The tranny cooler is located in the lower radiator tank. The early model years had a "mesh" inside of them to create turbulence to aid in heat transfer. Problem was this mesh acted like a filter for clutch material and clogged. Therefore they added an inline filter to try and prevent this problem. This filter (if you have one and if you don't you should get one now) is located on the frame member almost directly below the battery. It looks very similar to a fuel filter. I was told they should be replaced every 30,000 miles so if you do have one it probably is overdue for replacement. The other problem with the stock trans cooler is once clogged it stays that way. There's no way to untangle the clutch material from the mesh.

I bought my last trans filter on line from Couer D'Alene Subaru in Idaho for $8.25 plus shipping. It comes as a kit complete with hoses, hose clamps, mounting hardware and, of course, the filter.

Another thing I'd suggest before taking a long trip in the car would be to check the power steering return line from the rack and pinion unit. These hoses like to split and drain the system quickly. I replaced mine with some generic hose and clamps. The hose runs near the trans which cooks it until it becomes brittle and just gives up.

If you hang out on this board you will learn a lot in a short time. You will also learn that the trans is the weak link in the machine.

Again, welcome aboard and good luck with the machine.