91 Legacy Transmission Problem

W

William Hudson

Hi All,

First post here. I just bought a used 91 Legacy last week for a work car.
Already I'm having a problem with the automatic transmission. At first I
noticed it was sluggish pulling out sometimes like it wasn't going down to
first gear. Not knowing the car well, I was 2nd guessing myslef as the
simptoms changed or came and went. Finally had some time to mess around
today. Was able to determine the approx gear ratio's by watching speedo and
tach. Then the problem showed up again and what I found out is that it
sticks in 3rd gear.Doesn't downshift and doesn't go into 4th on the highway.
I followed the user guide instructions for checking the tranny fluid level.
Hard to tell for sure, but looks like it is OK, or maybe overfilled. Any
ideas? How expensive of a problem might I have?

Very frustrating as I did not get a waranty with the car which has 88K miles
on it. Does anyone know if there is a lemon law in PA?

Thanks

Bill
 
PA = Pennsylvania... and I agree... it's a 13 year old car... it should have
been checked extensively before purchase.
John
 
William, your car is 13 years old, you should have done an extensive mechanical
check of the vehicle before spending your cash.

I have no idea were PA is, this is an international News Group. Is it Port
Augusta, South Australia?
 
Thanks for the lecture, of course you are right, lesson learned...
Unfortunately, I was under the gun to get a set of wheels quickly to replace
my truck which is in the body shop for a month. However, I was more hoping
for some advice about the transmission, not my lack of purchasing skills.
PA is Pennsylvania USA.

Regards

Bill
 
Come on guys, is this all you do is read posts looking to give people shit.
Does that make you feel better. I concided my error on not getting the car
checked out, but honestly that's a pretty obvious observation at this point.

Is there anyone out there that knows something about transmissions, other
than have it checked by a mechanic before buying it... Does it sound like a
dead tranny or one that needs adjustment? What kind of dough (US Dollars)
are we talking for a new tranny should it come to that?
 
It helps readers to understand which model version Legacy you have as Subaru
have different versions in different markets.

In my country if you buy a second hand car from a dealer there is a 90 day
warranty period for issues just like you have. You haven't told us how you
purchased you car.

My suggestion is that if your not covered by a warranty you take it either to a
Subaru dealer or an Auto Transmission specialist who'll be able to give you an
accurate diagnosis and you can move forward from there..
 
It's a four door sedan.

Yes, I suppose a trip back to the dealer first, to see if they will do
anything, followed by a trip to the local tranny shop is in order.

Oh, well guess I should have had it chec.....

Thanks,

Bill
 
If I remember correctly, 91 is the model that Subaru decided to install
a remote filter for the transmission. If yours has been modified, there
should be a fllter, like an oil filter with 2 small hoses to it on the
left side of the car, kind of below the battery. It gets replaced every
30k instead of dropping the pan and screen on the transmission. I have a
92 legacy and have this filter. My friend had his 91 recalled for this
mod.
Get a repair manual. There is a way to adjust the band tension on
transmission for the shifting. You probably just need an adjustment. My
92 has 160k on it and has pulled a heavy trailer in the past with no
problems.
Should you have the "power" switch engaged on the shifter then you
will start out in 2nd gear---this is to prevent wheel spin in
icy-snowy-muddy conditions.
Hope this helps.
 
Lemon law on a used 1991 car? I think not. I would first have the
transmission fluid flushed which should cost 70-100 dollars. eddie
 
Thanks Ed, will probably just take it to a trans shop and see what they
think at this pt. Getting cold here and I don't have a garage....

Best Regards
 
Hi William,
i had a bunch of problems with my 90 liberty auto trans, eventually i had it
partially rebuilt (Aus$1600). Prior to that though one of the local Subaru
dealers put me onto a different auto trans fluid...Im not sure if you can
get it in the US, here in Aus its Castrol TQ 95. This helped a lot of the
problems. The dealers are recomending it on the older Scubidoos :)

cheers
Andrew
 
As mentioned by Edward, a flush can work wonders, depending what the problem
is. I've used Lucas trans additive with success as well, it's worth a try
before spending money. Also, a used transmission would probably be cheaper
than a rebuild, but try to determine the mileage on the used unit. Most used
parts have at least a 30 day guarantee, but the labour would not be include
in the guarantee, only the tranny itself.
Ed B.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

2014 Legacy head gaskets and transmission problems 0
Problem: legacy III with automatic transmission won’t drive off in “D” 3
91 subaru legacy L auto transmission problem 10
99 legacy 2.5GT transmission problems 1
1992 Subaru Legacy Wagon 4WD Transmission Problems No Reverse 2
90 Legacy strange transmission problem 0
transmission problem with Legacy GT 3
90 legacy transmission problem? 0

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 39 (members: 0, guests: 39)

Forum statistics

Threads
13,952
Messages
67,527
Members
7,430
Latest member
osco75

Latest Threads

Back
Top