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OB 2012 vibration / jump when put to reverse

7K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  beckinsale 
#1 ·
Hi all, got a 2012 2.5i CVT outback which is new. The car jumps a bit, kind of does a forwards jolt when I shift from park to reverse. It is strong enough to be visible as car body motion sometimes. This can also occur when shifting from drive to reverse/park.

Any ideas? Is this normal for the CVT to give this kind of a sensation when shifting?
 
#2 ·
Yeah, It's all this massive Subaru power barely being contained. lol
But seriously, every automatic trans car I've ever driven lurches a bit when put in gear.
 
#4 ·
The jolt is stronger when doing a cold start, it can sometimes be pretty strong, feels like being rear ended. But the jolt definitely is always there if you pay attention to it.

From previous cars I'm used to a total lack of any kind of vibration/jumps when moving the shift stick... I've driven many AT and manual boxes previously, but not a Lineartronic so this makes me wonder if Lineartronic has a tendency to vibrate / thump / jump the car when moving the stick. Since starting up the 2.5 boxer engine feels like you're starting a bus (rumblin 'n tumblin') I would'nt be so suprised if the Lineartronic has similar tendencies for roughness.

I would suppose many users here have a Lineartronic so owners can share how theirs is? Start the car and move the stick from Park to Reverse while depressing brake. In my car I can feel a forwards jolt which doesn't seem normal.

While driving both the engine and box are as smooth as I would expect from a 2012 new car. The rough engine start was a surprise to me though, since Subaru emphasises its smoothness and balance (!) and I'm kind of wondering if there is a faulty engine support or faulty transmission support, new from factory...
 
#7 ·
What other cars have you driven? That might help us... help you. It's really hard to tell if it's normal or not with out comparison or a video.
I've driven a lot of cars (rentals) recently. New Toyotas, Hyundais, Mitsubishis ... these had traditional 4AT or 5AT... Volkswagens (both dsg and manual), a Mitsubishi Pajero 4AT ...

The fact that you are asking me this, well it kind of hints to that one should expect a Lineartronic to thump and jump more or less when moving the stick. If it didn't you'd think owners would just say "Nope, when I shift from park to reverse nothing happens at all"

This is simple, really, if you have a Lineartronic OB:

1. start the car
2. brake pedal depressed, shift from park to reverse
Q: do you feel _any_ sudden jolt like movement / car body movement? yes or no

My answer is "no" for all cars I've driven over the last few years except for this OB, which is the first Lineartronic I've driven.

The previous time I've experienced something like this was with some old manual trans cars, a long time ago. So I'm just wondering if this is a feature of Lineartronic or not.
 
#10 ·
I do not notice much other than the slight feeling of engagement one feels with all automatics. There is a torque convertor there. I also have made it a habit to engage the parking brake before removing my foot from the brake when parking. I also always shift first to neutral, then to either drive or reverse, as this allows the rpms's to drop a little. I then leave the parking brake on until I take off, as the brake releases as soon as you touch the gas in gear with your belt on. Another thing I like to watch out for is to not "load" the parking pall by pulling up so far the tire touches the curb or drifts into a depression in the asphalt. I always have a smooth shift from park to neutral, and never have to unload the steering wheel to get the key to turn.
 
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