bobw

I am no mechanic, but my 98 Forester had this same problem for months. Intermitent airbag light on, horn not working, cruise control not working, then finally all 3 not working. Took it to a guy who speciualizes in steering column repairs, who determined that it was the clock spring. New spring itself was 250.00 US or so, total installed with tax was 358.00 and change.--bobw

:-\ We have a 98 Forester S, with (I think) a 4EAT transmission (AWD). 86,000 miles. 2 months ago the AT OIL TEMP light started blinking. We took it in to a tranny shop. "Nothing wrong," they said, after putting it on the diagnotic computer. A few weeks later the light was still blinking. I found the "handshake" disgnostic here on USMB and did it. It indicated the speed sensor was problematic. Then the transmission started to stick in 1st gear for much longer than it should--say, 3500-4000 rpm before shift? Stopping the car, then turning it off, then on, then starting--sometimes 3-4 times--makes the symptoms go away. But it always returns, usually in the morning when I first start it up. So I took it to an independent transmission mechanic. He said the diag. computer didn't find anything, but noted that the battery cable was loose and that the sensor might not be getting sufficient current to operate properly. So I ordered a new battery cable (none in town), and waited 24 DAYS (don't ask) for it to arrive. Installed the battery cable nice and tight--problem is still there. Took it back to mechanic # 2. He now says that "there's definitely something wrong" and that it's not electronic, but mechanical. His diagnosis so far: change the AT fluid, add an additive to unstick the valve that he thinks might be sticking. OR... Rebuild the transmission for 1800.00. I just bought this car in December, FWIW. It's a great car--when the transmission works right.Also--mechanic #2 has reset the computer more than once while he has it. (No chunks of metal in the trans. pan). So--could he be right? Am I looking at a whole rebuilt tranny? Will the fluid and additive fix have any effect? I really enjoy reading y'all's advice and wisdom on USMB. ANY advice, commentary, you can give would be really appreciated.--bob w

OK. I've spent the last 3 hours looking through these forums for information, and have gathered a lot of information. Thanks; I hope therefore I am not asking too much of a newbie question. Here's the deal: The "AT oil temp" light in my 98 Forester has had 2 blinking episodes: once when my wife was driving the 9 miles from work to home, and once when we'd been out driving all day. Each time the light simply starts blinking while the car is in motion; each time it's a constant blinking. It blinks more than the 16 times I've read of elsewhere--it's continuous as far as I can tell. Each time, we stopped the car as soon as possible--say, within 4 minutes. The first time, we left it overnight; the second time, we simply stopped and then restarted the car a few seconds later. The two episodes were about 2 weeks apart. We have experienced no binding at all, no clunking. The car runs just fine. I took it to the mechanic today and they say the fluid levels are good, the fluid condition is good. No burning smell. No slipping that I can tell. Note that I have I have read Legacy777's postings--or at least as many as I have found. I have the "secret handshake" instructions. I will get ECM codes either that way or at the dealer. My questions: apart from checking the codes, which I should do anyway, of course, has anyone had a similar experience, or can anyone shed any light on this? With gratitude in advance for any responses, Bob in Nebraska