Slow Shift When Cold

[Blue01]

Hi, Newbie here.

I have a 2001 Legacy, 2.5 A/T with about 215,000 km on it.

This past winter when the engine was cold, the transmission would hold in second longer than usual before going into third. As time went on, eventually the shift into third got a little longer and quite hard, with the shifts into fourth also quite hard.

I did have the tranny fluid flushed at about 197,000 km.

 

Before it got any worse, I parked the car for the summer, standard procedure as my transportation for the next 6 months is by motorcycle.

Now I have to put the car on the road for a few weeks but would like to get this problem cleared up first.

 

So I called a couple of A/T shops and got two different responses when I asked about having the tranny fluid changed.

One said that the transmission filter was not accessible and to just have the fluid flushed.

The other said that to access the filter, they just had to drop the pan, then change the fluid, but they would like to do a road test first.

 

What are your thoughts on this problem, and on accessibility of the filter? Would changing the fluid correct the poor shifting?

 

Thanks.

[heartless]

first - have you checked the fluid level?? low fluid level could be a factor.

 

some delay in shifting in cold weather I am told is normal (my 1990 Legacy with the 4EAT also does this - the colder it is, the longer the delay), but the hard shifting is not - unless you are really revving it? I go easy on mine until it gets fully warmed up and is shifting properly thru all gears. in really cold weather (sub-zero) it could take as much as 5-6 miles of driving even after a 5-10 minute warm up period in the driveway.

 

my car has 211K on the clock and as far as i know, it has never had the fluid flushed (i have only had it for 3 yrs)

[Rooster2]

I have a 99 OBW, and have serviced the trany myself. I can't imagine that your 2001 model trany is much different from mine. If you don't mind working on your own car, I would recommend the following........drain and change the ATF three times with 10 minute drives between changes. A single drain only drains out about half the ATF, the remainder stays in the torque converter, and won't drain. There is a drain bolt on the bottom of the trany pan to make draining an easy job. You may want to add an addivive like Lucas or Trans-X product with your last ATF change. Don't drop the pan, as there is no need to do so, and there is really nothing serviceable with the pan dropped. There is an external AT filter that is a spin on unit that looks much like an oil filter. You may want to replace this filter. They are kind of pricey from a parts store at about $35.

 

I am thinking the trany stores you called with don't know much about servicing Subaru transmissions. They both don't know that Subaru has the external AT filter, and just gave you the standard automotive transmission advise. I would not be inclined to go for the power flush that was suggested.

Good luck to you!