nickl05

I have recently purchased a 1991 Loyale,1800 SPFI, 4WD,AUTO(3AT) appox. 140k mi. and have been quite happy. Its performance in both short distance <125mi and long distance >300mi is OK and it sure went smoothly in the snow in 4WD. However, I did notice that at times I had to nudge the floor shifter forward a bit to remove the key. Well, I came home one night , pulled into the driveway, shut the Subie off , bumped the shifter, pulled out the key, I smell plastic burning, smelled just like that Chips' Ahoy cookie package that secreted itself in the oven, one sniff outside and it"s not the neighbor burning trash, I'm not sure where the smell coming from but its gone. Next day, car still there, no plastic smell, starts fine , holding in park, shift into R and NO R, darn , tried Dr, No Dr., No 1 or 2 either. Let's see, Car OK + burnt plastic smell = Car Not OK. Simple right! The Chiltons' Subaru repair guide is devoid of any useful information on the transmission ( Adjusting the shift linkage doesn't conform to Subaru's recall) and AllData has more info available, but let's get sidetracked first. I'm the 3rd owner and the first two kept receipt's from each repair that was made. I noticed that they each had the head gaskets replaced to correct an offensive oil leak so I called the local dealership who had done the work figuring they know the car. The Service Dept was real helpful, after my explaining , and assured me " That Subaru's Don't Just Quit ", and "I'll bet my life that the modulator valve was broken". Could be? Ya see, I thought the modulator valve was under the xmission pan with the screen, so when I picked up the parts at NAPA and discovered that its' on the passenger side of the xmission, I thought that it would be a "Good Thing" to replace the screen and gasket anyway. So, on disassembly, I found that it had a magnet instead of a screen. No problem, I'll just replace the non- screened bracket with the screened one and have both. On assembly, (every bolt into its own hole) there's this 1 bolt, you know, the one at the back of the screen frame that looks like a brassy replacement bolt, the one that is circled in the Chilton book, won't start. May be the new screen frame is to wide? I try with no frame to get a feel, nothing, grabbing air. SHOCK AND AWE How did they get that bolt to stick in there? Why? Obviously, the xmission worked with it just-stuck- in- there and I couldn't go around saying to my buddies, "Rattle?", "What Rattle?" So I left it out. The modulator valve didn't work(?), so I went back to that burning issue of what would keep the xmission from working. I tested : Neutral Safety Switch- start only in P&N, Back-up lights on. Inhibitor Switch- why are the connections in the repair books different? Shift Lock- Test Ok per Alldata test procedure. I have no idea where the E-connector is to test the xmissions' solenoids or where/how to test the x-pump( pull the x-line to see if it squirts?). I tried the test codes: D-check- green connectors,driverside,underhood- 77777777 Read memory- black or white connectors,driverside,dash- (there are two female connectors 1b/1w, nothing else around,)- 32? U-check- check engine light- 32? So I checked the internet and read some treads from your site. Shock and Awe Subaru transmissions last about 150k miles and just die! Please fellas' say it ain't so. That wasn't the last spark of a Subie xmission I smelled. Any suggestion's would be greatly appreciated thanks nickl05