2001 Forester Trans problems

[Scoobywagon]

I'm a bit baffled on this one. Car has 160k. We've had zero problems with the trans up to this point. Not even any torque bind. Today, however, something very strange has occurred. My wife and I drove the best part of 100 miles today with no strange occurrences. We parked the car and, when we came back 3 hours later, no reverse. We got some strange mechanical noises from under the car. Sounded like two pieces of thin metal hitting each other. The engine sounded like it was under load, even in park. I'm wondering if the torque converter has died. Any thoughts?

[Fairtax4me]

No reverse, but forward works?

 

Torque converter problems are rare but they do break from time to time. Usually in a gloriously bad manner, accompanied by lots of grinding clanking clattering and blood curdling mechanical screams. This would leave you with either: 1) A locked torque converter which would cause the engine to stall when the trans is put into any moving gear. 2) An open torque converter which will allow the engine to spin freely, but will not transfer that motion to the input shaft of the trans, so you would get No Go in any gear.

A broken TC would not leave you with only one working direction.

 

First things first, Check fluid. Is it metallic/grey? Is it burned? Is the level proper?

I'd also check the cable adjustment to make sure the transmission selector arm is in the correct positions when the shifter is moved.

After that I think you get to drop the trans pan unless you crawl under the car and happen to spot something obvious.

[Scoobywagon]

We actually DID manage to get reverse to work. But it was more like lurching backwards. And, as I said, the engine acts as if it is under load even when in park. Putting it in drive will cause the car to move, but only with throttle. Previously, it would creep forward a bit at idle. Again, as though it were loaded all the time.

 

Fluid is clean and smells as nasty as all ATF (I hate that smell). Level is hard to determine, as I can't get it hot what with all the rattling and clanking going on and the not really driving.

 

I really doubt it is a cable problem as all the shifter gates still feel correct. Either way, how would I check that?

 

I crawled under there this evening and the trans is astoundingly clean for 170k. Anyway...didn't see any magic neon signs indicating the presence of a problem.

 

Oh well. When it rains it pours.

Edited October 23, 2010 by Scoobywagon

[idosubaru]

Fluid is clean and smells as nasty as all ATF

that sounds like diff gear oil, not ATF. diff gear oil is on the passengers side, ATF is on the drivers side - which did you check?

 

if you think ATF smells "nasty" then you should never smell the gear oil in the diff, it'll probably kill you. it's far more putrid, which makes me think that's what you checked. i have a terrible sense of smell so this doesn't mean much but to me ATF doesn't even smell like much of anything.

 

the engine is "under load" - does it go forward normally?

any check engine light?

recent work, engine removal, anything?

 

jack the car up and make sure all the tires spin freely? maybe something is binding somewhere? an ebrake sticking?

[Fairtax4me]

Does it make noise all the time when the engine is running, or only when in gear?

 

X2 on confirming that you checked the right fluid. ATF doesn't really stink. It's not perfume, but it's nothing compared to gear oil. That stuff is gut wretching.

 

There are detents in the shifter that it locks into to keep the shifter from moving from say drive to reverse if it gets bumped accidentally. Those might not always line up with the detents for the selector lever on the transmission. It could be that when you place the shifter in the Drive position, the transmission selector might be in the 3rd gear position. Usually that will lock the trans in 3rd gear, which will lessen the amount of torque transfer to the wheels, and the car will not roll on it's own without some extra engine speed.

Have you tried to drive the car at all since this started? I'm curious to know if it might be in third or even second gear when the shifter is in drive.

[Scoobywagon]

OK...got the car towed home...new symptom.

 

When the tow truck hooked on and tried to pull it backwards, he put the trans in neutral. The rear wheels turned backwards and the fronts tried to go forward.

 

The car will drive forward ok, but not as normal.

 

Yes, I checked ATF. Just don't like the cat urine smell of it.

 

I think the center diff has eaten itself. More to the point, I think something died while we were driving and then when it cooled, it had welded itself closed.

[Fairtax4me]

When the tow truck hooked on and tried to pull it backwards, he put the trans in neutral. The rear wheels turned backwards and the fronts tried to go forward.

You get that type of behavior when the trans is left in park. Center diff maybe, but I'm thinking something broke and has wedged itself in one of the planetary gear sets.

Either way, Something asploded in there, exactly what is gonna take a teardown to find out. Tell your mechanic to take some pics and post them so we can see the carnage!