2015 Legacy 2.5 - CVT?

2015 Legacy 2.5

85k miles

 

First post on this forum...tried search and certainly found plenty of CVT issues but nothing that seemed to fit my symptoms.

Car was last driven last week and ran fine for a 20 mile trip. Pulled it out of the driveway to get to a different car and the following happens:

 

Lots of lights on the dash...brake light blinks, low oil light blinks, check engine light, messages to check engine and transmission in the info center. Doesn't feel like I can drive it to get the engine code(s) checked.

 

In park or neutral I can rev the motor smoothly.

If I put it in gear it will idle forward or backward.

If I touch the gas while in gear it shudders and make some pretty awful noises which is why I suspect the tranny.

 

Owners manual says there is no tranny fluid...not sure what else I can check.

 

ideas? Thanks in advance!!

2015 Legacy 2.5

 

85k miles

 

 

 

First post on this forum...tried search and certainly found plenty of CVT issues but nothing that seemed to fit my symptoms.

 

Car was last driven last week and ran fine for a 20 mile trip. Pulled it out of the driveway to get to a different car and the following happens:

 

 

 

Lots of lights on the dash...brake light blinks, low oil light blinks, check engine light, messages to check engine and transmission in the info center. Doesn't feel like I can drive it to get the engine code(s) checked.

 

 

 

In park or neutral I can rev the motor smoothly.

 

If I put it in gear it will idle forward or backward.

 

If I touch the gas while in gear it shudders and make some pretty awful noises which is why I suspect the tranny.

 

 

 

Owners manual says there is no tranny fluid...not sure what else I can check.

 

 

 

ideas? Thanks in advance!!

Time to take it to the dealer.. You might of had the Transmission leak for sometime not knowing and as you said your getting No Transmission Fluid light.. Your still under the 100k TSB CVT Warranty.. So have it towed in for service..

 

Keep us posted on ur situation

 

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No signs of a leak? Have you changed the oil recently? Did someone accidentally drain CVT fluid instead of oil? (it's pretty common) You can check the plug and crush washers to start and see if oil is left around the bolt, if not you might have a leak somewhere deep.

 

Grnlantern1 is correct and what you're describing sounds like there is no CVT fluid in the transmission. If you've got some time you can pull the drain plug, see what drains and then refill using a bottle pump with roughly 5-6 Qts of Subaru model specific ATF (to refill you pump ATF back up into the transmission until it begins to spill out, reinsert plug start the car and cycle transmission a few times then repeat process once or twice more, until it won't let you pump any more up within an immediate drip down). Make sure you throw a new OEM crush washer on there. Also make sure the car is level when draining and filling.

 

Note that when cycling after you have replenished the tranny fluid you shouldn't be having the issues you're describing. If on the first cycle the symptoms described aren't significantly reduced or ceased all together just stop and head back to the drawing board.

 

This video explains it pretty well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5xbnpTYk0s&t=919s

You may also have double the necessary engine oil if somebody drained the transmission and filled the engine oil without checking the dipstick.

For the cost of a tow I'd go out and buy a code reader this instant. If this isn't your DD, I'd just go on Amazon and buy a cheapie one. If it's not the CVT, just realize that you'll be on the hook for the cost of the tow.

 

Some good info by all, but I'd recommend against anything other than external inspections of the CVT by yourself. You're covered by the extended Subaru CVT warranty, so don't mess with it.

 

I'd also try disconnecting the battery by disconnecting the cable from the negative terminal on the battery, hit the brake pedal a few times to discharge any capacitance, then reconnect and see what happens. I doubt it will resolve your problem, but it costs you nothing to try.

Thanks for all the replies.

It's at the dealer getting a new CVT installed. Towing was $10 through road side assistance with the insurance company.

 

The thing that strikes me as odd is it went from fully functional to fully dead in a day. There was no puddle of fluid in the driveway.

It's at the dealer getting a new CVT installed ... The thing that strikes me as odd is it went from fully functional to fully dead in a day.

Thanks for following up with the resolution to the problem. The good news is that CVT failures like this appear to be extremely uncommon.

did the dealership give any insight as to what happened?

Thanks for all the replies.

 

It's at the dealer getting a new CVT installed. Towing was $10 through road side assistance with the insurance company.

 

 

 

The thing that strikes me as odd is it went from fully functional to fully dead in a day. There was no puddle of fluid in the driveway.

My CVT has the leak but won't leave a puddle but when driving it blows back on the tranny pan.. So that might have happened. But glad u got a new transmission.. Keep us posted and make sure u check for any leaks in the future. My 2nd transmission had a leak at 45k..

 

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This makes me afraid since I might be picking up a 2015 Limited that has 132K miles so its out of the TSB range now.

This makes me afraid since I might be picking up a 2015 Limited that has 132K miles so its out of the TSB range now.

Just have it looked at before hand and if the Transmission Pan looks greasy black not necessarily wet it might have had a leak at one time. Other than my Transmission issue the car is great.

 

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My ‘16 with 82k miles is acting up recently. Extremely rough gear “shifting”, very pronounced shift under heavy acceleration. It’s like you can feel the car gears shifting when under light acceleration. Really weird. Plan on making an appointment once I get some free time

 

 

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My ‘16 with 82k miles is acting up recently. Extremely rough gear “shifting”, very pronounced shift under heavy acceleration. It’s like you can feel the car gears shifting when under light acceleration. Really weird. Plan on making an appointment once I get some free time

 

 

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Definitely get it checked out..Could be low in fluid if it has the leak..

 

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Definitely get it checked out..Could be low in fluid if it has the leak..

 

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Will do, haven’t been driving it much thankfully so will try to make some time to take it in. May try to peek underneath and see if anything is visible.

 

 

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