jedmeister78

G'day Subaru Gurus, I'm a new member/1st time poster, with transmission issues. My wife drives a 1998 Subaru Impreza, front wheel drive only, with four speed auto trans, has approx 180 thou km on the clock (from memory, could be less). About 6 months ago the transmission died while my wife was driving on the highway, a few minutes from our house, after a two hour drive. Symptoms included: Rasping squeal in park and neutral that reduced considerably when put into gear. No reverse - infact car would not even roll backward when in reverse (ie. locked) 1st, 2nd and 3rd worked with undesirable noise. Wouldn't change into 4th. ATF level was good. I was quoted A$2500 for remove/repair/install, so I bought a used trans from a parts recycler for A$450 and installed it myself. Was an uneventful swap, torque converter went on with three distinct movements etc, trans worked perfectly - for 6 months and 2 weeks! Wife arrived home the day before yesterday and said that the car had started making a funny noise as she neared home (after a two hour drive)(car does mostly short trips 20mins - 1hr). I went to take the car for a drive, upon starting engine, car made a noise that sounded like increased exhaust noise (ie. exhaust bolts between cat and muffler loose. I'm thinking, ok thats an easy fix. Then I put it into gear and began to reverse, car moved backwards in small, smooth lurches (like an inexperienced driver operating a clutch, although not in a jerky manner). I braked to a stop after moving about a metre. Put the car into neutral and it makes a similar rasping squeal to what I remember from 6 months ago. I put the car into drive and the noise goes away, forward movement is lurchy like reverse. Squealing noise is now evident in both park and neutral. I no longer noticed the initial exhaust noise although it may still have been there. Squeal isnt audible once trans is shifted into reverse or drive. (This process was carried out in the dark). ATF level is normal. The following morning we had an auto club mobile mechanic come out to look at it. He thought that the sound was coming from the torque converter area and suggested that it could be a failed torque converter/failed front trans bearing? I'm not sure and i'm no expert, but we really need to have two cars running, so I'm hoping that theres a suby guru on this forum that can impart some knowledge on me and point me in the right direction as I really dont have time to be replacing transmissions every 6 months! Thank you all in advance, Cheers, Jedmeister