Been reading up on the issue for awhile but not read anywhere about the torque bind coming and going? Anybody else experience this? Is the cause the same?

 

Sometimes the car will exhibit it, sometimes not. When it does, the FWD fuse makes it go away. But sometimes it goes away on its own with the fuse out and in AWD. Is this typical?

 

Thanks,

When is the last time the transmission fluid was changed?

Did you flush the trans?

 

This sounds like the clutch pack is hanging up, not the C-duty electrical failure.

 

Start with new fluid!

That's what I was wondering. Haven't had time for the flush but that's what I'll do next.

 

Is it OK to run with the FWD fuse in for extended periods? ie until I try the flush?

 

Thanks!

Edited December 12, 201312 yr by KRB64

as long as the duty C is functioning properly, it shouldnt be an issue - just remember it is a "bandaid", not a solution.

change the transmission fluid (keep in mind one drain and refill only gets like 30% or so of the fluid out)

 

you can run with the FWD fuse as long as you need to. there has been no known issue/circumstance of any issues regarding running the FWD fuse/Duty C at full throttle indefinitely.  so you shouldn't worry about it too much, certainly not to the extent that you're scared to use or drive the vehicle, things like that.  it's not a big deal, myself and others have done it plenty of times as there's various reasons/situations where it's a good fit.

Tire size and air preshure critical

Getting the fluid and will drain a couple times.

 

All tires match and I'll double check air pressure again though.

 

I've never owned a sub before. Is the tranny drain obvious or could I confuse it with anything else? The owner's manual just tells me how to check it and I don't have a shop manual yet.

 

Thanks for the help,

On your 97 subaru, the transmission drain is facing the drivers side, and just under the drivers feet.  The other oil drains, which have been confused with the transmission drain, are:

 

[1] the oil drain.  This is facing the passenger side, near the front of the vehicle.

 

[2] the front differential drain.  This is a little further to the rear then the oil drain, is set at a 30 deg angle to the ground, and is "recessed" into the bottom of the engine [this is the only way I can describe it].  You can't even see this drain unless you have the car raised off the ground and you crawl under it.

try here for service manual: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/

I believe I can find the drain it sounds like. Main thing is I was wondering about the front diff but that sounds safe. Thanks Mike

 

When I got the filter from NAPA they said the tranny was a Mazda unit?

 

Heartless, that link is exactly what I was looking for. How come its not in the sticky or did I overlook it?

 

Thanks guys

I dont think it is in the sticky - altho it really should be. Super useful resource for sure.

Somebody posted the link a long time ago and I bookmarked it for personal reference - have shared many times over.

If you back it up there are folders for other Japanese makes as well - honda, toyota, mazda, nissan, etc...

is a screen filter so not realy any point changing it unless is realy pluged up

And not to mention the pans dont always come off easily and may get distored in the process, making leaks where there were none before.

The clutches wear into the drum creating notchs that the clutchs hangup on no a lot you can do without a rear section teardown

my 95 had intermittent TB.

it seemed to pop up when the trans was hot.

it was not consistent.

 

so we put the fuse in and some times it would show FWD on the instrument cluster,

and therefore no TB,

and sometime not and it would have TB.

 

once it got bad, more TB than not,

i removed the rear section of the drive shaft and drove it FWD.

 i left the fuse in just for grins, and occasionally it would light the FWD on the dash.

 

i assumed it was a TCU problem, but i never really found out.

i know it wasn't a fluid problem.

i changed it repeatedly.

 

good luck.

Edited December 13, 201312 yr by johnceggleston

The clutches wear into the drum creating notchs that the clutchs hangup on no a lot you can do without a rear section teardown

That's what I was hoping it was not. Is this what you refer to? http://legacycentral.org/library/torquebind.htm

 

Johnc your description sounds like what mine's doing.

 

Sounds like maybe I don't want to replace the screen, I'll look and see when the last time that was done.

I would guess if the FWD does not light and the AT Temp light does not flash then the FWD signal from the fuse is not making it to the TCU.

My 98' Impreza had some torque bind going on, so I changed the tranny fluid today and it was differently due, but I guess that's what 95,xxx miles does to it with the original fluid in her....It sure did fix that torque bind though!!!

OK, I'm finally getting around to dealing with this again.

 

Here's the current situation:

 

With the FWD fuse in the light doesn't come on any more and its in AWD because I still have torque bind. I'm guessing the wire may be bad? But I haven't checked to see where it goes into the tranny yet to verify.

 

At start up the trans light flashes 16 times but when I do the secret handshake to diagnose the tranny code I get nothing. No lights no flash nothing. This is what I'm doing straight off the sticky here:

1) Warm up engine by driving at speeds greater than 12mph.

2) Stop vehicle and turn ignition switch OFF.

3) Turn ignition switch ON and make sure POWER indicator lamp comes on.

4) Turn ignition switch OFF.

5) Move selector lever to D and turn manual switch ON.

6) Turn ignition switch ON.

7) Move selector lever to "3" and turn manual switch OFF.

8) Move selector level to "2" and turn manual switch ON.

9) Move selector lever to "1" and turn manual switch OFF.

10) Partially depress accelerator pedal (to turn idle switch off).

11) Check code as displayed on POWER light. Blinking once every 1/4sec is normal.

 

Any ideas?

Someone will find the link to the procedure to get the code number.  I did it following directions from a forum but I can't remember the exact procedure.  It did involve connecting wires underneath the dash.

 

All that I found out is that the duty c solenoid was not functioning, which I knew before going through the procedure.  Of course, you know that too.  It's not the wire that's bad.

different years require different methods to flash the codes.

 

what

year,

model,

engine,

miles,

color,

are we talking about????????????????

Yea, I pretty much figured it must be the solenoid, but since Subs are new to me I thought I better check the tranny codes too just in case.

 

Its the car in my sig at the first post: 1997 Legacy L, EJ22 & automatic, only 288,XXX miles. Oh yeah, its mostly green with some rust sprinkles...

 

Thanks guys,

"Manual" switch?

Manual switch, I thought that was in place of the fuse so you could switch it in & out with out popping the hood? If the duty c was bad that wouldn't help right? Or am I confused like usual?

 

"Manual" switch?

 

 

90 - 94 legos had a ''manual'' button on the auto trans shifter.???

it allowed you to change the manner in which the computer shifted the auto trans.???

probably similar to the ''power'' button of the same years.???

i'm not really sure,

i have never owned a 90 - 94, but whatever it was,

it was standard for the model year,

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 201411 yr by johnceggleston