AT oil temp & stalling

[mikeleerice]

I have a 95 Subaru Legacy which has around 140000 miles. A few years ago, the AT oil temp light would flash several times when the car was first started. The engine would idle fine in Park, but when put into any gear, the car would give one big jerk and then die. It might do this a few times and then run fine, or it might do this until I gave up and let it sit for a few days. It does not appear to be sensitive to the temperature outside as I first thought it only happened in cold weather.

The car has been looked at by a Subaru dealer and a couple of other mechanics. The dealer cleared out the code in the computer (but couldn't tell me what it was) and said it was a fluke and shouldn't happen again. Of course the took my money without hesitation.

Another mechanic looked at it and replaced something near the torque converter. The car locked up again with in the week. As usual, the mechanics had trouble getting the car to act up. Eventually they said they did not know what else to do.

I have purchased a third vehicle for my wife, and used the Subaru as a backup. I got in it the other day and after several months of not being started, it ran great. I do not know the next time it may act up. It have acted up on cold starts, and it has acted up when the engine was hot, but it only acys up immediatly after it has been started. Never when it is going down the road.

Any ideas?

[ciper]

Perhaps the torque converter is locked and when you put it in gear it stops the engine from spinning. Are you holding the brake when shifting into gear?

[mikeleerice]

Yes, I have to since there is a locking mechanism in the brake that will not let you leave Park without the brake pedal pressed. I learned the hard way how you can not get the car into neutral to push it out of a busy intersection when the battery is dead.

[THAWA]

press that lil shift lock button and you can move the shift selector whereever you want without the brake being depressed.

[HomeSlice]

i have the same prob with my 90 L the 4eat is junk......... i havent got a chance to hook my L to the selcet monitor yet--- ill get back