Code.11.Duty Solenoid.A.

#1 07-04-2002, 02:45 PM

Help required. I have a code 11 which ,Dave the `bearded one`,has given me some really good advise on,however I need some more. I had no symptoms except that I was getting the warning flashes on the dash. The resistor attached to the front wing inside the engine bay ( behind the battery) seems fine,i.e.it is plugged in ! What next? I think someone will say the Duty Solenoid inside the Transmission. How do I get to it and is it easy to replace. Any part numbers might also help

Thanks Rich.

Aredubjay · #2 07-04-2002, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richdev65
Help required. I have a code 11 which ,Dave the `bearded one`,has given me some really good advise on,however I need some more. I had no symptoms except that I was getting the warning flashes on the dash. The resistor attached to the front wing inside the engine bay ( behind the battery) seems fine,i.e.it is plugged in ! What next? I think someone will say the Duty Solenoid inside the Transmission. How do I get to it and is it easy to replace. Any part numbers might also help

Thanks Rich.

Rich,
Duty solenoid A is located within the valve body, so, you could replace it without dropping the entire transmission. I would check, however, to make sure that (even though it's plugged in) that the resistor, itself, is not bad.

Here is the location of duty solenoid A, along with the rest.

#3 07-04-2002, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the diagram. I will print it off and give it to an expert,as it looks like `double dutch to me !
What is the subaru part number please ?
Rich

#4 07-04-2002, 03:31 PM

Rich, By all means check the contact of the connector and the value of the drop resistor. It should be 12 ohms nominally. I would even clear the code and see if it comes back. Would hate to dig into your tranny for a gremlin with no symptoms.

D.

svxistentialist · #5 07-04-2002, 03:50 PM

Hi Rich

How are things? Sorry to hear of the tranny problem. Subaruparts.com seem to sell Duty Solenoid A as part of a set of 4, and the cost is $250, see
http://www.subaruparts.com/diag/?mod...category=182-A

The logic of selling as a set is unassailable. If one has failed, how soon before the others? So while the valve chest is open, they replace the set.

BTW, if your Sol A is wonky, your line pressure will be wrong. The symptom will be shock or jerky shifts. Are you experiencing this?

Say Hi to Claire for me.

Joe

svxistentialist · #6 07-04-2002, 04:02 PM

Rich,

Randy is right about checking the resistor, among other things. Good mechanics always check that the cheap fix is OK before firing new parts into a problem.

Check sequence as follows:

Measure signal voltage output from TCU

Check harnesses between TCU and duty solenoid A, and TCU and resistor

Check Duty solenoid A's ground line

Check resistor

Check duty solenoid A

Check contact of TCU connector terminal

Repair TCU terminal poor contact [replace TCU]

Page 179 in the US manual details how to do these checks, I would have to get it scanned if you need it.

Would this be a good time to ask if you are interested in buying the RHD manual from Australia??

Joe

#7 07-29-2002, 03:18 PM

Joe,
Thanks for the info. My local dealership is unwilling to do any transmission work. They say that they are not trained on it and suggested that I take it to a transmission specialist ( exactly the response I got when I had an A/C problem) . I do however have a full and brand new set of solonoids( dont ask !). So I would like to get them fitted. I`m going to take them to a transmission specialist but before I do so I want to have hard copies of the proceedure, to hand to them. Is it that complex ? Surely it is just the housing that is removed when they are replaced ? I`m really loosing my pacience with Subaru dealerships. I think they will only sell cars and do basic services.
Claire is fine,thanks for asking. She is getting fatter now. Due on January 2nd .
Rich.

Aredubjay · #8 07-29-2002, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richdev65
Joe,
Thanks for the info. My local dealership is unwilling to do any transmission work. They say that they are not trained on it and suggested that I take it to a transmission specialist ( exactly the response I got when I had an A/C problem) . I do however have a full and brand new set of solonoids( dont ask !). So I would like to get them fitted. I`m going to take them to a transmission specialist but before I do so I want to have hard copies of the proceedure, to hand to them. Is it that complex ? Surely it is just the housing that is removed when they are replaced ? I`m really loosing my pacience with Subaru dealerships. I think they will only sell cars and do basic services.
Claire is fine,thanks for asking. She is getting fatter now. Due on January 2nd .
Rich.

Rich,
Congrats! I didn't know that you and Claire were "expecting." Hmmmm, and nine months after your visit to the "States." Aren't those "getaways great?!?!? (Just kidding, Rich).

Truly, congratulations on the arrival of your upcoming child. I don't know how it goes in your neck of the woods, but, here, we'd be rooting for the "little guy" to make it before the end of the year so we could claim it as a tax deduction for the entire previous year.

svxistentialist · #9 07-29-2002, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richdev65
Joe,
Thanks for the info. My local dealership is unwilling to do any transmission work. They say that they are not trained on it and suggested that I take it to a transmission specialist ( exactly the response I got when I had an A/C problem) . I do however have a full and brand new set of solonoids( dont ask !). So I would like to get them fitted. I`m going to take them to a transmission specialist but before I do so I want to have hard copies of the proceedure, to hand to them. Is it that complex ? Surely it is just the housing that is removed when they are replaced ? I`m really loosing my pacience with Subaru dealerships. I think they will only sell cars and do basic services.
Claire is fine,thanks for asking. She is getting fatter now. Due on January 2nd .
Rich.

Don't mention it Rich, glad she is doing well. Hope she does not read your non-PC description. Getting larger is probably how the girls might prefer to describe it.

If you have the valve chest, you are laughing. The only caveat I would add, you should go to an auto transmission specialist, not just a transmission specialist.

There is an order of magnitude difference in how clean the workshop[operating room clean] needs to be in order to do successful work on the auto box. A shop specialising in autos will be well aware of this, and make no mistakes.

Also, fitting the valve chest is a simple job, the box does not come out. They just drop the pan, bolt off the chest, bolt up the new one, back on pan, fill up and away you go. You should not need the manual for that with an auto specialist. If they are dubious about procedure, then Phil Skuse would be able to scan the section for you, he did for me with wheel alignment detail.

Let me know if you need more.

Joe

Andy · #10 08-03-2002, 02:15 AM

Many congrats, Rich & Claire

Had the same problem with mine when I bought it 4 months ago. Flashing power light and hard changes. The dealer said that they would fix it and gave me a 3 month warranty.

After many visits, they traced the problem to a low voltage on the ECU and ordered another. The car definitely felt different afterwards, like a slipping clutch, but still gave some hard changes. Following advice on the forum, I checked the resistor. (Easy to remove with a 10mm ring spanner, no need to touch the battery.) I found that it was open circuit. drove to the dealer to show them and found the car changing much better. They ordered me a new resistor and said "That will be £65.00 please."

So what about the 3 month warranty? By then I had owned the car 3 months and 1 week, so even though the problem was existing when I bought the car, and they had failed to diagnose the problem, they expect me to pay. Unfortunately there is no other Subaru dealer locally.

So back to your problem Rich, try the resistor first. BTW, found Sparshatts to be very good. (Unload the car before going over their sleeping policeman.)

Finally, why is the resistor so ****ing expensive over here!!!!

Andy

Sober and broke

Andy · #11 08-06-2002, 04:27 PM

New resistor arrived today. Wow!! what a difference. silky smooth gear changes and no power light flashing on start.

Should I disconnect the battery to reboot, or is it not necessary?

Andy

Aredubjay · #12 08-06-2002, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Andy
New resistor arrived today. Wow!! what a difference. silky smooth gear changes and no power light flashing on start.

Should I disconnect the battery to reboot, or is it not necessary?

Andy

The only reason to reboot would be to clear previous codes. If you don't wanna, you don't havta.

The computer will begin to adjust to the new signal (as you've probably noticed) immediately. Congrats on an inexpensive fix.

Andy · #13 08-06-2002, 05:56 PM

Many thanks to all contributors on this forum, My local dealers are useless plonkers. (At least they are better than the Nissan lot.)

If it wasn't for you guys I would be a real jerk!!

downside is that you have got me paranoid about my gearbox...oops... tranny, bearings etc etc

Andy

Aredubjay · #14 08-06-2002, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Andy
Many thanks to all contributors on this forum, My local dealers are useless plonkers. (At least they are better than the Nissan lot.)

If it wasn't for you guys I would be a real jerk!!

downside is that you have got me paranoid about my gearbox...oops... tranny, bearings etc etc

Andy

Don't worry, Andy. You're in good company. We all live in fear of losing our box. I had actually prepared myself, after I bought the car. I had resigned to the fact that the gearbox WOULD fail. I wasn't prepared, however for the news that my car didn't have an SVX gearbox in it at all. Someone had fitted a Legacy box -- one of the reasons it toasted so quickly after my purchase. Not to mention, there were probably high miles on it when it was installed. I won't go into the ENTIRE adventure, but, all is well now.

Don't be too paranoid. Enjoy the car and take the "speed bumps" as they come.

svxistentialist · #15 08-07-2002, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aredubjay

Don't worry, Andy. You're in good company. We all live in fear of losing our box. I had actually prepared myself, after I bought the car. I had resigned to the fact that the gearbox WOULD fail. I wasn't prepared, however for the news that my car didn't have an SVX gearbox in it at all. Someone had fitted a Legacy box -- one of the reasons it toasted so quickly after my purchase. Not to mention, there were probably high miles on it when it was installed. I won't go into the ENTIRE adventure, but, all is well now.

Don't be too paranoid. Enjoy the car and take the "speed bumps" as they come.

Could not agree more. Am still suffering from rear wheel bearing failure. Was noisy when I got the car in Feb '01. Still noisy. Still driving.

This car will not fall to bits, unless you are a s*** driver, with zero[nought percent] mechanical empathy. Take real problems seriously, as they deserve, and the speed bumps with a pinch of salt.

Joe