Holy Shnikies! I am in it guys. I just drove down to college through the mountains and my tranny decided to act up. So I am stuck in the middle of no where. This is the problem. When I go up a hill the tranny doesn't want to down shift. It feels like it doesn't know what to do with itself. Also there is a little bit of slippage. I am not sure what the problem is, but it doesn't feel like I burt the tranny. If anyone has an idea please help me out.

 

Change the fluid and at filter. The fluid could be bad. Especially if it's starting to get thick and cake up... We let the explorer (wife HAD to have one!?!?!?) go too long (100k) and the at fluid was very bad looking. Since I changed it, it takes a few seconds for reverse to kick in, but the shifts are smooth and strong...

Besides, a fluid and filter change are cheaper than a tow to a dealership, so you might get lucky...

 

janikphoto,
The reason your Exploder takes a few seconds to back up is because the manual valve in the transmission valve body is worn. Exploders are notorious for this (as well as lots of other little annoyances). It's not a big deal, just more of an inconvenience.

Subaru_Tech,
I just bought a 1995 Legacy L Wagon with AT (62,847 miles at purchase). North Carolina car w/ old lady owner. I know the version of the 4EAT trannies that Mazda and Ford use is junk and costs an arm and a leg to replace. What about the 4EAT in the Subaru? What kind of life should I expect out of this unit. I bought it to drive while I'm living in WI for the next two years. Anything in particular I should look out for?

Thanks,
Brandon bclifton@vt.edu