Auto/Manual Hill Question

[axgutt]

My wife and I both have 95 Legacy Wagons. Mine's a manual with 307,000 miles, and hers is an auto with about 230,000 miles. We just moved to a town with very steep hills. I worry about my clutch when starting on the steep hills - I find that using the parking brake works better than the hill holder, and I try to time these intersections as best I can. What I wonder about though it my wife's auto. There has to be something getting stressed in the transmission when starting on a steep hill. Should I plan to do more frequent maintenance?

 

Thanks

 

Adam

[nipper]

No thats why you have a torque converter, it multiples torque. the only thing you may want to do is maybe add a drain and fill to your oil chnage ritual. Every other oil change do a drain and fill of the transmission, that keeps the fluid refreshed.

 

As far as your hill holder, it most likely needs to be adjusted.

 

http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/BasicsEWAug07.pdf

[zyewdall]

Depends... if she is keeping it at a stop on the hill by keeping her foot slightly on the gas, then it is kind of heating up the transmission more than necessary while stopped. If she has her foot off the gas, and on the brake while stopped, it should be fine -- it's what it's designed to do, for the most part.

[idosubaru]

with the manual i will bet you get better over time. maybe you can adjust the hill holder somehow?

 

might want to prepare yourself for the winter if the area gets snow. snow in flat country is rather benign. snow in steep/mountainous areas is treacherous. it's night and day. if that is a concern, consider quality snow tires before next winter.

 

as for the automatic. nah, you shouldn't have any issues with the hill and auto trans.

 

if you find yourself in high rpm's and hauling some kind of additional/non normal load like extra weight and trailers up mountain passes then maybe an aftermarket cooler. but a little extra work for the trans is fine, doesn't sound like you need anything except fluid changes.

 

rotate your tires and change the fluid with some kind of regularity (read your owners manual, that's a good place to start). but if it has never been or infrequently changed you might need more changes than normal.

 

a drain and refill of the trans only gets 30% ofthe fluid out approx.

[nipper]

a drain and refill of the trans only gets 30% ofthe fluid out approx.

 

Yup thats why i said do a drain and fill every other oil change as oposed to a full flush every 3/36000 miles. Its just easier for what may be heavier then normal use.

 

 

Though i often wonder how people in San Fran make out with clutches, brakes and Auto tranny wear.

 

 

nipper