Our '06 Outback (106,000 miles) is exhibiting slight rough shifting up only, downshifts apper normal.Not bad, but up to now shifting as been 'invisible'. Doesn't make any difference if loafing along or mashing the throttle. When manually shifting with sport mode, shifts are smooth. Car has had regular SOA maintenance, including AT service on schedule, with OEM tranny fluids only. Just did the 105,000 front case work, and tranny service ... still the same.

 

Any observations.

Any ideas. No change, but still a concern for the future.

Could you demo the problem if you took your mechanic for a test drive? he might have an idea.

Edited April 20, 201411 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

I'd start by doing a relearn on the TCU. This requires an SSM2 cable (dealer or Subaru specialty shop). You should also ask the dealer if there is a TCU firmware update you can get flashed.

Are you talking a hard upshift?

Yeah Nipper, hard upshifts, tranny has always gortrten regular serviuce since new, both of us drive fairly 'easy' ... with gas at $4.60+/- per gal, we tend to keep our foot light on the throttle.

So shift shock. There is a shifting resistor to soften the shifts, or was on older Phase 1 4eat, I wonder if this has one too. It may be blown. It wont throw a light or a code.

And buried deep in the guts of the tranny no doubt ...

No actually, it used to be under the battery.

Phase 2 does have a couple dropping resistors.  But if it were blown, part throttle shifting would be violent.

 

We had new TCU firmware flashed to our '06 Tribeca and it improved the shift quality.

I just entered TSB, and spelled it out on the SOA site, and it claims to not have any data under that name. I'll ask about the reflash at our local dealer. The whole thing is complicated by having imported our Outback to Hawaii, which is not recognized by SOA, I can't even enter our address, I get an 'Invalid ZIP code' flag. And on the other side of the coin, Subaru of Hawaii doesn't acknowledge or honor SOA warranty or technical information.

 

Welcome to Hawaii nei, a third world country masquerading as a state ... but DAMN it's a nice place to live!

Are there any independant Subaru shops?  Here is a little info on the learning procedure:

http://nodusus.com/lgt/TSB/16-72-07.pdf

To all, Mahalo nui loa ... many many thanks. The local stealership flashed the TCU and she shifts like new, smooth and no hesitation. The Pretty One is very happy.

 

'Course this being the 3rd world masquerading as a state, they claimed it took them 21 times to get it to reprogram. When my wife asked them how many time ut usually takes they replied 'one'. When she asked them why it took them 21 tries, for which we werre billed on the clock, they responded they didn't know.

 

That said, thanks again to all, the USMB comes through once more!