1st Hello and I am very impressed with this message board. I've spent most of this week using your post to diagnose the binding trouble with my Subaru that started last weekend.

 

Your post with pictures and wiring diagrams help me prove the coil on the Duty C solenoid is open and must be replaced. I've open the transmission and have retested and confirmed the solenoid is defective.

 

Here is the problem! When I opened the rear case of the transmission a short pin/rod about 5/8 in diameter with a spring fell out. Where should it go. I think I've located the place for the pin/rod but how the spring should be placed is not so obvious.

 

Looking from the rear of the open transmission case the clutch pack slides into a gear in the upper right. That gear is driven by another gear which is lower and to the left of the clutch gear. Just above the lower left gear is where the pin and spring seem to fit into end of what appears to be a short bar with a hole in the lower left and a gear tooth at the upper right.

 

I'm leaving for the local dealership to get the new soleniod now ($90.00) and will be back in a couple of hours.

 

Any suggestions?

This is just a guess on my part but it seems to me that the spring would go behind the pin. I say this assuming the spring pushed the pin out of place when you opened things up and the spring came out with the pin.

Just a public thank you to Legacy777

 

For answering several emails about the binding problem and repair of my 97 Subaru.

 

The rod, spring, and gear that fell out of the transfer case was the parking gear. I found this out when I had to put the transmission in neutral to reassemble the rear housing.

 

 

Again many thanks to you and USMB. Not only did I save $200+ dollars I also gained a lot of knowledge of how the Subaru AWD system works.

 

Now I have to find out why someone took out the Check engine bulb ----)))))) ((((((----

 

 

 

2CheapCharley

hahaha... i remove my check engine bulbs all the time... I personally dont agree that a bad rear O2 sensor is more dangerous than a beaming yellow light into my retina in the pitch dark while i'm going 100 passing a transport.

 

Mind you when i sell them i ALWAYS either re-install the light, or inform the person i'm selling it to that it has been removed.

 

Now I have to find out why someone took out the Check engine bulb ----)))))) ((((((----

 

 

If you go to a chain auto parts store they can hook up a code reader and tell you what code is stored. My guess is it had a P0420 code so they removed the Check Engine bulb to sell it. Get the code numbers (PXXXX) from the auto store and come back here and USMB will help you get them fixed.