Please elaborate on trans problems.

#1 07-15-2005, 07:41 PM

I am looking at an SVX tommorow that I have gotten a loan already approved for.
If it passes my test drive I will buy it.
What can I do to tell if the trans is bad?
It's a 94 with dual air bags and 140k.
I tried a search for words like shift, transmission problems etc but couldn't find the info I was looking for.
If the trans is bad will it
Shift late?
shudder?
not shift at all?
Is shifting normally worse in one gear then it is in another.
What can I do to tell if the trans is bad other then check fluid, anything?

Thanks

Manarius · #2 07-15-2005, 07:49 PM

SVX trannies have a tendency to overheat. This is due to a lack of flow of the ATF oil in the tranny itself. This heat causes friction and causes the transmission to literally cook itself. An ailing tranny will shift slow, or it'll jerk when shifting, and the most blatent reminder that a tranny is going is loss of a gear (most often reverse). If that SVX has 140k miles and is on its first tranny, I would say you're living on borrowed time, but you could be one of the lucky ones.

#3 07-15-2005, 07:58 PM

Quote:

What can I do to tell if the trans is bad other then check fluid, anything?

Absolutely. If your serious about the purchase have the car throughly checked by a competent mechanic who is familiar with Subaru's. Because of a design short coming especially in the first and second year of production several areas with in SVX's transmission do not receive the proper amount of fluid to lubricate/cool the component's. So it is critical that if you purchase an SXV that you install a good quality transmission cooler on the car to help elevate this potential for disaster.

ensteele · #4 07-15-2005, 09:02 PM

First off, you mentinon that it is a 94. Most of the problems are with the 92s. In 94 and after, there were some changes and the transmissions were not as bad. That doesn't mean that they are all ok either. If it checks out ok and you buy it, the first thing I would do is get a filter and cooler on it asap. Good luck. By the way, in the How-To Docs, there is this guide on What to look for when you are buying a used SVX. It may help you with some other things.

JIMSVX · #5 07-15-2005, 09:15 PM

Here's a couple of webpages that discuss the SVX transmissions:
http://www.drwtransmission.com/subaru_svx.htm
http://www.subarusvx.com/faq/transmission.html
http://www.geocities.com/drpkick/transmission.htm

- Jim