Impreza wagon questions

[SOUTHBAYeric]

My GL wagon finally crapped out on me and I am looking at mid to late 90s impreza AWD wagons. I was wondering if there is a durability issue between auto and manual transmissions. All things being equal, fluids changed regularly etc. what is more durable? Do the auto transmissions have any inherent problems? Is a manual more reliable? I test drove a manual tranny car and when I would downshift there seemed to be a grinding/rubbing noise that was engine speed related and went away when I put the clutch back in. The owner said it was just the gears in the trans, do they all make this noise? What is some average mileage to expect? Is there anything in particular that I should make sure is in good order before buying one of these cars?

 

Thanks in advance

[SuBrat84]

Auto trannies suffer from overheating which in turn leads to torque bind and failing clutch packs and duty solenoids which can result in costly repairs. Proper fluid changes and an after-market transmission oil cooler help to combat this problem and can get the auto tranny to last as long as any other component in the vehicle. The manual tranny can stand up to more abuse and less frequent maintanence. I would be leary of any transmission that is making "unusual" noise. It is not normal for the gears to "grind" when shifting. This could indicate a clutch going out.. or more seriously the gears themselves starting to warp or get chewed up.

[Manarius]

If it's grinding when shifting, I would almost be willing to say the synchro's are shot. But, someone who is more familiar with manual transmissions would be more qualified to make an assumption than myself.

 

And as for the AT vs MT thing: I have an AT in a bigger legacy and I have a small bit of torque bind, but my transmission is just fine at 153k miles. I know the AT's do have a little bit of issues with regard ot that, but I wouldn't knock them out just because of a little torque bind. If you try to avoid making sharp turns to make the car bind, the transmission can and will go on without issue. They don't really destroy themselves without driver input. Of course, all the things mentioned above will help ensure the life of the transmission, but I would say that for a driver willing to just be careful, that they aren't completely necessary.

[edrach]

I can't offer a suggestion for your automatic transmission other than a manual tranny will give you about 15% better gas mileage; and a clutch to replace periodically. I currently have 180K on my Legacy wagon and the manual tranny is just fine. As to the Impreza, great car and I would recommend it highly. I would not get anything newer than 1996 since all models came with interference engines starting in 1997.

[fnlyfnd]

Different gear oils can help alleviate the grinding problems. Usually its more of a matter of getting used to the tranny. If I shift fast I'll grind 2nd (in the process of getting a good oil in there). Cold mornings I have to double shift 2nd (currently running some crap dyno oil). Manuals can develop toque bind, which is a very costly repair, but if you found a good condtion used tranny than you could replace the whole thing substantially cheaper. autos cost less to repair and you dont have search for a complete used tranny.

[SOUTHBAYeric]

The tranny does not grind in the classic sense of the dog teeth on the synchros not meshing. The noise is more like a rubbing and muffled grinding noise that only happens on downshifts when the clutch is let out and the noise goes along with engine speed. I live in San Francisco so tight turns are always necessary. What does torque bind feel like?

[SOUTHBAYeric]

I have also heard and read that this noise is quite common amongst these models does that seem correct?

[Wayne Boncyk]

The tranny does not grind in the classic sense of the dog teeth on the synchros not meshing. The noise is more like a rubbing and muffled grinding noise that only happens on downshifts when the clutch is let out and the noise goes along with engine speed. I live in San Francisco so tight turns are always necessary. What does torque bind feel like?

 

Drive in a tight radius circle, or in a tight figure 8 pattern, at low speed (try it in an empty part of a parking lot). If it feels like the car wants to buck or "stutter" across the pavement, that is the usual symptom of torque bind.

[nipper]

Drive in a tight radius circle, or in a tight figure 8 pattern, at low speed (try it in an empty part of a parking lot). If it feels like the car wants to buck or "stutter" across the pavement, that is the usual symptom of torque bind.

 

 

this is true both with manuals and automatics.

 

I dont know where SubRat gets his info, but he is far off base. TB is not caused by overheating the transmission. transmission failure does occur in overheated trannies, but its rare here that i see an auto failure (about even with the manuals...again rare). Also in normal use you dont over heat a tranny.

TB occurs from poor maintannce, mis matched tires and age. TB in manuals always occurs from mismatched tires, or driving on a flat.

 

In a manual after the circle test try to start off from a dead stop in 3rd gear. This will tell you what condition the clutch is in (car should stall). In an automatic inspect the fluid. if its brown or burnt walk away. Brown is indictive mostly of the AWD clutches being worn and fluid never chainged, burnt means its starting to slip.

 

nipper

[nipper]

My GL wagon finally crapped out on me and I am looking at mid to late 90s impreza AWD wagons. I was wondering if there is a durability issue between auto and manual transmissions. All things being equal, fluids changed regularly etc. what is more durable? Do the auto transmissions have any inherent problems? Is a manual more reliable? I test drove a manual tranny car and when I would downshift there seemed to be a grinding/rubbing noise that was engine speed related and went away when I put the clutch back in. The owner said it was just the gears in the trans, do they all make this noise? What is some average mileage to expect? Is there anything in particular that I should make sure is in good order before buying one of these cars?

 

Thanks in advance

 

heheheh "its just the gears in the tranny" well duh.

 

Depending on the mileage they shouldnt grind 2-3-4-5 or 5-4-3-2. Subarus may grind at times 2-3 but that can be recitifed with a lube change usually. I had one that did that for 80,000 miles when i shifted too fast.

It really depends upon how much you want to spend and what they are asking.

 

MPG range from 19 - 28 on the 2.5L so you should get better then that with the 2.2L

 

nipper

[idosubaru]

gear grinding is not common. i've seen a number have the minor grind going into gear from 2nd to 3rd that nipper mentioned, but that doesn't cause issue, i've seen them go 100,000+ miles like that.

 

in general you'll have to replace less manual trans versus auto. but subaru auto's are very very good in the durability department, if you get one that hasn't been abused and take care of it, it is unlikely you'll have to replace it. manuals are nice but still require maintenance and if you drive them hard you'll likely go through at least one clutch replacement. resurface flywheel, new clutch, new pressure plate, new pilot and throw out bearings...it's not a cheap job. auto trans are not hard to find at reasonable prices used either, so i wouldn't hesitate to install a used one (i've done it before), not that that is rarely a problem though.