Tranny swap problems

#1 11-09-2003, 06:37 AM

Hi all,

I have had the guy that looks after my car do a trans swap from a donor car. Sounds like it's been a pig of a job to get the trans off the donor car engine dowels!

Anyway, now it's installed, there are a couple of problems....

1) There was no hole for the speed sensor to go into on the donor car transmission, so I now have no speedo. The guy said that the casings appear identical. The original gearbox was a 92 vintage and the donor box was from a 92 car, altho apparently a new box was fitted by Subaru about 4 years ago. Any ideas where the speed sensor location may be in this case??!

2) The selector is difficult to get into P to get the key out of the ignition and when it it is in that position, the dashboard light shows R and the reverse lights are on (and when the selector is in all other positions, the correct gears are selected and displayed). He says that he has tried all the range of adjustments but can't get it right. Is there any magic to this??

3) The engine check light is permanently on - due to the speed sensor?

4) The cooling fans seem to be on all of the time. I've had this before and it went away of it's own accord.

Any help gratefully received before I get a speeding ticket!

Thanks

Tony

svxistentialist · #2 11-09-2003, 12:55 PM

Hi Tony

Sorry to hear you are in bother. Sounds like your lad is not too familiar with the trannies.

Regards 1) : if the two cases are both 91/92 JDM, then there should be a separate lead for the speed sensor on each. On the later boxes, the speed sensor enters through the main loom. No lead entrance suggests one of the cars has had a later box added. Count the number of wires on the lead entering the box without the hole, I'm presuming this is the one you fitted to the car. Your expert probably used the old loom from the TCU, and left the speed sensor trailing. I suggest you check if the loom from the second car will fit yours now. If it does, it could be problem solved.
[BTW, the new "improved" tranny casing is so little changed, it's difficult to see a difference, other than the separate speed cable....]

Regards the selector, it just needs adjustment. Check that the operating cable may be a little longer/shorter on the newer casing. measure them.

Check engine light, run the diagnostic, but you are probably right, you need the sensor fitted.

Can't help with the fans. Strange one. Just watch they don't go away permanently!

Probably a bad relay or bad sensor. if I find anything relative in the manual, I will PM you.

Joe

#3 11-09-2003, 03:37 PM

Tx Joe.

I'll pass the info on. Out of curiosity, where is the speed sensor in the later box then?!

Let you know how things progress....

Tony

svxistentialist · #4 11-09-2003, 04:18 PM

Tony

As far as I know, the speed sensor is included with the block connector for the main loom to the tranny on the later models. This connects at the left side of the box. I thought if the wiring for it went direct to the TCU, without intertwining with other wiring, you could take that loom out of the donor and use it with the replacement tranny.

Unfortunately I strongly suspect they have wound it all together with other wiring, probably with the ECU signal wires. If this is the case you will have to verify that the block connector you have clicked into the box has all the pins going to the correct places. [Each pin will be acting as input or output for different functions.]

The older block will have one less "live" pin[or a blank space] where it should be feeding signal to the speedo for the newer type. If the pins in use are doing the same job as the older block was, i.e. the functions match, then your job will simply be to extend the stand-alone wire for the speedo to the block on the left side, and solder it into the position that is getting feed from the speedo sender inside.

I am thinking out loud here. If Beav or Doug or Randy or Todd or anyone technically clued up has solid information that contradicts my guess here, could you set Tony straight?

Ta

Joe

Mr. Pockets · #5 11-10-2003, 08:46 AM

I'm famliar with the speed sensor location on the US tranny, but I'm not sure about the JDM/UK tranny. If the diff is the same, you can see where the speed sensor goes in the following photo:

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...ckets/9045.jpg

It's the hole in the front differential, above and just to the front of the right axle spline.

Is it possible that your mechanic fitted a tranny which came from a car with a mechanical (cable-driven) speedometer? If that's the case, I'd say you're SOL.

svxistentialist · #6 11-10-2003, 05:37 PM

Thanks Nick.

Tony is swopping out an SVX tranny from one Japanese model to another, so no doubt both speedos are the electronic type. We just suspect that the donor car had a newer tranny installed in its' lifetime. Tony should be able to see if the hole is available in the chassis now fitted to his car, using your pic.

Tony I have an info sheet on the cable adjustment that could be of use. It needs the inhibitor switch on the left side of the tranny adjusted to match with the cable adjustment. This could be where your man went wrong. If you have a fax number, PM it to me and I will forward. I'm afraid my computer is Antedeluvian, I have no scanner.

Joe

gotsubarus · #7 11-10-2003, 05:58 PM

On the shifting problem.... take the two 12mm bolts out of the metal that holds the cable and turn it upside down and see if it doesnt line up better.

Dont know for sure if that is what it is but i have had it happen two different times wehn someone else installed a tranny for me