I have a 1998 Subaru Legacy. Recently the AT TEMP light flashes - 16 times- on start up. I took it to a general mechanic and a transmission specialist, and there were no codes. Also when making sharp turns, especially in reverse it seems to be stuck in 4wd. I put a fuse in the FWD, but that hasn't disengaged the AWD. 

 

I have done some research and I am guessing that it is what folks call torque bind and that it is the duty c solenoid that needs to be replaced. But I was also hoping that someone might have some thoughts about why the fuse isn't allowing it to run in FWD only.  

If the Duty C is bad it won't allow the FWD to function...it doesn't 'break/fail' in 2WD mode - unfortunately.

 

And if your mech can't read the code....get another mech...please. There's a code if it flashes. And you actually don't need a code reader. Search on here for the 'handshake' that uses the AT Temp light to display the codes.

 

GL,

TD

98 should be obd 2 and even a chepo harbor freight scanner will bring up your transmission codes. If the at temp light is blinking you have codes

98 should be obd 2 and even a chepo harbor freight scanner will bring up your transmission codes. If the at temp light is blinking you have codes

No offense..but my 'el cheapo' OBDII  scanner doesn't read TCU / TCM codes>>ECU only. Verify b4UBuy.

 

Td

No offense..but my 'el cheapo' OBDII scanner doesn't read TCU / TCM codes>>ECU only. Verify b4UBuy.

 

Td

That's funny, my harbor freight scanner does. I pulled tcu codes off an 05 outback with it just the other day.

98, will the manual TCU code reading method work?

 

BTW, it could be a broken wire to/in the trans, or a fried driver on the TCU.

i've never seen TCU codes in an OBII scan - i've done 2004 and earlier routinely.  so maybe that's a 2005+ thing.

 

you can fix it by removing the rear half of the driveshaft and installing the FWD fuse. 

then you'll have time to plan your repair or drive it indefinitely and get studded snow tires for winter. 

i've never seen TCU codes in an OBII scan - i've done 2004 and earlier routinely. so maybe that's a 2005+ thing.

 

you can fix it by removing the rear half of the driveshaft and installing the FWD fuse.

then you'll have time to plan your repair or drive it indefinitely and get studded snow tires for winter.

I used to pull TCU codes all the Time on various makes and models including Subaru with a snap-on Solaris scanner when I was working at the service center. Although its not as common for the TCU to throw codes in the older subies, I have pulled tcu codes with obdII scanners on older Subaru's before.

Pre-04 cars you have to read TCU codes manually. A cheapo code reader will not read them because they are not PO style codes stored in the Ecu. A snap-on or other high end scanner is programmed to interface with the TCU directly to read codes stored in the TCU. A normal code reader will not do that.

 

Newer cars store codes in a different way, and those codes are read in a different way because of the CAN-bus communication network used in modern cars. All of the control modules share information now, which eliminates the need to interface with each individual module in order to read codes. Most codes are stored in the body control module or body integration module as PO style codes, and the code reader interfaces with that.

That makes sense my harbor freight scanner is a can and E obd2 reader I must have gotten lucky when I bought it.

I have a 1998 Subaru Legacy. Recently the AT TEMP light flashes - 16 times- on start up. I took it to a general mechanic and a transmission specialist, and there were no codes. Also when making sharp turns, especially in reverse it seems to be stuck in 4wd. I put a fuse in the FWD, but that hasn't disengaged the AWD. 

 

I have done some research and I am guessing that it is what folks call torque bind and that it is the duty c solenoid that needs to be replaced. But I was also hoping that someone might have some thoughts about why the fuse isn't allowing it to run in FWD only.  

Your Abs/Speed sensor or bad or reading fault and it has locked it in AWD I'd advise you not to drive it like the cause you will burn the transmission up. It happened in my 98 Legacy even the subaru dealer said its fine and will revert to standard breaks. 500 miles later I needed a new transmission and an ABS/Speed Sensor.

as he said 2004 and earlier getting TCU codes is not normal via OBDII. with exception of select monitors or snap on I guess?

 

2005+ I think you can actually get those to flash the codes on the instrument cluster without any scanner.