graysonrobb@gmail.com Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 The car is an automatic 1996 Subaru Legacy LX with 150k. Symptoms I have are torque bind, loud thump when putting car in park, slipping transmission, AT Oil Temp light flashes 16 times on start (read code and came up with solenoid C). First thing I tried was changing ATF fluid but I saw 0 improvement. Next I tried putting in the FWD fuse, however the FWD light didn't come on. So from everything I've read it's probably time to replace the Solenoid C. But first I have some questions... My drivers side tire is wearing very unevenly on the outside which I believe is due to a failing wheel bearing. Here is what it looks like: http://imgur.com/jgVYfon Could a bad wheel bearing cause this uneven tire wear which in turn caused the solenoid C to fail? I know it's hard to tell from that picture but do you think it's possible that the tire is too far gone to keep using? If so does that mean I probably need to just get 4 new tires so I can avoid any uneven tire wear problems? I leaning towards replacing the Solenoid C, replacing the front drivers side wheel bearing, replacing all 4 tires and getting an alignment. However this is a ton of money so I want to make sure I'm taking all the proper steps in diagnosing problems before dumping all this money into the car. Any opinions or advice is very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) Since the solenoid isn't actually a mechanical part of the drivetrain, tire wear will not affect it. Tire wear will affect the transfer clutch pack as well as the transfer drum, but NOT the solenoid. The solenoid is often damaged merely due to age, but occasionally the wiring to the solenoid is damaged. The wear on the tire is more likely due to low tire pressure, or incorrect toe-in on that side. Edited November 3, 2014 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graysonrobb@gmail.com Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Since the solenoid isn't actually a mechanical part of the drivetrain, tire wear will not affect it. Tire wear will affect the transfer clutch pack as well as the transfer drum, but NOT the solenoid. The solenoid is often damaged merely due to age, but occasionally the wiring to the solenoid is damaged. The wear on the tire is more likely due to low tire pressure, or incorrect toe-in on that side. Great, thanks for the information. Any thoughts on the amount of uneven tire wear? You think it's bad enough to purchase 4 news tires? This is my first AWD I've ever owned so I'm no expert in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY_Dave Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Solenoid C electrical failure (open or shorted) is one of the few things the TCU can actually figure out. Could be a busted wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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