[rymo]

Apologies if this has been asked, but I couldn't find anything in search.

I just got an '07 2.5 XT auto trans with 25k miles on it. Two things I'd like your feedback on:
--When I accelerate (normal acceleration), every once in a while, there's a vibration when the car shifts from 2nd to 3rd (best as I can remember). It feels like the car ran over the rumble strips on the side of the road.
--When I've got cruise control set at 65-70 on the freeway, there are times when going uphill that the transmission revs up or down randomly. I don't think it is shifting, but just 200-400 rpm higher for a couple seconds. Is this normal for the Outback cruise/auto transmission?

Thanks for any help! The car is in like-new condition with only 25k on it and was a weekend car for the previous owners. Other than these two weird (or maybe normal for an Outback) issues, it's perfect.

Thanks, Ryan

 

[rasterman]

Regarding the acceleration- they do that. Mine does that fairly consistently when departing one particular intersection in town, but rarely anywhere else. I don't feel like it's a problem yet, 128k miles & counting.

And the second- sounds like the TCU is unlocking the torque converter. It's allowed to do that to keep engine RPMs from going too low without having to actually change gears. Think of it as a half-gear. You would only see it on hills or strong sustained acceleration.

Congrats on finding a fresh one!

 

[tdelker]

You can have the transmission computer 'relearn' it's shifting. This can be done by anyone with a SSM3 (dealer, indep who does a lot of subarus) or with SSM software.

There is a procedure in the FSM having it up on a lift and a set processes going through gears, but most people just reset the computer, and let it relearn on it's own.

I would do a complete transmission flush anyway, as often people report good things from that. Low mileage, but 6 years of water absorption. Replace with subaru HP fluid only.

PS There was an issue in your year with the torque converters not being made to spec. Here's a thread talking about something similar: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/109-gen-3-2005-2009/51453-4eat-shift-shudder.html

 

[tdelker]

You can have the transmission computer 'relearn' it's shifting. This can be done by anyone with a SSM3 (dealer, indep who does a lot of subarus) or with SSM software.

There is a procedure in the FSM having it up on a lift and a set processes going through gears, but most people just reset the computer, and let it relearn on it's own.

I would do a complete transmission flush anyway, as often people report good things from that. Low mileage, but 6 years of water absorption. Replace with subaru HP fluid only.

PS There was an issue in your year with the torque converters not being made to spec. Here's a thread talking about something similar: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/109-gen-3-2005-2009/51453-4eat-shift-shudder.html Looks like you are in the clear, as that was MY 08-09

 

[rymo]

Thank you Sir! Appreciate the quick response. Glad to hear they are just Outback characteristics. My previous car was an Audi Allroad, so I've become accustomed to things like this meaning that the car needs $2k in repairs

 

[rymo]

So, I let these issues sit for a while and finally took the car in to the dealer today. They flushed the trans fluid (said it was dirty), reprogrammed the shift points and did an ECU update which fixed the problem. $170 for labor & parts.

Hopefully the fix sticks and I don't have an actual torque converter/trans issue.

--Ryan

 

[ethereale]

Isn't it nice having a Subaru repair bill? I just came from a 2004 Audi S4 to an 05 OBXT and it has completely threw me for a loop how cheap these cars are to repair.

:29:

 

[BillBraski]

Hmm... my 05 bean does a bit of a grumble at certain speeds as well... Ill do a fluid change but beyond that, if the trans is shot its shot.

 

[Corr Performance]

my 05XT, 5 speed, also shakes on hard acceleration between 2-3k rpm. As for the cruise control, it feels like the cruise is constantly adjusting as i can feel the car jumping forward and back whenever i'm in cruise control.

 

[tdelker]

Hard shakes between 2k-3k: Fluid flush and reset the TCU

Cruise Control: Did you replace a wheel bearing?

 

[Corr Performance]

Hard shakes between 2k-3k: Fluid flush and reset the TCU

yeah, just in those rpms ranges and more noticeable from 1-3rd gear.

Cruise Control: Did you replace a wheel bearing?

dont know, since i bought the car used, there is no service record of that.

 

[rymo]

Isn't it nice having a Subaru repair bill? I just came from a 2004 Audi S4 to an 05 OBXT and it has completely threw me for a loop how cheap these cars are to repair.

:29:

That's what I told my wife last night. If this had been her Q7, there would have been a comma in the bill.

 

[ethereale]

Hard shakes between 2k-3k: Fluid flush and reset the TCU

This is the case for manual trans OBXT? I'm getting the exact same thing.

 

[rasterman]

This is the case for manual trans OBXT? I'm getting the exact same thing.

manual trans is old-school mechanical. No TCU to reset. You have an engine problem.

 

[Corr Performance]

manual trans is old-school mechanical. No TCU to reset. You have an engine problem.

so the vibration is something inside the engine making it shake like this?

 

[rasterman]

Well, it could still be a mount or a bushing I guess. But the point of my comment was that there isn't anything inside the manual transmission which could generate this complaint.

Given how easy it is to pull engine data with a laptop- and how rich and useful the data is, it should be an early step in troubleshooting one of these engines. I have a whopping $113 invested in my garage computer and it takes all of 10 minutes to pull it off the shelf, set it up, pull data and upload it to the cloud for analysis on the 'good' computer inside the house later.

I really wouldn't be surprised to hear that you've got a post-turbo air leak and a degraded front oxygen sensor. Those are turning out to be a pattern as these cars age. Data logged from the car can clearly prove or disprove either of those problems so you don't waste time fixing something that already works.

Regarding cruise control- yours sounds normal. These cars were the first generation of drive-by-wire, but the cruise system seems like it's still built for the previous generation of cars. It just isn't smooth and refined. Note that there was a recall for some particularly weird behavior in the '05s, and there is a bug in the '06 automatic models which will falsely trigger a TCU code if cruise is engaged for about 2 hours continuously.

 

[Corr Performance]

driver's side bearing and axle have been replaced. tranny and differential all have been flushed and replaced. still getting a vibration under hard acceleration so i'm assuming that it might be a mount at this point?

 

[bacodart99]

This is great info. I noticed the shudder slightly on accel also. I don't think the dealer did a rad flush before I bought it. But the car was meticulously serviced. What's the standard service interval for the rad flush? If I go to the dealer and mention a transmission ECU refresh would they know what I am talking about or think I have three heads? Is there a particular level of tech who knows what to do?

 

[mtberman]

I believe you mean a trans flush, not a radiator flush. Subaru lists the interval as every 30K miles and I think it's the same for both the 4-speed and the 5-speed auto, although these two transmissions use different fluid.

The maintenance resources describe it as a "check" or "inspect" item at the 30K interval. However, there are plenty of reports on this forum from owners who said their cars (especially turbo and 3.0L six cyl cars) performed noticeably better after a transmission flush. My experience with my former 3.0L car was similar: At 50K miles it had developed occasional poor shift quality between 1-2 and 2-3. The problem was resolved with a trans flush.

My new-to-me 2009 3.0L has less than 43K miles on it and shifts fine, but I'm taking it to the dealer next week for an oil change anyway and have scheduled a trans flush done, too. They quoted $239 for that item. It's about $50 cheaper at Goodyear but I read somewhere that the 5-speed (JATCO) auto in my '09 3.0R should only be filled with the Subaru fluid, so I'm having the dealer do it.

 

[bacodart99]

Sorry! Duh. Trans!