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transmission question
i know that the SVX tranny's have problems with dieing, due to wear, caused by heat, etc. and i was just wondering if accelerating fast (stomping the gas) can accelerate the wear or somehow cause faster wear on the tranny, making it not last as long.
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#2
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Re: transmission question
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But I am sure someone will come along soon that knows a lot more about it. |
#3
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To my knowledge....
I think the answer to your question lies in what happens when the SVX is driven in "D" around town and at sub-freeway speeds.
The weakest point on the beautiful SVX is it's transmission. This is due to poor ATF flow in the very complicated 4spd automatic transaxle. One way to prolong the life of your transmission is to drive the car in the "3" position when driving under 60mph. The very tall 4th gear is really only designed for use on the freeway and cruising w/ fuel efficiency. By driving in "D", the transmission is forced to downshift into 3rd or even 2nd gear quite often, this combined with the unfortunate fact that the transmission has flow problems causes excessive heat and wear. Driving in "3" will put a dent in overall gas mileage but your car will love you for it. This constant "kick-down" out of 4th gear generates heat, wich eventually could lead to the death of a very technologically advanced transaxle. I would also advise any SVX owner NOT to have a transmission flush done on a higher mileage transmission. I had one done on my '92 original tranny w/ hopes that this would prolong the life of it. Shockingly, it did the exact opposite. Less than 5 weeks after the transmission was flushed 3rd and 4th gear were totally lost. To this day I am skeptical on whether or not the person who performed this service filled the fluid back up all the way. The technician I took the transmission to told me that my transmission failed due to lack of fluid. On the other hand I also wonder if the flush had just disturbed enough sediment and gound metal shavings to form a clog and starve the rear portion of the tranny w/ fluid. Either way, I don't think I'll ever let anyone talk me into doing anything to my car w/o asking about it on this forum first. My Subie has been in the shop now for 1 week and I should have her back this Wednesday . I am having an external B&M transmission filter installed in place of the one installed as an attempt to prolong the life of the transmission by the dealerships. I would just replace the canister filter but Subaru decided to discontinue it. I am also currently shoping for tranny-coolers and aluminum pans. Good luck out there! Last edited by SEA Sleeper; 07-22-2004 at 11:51 PM. |
#4
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What gear you drive in is largely inconsequential to prolonging the life of your transmission, and limiting the available gears may in fact shorten it. It's the third gear that typically dies first, simply because of slippage - probably exacerbated by heat. If you still have your foot hard on the throttle during that third gear shift, you are giving that gear an extra-hard workout. I generally ease up just before that shift, (as I'm usually already going pretty fast by that point and it frequently just goes straight to fourth.)
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#5
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Re: To my knowledge....
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dcb |
#6
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Re: transmission question
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You must be new to the wonderful world of car ownership. Accelerating quickly will cause premature wear on A LOT of things on any car. Dave |
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__________________
1993 25th Anniversary Edition # 156 of 301 ~ 121, 488 miles ( SOLD TO svxfiles 8/6/06) 2006 Subaru Impreza 2.5i....5spd - My daily driver 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5i -7k miles..Mom's daily driver 2,543 Member of the SVX World Network |
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My 94 had 140,000 miles of driving in D before the tranny died. My 95 has 146,000 miles of driving in D and the tranny works just fine. I'm not so sure 3rd is really any better than D, with the exception of having more power on tap with the lower gear. Maybe driving in 3rd would help the 92's with original tranny's, but I'm just not convinced it helps the newer models that much. I mean, with the higher RPM's aren't you just putting more wear on the engine?
Dave |
#9
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Stomping on the gas will cause the TC to generate more heat. The hotter the ATF gets, the more quickly it breaks down and looses its ability to properly lubricate the gearbox. Also, shifting under heavy load accelerates wear of the gear clutches. So, yes, stomping on the gas can shorten the life of the tranny.
The temperature problem can be mitigated by adding an external ATF cooler. It would also be a good idea to add an external ATF filter before the radiator cooler. With your '92, it would also be a good idea to backflush the radiator cooler before installing these items because there is a screen in the radiator cooler that gets clogged over time, restricting ATF flow. Not much can be done about the accelerated wear of the clutches except to make sure that the ATF fluid is always in good condition. Also, avoid using limited slip additives if possible. This stuff reduces friction on the clutch plates, allowing clutch slip to occur more easily.
__________________
Mychailo :: 2006 Silver Mitsubishi Evolution 9, E85, 34 psi peak, 425wtq/505whp DJ :: 1995 Laguna Blue SVX L AWD 5MT (sold) Visit my locker SVX Mods: ND iridium spark plugs, Impreza RS fpr, afr tuned to 13.2:1 using a custom MAF bypass, custom exhaust, WRX 5MT w/ STi RA 1st-4th gear & stock WRX 5th gear, Exedy 13 lb flywheel & Sport Clutch, STi Group N tranny & engine mounts, urethane spacers in rear subframe, rear diff mounts, and pitch stopper, SVX Sport Strut Springs (185f/150r), custom 19 mm rear swaybar, urethane swaybar mounts, Rota Torque 17x8", 225/45-17 Proxes 4 tires, Axxis Deluxe Plus organic brake pads. |
#10
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by red95svx
[B]My 94 had 140,000 miles of driving in D before the tranny died. My 95 has 146,000 miles of driving in D and the tranny works just fine. I'm not so sure 3rd is really any better than D, with the exception of having more power on tap with the lower gear. Maybe driving in 3rd would help the 92's with original tranny's, but I'm just not convinced it helps the newer models that much. I mean, with the higher RPM's aren't you just putting more wear on the engine? Yeah thats what i was afraid of. Putting more wear on the engine because of the higher RPM's. It never goes above 3 in my car tho...as soon as it hits 3 i shift up to D. My car is a 93 so i dunno if it helps or not. Its the original tranny too. I dont know if i should still drive in 3 or keep it in D. You guys always confuse me
__________________
1993 25th Anniversary Edition # 156 of 301 ~ 121, 488 miles ( SOLD TO svxfiles 8/6/06) 2006 Subaru Impreza 2.5i....5spd - My daily driver 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5i -7k miles..Mom's daily driver 2,543 Member of the SVX World Network |
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dcb |
#12
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__________________
Mychailo :: 2006 Silver Mitsubishi Evolution 9, E85, 34 psi peak, 425wtq/505whp DJ :: 1995 Laguna Blue SVX L AWD 5MT (sold) Visit my locker SVX Mods: ND iridium spark plugs, Impreza RS fpr, afr tuned to 13.2:1 using a custom MAF bypass, custom exhaust, WRX 5MT w/ STi RA 1st-4th gear & stock WRX 5th gear, Exedy 13 lb flywheel & Sport Clutch, STi Group N tranny & engine mounts, urethane spacers in rear subframe, rear diff mounts, and pitch stopper, SVX Sport Strut Springs (185f/150r), custom 19 mm rear swaybar, urethane swaybar mounts, Rota Torque 17x8", 225/45-17 Proxes 4 tires, Axxis Deluxe Plus organic brake pads. |
#13
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Correct, any replacement radiator from Subaru will not have the screen regardless of model year.
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David B. SVXipedia @ SVX-IW.COM -- SVX Information Warehouse 2.0 coming...eventually! Ebony 1992 SVX LS-L 5 spd Koni/GC Stebro 187k miles RIP (Rust In Pieces) 1993 SVX 5 spd Koni/GC Stebro Polyurethane bushings still available! |
#14
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dcb |
#15
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Also, leaving the car in 3rd still allows the car to make that third gear shift, which is the problematic one anyway. What's the point? |
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