No first or reverse

[PaulDexler]

Hi Guys,
My car just started doing something strange, and, I hope, not too expensive. Basically, it will not go into first or reverse. When I put it into reverse, there is a clunk, and the revs go up but the car does not move. When I manually put it into first, same thing. Other gears work fine, lockup works, it turns 2500 revs at 70+mph.

It happened while I was at the Museum today, I had to get out of a parking space without reverse. I noticed it was starting off in second. Once on the freeway, I did the 33 miles home without incident.

The car is now parked behind my garage, and I'll take it to my local shop in the morning, but what am I looking at?

I have a receipt from the PO which shows the tranny was removed and repaired because of no third gear. That was last June, and I bought the car in August. Mileage at the time of the repair was 151,800. Mileage now is 156,400.
So far as I know, that was the first time the tranny was out of the car.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Paul

[Hondasucks]

Your low/reverse clutch is hosed, sounds like.

I know there is a band in the trans, but I do not know what gear(s) it operates, you MIGHT just need to adjust it.

[bwb3]

That's good mileage for that transmission. Partial failures are not good but doesn't automatically mean the high dollar rebuild or replacement. I lost reverse and first and the fix ended up being $1,200. It was a replacement of the cltch packs with heavier duty ones and fortunately was caught early enough that there wasn't any collaterage damage. I know that's still a lot of money.
Gene

[crazyhorse]

Right when my high clutch went my SVX did something similar. It was like it was caught between 1st & reverse. Very much like the E-brake was on. I "broke" it loose by abusing it. I coasted it down onto te road & just floored it. The trans went pop, and the car took off like a ROCKET. It's never offered to do that again.

Oh yeah, the "band" is for 2nd & 3rd.

[Hondasucks]

Originally Posted by crazyhorse

Oh yeah, the "band" is for 2nd & 3rd.

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure :-P My knowledge of the inner workings of the 4EAT is a little rusty lol

[PaulDexler]

The car is now in the transmission shop. They checked it out this afternoon, and confirmed that the 1st/reverse clutch is inoperative. They're going to pull it tomorrow to see exactly how much damage there is internally. I'll have it back by the end of the week, with my credit card lightened by between $1K and $2K. Bah humbug.
Then I've still got to fix the buzzing exhaust resonators, the non-working left front speaker and the floppy driver's sunvisor. I miss driving it already.
Meanwhile, the Alfa and the Capri are operating just fine. (fingers crossed.)
Paul

[PaulDexler]

Just heard from the transmission shop. One of the pumps went bad, and that fried the first and reverse gears. They want to rebuild the whole box. Plus, they say the front diff is also bad and needs to be replaced. Now I've got to figure out how to refinance the whole car, to pay for what looks like $2,500 worth of work. I'm devastated.
Anybody got any suggestions? The tranny shop says they can't even find a diff.
Paul

[Hocrest]

You may be better off swapping in a Legacy Transmission??

Do a search on www.car-part.com for a 92-97 Legacy or Impreza automatic.

Also do a search around here to see your options.

[Trevor]

Paul, you say,

"Just heard from the transmission shop. One of the pumps went bad, and that fried the first and reverse gears."

This does not add up, as either a logical, correct or informed statement.
There is but ONE pump. Gears, what which gears?? Fried??

Ask for an EXACT diagnosis in adult language while being shown the evidence. N.B. A complete rebuild is a nice tidy money spinner for the shop.

I can smell that diagnosis from way down here.

[gl1674]

> One of the pumps went bad, and that fried the first and reverse gears.

You have a defective transmission shop. Replace it ASAP before it's done further damage to your finances

> They want to rebuild the whole box

Of course they would, now they have your car and you can't drive it away from them.

[PaulDexler]

Hi,
Trevor, thanks for chiming in. Yesterday, when I wrote that post, I was not in the best or most coherent of moods. The guy from the shop is very talkative but not too communicative, if you understand. And this was over the phone, because it has been raining hard here (yes, in Southern California) for three days straight now. In addition, I was in a state of depression wondering how to pay for $2K + transmission work. ( I was hoping that I could stave off major problems until after the car was paid off.)
Anyway, he said the pump was bad. He said the filter and/or cooler line in the radiator was plugged, thus burning out pump and clutch pack from insufficient lubrication. I am beginning to think this is strange, because the radiator, with minimal but built-in tranny cooler, was replaced by the PO around the time the 3rd gear clutch was replaced last June.
The third gear clutch was replaced at 151800 miles. I brought the car here, about 150 miles, and at 152399 miles I had the transmission flushed, just to have a fresh start. I had the fluid drained and refilled at the next service, 155495 miles. So there was clean, fresh fluid and a working factory cooler in the system.
So, yes, gl1674, they do now have the car, and I'm stuck. AND, he also said that the front diff is bad and I need to replace it as well, even though I heard no strange noises and the car ran smoothly up until the gears quit. He also says that he cannot find a front diff. I told him I would look on the net for a good one.
I feel as if I am over a barrel. Even in the rain, I'm going to go over today and look at what he says is the damage. Then perhaps it's time for negotiations.
Thanks for the input.
Paul

[bwb3]

I had the transmission flushed

Depending on how the transmission was flushed, that can sometimes dislodge particles that will clog the cooling line. Others have given warning on this forum about that. Then again, if the tranny was serviced at 151,800, you would think it had been cleaned out well.
Gene

[Trevor]

Paul,

You are not over a barrel unless you gave the shop instructions which they can be confirmed by a witness, to overhaul the transmission regardless of cost.

At this point they can only claim the cost for removal and whatever strip down they have done. They can only put a lien on the car to the extent of this figure and which you are entitled to dispute.

[SVX_MY_BABY]

longassname on the network sells rebuilt/upgraded auto transmissions for approx $2700. See post # 8 in this thread. All you'd need to do is install it. No wondering if there is a future problem with the old one. He may even offer a core cost if you send him your old one.
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...ht=svx_my_baby

[PaulDexler]

After going through withdrawal symptoms for a few days, compounded by bleak, cold and rainy weather, I got together with my good friend who just retired after some 40 years as a service manager at a Mercedes dealership. We went to the transmission shop to view the remains. Interesting.
The parts were on the bench, and I took some photos.

Yes, the transmission was apart just a month before I bought the car, to have the 3rd gear clutch replaced. And that's all they did. From what we saw yesterday, they hardly bothered to clean anything out. The filter and all the internal parts were full of metal filings. Bearings were scored, and it was generally a mess. I guess the PO decided that since he was selling, all he had to do was make it run.

I know that LAN has excellent rebuilt transmissions for a reasonable price, (and thanks for the info,) but add cross-country shipping to that, and the $1,900 my shop wants for a complete rebuild, including a two-year warranty, doesn't seem so bad.

So sometime Monday, I will have my car back, with deflated credit cards.
Paul