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#1
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torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Deer season is here! Going up north to hunt...decided to get an oil change before taking the 4-hour trip. Got out of town, onto the interstate and everything seemed fine. Then the torque converter unlocked, rpms went up. Then it locked up again, rpms down. It did this every 10-15 minutes the whole way.
Why would the car do this? |
#2
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Do you have an external tranny cooler? Is it bypassing the stock cooler? In series? In parallel?
If the fluid get's below 100* it will unlock the TC.
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Dave - 03 Baja - 92 SVX - 86 Brat - 08 OB 3.0 |
#3
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
hmm yes there is a cooler installed, not sure how it's hooked up. I'll have to check. Is there any way to set it up so it's not over cooling then?
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#4
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Do you have a temp gauge? Last year I covered mine with a sheet of plastic to block airflow. Without a gauge, I wouldn't recomend covering the cooler. You could undercool and overheat the fluid...
This year I replumbed it to also flow through the stock cooler in the rad to heat it back up.
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Dave - 03 Baja - 92 SVX - 86 Brat - 08 OB 3.0 |
#5
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Thanks Dave will try that, have to get a gauge.
What do you think is the best cooler setup? (bypassing the stock cooler, in series, in parallel) |
#6
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
I would bet it is a bad signal from your throttle positions sensor. Mine did the same thing for a while and that was the problem. I think some people have had success cleaning and or adjusting them. I replaced mine.
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#7
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Definitely worth checking the throttle position sensor. The TPS decides whether to lock or unlock based on your speed and throttle position. There is a graph showing how this works here:
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...7&postcount=16
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Subaru ECU and TCU Website 1992 Alcyone SVX Version L 1992 Alcyone SVX Version L 1994 Alcyone SVX S40-II 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SE Sports Tourer 1996 Subaru Legacy 2.2 GX Wagon 1988 Subaru Justy J12 SL-II |
#8
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Quote:
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#9
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
It shouldn't unless you blasted it liberally all over the throttle body. The TPS is mounted on the outside of the TB, and takes readings from an extension of the throttle plate rod, so it would be hard to get anything on it from inside the throttle body.
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Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#10
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
SO NOT FAIR! Deer season ended here on Friday and I didn't get anything but a leaky head gasket in my Legacy I was SO looking forward to a freezer full of venison too
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1992 SVX LS-L #1222 Pearl White 1987 GL Turbo wagon, 5 lug conversion, D/R 5 speed (Rice killer) 1992 Dodge Ram 4x4 diesel (car hauler) 1968 Dodge Polara convertible (Camaro killer) 1990 Toyota Corolla FWD auto (330,000 mile grocery getter) 1986 VW Jetta |
#11
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
I had one doing the same sort of thing, but constantly rather than every few minutes, and within a narrow speed/RPM range. Only on the freeway was this a problem. New TPS was the cure.
dcb |
#12
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Quote:
I didn't get anything either... next weekend though if it's brown it's down |
#13
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
New TPS is ~$300... I'd check the cooler, it might be over cooling and that might be your issue, try plumbing it back through just the stock cooler in the radiator and see if that makes the problem go away. You could also maybe get some sort of thermostatic bypass valve that will run the fluid through the additional cooler if the temperature gets above a certain temp.
Yeah, but we didn't even SEE anything in 4 weekends except lots of tracks, lots of poop, a bear, and a couple of does.
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1992 SVX LS-L #1222 Pearl White 1987 GL Turbo wagon, 5 lug conversion, D/R 5 speed (Rice killer) 1992 Dodge Ram 4x4 diesel (car hauler) 1968 Dodge Polara convertible (Camaro killer) 1990 Toyota Corolla FWD auto (330,000 mile grocery getter) 1986 VW Jetta |
#14
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Quote:
Makes sense to try re-plumbing the ATF cooler before springing for a TPS. If you do decide to buy, do a search because I'm thinking I paid in the neighborhood of $185 from either Advance Auto Parts or Autozone; there's a thread with my post about that here someplace. I do remember that the part was identical to what I took off the car, right down to the manufacturer's serial number molded into the plastic. dcb |
#15
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Re: torque converter lockup - locks, unlocks, locks...
Are there any other symptoms that could indicate a bad TPS? They seem a bit spendy and I definitely don't want to rush out and buy one just yet. The car also has a double hesitation at low rpm, like when making RH turns or just starting from a stop. The hesitation is very pronounced when the engine is cold. Could that be the result of a bad TPS also? The car is a '92 and doesn't have the ecu bead to crush. Just out of curiosity, does the SVX share the same TPS with other Subaru's?
I do have a transmission cooler, it's currently sitting on a shelf in my garage... I think she was thinking of the aftermarket transmission filter I installed. |
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