnt hurt anything since

it's shot anyway...I think. It's just an idea.

 

Also I may need some parts if you do decide to junk it. Where do you live?

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/TetsuoShima/1111.jpg

[car-hole]

thanx 4 the advice i'll have 2 check that out & talk 2 my mechanic about it.

that will b sweet if that could get me through safety & buy me some time.

i'll let u know how it goes.

i live in ontario, about 20 minutes from niagra falls.

kinda far from florida. i've been told it's about a 24 hour drive straight through.

if that doesn't work & i don't locate a cheap diff. in the next couple of days i'll have lots of parts 2 let go.

[Legacy Wagon]

I hope so. I dont see the harm in it if it's already gone.

Dang, yeah. You're way up there. Sweet, let me know

if it works out ok

[car-hole]

sorry to hear about your wagon LW. sounds like you have a lot of things to try before giving up though.

 

i talked to my mechanic about the fwd mode & he said the gears would still catch so that wouldn't help. i dunno though it seems like it would work.

 

it doesn't matter though cuz i just found a rear diff for $150. i'm picking it up monday. i need 2 find out if everything else is good for safety cuz i'm short on cash & can't afford to sink much more into this.

 

for some reason i don't want to give up on it. i believe it will be a solid car when we're done. there's a lot of new parts on it & the engine has less than 80 000 km on it. (80000km is less than 50000miles) we'll see what happens on monday.

 

LW good luck w/your wagon.

[Legacy Wagon]

Yep. Now I have two cars that need work lol

 

Yeah, it'd still catch, but I'm not sure that it would make a difference anyway since it's shot. Glad you found a diff!

 

They are really good cars! I dont want to give up on mine either. I've never had another car that I can pitch sideways way before the corners and come out great on the other end All dirt roads of course with no people. We go rally every couple weekends. This thing tackles mud, dirt, grass, leaves, hills, bumps, corners and everything else that gets in this way This fact also shows why my CV joint went out this weekend. Gonna look in the junk yards

[fffourtwenty]

Don't forget to replace the ATF external filter, just to the left of the battery if you're looking under the hood

 

Has a mechanical lock-down to hold the filter itself and can be had for about $20 from dealer or $9 on internet

 

D

[fffourtwenty]

Could you fit a simple toggle-switch to the FWD fuseholder to engage/disengage AWD/FWD?

 

D

[Platinum_Racing]

You can. Just run wires from the spot where the fuse goes and put a SPST switch between the wires. Its not recommended that you drive the car for long distances with FWD mode engaged, as it puts unnecessary stress on the center differential.

[fffourtwenty]

Update here

 

Fixed my torque-binding by exchanging the ATF with AGIP fluid and an additive made by BG to the mix, worked a treat and the AGIP ATF seems to also have addressed the 2-3 shift issue. I also replaced the external ATF filter

 

Also changed the motor oil with AGIP Super 20W-50

 

The BG additive is called BG ATC Plus and did the job fairly quickly, I think I actually felt it unbind during a high-speed turn on the motorway near Reno

 

Also no more flashing power light!

 

Finally

 

D

[Liberty10]

(It's hard to find an appropriate thread to ask a similar question but hopefully this is close enough?)

 

A friend check my transmission fluid and said that it needed changing, BADLY. It's black as tar. Now that I have learned how to change my engine oil, would this be a similar task (with no need for special equipment or tools?). Also, anything I need to know before I buy new fluid? Additives etc?

 

Newbie alert, as always

 

Thank you.

[BigTDogg MA]

(It's hard to find an appropriate thread to ask a similar question but hopefully this is close enough?)

 

A friend check my transmission fluid and said that it needed changing, BADLY. It's black as tar. Now that I have learned how to change my engine oil, would this be a similar task (with no need for special equipment or tools?). Also, anything I need to know before I buy new fluid? Additives etc?

 

Newbie alert, as always

 

Thank you.

 

In previous AT cars I've owned, it's been very straight forward. New filter, new fluid (tons of it, because I never drain and refill, I always flush and fill to get all the old stuff out) and that's it. Just need pans to catch the fluid and store the waste. I have had great results with Amsoil ATF. This is not on a first gen leggy though, so I'll defer to the experts.

[Liberty10]

Thank you. I did some more research since I posted my question and I don't think that my friend was checking the transmission oil. If it's supposed to be to the right of the motor (facing the car), we checked the dipstick on the left.. oh dear.. Now I need to learn what a "differential" is and why we should care.. lol

 

Thank God for forums and Google!

[Liberty10]

Okay, found the right location this time. Yellow lid/cap? I cannot get the darn thing to open. I am supposed to be pulling on it or twisting it?

 

(Note to self: There is a reason why mechanics do not wear white sweaters at work.)

[Legacy Wagon]

The differential should smell like death if the fluid's bad. The front is easy enough to change. There's another plug underneath there besides the oil and transmission and I tend to use Amsoil in the differentials. It's about $30, but the fluid should last the life of the car. It's 75w-90.

 

Differential fluid, when new, should be practically clear or a very light tan color. The transmission fluid should be really bright or really dark red.

 

As for the transmission the fluid has to come out of the plug, then you drop the pan and expect to get hosed with more transmission fluid. The pan has quite a few bolts if I remember right. Then you pull off the old filter and put a new one on there. Scrape off the old transmission pan gasket and put a new one on there and make a note of how many quarts came out.

 

As for draining the entire system you may be able to pull one of the lines on the radiator and shoot that crap into a bucket. That you'll have to ask BigTDogg I've never done it that way, but it seems like a feasible way to drain what's left in the system. Not sure if you can get what's in the torque converter without pulling it though. Either way, if it's super crappy you may want to fill it up with cheaper stuff first, run it for 100 miles and then fill it full of the better stuff. I just used the Castrol ATF since there's no way I could afford Amsoil for that 7 quarts or so that I had to refill.

[BigTDogg MA]

In my other AT cars, I would get it up on four stands (I always use 6-ton stands for safety) and drain the AT from the drain hole or remove the pan (if applicable). Then I'd clean the pan/magnets, replace filter, and fill with new ATF. For a full flush, using the store brand stuff to flush isn't a bad idea, except you don't know when the Amsoil is in there, because they're all the same color.

 

Regardless, fill with ATF per the FSM capacity. Get in car (while on stands) start it, put it in drive and let it roll a bit. Tap the gas (don't stomp on it) then let it slow to idle. Brake, put it in reverse, repeat. Do this like 3-4 times. Shut of, get out, get under, and drain (but don't remove pan/filter). Then refill. You may be fine with one flushing, but if it hasn't been done in a while, I'd do it twice.

 

You can pull the tranny lines going to the radiator as well to get more out, never hurts. If you have two people, in theory, you could stick the return line from the radiator in fresh fluid, and run the line from the tranny to the radiator to a bucket for collection, and have someone in the car putting it in drive as above. I've never done it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

*I'm not responsible if you blow your car up, just saying what I've done on my other cars and has worked for me*

[Liberty10]

Gee, this read more like a job for the professionals; maybe that's why they have them

 

Basic question here: On my high-mileage car, do I have to use Subaru products or can I use just "normal" ATF from the auto store? There are so many articles with varying opinions that it makes my head spin.

Seeing as how we're driving similar vehicles, I'd put more stock into your opinions.

 

Thoughts? Thanks ..

[Legacy Wagon]

Then I'd clean the pan/magnets - Forgot this part. You cant miss the magnet. It'll probably look furry with metal dust haha

 

I put Castrol ATF in my car and it's been in there for well over a year and seems to be doing just fine. Doesn't give me any problems. It shifts a bit smoother with fresh fluid too.

[BigTDogg MA]

Amsoil ATF did the trick for me in my two previous DDs. It costs more, but if you only do it every 60K miles anyway, then it's no big deal. All ATF is synthetic, so a Castrol, Mobil1 or Penzoil will be good too. Subaru brand fluid should be fine as well. I'd avoid store brands.