Tranny issues and other possible problems

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lateralized

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So, more issues with the Leggy ..... weak

Last week my car decided it didnt want to move in any forward gears. I have a 2.5L EAT 2000 Legacy GT Wagon. When shifting into drive it would take between 5 seconds and 2 minutes to engage the forward gear. I cant manually put it in first and convince it to go either. Giving it a little gas does not engage it. Reverse worked fine.

However, it hasnt done it for the last few days. A friend suggested that the outside temperature difference is the factor, considering it was doing it on warm days and not on colder ones. Interesting. I checked my diff fluid and ATF fluid and they are OK. I have no idea on this one, nor do any of the mechanically inclined people i know. Im just gonna wait it out unless someone has any ideas.
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Also ... i just did a head gasket/partial engine swap with Lobstah a couple months ago and I have recently started smelling the sickly sweet smell of coolant recently. There is no visible leak or loss of coolant but a lot of the Radiator Stop Leak that i used to delay the replacement of my head gaskets is still flushing out of my system and my coolant is lookin gross ... at least i hope its the rest of the stop leak. It doesn't look rainbowy (is that a word?) so I dont suspect another head gasket problem (maybe that's just positive thinking). Plus Lobstah and I are obviously the best technicians ever after two cases of beer
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(yikes) ...

I dunno what I expect to hear ... my car is an endless source of frustration and joy. I love driving it, I love the way it looks, but god damn, that thing is PISSING ME OFF!!!
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Help ...

 
I have a 2000 RS that I work on myself and has given me a fair share of issues, so I understand the love/hate thing...

I vote 5-speed swap!!!! I bet you can do it for $750, a saturday, and some beer for the mainley subaru volunteers that will help you do it.

 
I think it is a sign that your car wants to give my car it's rims
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+1 for the 5 speed swap, give that right hand something to do while you are driving... shifting that is
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I checked my diff fluid and ATF fluid and they are OK.
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there's more to a trans fluid check than just the level. ATF should be nice dark red color, if it's brown and funky lookin, time for freshness in there. also smell it (no sheet!) and if there's a burnt almonds kind of smell the fluid has been overheated and needs replaced

the 4EAT is electronically controlled, you may have some wiring or controller issues, which will probly require professional attention.

here's a bonehead kind of option...my g/f's 00 Fozzy w/4EAT was shifting really hard, so I pulled the shifter apart in the ****pit and the thing was so full of dog hair and coffee crud you won'nt a believed it. just cleaning that out helped a ton, as did replacing the shifter cable itself...the fitting at the shifter end was so corroded it couln't pivot properly. this don't sound quite like your issue, but certainly could be complicating things--worth a check at your end!

 
Well, one option is obviously to drive everywhere backwards
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But does it drive fine when after it actually goes into gear? Hard shifting, or anything? Because if it is fine, Dave is probably right about electrical.

 
Chris has asked a key question.

also, your description makes it sound like you are physically unable to move the shifter? Is that the case or can you move the shifter fine and not much is happening?

 
Chris has asked a key question.
also, your description makes it sound like you are physically unable to move the shifter? Is that the case or can you move the shifter fine and not much is happening?
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The shifter moves just fine, it just stays in nuetral for a bit before engaging 1st gear. It hasnt really acted up much in the last few days.

The color and odor are fine on the fluids.

However, I can use this as a way to convince my wife I should do the 5 speed swap .... heheheh

 
The shifter moves just fine, it just stays in nuetral for a bit before engaging 1st gear. It hasnt really acted up much in the last few days.
The color and odor are fine on the fluids.

However, I can use this as a way to convince my wife I should do the 5 speed swap .... heheheh
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My question wasn't about how the shifter moved... I was wondering how the tranny does after it goes into gear. As in, after it does it's think taking it's time to shift, then once it is in first gear does it shift smoothly into 2nd? then 3rd? Or does it shift hard, and clunk, or shift at really high or low RPMs.

 
My question wasn't about how the shifter moved... I was wondering how the tranny does after it goes into gear. As in, after it does it's think taking it's time to shift, then once it is in first gear does it shift smoothly into 2nd? then 3rd? Or does it shift hard, and clunk, or shift at really high or low RPMs.
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After the initial laggyness it operates perfectly well.

 
sounds like the low piston. 14-17hrs labor. Its at the deepest depths of the tranny.

 
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sounds like the low piston. 14-17hrs labor. Its at the deepest depths of the tranny.
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That's over a thousand dollars in labour right there
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Wouldn't it be cheaper just to get a replacement?

 
So, it hasnt done the laggy thing much in the past few weeks. However, it has a new issue.
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Right around 2200 RPMs it makes an odd noise, almost like going over a rumble strip. I can feel a vibration in the pedal as it does this. Again, my fluids are fine, so it isn't that. Any ideas?

 
it probably means your 4EAT is on its way south

move forward and get over the denial phase ( ;)x 17) ...then either get it to a tranny shop for some R&R or just start shopping for a new-used replacement.

 
here ya go.... 10k werth of tranny...I am not sure what this all means... what is says... I can just read the numbers and fall out of my chair

http://www.xcceleration.com/engine-packages-trans.pfitz.htmlhttp://www.xcceleration.com/engine-packages-trans.pfitz.html
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Hmmm. I think not. I do agree though that its time for service. Hopefully its a fix and not a swap. I am not interested in cashing out my 401k for a new tranny but I would pretty much have to if it came down to me needing one. Sigh ... with all the money I have put into this thing I could have gotten another car and yet, this car isn't worth any more after all the money I have spent. Its always something with every car I have ever owned. They never just run without issues for longer than a week.

 
here ya go.... 10k werth of tranny...I am not sure what this all means... what is says... I can just read the numbers and fall out of my chair

http://www.xcceleration.com/engine-packages-trans.pfitz.htmlhttp://www.xcceleration.com/engine-packages-trans.pfitz.html
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I thought our 6 speeds were built pretty tough from the factory and unless your building a track car our tranny should hold up just fine. Unless your a complete asshat and try some 7 grand shifts without the clutch
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