'04 Forester keeps re-learning shift flares

[The Sizzla]

I thought the 4EAT on my 156k 04 Forester X just had a sticky seal or something, but something seems to be up with a sensor or the TCU.

 

I've been able to reset away bad shifting behavior three times now - it starts re-learning it after a few tanks of gas.But, once it's learned the flares it does, it stays at that level and doesn't get worse.

 

What I get is the 1-2 2-3 upshift flare when it's cold for the first few changes through those gears, and then when I'm on the highway I'll get the 4-3 shift delay/bang-if-you-don't-lift. It doesn't act up around town after it's warmed up some but the highway bang-a-rang is consistent and irrelevant to temperature or time running.

 

It has no codes whatsoever - the only off thing it does after having the battery off for a few minutes is it will half-catch and die the first time I crank it. The second time I crank it it does the usual rug-gug-gug-brrmm. Not sure if this is normal for a first start after resetting the computers?

 

I've changed the fluid twice with Valvoline's supposedly Subaru-okay "Import Synthetic" ATF (about 12 quarts through it altogether at this point, I think) but otherwise I haven't done anything to the car but replace the alternator. The first change was a bit dark but not burnt, and again, the transmission only progresses to this slightly-annoying flarey state and never further.

 

Could something like a slightly off TPS be causing this? Is it an 04 TCU program problem? The closest sufferers I can find are people with 00's H6 Outbacks, but nothing I've found on them has gone beyond just pulling the cable once it annoys you enough.