Is it toast?? Help!

[Hocrest]

I'm driving around today, I stop at the office to print out the instructions to diagnose the "Power" lamp. I go through the two procedures and get a 11 for both the current and stored.

I turn everything off, turn the car back on and go in to lock up the office. I come back out after the car has been idling for a few minutes, put it in gear and it goes no where. There is no movement at all in any of the gears.
I put it back into Park, check the tran fluid and it is normal. Turn the car off, back on and it moves. I decide to try to run it straight home, I get onto the higway that my office is located on and then the fun begins.

It will run in 1st up to about 35 and then the RPMs will continue to rise while the tranns slips. Shortly after it will repeat the previous symptom where it just revs, with no movement. If I turn the car off and back on again, it will again allow me to go for short distances, about 1/2 mile at a time, before I have to shut it off and back on again.

Don't know if this is related, but when the transmission is cold, it takes about 2 miles of driving before it will shift out of 1st. When I start it up, even if I allow the engine to completely warm up prior to going, I have to drive around on the back streets for a while before it will shift to 2nd. The gear selector/manu button has no affect.

[svxistentialist]

Dave,

Sounds like the tranny is gone.

Although I have plenty of bad experience with the tranny, I am not an expert, but this is my best guess.

Second gear and fourth gear [2 and D] are both operated using a thing called the brake band. This is a plain metal band like the blade of a band saw [with no teeth!] that goes around a big drum the full diameter of the tranny. It has friction material on the inner surface. To activate second or fourth, the band is tightened to the drum. When the friction material is worn away, it allows the engine to simply rev up in the 2 range. If there was enough grip to get you up to the speed where 3 selects, it would be drivable.

Unfortunately, in your case, you seem to have no friction material on the band, or the band is too loose, or a combination of both. If you select 1, it will probably limp along for you, as it can't try for 2 which has the slipping band.

You need a tranny shop. Don't let them tow you with the front raised if you are AWD. Needs to be carried on a flatbed.

All of the above is predicated on you saying the tranny oil is "normal", i.e. I am assuming you have enough ATF in the tranny. Check this again to be sure to be sure.

Best of luck with it, hope it does not cost too much.

Joe

[Earthworm]

When it's slipping is there any grinding noises?

You should be able to force 2nd gear with the manual button in and the shifter in either 2 or 3 but not D. If it still slips then I would also have to think there's something wrong with the band.

[Hocrest]

svxistentialist - thanks for the toast humor, I need it...

No grinding noise, or any noise other than the engine rev and a rattle in a heat shield.

Moving the gear selector and using the manual button had no effect whatsoever.

Should I try tightening the brake band?

Could these be symptoms of the Duty Sel A that I am getting a code for?

[benebob]

Did you change your tranny fluid? You can probably get some life out of it by doing that. Man, you should've passed it to me! Looks like you're gonna be putting a legacy manual in it huh?

[svxistentialist]

Sorry Dave

I know how you feel. Several times in fact.

If it is the brake band, and I think it is, you will have worn all the friction material away from the slippage. It will have been running too long with the band loose. Tightening will not help I'm afraid.

I also reckon that part of the service at about 40K miles should be to check or tighten the brake band, but it is not in the book. Oversight by Subaru.

Sufficient to say that the new 4speed or 5speed boxes do not have a brake band.

You should get it looked at by a technician. The solenoids can be replaced by dropping the pan, so Duty A could be replaced. However, I think you need a refurbished tranny.

Hope you didn't mind the humour too much, I needed cheering up when mine went wollop.

Joe

Originally posted by Hocrest
svxistentialist - thanks for the toast humor, I need it...

No grinding noise, or any noise other than the engine rev and a rattle in a heat shield.

Moving the gear selector and using the manual button had no effect whatsoever.

Should I try tightening the brake band?

Could these be symptoms of the Duty Sel A that I am getting a code for?

[Hocrest]

Ben, not sure what I'm gooing to do if it does need replaced. I really would like a 5-spd, but in the little driving I have done in it, I see your point that the car is matched nicely to the auto...

Originally posted by svxistentialist
Hope you didn't mind the humour too much, I needed cheering up when mine went wollop.

Thanks Joe, humor is needed in times like these...