3rd and 4th gear are not engaging + weird smell

[Filip]

Hello,

Firstly I would like to apologize in advance if I make some grammar errors, as English is not my primary language and I am not using it regularly.

So I am a new owner of a 1993 SVX. It is a beautiful car it is and so quiet and comfortable :-)

Mileage is roughly 157,000 miles. No corrosion. Car is generally in very solid condition. Its from Germany.
Before I bought the car, I knew about tranny issues, yet I must say, that I didn't expect that I would be dealing with this problem so soon. I have driven only 500 miles with this car and most of it was on the way home from the dealer.

Before buying, with test drive completed, no such problem occurred.


Symptoms:

The SVX won't go into 3rd and 4th gear. In 1st gear, I must go to exactly to 3500rpm and above, in order to tranny change gear to 2nd. Also I must depress gas pedal, to make it shift. Otherwise, it would just stay in 1st gear and rev up.

In some situations, when going around 15-30mph, after braking, clutch is slipping, so I have to rev the car a bit in order to accelerate.

When I put shift lever to 3, car is acting like if it would be in neutral - after pressing gas pedal down, revs are going higher, but speed is not, it looks like clutch is slipping. I must be around 5000 rpm in order to make it accelerate.

ATF on the tranny dipstick is still red, with only bit of brown. Its definitely not burnt, or black.

When I tried self-diagnostics (power light) I got code 24, which is duty solenoid C...

The other thing that bothering me is, that when I park the car and turn engine off (maybe even with engine on, I haven't tried it yet) I detect some sort of weird smell. First I thought it was from fresh paint on exhaust system, but as I already driven over 500 miles with the car, paint should have already burnt off, right ?

It's sort of burnt plastic smell... Could it have any relationship to tranny issue ?

In case it would help anybody, to determine my problem, I can gladly elaborate on problems, or make video of drive.

Thank you very much for any help you can offer - it will be very appreciated,

With regards

Filip

[92 SVX]

I suspect you have a failed transmission. its very unfortunate but it happens with these cars. In Europe you have the VTD transmissions but there are a few of the ACT transmissions so first you need to determine which you have. If you have the VTD a stock replacement if it can be found is usually ok if you just want to drive it reasonably.

If you can find one a 4.44 geared VTD would make a good upgrade. Or Manual swap if that is an option for you.

If you have one of the ACT transmissions (like we got in the United States) find a 4.44 geared trans don't even bother with the stock replacement.

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by Filip

Hello,

Firstly I would like to apologize in advance if I make some grammar errors, as English is not my primary language and I am not using it regularly.

So I am a new owner of a 1993 SVX. It is a beautiful car it is and so quiet and comfortable :-)

Mileage is roughly 157,000 miles. No corrosion. Car is generally in very solid condition. Its from Germany.
Before I bought the car, I knew about tranny issues, yet I must say, that I didn't expect that I would be dealing with this problem so soon. I have driven only 500 miles with this car and most of it was on the way home from the dealer.

Before buying, with test drive completed, no such problem occurred.


Symptoms:

The SVX won't go into 3rd and 4th gear. In 1st gear, I must go to exactly to 3500rpm and above, in order to tranny change gear to 2nd. Also I must depress gas pedal, to make it shift. Otherwise, it would just stay in 1st gear and rev up.

In some situations, when going around 15-30mph, after braking, clutch is slipping, so I have to rev the car a bit in order to accelerate.

When I put shift lever to 3, car is acting like if it would be in neutral - after pressing gas pedal down, revs are going higher, but speed is not, it looks like clutch is slipping. I must be around 5000 rpm in order to make it accelerate.

ATF on the tranny dipstick is still red, with only bit of brown. Its definitely not burnt, or black.

When I tried self-diagnostics (power light) I got code 24, which is duty solenoid C...

The other thing that bothering me is, that when I park the car and turn engine off (maybe even with engine on, I haven't tried it yet) I detect some sort of weird smell. First I thought it was from fresh paint on exhaust system, but as I already driven over 500 miles with the car, paint should have already burnt off, right ?

It's sort of burnt plastic smell... Could it have any relationship to tranny issue ?

In case it would help anybody, to determine my problem, I can gladly elaborate on problems, or make video of drive.

Thank you very much for any help you can offer - it will be very appreciated,

With regards

Filip

Filip,

I have referred your inquiries and this thread to my good friend, Trevor Sheffield in New Zealand. He used to be here on the network and is very familiar with the SVX transmission and always has great advice to give. So please listen to this reply from him and trust his judgement. He said:

Your transmission has defaulted to the "get you home" or “ limp” mode, because the TCU has detected a fault and that fault is very likely a lack of line pressure.

Do not replace anything or do anything, until you have the line pressure tested, as is instructed within the manuals. Do not drive the car or if you do, do not apply full power/throttle as the lack of line pressure will be causing the clutches to slip and overheat, hence the smell.

The fault could be no more than the failure of solenoid "A", which is not hugely expensive to fix and does not require the removal of the transmission.
.

[Filip]

Hello,

92 SVX: Country of origin is Germany, so i suppose it will be ACT. I would like to stay stock, tranny-wise, but definitely put all recommended mods in it.

I would be curious, which option is more durable: stock 4.44, or modded 3.54 ?

Also are there some differences across phase 1 4.44, in terms of durability, or better said: is there some preferred donor car ?

svxcess: Thank you very much for asking your friend. His answer gave me hope that it could be not that bad after all.

The thing is, that for one week a have been looking for an SVX service manual.
I have only found that 92 manual on this site, but there, i have not found any pages dealing with line pressure, including AT transmission page.

Are there instructions somewhere? I don't have a pressure meter, so i have to go to a car dealer for service, but I would like to give them exact instructions, how to do it properly.

Because from services (even Subarus) I have contacted myself, I cannot say, I could feel much of confidence, after I said them, i have an SVX

Thank you.

Best regards,

Filip

[oab_au]

Originally Posted by Filip

Hello,

92 SVX: Country of origin is Germany, so i suppose it will be ACT. I would like to stay stock, tranny-wise, but definitely put all recommended mods in it.

I would be curious, which option is more durable: stock 4.44, or modded 3.54 ?

Also are there some differences across phase 1 4.44, in terms of durability, or better said: is there some preferred donor car ?

svxcess: Thank you very much for asking your friend. His answer gave me hope that it could be not that bad after all.

The thing is, that for one week a have been looking for an SVX service manual.
I have only found that 92 manual on this site, but there, i have not found any pages dealing with line pressure, including AT transmission page.

Are there instructions somewhere? I don't have a pressure meter, so i have to go to a car dealer for service, but I would like to give them exact instructions, how to do it properly.

Because from services (even Subarus) I have contacted myself, I cannot say, I could feel much of confidence, after I said them, i have an SVX

Thank you.

Best regards,

Filip

Hi Filip,

Your transmission is the 4ACT, the same as the US version. The problem is the high clutch that has failed, it is used in 3rd and 4th. the problem won't be the “A” solenoid on the line pressure or it would not have 1st, 2nd, or reverse gears.

The high clutch failed mainly due to the high 3.54 final drive ratio that the US cars had, so it will last better with a lower ratio like the 4.44.

Your best choice is to do a 4.44 swap from an Outback of about 97, do a search for the 4.44 swap.

Harvey
.

[Filip]

Hello Harvey,

1) Ouch! are you 100% sure? So, if I can shift to 1st, 2nd and R, I can safely exclude solenoid A option?

It's hard for me to believe this, as first 500 miles, the tranny was absolutely OK - nicely shifting in all 4 gears. No clutch slipping.

Only thing worth mentioning, is that it had that weird smell from the beginning - which we thought was from fresh exhaust paint. And that, if I was driving uphill, at let's say 40-60 mph, tranny was struggling a bit to shift from 3rd to 4th gear.

Back then, I had a feeling, it is mainly about getting used to and understand the car's TCU.


2) If I understand it correctly, with the 4.44 in, the car will be faster and more durable, but - and that is more important to me - will shift changes still be as gentle and imperceptible as they are in the 3.54? Also will the stock 3.54 Economy mode operate properly?

If there is one thing, the stock 3.54 is really doing ine. It is creating the illusion that you are not driving car, but piloting a plane.

Thank you,
Filip
.

[svxcess]

.

1. It has not been proven in this case that a clutch has completely failed, so that the first factor to check is line pressure. The transmission could very well be in “get you home/limp” mode, rather than be inoperative and that a clutch could be worn, but not worn-out.
   
   
2. The degree of clutch engagement depends on line pressure and, if the line pressure is inadequate, clutches will slip and if they keep slipping, will ultimately burn out.
   
   
3. The high clutch is subject to the highest level of torque and will be the first to become affected, but will not necessarily fail if a problem is promptly attended to.
   
   
4. The SVX is the most likely user of the transmission to suffer from the effect of insufficient line pressure, due to its relatively high gearing and overall weight.
   
   
5. IMPORTANT: Adequate line pressure depends on the proper closing of a single solenoid valve, which operates constantly at many times per second, whenever the engine is running. Therefore, this valve obviously has a limited life.
   
   
6. This component, solenoid valve “A”, must be treated as the first suspect, in the event that there is inadequate line pressure.
   
   
7. History has shown the huge numbers of SVX’s that have had transmission replacements when the problems have commenced solely due to a lack of line pressure.
   
   
8. The factory service manuals indicate that the first factor to check in respect of trouble, is the line pressure. Good follow-your-nose /common sense and a connection port to simplify this procedure has been provided accordingly.
   
   
9. I think a major factor involving the SVX transmission problems is the labelling of the shift lever as 1, 2, 3, D, rather than 1, 2, D, O/D.

Seems like this as an aspect of marketing hype, rather than good engineering... “Look, you are getting a four speed transmission.”

.

[oab_au]

Originally Posted by Filip

Hello Harvey,

1)It's hard for me to believe this, as first 500 miles, the tranny was absolutely OK - nicely shifting in all 4 gears. No clutch slipping.

Only thing worth mentioning, is that it had that weird smell from the beginning - which we thought was from fresh exhaust paint. And that, if I was driving uphill, at let's say 40-60 mph, tranny was struggling a bit to shift from 3rd to 4th gear.

Back then, I had a feeling, it is mainly about getting used to and understand the car's TCU.

2) If I understand it correctly, with the 4.44 in, the car will be faster and more durable, but - and that is more important to me - will the shift changes still be as gentle and imperceptible as they are in the 3.54? Also will the stock 3.54 Economy mode operate properly?

If there is one thing, the stock 3.54 is really doing fine. It is creating the illusion that you are not driving car, but piloting a plane.

Thank you,
Filip
.

1) Ouch, are you 100% sure ? So, if I can shift to 1st, 2nd and R, I can safely exclude solenoid A option?

Yes, they all need the same solenoid and line pressure.

2) If i understand it correctly, with 4.44 in, the car will be faster and more durable, but - and that is more important to me - will the shift changes still be as gentle and imperceptible as they are in the 3.54? Also will the stock 3.54 Economy mode operate properly?

I don't know about being faster; you would have to ask somebody that has done the swap. Mine is a VTD with the lower gearing, but it will be more durable, and yes, the same TCU controls the 4.44 gearbox the same as the standard, and the Economy mode still works.
.

[RisingPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Filip

Hello,

Firstly I would like to apologize in advance if I make some grammar errors, as English is not my primary language and I am not using it regularly.

So I am a new owner of a 1993 SVX. It is a beautiful car it is and so quiet and comfortable :-)

Mileage is roughly 157,000 miles. No corrosion. Car is generally in very solid condition. Its from Germany.
Before I bought the car, I knew about tranny issues, yet I must say, that I didn't expect that I would be dealing with this problem so soon. I have driven only 500 miles with this car and most of it was on the way home from the dealer.

Before buying, with test drive completed, no such problem occurred.


Symptoms:

The SVX won't go into 3rd and 4th gear. In 1st gear, I must go to exactly to 3500rpm and above, in order to tranny change gear to 2nd. Also I must depress gas pedal, to make it shift. Otherwise, it would just stay in 1st gear and rev up.

In some situations, when going around 15-30mph, after braking, clutch is slipping, so I have to rev the car a bit in order to accelerate.

When I put shift lever to 3, car is acting like if it would be in neutral - after pressing gas pedal down, revs are going higher, but speed is not, it looks like clutch is slipping. I must be around 5000 rpm in order to make it accelerate.

ATF on the tranny dipstick is still red, with only bit of brown. Its definitely not burnt, or black.

When I tried self-diagnostics (power light) I got code 24, which is duty solenoid C...

The other thing that bothering me is, that when I park the car and turn engine off (maybe even with engine on, I haven't tried it yet) I detect some sort of weird smell. First I thought it was from fresh paint on exhaust system, but as I already driven over 500 miles with the car, paint should have already burnt off, right ?

It's sort of burnt plastic smell... Could it have any relationship to tranny issue ?

In case it would help anybody, to determine my problem, I can gladly elaborate on problems, or make video of drive.

Thank you very much for any help you can offer - it will be very appreciated,

With regards

Filip

Hey Flip. I'd tell my experience on the tranny but it's too long..I'll fry a brain cell. (Saves brain cell)

The burning smell, from experience, is steering related. Something is leaking from your Rack and Pinion or you have a failing Steering Pump (mine was all of the above, including every pressure line connected to it!!)
Anyway, take a breath, since I'm sure the transmission isn't ∆ON FIRE∆ hehe.
If you see no leaks from the transmission or it's lines, it's probably fine. But word of caution on your tranny oil: I believe you have water in the transmission or you have very old transmission fluid mixing in with newer transmission fluid.
Not good, it would surely explain the slipping, reving and bad shifting.

I believe this is correctable with the right oil.. you'll have to spend more on oil changes.
I STRONGLY suggest replacing the oil with Amsoil ATF, though you'll have to replace that Amsoil ATF every 4 months until all the old transmission fluid is out of the converter.
You may have a weak converter too, though I don't know too much about these.
Another Note: Make sure the Mainseal isn't leaking ANY.
EXTRA Note: Burnt plastic smell? When the car is turned off? YEAH, I'd say it's steering. I reread your post and it's exactly the same signs and symptoms I experienced before the steering went drastically south....eventually, you'll see bad leaks (From steering pump and lines) pooling up around the engine block..it'll leak down on to exhaust manifold (burnt plastic smell) then eventually pool onto the dust cover, or plastic shroud that protects the underside of engine (I forget what it's called)
My 0.02¢

[RisingPhoenix]

NOTE: Why I only use Amsoil ATF in the 4-EATs.. The transmissions in the SVX have a higher operating temperature and larger bands. Factory DEXRON 3 and 4 are not sufficient for these transmissions. I've had to replace the Valvoline ATF every 4 months when it would start to break down and cause the transmission to stick or shift hard up or down. The regular ATF (I only used Valvoline ATF until I switched to Amsoil ATF) will turn a slight brownish color at the 4th or 5th month when this sticky shifting reappears after 15 - 40 miles of daily driving.
I've been driving on Amsoil ATF (no oil changes) the past 4 years and the car shifts VERY smooth, like glass!!!
Also, there is NO CHANGE in COLOR of the oil that I can tell.
Amsoil ATF can handle a much higher operating temperature whereas factory DeEXRON oil will not... with much less wear on internal transmission parts.
My 0.02¢