Weird Transmission problem

[audiciter]

First a brief history...

 

2000 Legacy Wagon AT

 

I bought the car 5 months ago, and the guy selling it said the transmission wouldn't go into drive sometimes (this included all forward gears D, 1-2and3...reverse works fine). He also said sometimes it works flawlessly. The transmission felt as if it was slipping, and after tapping the gas a couple times, it would slide into drive. There was no *SLAMMING* into gear, no nasty sounds....always nice and smooth once it did. Once the car was IN drive, it never had a problem shifting from any of the gears....until it was taken out of drive, then you had to repeat the process. Since I got the car for dirt cheap, I figured I would swap in a new tranny if necessary, but I had other plans.

 

I get the car home, drain the transmission fluid, change the spin on filter, refill with new fluid and a little lucas no-slip. The problem was gone. It shifted great for about 3 months. On very rare occasion it would take 3-4 seconds to finally go into gear, but this was a far cry better than the shifting to drive and NOTHING happening until you tapped the gas. Everything was good in the world.

 

Here I am now, and the problem is back. It will work great for 3-5 days in a row with no issues. Then 1 day it will act up all day. Then back to fine.

 

I'm not a transmission guru by any means, but it almost seems like there is a valve sticking or something? Maybe an electronic sensor going bad? I hate to get a new transmission, because honestly when I didn't have any problems with it for months, and even when I did have problems, it shifted so smooth once it was finally in drive.

 

Is there a strainer filter somewhere in the tranny? I'm lost... :-\

[dxrflyboy]

Drain & refill the fluid again. If that helps the way it did the first time, have the trans. flushed.

[larrygs71]

had the same problem with my 99 forester. plus there are many others reported here. drained my atf. refilled took like 4 qts plus a pint. drove it 2 weeks 200 miles repeated process plus changed spin on tranny filter with original subaru filter. refilled with atf took like 6 qts. no problems in last 9000 miles. the first drain/refil seem to fix the problem. but you a lot of atf remains after one drain.

larry