What could be slippin'?

[subiesailor]

Originally Posted by wxlidar

Sounds like some of us are experiencing the exact same thing. It only happens when the car has been sitting a while (overnight in my case). Definitely not the brake.

To the posters that are experiencing this phenomenon, how does your CVT sound? Any excessive, in your opinion, noise like a whine or whistle? The reason I ask is I do have this excessive noise issue and one of the proposed culprits (by my local mechanic) is the CVT pump. If the pump is unable to provide enough pressure for the CVT rollers then the chain could slip.

Now, how do we get the Subaru to dig into this problem?

Thanks!

Make a video or two one inside one outside - go to the subaru website and file a customer ticket with their online form. They will contact you fast within a couple of days. But you need to be ready to take the car to the local dealer so Mother subaru can have a tech check it etc.

[wxlidar]

Originally Posted by subiesailor

Make a video or two one inside one outside - go to the subaru website and file a customer ticket with their online form. They will contact you fast within a couple of days. But you need to be ready to take the car to the local dealer so Mother subaru can have a tech check it etc.

Good idea. I've heard about folks getting tech's to check out their vehicles but I did not know that I can initiate the contact. I always thought the dealer had to do it.

[subiesailor]

I have found that you can drop mother subaru a note either the day you take the car in or prior to taking it in and they have always called or emailed me to check back and also have been incontact with the lead tech to sort out the issue. I have found the response you get from the shop is VERY different than what you get when your car is not on Mother Subaru's radar.

[wutbürger]

I, too, have the "slip/chatter/shudder" under the following scenario: sitting LONG over night in my level garage OR sitting 8-12 hours at work which puts the car at a very, very slight incline. In both scenarios, it's .5-2 seconds of what feels like slipping/chattering.

Additionally, I have a VERY distinct whine at 54-58mph (can be heard anytime stereo is at 10 or below); it sounds as though it's from the rear, but extensive test driving by my local Subaru dealer concluded "normal CVT noise"- something I don't buy, but it's worthless fighting with them.

I'm going to keep monitoring- in all other scenarios, it's 100% operational and superb, with no other issues

[RobMunach]

Originally Posted by wxlidar

Sounds like some of us are experiencing the exact same thing. It only happens when the car has been sitting a while (overnight in my case). Definitely not the brake.

To the posters that are experiencing this phenomenon, how does your CVT sound? Any excessive, in your opinion, noise like a whine or whistle? The reason I ask is I do have this excessive noise issue and one of the proposed culprits (by my local mechanic) is the CVT pump. If the pump is unable to provide enough pressure for the CVT rollers then the chain could slip.

Now, how do we get the Subaru to dig into this problem?

Thanks!

Why would it not then be slipping in reverse before the OP reverses direction?

[Pool Runner]

Originally Posted by wxlidar

Sounds like some of us are experiencing the exact same thing. It only happens when the car has been sitting a while (overnight in my case). Definitely not the brake.

To the posters that are experiencing this phenomenon, how does your CVT sound? Any excessive, in your opinion, noise like a whine or whistle? The reason I ask is I do have this excessive noise issue and one of the proposed culprits (by my local mechanic) is the CVT pump. If the pump is unable to provide enough pressure for the CVT rollers then the chain could slip.

Now, how do we get the Subaru to dig into this problem?

Thanks!

As far as noise goes I'm not 100% sure of the exact sound, when the slip & chatter happens I'm useually so and both that it's dificult to pin down everything at once. Just like the guy that said to make a video, in my case the problem is intermittant and at times will not happen for months in between, but has happened twice in the same day so it would be extremely dificult to film it.

My dealer has indicated that they have documented it twice already, so even if I have a major problem outside the warranty period Subaru should still work with me if it fails. I don't think I'm going to be able to get Subaru to do anything else unless of catastrophic failure alltogether.

I may in fact buy another Subaru, but I don't ever want another car with a CVT that is for sure.

[Pool Runner]

Originally Posted by wutbürger

I, too, have the "slip/chatter/shudder" under the following scenario: sitting LONG over night in my level garage OR sitting 8-12 hours at work which puts the car at a very, very slight incline. In both scenarios, it's .5-2 seconds of what feels like slipping/chattering.

Additionally, I have a VERY distinct whine at 54-58mph (can be heard anytime stereo is at 10 or below); it sounds as though it's from the rear, but extensive test driving by my local Subaru dealer concluded "normal CVT noise"- something I don't buy, but it's worthless fighting with them.

I'm going to keep monitoring- in all other scenarios, it's 100% operational and superb, with no other issues

Your example is exactly like my scenario, keep us posted if this gets worse or you can get someone or Subaru to fix/ explain what is going on here. My car has 22K miles and has been babbied and driven with kid gloves by mostly my wife.

[wxlidar]

I may try recording every time I drive after the car sits overnight. I may catch it and not a big deal to record with my phone. I will also attempt to record the CVT whine.

Is there a solenoid involved when shifting from R to F or is there a direct linkage from the shifter to the CVT?

It is very frustrating that we can't get Subaru, and the dealers, to investigate intermittent problems. I understand their reasons for not doing so but how does that help us down the road? If this problem is in fact some forward/reverse clutch issue then what do we do at 90k when it fails? I know Subaru is 'good' about taking care of their customers but they have no obligation to do so after the warranty expires.

[Pool Runner]

Just wondering if anyone else with this problem or has noticed it with their CVT Outback has had anymore luck figuring out the shuddering vibe, grunting when shifting the car from park to reverse or drive, engine cold?

Wife & kids and I went to the store this evening, probably 49-52 degrees +/- outside, after being in the store, car did the shudder, grunt thing after getting back into the car, starting, then shifting into reverse and applying throttle to reverse. This time I was definately on a level parking lot, backed srtaight out and did not turn the wheels.

I actually stopped in the middle of the spot, checked to make sure the gear selector was firmly in reverse, put it back in park, then tried reverse again and it still shuddered and vibed but not as intense as initially, stopped put back in park and repeated again, still did it but not as intense as 2nd time, by the third time it was fine and normal??? WTH is going on with my car? This can't be normal.

It's almost as if under certain conditions the fluid in the CVT drains out partially or completely and has to be pumped back into the unit during warm-up before driving off? Whats odd is this is the first time it's done it since about two months ago leaving it with the dealer only to not do it the entire time they had the car for an entire week. Extremely frustrating.

Again the feeling is like picture driving say 30-40 mph over a 20 ft washboard surface, now picture the same vibration and sound that would make but backing up at 1-2 mph. I cannot get this **** car to do this at the dealer and fear I'm going to be left holding the bag on the repair bill down the road. Just for poops & giggles I called Subaru parts and got a quote just to see how much a new CVT unit cost (You cant tear it down) it must be entirely replaced as a complete unit, it would be $8500 out of pocket. Luckily I bought the extended warranty but only to 7 years, 100K miles.

[RobMunach]

Originally Posted by wxlidar

I may try recording every time I drive after the car sits overnight. I may catch it and not a big deal to record with my phone. I will also attempt to record the CVT whine.

Is there a solenoid involved when shifting from R to F or is there a direct linkage from the shifter to the CVT?

It is very frustrating that we can't get Subaru, and the dealers, to investigate intermittent problems. I understand their reasons for not doing so but how does that help us down the road? If this problem is in fact some forward/reverse clutch issue then what do we do at 90k when it fails? I know Subaru is 'good' about taking care of their customers but they have no obligation to do so after the warranty expires.

I beleive there is a multiplate forward/reverse clutch that is operated by a solenoid valve. Same as in a traditional automatic.