i just bought a 95 impreza l 1.8 with an automatic transmission. the car has 98,000 miles on it and was very well maintained. i bought it for $2300 (they wanted $3200) from a subaru dealer in cleveland. anyway, that stuttering in tight turns was the only thing that made me kind of hesitate to buy the car. i asked the dealer why it does that, and he claimed that most older subarus do that, and that it is "normal" in an AWD car. i decided to wait on buying the car so i could ask some people if this statement was true, and if AWD cars do this. a friend of mines dad has always owned subaru cars and said that his have all done this and that it shouldnt be a problem. he said that when he asked his dealer mechanic, that they told him to change the transmission fluid and do figure eights in a parking lot to help "seat" some bull****. another friend of mine has a 96 impreza and said that hers does the same thing. a guy i work with has an audi quttro, and said he gets the same stuttering effect in his AWD. i bought the car after i felt comfortable with what everybody said. i figured it was normal, never have driven AWD before. anway, the car has been great, runs real good, and is very clean inside and out. this stutter on the tight turns is a little bothersome though, because im still not sure if this is normal, or if every tight turn i make, im slowly destroying my tranny. ive read alot on the boards, and it sounds like this torque binding thing. from the other posts ive read, some people say this really isnt a huge issue, while others say it is destroying the transmission. also, some say to just change the tranny fluid and add some additive to solve the problem. others have said that it is a $800 job and you might as well go get a new tranny and put it in. im confused! btw ,the car shifts fine and its only a slight stutter on sharp turns at slow speeds. anyway, heres a few simplified questions:

1) is this a huge problem that i need to immediately have checked out. is my transmission about to go? is it safe to drive the car?

2) when changing the fluid, do you have any recommendations, like fluid to use (weight etc..,) and how to flush. i have read some say that power flushing is bad. also, whats the additive to use (name,brand etc..) that other posts have mentioned. is it worth changing the fluid? mine looks very clean as is.

3) i have read that the clutch packs going bad are what create torque binding, how big of a job would it be to replace these myself?

4) when i bought the car, i wasnt planning on doing mods or upgrades, just change the oil and drive daily 15 miles to work. is this torque bind something that i may be able to deal with through the life of the car, or is it something that will progressively get worse over time? i really dont want to dump money into it if its not really a big issue. like i said, the transmission shifts smooth , and the car drives and runs very good.

if you have read this far, i gotta give you props!! :disco:

if you could help me out by passing on some advice, that would be greatly appreciated. links, advice, pics, anything! thanks alot, jason. hundog@gmail.com

 

What you feel is the MPT clutch chattering. The MPT is a bit like a center diff used in the MT Impreza.

There are some steps that need to be taken to resolve your issue.

#1 Are all 4 tires the same size?
#2 is the tire pressures the same?
If so
Do 3 drain & refills on the trans. Hot about 10 miles per drain & refill.
Drain plug located left side of AT oil pan.
Each drain & refill will require 5 qu. of ATF fluid. Dextron 3 or 4

There are no TSB’s for this year issue.

Good luck!

Let me know if you need more info?

Robert

 

robert, thanks for the help! i do have a couple questions though. but
first to reply. the tires are new and are all the same size and at 32
p.s.i. i have researched this torque bind a little and checked that.
it had the same size tires on it when i bought it also, just a little
worn, i wanted to start with fresh ones i have read in other posts
that people have changed the ATF fluid and had good luck with the
"torque bind". i will say the fluid in the car looks clean, but have
also heard that color and clarity dont mean ****. heres the questions:

1) is it better to drain and refill, or powerflush transmission fluid?
ive heard good and bad about both.

2) what brand/weight etc.. of ATF fluid should i get, and are there
any addidtives i should add to help?

3) with this problem, have i been killing my transmission? in other
words, what are the side-effects from torque binding, besides the
slight shudder on sharp turns?

4) will changing differential fluid help anything with this, or should
i just change my auto transmission fluid. transmission filter?

the car shifts smoothly and everything seems to work fine, just the
slight shudder on sharp slow turns.

hmm, thats all i can think of right now. after you tell me what i
need, i will do it this weekend, i just havent had any luck with
straight responses on the boards, and considering your e-mail name, im
sure you know something. anyway, i love the car, my first subaru! the
only thing i have had to repair was the power steering lines, which i
knew were going bad when i bought the thing. otherwise, this is the
first year i have been waiting for winter just to see how the little
impreza handles in the snow! thanks alot for responding and helping
out with the advice. big props! thanks. jason