legacycentral bbs

Recently, I have been noticing that my tranny tunnel has been getting VERY warm after awhile. I can actually feel the heat radiating off of the tunnel after only driving for a bit.

Today I noticed that the trim at the shifter (at the PRND321 plastic bit) was quite warm to the touch.

The warning light for AT Oil Temp has not come on, despite it getting so warm.


I haven't checked the oils yet, because it has been raining quite hard here for the last few days.


Anybody have any idea as to what could be causing this?



I am beginning to suspect a stuck starter, as I recently traced a mystery engine sound to the rear of the compartment (but I also don't have too much experience with this kind of problems).

Could a stuck starter still start the car normally and without problems?


Any help would be very helpful, as trannies are a little too expensive to replace, and this is a Subaru remanufactured one installed by a dealership not even a year ago........

that's very odd. I really dunno what it could be. What does this noise sound like? Did they give you any warranty just incase?

I believe they did. I'll have to check the paperwork (Opie had it replaced before I bought the car).


The noise at idle is sorta hard to describe. I'll listen to it again when I get a chance and give it a try.

When I am accelerating, it sounds like I have a supercharger (whine that increases with RPM).

oh, my tranny sounded like that, wasn't getting hot like yours is. I never found out what was the problem. even if I take it apart I probably still wouldnt know

If the starter was stuck engaged it would theoretically act as a generator and put current back to the battery. I've never known it to happen like that, but I imagine it would burn out and likely damage the battery at least.m My guess is it's something else. Do you have a meter you could use to check the starter solenoid just in case?

Steve

Hmm... the downpipe has a catalytic converter in it, and it bolts to the transmission. If your car is misfiring it could be sending raw fuel into the cat. Raw fuel in the cat burns and causes the cat to get very hot. That heat could plausibly be transferred to the transmission case.

Could it be misfire?

I doubt it's misfiring.

I HAVE had experience with that, and that's not what it feels like.


How would one go about checking the solenoid? I have a multimeter, but not much know-how on what to do with it (or where to probe).

Check the resistance from the solenoid terminal to ground to test the solenoid hold-in. I would guess the push-in must be fine if the car starts. Under all but starting conditions, you should get some kind of reading. If it's infinite, then the circuit is open, so maybe it isn't retracting the starter.

Steve

Where would the solenoid terminal be?

Can I get to it from the top of the engine compartment?

So the solenoid would give me a reading if the starter is retracted?

just try starting it while the engine is running. if the teeth are still engaged there won't be the grinding noise. correct?

Most starters Ive seen, have a locking one way roller bearing at the gear. (kinda like a freewheel bicycle hub)

If the starter was stuck on, it would still spin slower than the flywheel, and I imagine would burn up pretty quickly.

Since (for now) it isn't raining, I am going to go check the fluids and poke around at the starter for a bit.


I'm sure it is on the way to burned up if it is the starter......

Brat4by4 wrote:just try starting it while the engine is running. if the teeth are still engaged there won't be the grinding noise. correct?

It doesn't really make a grinding moise, just something more like a hissing noise.


All my fluids check out.

If I buy a new starter, will it come with the solenoid? I'm thinking of just replacing the entire assembly........

I unhooked the positive lead to the starter motor and tried starting it and I could hear the solenoid clicking into place. I guess that means it's at least patrially working.......

It looks like the starter came with the tranny when that was replaced.


On a possibly related note: several days ago, my car wouldn't start. After poking around under the hood for a bit I noticed that the positive lead to the starter was toughing the starter bracket/tranny (where they meet) and the wire loom around the wire was worn away. For the moment, I just pulled the wire away from the bracket and it started fine. Later I went back and put electrical tape on there and haven't had anything like that happen again.

Ok.

I'm not worried about the heat as much as the noise and the elevated RPMs.

I noticed that my '94 FWD wagon's tranny would get hot, and the LT's tranny is supposed to run hot anyway.

I'll just install a tranny cooler later.