98 OB auto transmission downshift 2 gears = neutral

[snide]

Hi,

I recently purchased 98 OB and drove it 2000 mi on a trip. One problem,
which I knew about and was compensated for, is that when the auto
transmission drops a couple of gears on a hill or when u floor it, the
engine races like its in neutral until the gear catches. It spent the day
b4 I left in the subaru dealership and they came up with a few guesses as
to what it could be but basically new transmission seemed to be order of
the day. As it seems to work fine otherwise the guy I bought it off said
why dont u drive it until its totally pooched. If it only drops 1 gear it
seems fine!
Anyway when I got home I checked the tranny dipstick and fluid seemed
bubbly on it hot and when I checked it later cold the fluid level is up
over the hot mark. I took a pint or 2 out of the tranny, doesn't look
like
there's coolant or water in it but it never drops the level. Right at the
end of the trip the heat gauge showed the radiator in the red H and I had
smelt the coolant dump just b4 looking at the gauge yet when I got out,
there wa little steam and I could undo the cap with my bare hand!! The
fluid level in the radiator seems fine now.

So the ?'s are: Why only a problem when downshifts 2 not 1 gear? Why
would the tranny fluid be over the hot mark when cold and I've taken lots
out? Why would cooling system dump whatever fluid in it yet be fine
later?

new guy on block
thanks

Glenn

ps: have read much on what people have said about checking when cold so
Ill c what the level is hot now. may be it needs mucho more but u would
have thought that's the 1st place the dealer would have went!!

 

[Greg]

Seems like you've got 2 different problems. First the gauge showing o'heat
when the coolant you say is not hot or even pressurized in the system and
remains full, that sounds like a misreading gauge except you say that you
checked it after a long drive which sounds impossible since even an engine
running too cold would still get very warm to the touch. In any event you
may have both a stuck open thermostat and a faulty reading gauge circuit.
As for the trans it sounds like you are getting a slip condition which has
probably been caused by a low pressure issue of the pump but by now has
damaged the trans internally and replacing the trans with a reman from
Subaru would be the best choice. By the way your trans slip and your o'heat
could be related but would normally show as an actual hot condition not just
a gauge showing hot and coolant being cool which you seem to describe.