August 20, 20196 yr Does anybody know why the automatic transmission in a 2002 Forester is a 1 year only transmission? And only used in the Forester? This was a surprise to me. Everywhere I looked for a used transmission it is only 2002 and only for a Forester. Possibly a 1 year only gear ratio? Just curious if somebody knows why.
August 20, 20196 yr i think it has to do with the stub outs for the axles.. 02 Forester uses a different inner joint than any other - it is a female cup like this... left side is the tranny side... pretty much all others use this style ... Again, left is tranny side... as to why Subaru did this is known only to them. Edited August 20, 20196 yr by heartless
August 20, 20196 yr stub axles are common on other models pre-05, 06 or so. Our 03 Outback has stubs and axles in the form of that upper pic.
August 20, 20196 yr 1 hour ago, heartless said: i think it has to do with the stub outs for the axles.. 02 Forester uses a different inner joint than any other - it is a female cup like this... left side is the tranny side... pretty much all others use this style ... Again, left is tranny side... as to why Subaru did this is known only to them. Maybe I’m misreading something but every Subaru from the 1980s until 2004 uses that top style - including the 2002 forester. It’s not rare, it was the only axle style for decades. In general transmissions can vary for various reasons having different part numbers, and to claim “one year only”. when in reality there are other trans that fit. But the information is sparse to come by. When did the sensors/electronics change? They did in 1999 so I’d guess 2000-2001 trans work as well if the final drive ratio is the same or you swap the rear diff to match Gear ratio and sensor comparability are the key drivers. Certainly other foresters in that same generation have transmissions that are interchangeable - as well as other model Subaru’s. If you swap the rear diff to match you can use whatever gear ratio you come across. Generally the gear ratio will be 4.44 and maybe one other option, that’s it. But swap the rear diff to match and you can use either one. Edited August 20, 20196 yr by idosubaru
August 20, 20196 yr Author I was just wondering why a 2001 trans wouldn't work, or why not one from an Impreza or Legacy. It just took me by surprise that the 2002 forester trans has something different about it than other 2.5 Subaru's of the same era. It's got to be sensor and/or gear ratio as stated above.
August 20, 20196 yr I don't know the exact years, but the valve bodies changed a couple times between '99-'06, and obviously the axle gear ratios have to be identical. Then again, those parts interchanges tend to be pretty specific. They're looking for the identical transmission, when maybe one gear ratio changed, but it would still work.
August 22, 20196 yr 4 minutes ago, bork said: How many miles can an average maintained AT tranny go? Subaru 4EAT transmissions (the topic of this thread) easily go 200,000 miles with almost no maintenance. They've been in use since the late 1980's and have been excellent transmission since year those late 1980's models. They're solidly reliable, the engines need far more attention to detail to make 200,000+ reliably. Don't run them hot or low on fluid and change the fluid every 60-100,000 miles. Two of my daily drivers have 200k and 230k 4EAT's and i'm not worried at all, not even a little bit. I haven't even ever changed the fluid in the 200k one. Not wise, actually pretty dumb, I have a case of fluid ready to change it out, but not really concerned about it either.
August 22, 20196 yr my 2002 Forester with the 4EAT also has over 232,000 on it and is doing fine. Tranny shifts smoothly, no problems at all.
August 23, 20196 yr I use this web site https://www.hollanderparts.com/ to find parts. Look up your vehicle then enter your zip code to sort closest to you. There are a lot of listings for your 02 Forrester transmission - transaxle. Get the number on the sticker located on the bell housing above the starter and using the chart in the attachment you can identify your transmission and a replacement. The first 7 digits are the important ones. I found this chart somewhere when I needed a tranny for our 95 Legacy. TZ102ZA----
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