Code P0740… and Prior Stuff That Got Us Here: The Documentary

[FivePoints]

Introduction

 

I got the best Subaru mechanic in the world, I met him on this website, I think, but maybe not.  Shawn@RetroRoo.com has given me permissions to document my 98 Outback's transmission issues on the condition that I do it well.  If I may add a little comedy because Subaru cars are a whole different ballgame compared to a V8 351C, or a 74' Nissan or 6 cyl. 56' International, or 69' Camaro SS 350, or a… Just a whole different ballgame.  But I always, always wanted to own an Outback!

 

Long story long two years ago (i know this because I just paid off the twenty five hundred loan) I bought a 98' Outback Legacy Limited because the body was great for the year but the price was more than I wanted to spend, and that would have been okay given I also knew the head gaskets were blown, and like an idiot, AFTER I DO MY RESEARCH AND A WARNING ABOUT A 'CERTIFIED' MECHANIC, I made my first, and last, major f-up.  I paid the guy who I bought my Subaru from, who said he was a mechanic, an extra $700 to replace the blown head gaskets.  Duh!  So'eth my credit card suffers to this day when those heads shortly blew. 

 

With my tail between my legs Shawn met me with a head job of epic proportions, but with not much concern.  What I discover is a mechanic who uses OEM and NEVER aftermarket engine parts and will not inflate those parts, too much… but will always charge the hourly book for the job and save me a lot of cash in the end.  I do not live in in a place are where you can pull an engine and work on it in your garage.  I no longer have the tools.  I just need a great mechanic.  

 

Tomorrow we talk about Code p0740.

 

 

[FivePoints]

This is the perfect link to explain EXACTLY what happened to my '98 but in a different order and I'll explain...

 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/54809-obw-p0740-code-won-t-go-into-high-gear.html

From the above link from wayne_55, "I dropped the pan after receiving the new part. Much to my surprise, I found one of the bolts that held the solenoid in had rattled its way out and was sitting in the bottom of the pan. That may have been the source of my problems as this missing bolt would have kept the solenoid from having the proper seal. However, I didn't want to mess around so I put in the new part and took the car for a test drive and it worked perfectly, dropping into high gear with low RPMs. Kind of annoying and expensive that this malfunction happened, but I'm pleased to have solved it easily. Thanks again, RobLog."

And the reply from RobLog, "Great news that it's fixed. I agree that the missing bolt would prevent the solenoid from sealing and doing it's job. Assuming nobody had ever touched it, maybe it was mis-torqued at the the factory ... or maybe it just happened for no good reason. It's unlikely you could have returned the new solenoid as most places have a no-return policy on electrical parts, so it's just as well you used it. Congrats."

 

So, in my world, I have an engine light on and need an inspection before renewing my license and take my 'Roo' to Shawn who turns the light off.  Next startup no light.  Next startup engine light comes on.  Okay, we find a code p0740.  Shawn calls parts and its a hundred seventy five bucks for a solenoid b.  Okay, order the part and Roo was in the shop for two days (so long is to let the sealant cure, and it cost me the cost of the part and an hour and a half of labor).  To be noted Shawn said the Ohm test on the duty b solenoid was zero, it was dead. It was dead. But remember I've had no issue with the trans save for the engine light.  Fourth gear, no problem.

 

A week later I'm seeing better gas mileage that i hadn't seen for the last year, and then one day it won't shift into 4th.  And no engine light.  But get this… 3rd gear works perfect but when you shift into 4th you're still in 3rd.  But, get this… when you shift into 4th, not only are you still in 3rd, but when you throttle off the transmission freewheels… the torque converter was not responding to the engine…at all, meaning let of throttle at 60 mph and the tach will go to idle.  So weird.  Back to Shawn and we're on a test drive and Shawn sees all this happening and i ask, 'What?'  And he says, "Subaru transmissions don't break!"  

So he throttles Roo up past 75 with his thumbs on his code meter planted in the steering wheel and the engine is just purring beautifully (I'm proud of my engine) at a higher rpm, and then the engine light came on.  With respect I can't remember the code I'll get back to you on that, but back at the shop Shawn went to the internet and flew through Subaru forums and the duty b solenoid came up and with possible issues and he goes to wiring with possible pinched or broken wiring and I said, "I have to go home and I get where you're going, you gotta drop the pan again?" Shawn said, "Yea."  I said, "Bring it in tomorrow night?"  And Shawn said, "Yea."  And two days later Shawn called and said, "I dropped the pan and found a BOLT sticking on the pan magnet."  I asked, "Wha'd you do?" He said, "Put it back where it belonged."  I asked, "How much?"  Shawn said, "Forty five dollars."  I said, "See you after work," because I know forty-five bucks is a half an hour's labor and we're sharing the idea there was no bolt in the pan LAST WEEK!  Goofy.  

 

So, given two different scenarios:

First scenario, get the p0740 code because the trans will not shift into 4th, order the part, drop the pan, find the bolt stuck to the pan magnet, replace the bolt AND the duty solenoid b (which, by the way, still registers on an ohm meter). Fixed. But the question remains, what about that bolt? 

Second scenario, except when there was no bolt when replacing the solenoid and no problem with the trans… then 4th drops out and upon inspection, what, a BOLT was found. 

My thoughts are if you are loosing gas mileage and 4th still works talk to your mechanic before your engine light comes on and find you have a p0740 code and replace the solenoid b.  On the other hand if 4th gear drops out and you have a p0740 code and replace the solenoid b.  There will always be two things in common between these two scenarios.  How did that bolt end up on the pan magnet?  And what does the bolt have to do with the solenoids going bad?  

 

I think it's a 'rogue' bolt that causes the solenoid to go bad/and or fail. Anyone else have thoughts about this?