rworrell

My 2000 Legacy Outback's 4EAT tranny was not engaging upon stopping until 2000 to 2500 rpm. One could apply the brake and rev the engine up till the tanny engaged. The non-engagement appeared to happen more with warmer weather. The main driving condition was accelerating from a stop and braking at the next stop, but allowing a small glide through at the end. However, sometimes the tranny would just not engage no mater what. My spouse took the car to a shop (without asking or telling me but thate for Dr. Phil). The shop changed the fluid by draining the pan and replaced the filter. The car does better. The tanny ocassionally engages only at roughtly 1200 to 1500 rpm. The shop recommended rebuild through on of his friend's tranny shop. I believe that this is probably a pressure issue in the tranny's shifting mechanism. or part of the lock up not releasing ( if the 4EAT is so equiped). First I want to replace the all the fluid including the torque converter. Can one take of the inlet hose into the tranny's cooler at the radiator and crank the engne over to expell the fluid in the torque converter? Will this hurt the torque converter fins? Additionally, I would like to use synthetic fluid due its ability to maintain its flow while hot or cold. Any thoughts?

My 2000 Legacy Outback AWD's automatic tranmission is having an issue once in a while. After stopping or gliding to a near speed below 2mph or so , the car does does not accelerate immediately upon the the gas pedal being depressed. After two or three seconds, the transmission jerks into gear and goes on its merry way. This happens occasionally, but I have not pinned down any specifics (i.e. cold or hot engine, time driven, ect). Sometimes, this happens after shifting from Park to Drive. I just count one one thousand, two one thousand and the tranmission engages and . I thought it might be a winter thing since I purchased the car in October. But, come spring, and the car still does it every one in a while. I do mostly city driving in Drive with lots of stops. I wonder if t might be the lock-up convertor and if "3" might prevent this? I checked the ATF level and it is a the poper level. Would changing the ATF and Filter help the pressure level within the AT at lower rpms and idle? I have a frien that state, Oh yeh mine does that every now and then." Do I have to live with this? or is there a fix?