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make sure you look in the radiator itself - never trust the overflow bottle to reflect actual coolant level when there is even a HINT of cooling problems.

Check the linkage under the car. Have someone move the shifter and verify that whatever thing the rod connects to moves through its range. That whatever fan-shaped thing may have failed and check its wiring harness. I have a FWD 4EAT from a 94 model with 84K miles that has been sitting in a shed the last 20 or so years. PM me if you should become interested in it.

One of my loaners is a 1990 Legacy (first year) with 340k on the original engine and transmission. I got it for basically free from the original owner. For the price, availability, reliability, and ease of replacement parts, the Legacy wins in every category. The 3AT was absolute trash. The vast majority of the remaining EA chassis cars that still operate are manual transmissions. And regardless of what ANYONE says, the EA82 is a giant pile of unobtainable parts and is a nightmare to work on compared to the EJ22. And who doesn't want 60% more power and the same economy? The oil pump from a 2020 STI will fit a 1990 EJ22...... the EJ engine is Subaru's Small Block Chevy. Everything that came before is simply a museum artifact. GD

Sounds like the TCU codes need to be pulled. I haven't looked in a long time whether these have a "memory" mode or diagnostic mode or not but I would wonder if you can learn something even if it's not tossing an active code, from a memory functionality or pending code like the ECU. No there's no fuse. Sorry if you already know this, I don't know if you do or not. Are you sure the TCU light isn't blinking - it only does it immediately at start up, really fast and is easy to miss. It's not like the check engine light which stays on all the time. If you don't look right away at first start up, you won't see it. It seems unlikely to go into fail safe mode without a code but stranger things have happened. Have you tried turning it off and restarting it multiple times - does it do it every single time? I assume the fluid level is fine? Check the trans pan and make sure it's not dented at all, even a tiny bit. There's almost no clearance between the pan and solenoids, wiring, and sump. Rodent damage is unlikely but I've seen it more than once. Chipmunks, even in squeaky clean residential neighborhoods, can crawl into areas and gnaw on wiring that's unseen. I've seen wires chewed under carpeting that seemed impossible to access. But this is, of course, unlikely.

From the 4EAT manual. If shift solenoids #1 or #2 malfunction, the TCU deactivates the other. This results in either 3rd gear or Reverse (when selected).

That’s how the trans operates without any TCU input. Or, yes, it could be a hosed trans. Does the AT light blink 16 times at first start up? Any check engine lights? Id read the TCU codes. If there are none, I’d heck the trans connectors for power or rodent damage.

Glad to hear you found the problem. If it was idling correctly before the belt slippage and the belts were replaced, it's possible they are off by one tooth. Double, triple recheck positioning of cam sprockets.

How's the Soul been for ya?