'90 LS Auto Transmission Questions

[njvaldes]

Hello all.  I recently purchased a 1990 Legacy LS Wagon from a couple who used it only to drive back and forth from their condo in Salt Lake City to Alta Ski Resort and back.  At the time of purchase it had only 113k miles and they were the original owners.  The car is in great shape and I hope to make it last for miles to come.  I don't drive often but do plan to use it for highway trips and occasional times when AWD is required.  

 

I'm fairly mechanically inclined and feel very comfortable working on older Japanese vehicles such as this one.  This is my second 1st gen Legacy.  A couple questions regarding the Auto tranny:

 

Even though they took good care of the vehicle and serviced it regularly I don't know that they knew much about the vehicle.  I have most of the maintenance records.  The previous owners stated they had the transmission replaced about 20k ago.  I have the work receipt and I don't notice any problems.  The power light did a flashing routine and after some searching found the diagnostic routine that someone here or on another Subaru forum posted.  It also prompted me to check the atf fluid levels according to the manual.  A couple questions regarding the Auto tranny:

 

1.  The atf fluid is a bit harder to check than other fluids (I presume because of the angle of the dip stick and lower viscosity fluid?).  I followed the routine for a hot fluid check.  The dipstick had a solid line of fluid well below the 'low' mark on the hot side of the stick.  There was a thin barely noticeable line a good way up the stick though.  I don't think this 'counts' as being at a full level though.  Thoughts?

 

2.  I went to our local Napa (I live in a small rural town with only one auto store) and given that Dextron II has been gone awhile he recommended Max Life (full syn) multi-vehicle ATF for dex/merc, Mercon LV.  I bought it and followed the procedure to top the fluid level off.  Rechecked the dipstick using the recommended procedure and it seems to be a full 'line' on the dipstick that after drive a mile or so is a solid line of fluid the width of the stick and after half quart is up to the full line with only a small barely noticeable thin line extending past 'full'.  I presume this is normal?

 

3.  Is the fluid I used an okay substitute for Dextron II?  All results I can find on various forums indicate yes but I know auto transmissions can be a finicky bunch.

 

4.  As I mentioned I do most of my driving on the highway at cruising speed and make a couple 8 mile round trip runs to town for groceries or to take the dog hiking.  It does not get heavy use.  Exceptions are I occasionally take it off road for photo shoots where clearance allows.  I'm keen to keep the underside washed afterwards but for this reason I feel I should probably change the atf fluid a bit more often than every 30k as those 50-100 mile stints do put a heavier strain on the transmission.

 

Apologies for the long first post.  I just want to make this ole girl last as long as possible.  Interior is nearly perfect and the car really does drive nice.  Emissions passed with flying colors, well below the CO & CA state limits.  I live in CO for three seasons and CA in the winter months so the car does not see true winter temps.  Any other advice or recommendations are appreciated.

~Nick

[heartless]

you say you have all the service records - is there anything about the timing belt being replaced? if not it is sorely overdue in years and mileage. Not as big of a deal on this particular model if it does go (non-interference so no internal damage would be done) but it is something to think about.

 

on the tranny fluid - i will let someone else comment. never had a problem with my 90, so...

 

I did love my 90 LS wagon tho, and kind of miss it. one tough little car that went through some crazy things...

[1 Lucky Texan]

is that a 3EAT ? anyway, I assume it must be checked while idling. My 4EAT does best if I pull the stick, wipe it, and wait a minute or 90 seconds before checking. If I add fluid, I try to add 1/2 pint at a time , run the selector thru all the gears, then check again - after a LONG wait. I always go by the lower line looking on each side of a dipstick.

 

seriously, add a small amount because those lines are a lot less than a quart apart - it isn't like engine oil marks.

[njvaldes]

Being a '90 it should be a 4EAT but I'll have to check the service records to see what transmission was put in upon replacement.

 

I only put in 1/2 quart and it seems to be at the full line.  I'll check again after a proper warm up and drive around next time I use it and report back.

 

Weird issue is the blinking power light comes and goes.  It does not happen every time I fire the engine up.  I followed the procedure listed here but I'm not sure what it means by code displayed.  I assumed it meant to count the number of power light blinks but doing that the number does not match the code table.  It says blinking every 1/4 second is normal and that is what it is doing for about 6-8 seconds on occasional startups.

 

It should be noted that driving it shifts as smoothly as any auto tranny I've driven of this era and doesn't have any noticeable problems.

 

Nick

[heartless]

if it is a Legacy, it is a 4EAT

 

A Loyale would most likely have the 3EAT

[idosubaru]

That code is the equivalent of the check engine light but I'd be much less prone to ignore thT on s trans, it usually is an an actual issue unlike emissions codes, etc.

 

1. Fluid sounds right , check another time or three. May want to check every oil change to see if it's leaking since it was low.

 

2. It's a 4eat

 

3. Does the vehicle hAve any torque bind, duty C is most common issue.

 

4. Check pan make sure its not dented. The clearance between pan and solenoids/electrical connectors is dinky. I've repaired cracked solenoids from pan dents.

[wtdash]

HI,

Yes, the ATF is a PITA to check.  A couple of hints: Ensure the car is warmed up, per the Owner's Manual (assume it was in the glove box), on level ground, and it only takes a Pint to go from the Low to Full on the dipstick. Also, know that roughly HALF the fluid is in Trans and other Half is in the TC. 

 

There are TWO types of Codes stored - Active/Existing and Historical/Previous, which is why you get blinks sometimes not always - on startup. Please re-read the instructions in that link and you'll see how to check both.

 

ATF compatible with DEXRON VI/MERCON LV  per this LINK:

DEXRON® VI

DEXRON® III (and II)

DEXRON® III (H)

DEXRON® IIE

Hyundai SP-IV

Toyota WS

Mercedes 7 Speed

Nissan Matic S

JASO 1A 

[njvaldes]

When I follow the above directions I get nothing but a fast blinking light when I follow the 'existing problem' protocol.  I presume that is the 'blinking every 1/4 second is normal'?

 

When I follow the protocol for previous problems I get two long blinks followed by 4 short blinks.  I presume this is equivalent to code '24'?  

 

If that is the case, then that would indicate a Duty C Solenoid.  I haven't notice any problems driving.  Most of the miles are highway miles.  Anyone care to advise?

 

Nick

[heartless]

duty c is one of the most common problems with these...

 

that said, go to a large open parking lot and drive in slow (barely above an idle), tight circles and see if you get any binding/bucking. go multiple times in one direction, then swap to the other... if it is an intermittent problem you may or may not notice any binding right away.

[njvaldes]

No noticeable 'bind' at the moment.  Is there a reason it needs to be replaced now or can I continue to drive as is?

 

Second, is my interpretation of the code accurate?  Two long flashes and four short flashes is code '24'?

[wtdash]

Drive it as is....but the tranfer clutches will continue to get worse, and on my car  also a '90 - the AWD had a delayed engagement. I ended up doing the 4WD Diff lock mode to compensate 'til I fixed it.

 

Yes. 24 sounds correct.

[njvaldes]

When you say fix is that just replacement of the duty c solenoid?  This car is to me a tool for work and getting around town.  I'd like to keep it running and in good shape but minimal investment if that makes sense.  That being said, the car is in good shape in a lot of ways so if small investments will (hopefully) yield big payoff in terms of longevity of the vehicle, I'm certainly down.  Being that the primary use is longer highway miles for work projects I'd prefer to keep it reliable and mitigate the chances of being left stranded.  Thoughts?

Nick