I work at a Subaru Dealership in Canada and my 2016 2.5i Forester had the lock up duty solenoid dtc and I did this! I personally used a different website/ part but basically pulled out the valve body and replaced it carefully and reinstalled it. We also did a cvt flush full 13L and cvt relearn to ensure best results. So far soo good.
Not on a subaru but I recently changed my solenoids on a 08 Pontiac G6. My dad was about to scrap the car thinking the transmission failed. Turns out the 2nd to 3rd solenoid burned out. I took the side cover off the transmission and replaced all the solenoids I can reach, (A & B) and it fixed the trans problem. I ended up inheriting the car.
I literally just got a P0970 code almost 2 weeks ago and was so close of ordering a new valve body thank God I follow this guy because he just saves me nearly $1000 and a headache
I probably replaced at least 100 valve bodies in 4-5 years while working at a Subaru dealer(Subaru paid for all of them).I remember in the Gen2 cvt at least 6 solenoids and most of them had different resistant specs.So I don't think all the solenoids would be interchangeable and I haven't seen where Dorman has offered anything but the lock-up duty solenoid.All the valve bodies I replaced had faulty lock-up duty solenoids.
LOL.. That happened to me this summer too on my 2015 Forester w/ 104,000 miles. It was outside the 10/100,000 service bulletin warranty extension, so I paid for the valve body less $200 since I was close to 100k miles.
I WONDERED WHEN YOU WOULD DO VIDEO ON THIS! I replaced my solenoid valve last year using a junk full valve body on eBay. Ohmed out couple solenoids and found the right one and installed it.
Did this for a friend about a month ago on a 2014 Outback and it worked out well! Didn’t even need a scan tool…which was crazy. Things to note- get a new gasket for the top cover, replace the 2 o-rings under the valve body, and beware of the ring terminals for the ground that will most likely break even if you’re careful. Just strip the wire and crimp a new one on. We also added just a bit of CVT fluid that came out with the valve body.
Two months ago my tr690 failed in my 3.6 2018 outback with 141000kms. I’d only purchased 3 months earlier when it had 131 on clock. Subaru dealership wanted 13500 to replace . Australian dollars. So about 8ish odd American .i begged and pleaded for a good will. Was only four months out of extended warranty and only had cvt fluid changed ten thousand kilometres earlierv for the first time. very grateful to Subaru of Australia. After four weeks of biting nails They replaced box and charged me $650 for labour. Seeing this solenoid available gives me faith that I will keep this car for a long time. Thankyou Mr Subaru. Massive fan. This is not my first Subaru
With your guidance I just finished replacing the lockup solenoid in my 2014 Outback with 204,000 miles. I’m a diy mechanic but the results are terrific. No lights and works perfectly. Thanks for your help. Dave Schmelzer
I’ve read mixed results on this solenoid people on Amazon said it failed after 2,000 miles of driving. Some people had them go 10,000 miles other people 50 miles and the solenoid failed. The safest route still is going and buying the whole new Valve Body and spending the $1100 in parts and fluid to do the job. That way you know it’ll last 100,000 more miles. Either way it seems like $340 for solenoids and CVT fluid or $1100 for Subaru OEM Valve body and fluid. You save $760, but you’re going with a non-OEM solution
I repair mine on my 2015 Impreza. Cleaned the valve body took it apart completely. And replaced one solenoid I believe it was the AWD solenoid. To take it apart was straight forward. Id give thanks to Mr Subaru for the lessons to tackle the job.
Just had the valve body replaced on my Forester a couple days ago, luckily under warrantee. The dealer was amazingly uniformed on their product, as it took three trips to the dealer to get it diagnosed and repaired.
When doing research and replacing the torque converter lock up solenoid on the TR690 valve body on my 2011 Legacy, i discovered the first selenoid to usually fail is the torque converter selenoid. Replaced mine about a year ago (13,000 miles ago) with no problems.
Was gonna try one of theses Dorman solenoid on my friends Subaru last weekend but parts didn't show up in time, then Mr Subaru makes a video on it a few days later 😂 have done dozens of valves bodies finally someone sells the solenoid. Gonna do it today.
ive done a couple of TR580s now with the Dorman TCC solenoid and no problems yet - $50 vs almost a grand is a no brainer. only thing is be careful is not to break the ground wire eyelet near the TCC solenoid. if you do break it get a copper eyelet and solder it on where the old one broke off.
Exactly. the connection breaks because the head of the bolt grips the eyelet and rotates it when it is being undone, thereby breaking the lug, / eyelet. Put a clean screwdriver down beside the neck of the eyelet to prevent it rotating anticlockwise. Then carefully undo the bolt by hand, not with an electric ratchet. If you do break it, crimp a new lug on and solder it to make sure. Be super clean use flux to get the solder to flow and all will be good
You don't need to spend several hundred dollars for a scan tool. I bought an Anyscan A30M and it supports transmission relearn and temperature for my 2015 Forester. I used both when changing the CVT fluid. It also can run tests on each of the valves in the ABS system and I ran that just to see (hear) it work. That tool costs $169. No transmission solenoids needed yet (only 103,000 miles) but thanks for bringing this option to light.
I’m glad you finally did a video for this but when it happened to me shortly after I got my 14 Impreza I went through buying a faulty discounted one then getting that refunded and finally finding the solenoid to change myself which also would’ve been a nice video but I just referred to a video for a different trans love the content and as a diy car owner all always refer to your videos first 🤙🏼
I just did the valve body on my '18 Crosstrek yesterday. I wish I had found this beforehand. I ended forking over 1,400 for all the parts and fluid to drain and fill after the main job was done. I was going to order the parts from your online source, but then the lights started flashing every time I drove. One of our local dealers had it all in stock, but the valve body was 1100. I'm about to leave for a work trip for 2 wks so I thought it best just to handle it now before I left.
On my 2016 Forester XT TR690, I changed out all the solenoids after Christmas tree light dash appeared. That was done at 112k miles. It is now at 123k and still smooth sailing. I will add that once I changed the fluid at 111k it was a tad over 1,000 miles till the solenoid stuck. So I'd say buy your 12 and 3 ohm solenoids AND fluid at the same time and have a weekend of it. Change em all. TR690 means you gotta drop the pan so much messier and dry time on the pan sealant. I used the topdon artidiag 800bt for the trans clear and relearn. I did try and order the valve body, but dang they were all back order. So i went with just the solenoids.
Are all of the solenoids the same part number? In my experience the one that almost always fails is the lockup torque converter solenoid. Maybe because it's almost constantly being duty cycled. A few have had failed fluid temp sensors. So far every one I've encountered has been at least partially covered by Subaru, regardless of miles.
I just did the solenoid on a 14 crosstrek xv, wasn't hard with basic mechanical knowledge. Fixed the issue and was way cheaper than the $2200 the dealership quoted
I cleared my lock-up duty selenoid issue error by cleaning the battery terminals. This makes me think the issue was more about voltage drop than the Solenoid. I ended up getting the Tourque converted staling issue a few years later and ended up not repairing it. I just shifted to neutral. I have also noticed that it behaves differently if you can keep the electrical draw to a minimum during braking.
It seems to me that not buying the vehicle in the first place is the best choice. I find it interesting that manual transmissions are nearly extinct. Mr, Subaru, your site is great.
Yeah, I used to think that until the throwout bearing on my '04 F150 failed. The part was less than $100, but replacing it requires pulling the tranny, which means pulling the transfer case and drive shafts, which requires pulling the torsion bars, which is incredibly hard to do when they are rusted in place. That bearing failed at 60k, and it would be rare to have an automatic give trouble that early, unless you're an aggressive driver with a lead foot. As Mr. Subaru has pointed out in other videos, every system has its own trade-offs, strengths and weaknesses.
That solenoid can also be used for the primary up and primary down solenoids. The awd solenoid fails as well but has a different resistance. The tcc solenoids fail in my opinion because of the duty cycle of the solenoid. It stays fully applied almost all the time. I've never seen a primary up or primary down solenoid fail and it's the same solenoid. The duty cycle on those are constantly varying.
Exactly that’s my thinking Robert if one solenoid is out the door several others are probably on their way out as well, The other thing I’m curious about is the smoothness of the shifts and I think maybe that’s why Subaru was trying to sell you the whole thing at least I hope to think it is…
been running a 2010 forester with a lockup solenoid code for 6 years now and have yet to have any of the other solenoids have an issue yet. we had just replaced both cats and were tired of throwing money into the car so decided to live with the lights on the dash and the 1-2mpg loss from not going into lockup. the failure on that one solenoid happened 6 years and 50 k miles ago. It is plain ridiculous that Subaru doesn't offer the solenoids separately
I wish I knew about this solenoid a couple years ago. My 2010 Outback started shifting a little rough and there were blinking lights all over my dash board. Gas mileage went way down and could not use cruise control any longer. To fix the problem the entire valve body had to be replaced and the job being done by Treasure Valley Subaru in Idaho was well over $3000.
Ouch. I'm about to undertake this on my 2012 Outback and swap out the valve body. Dropped a grand on that alone. Dealer near me wanted $2600 to do the job.
Nice to have a potential high quality alternative. I am fortunate to be in the financial position to just replace the entire valve body so I would likely go that route to avoid the possibility of having to do everything again to replace a second failed solenoid. One could replace all the solenoids too but I'd have to do more research on the quality of the part. It would depend on where I felt the vehicle was at in its lifespan.
My 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness with 28k miles started lurching really badly when coming to a stop. It wasn’t too bad initially but it got worse pretty quickly. I bought it with 24k miles on it. The dealer checked it out and it needed a completely new transmission. They were great about it and everything but I really don’t know if I can trust it now. My 2014 Outback with the non turbo has 143k miles on it and runs great. I’ve beat the crap out of it and towed way too heavy loads for hundreds of miles and it’s still fine.. that’s why I bought another one but now I’m not sure if it was a good idea. I do love the car overall and the turbo power is definitely a game changer, especially on the highway.. I just hope it lasts. I do have a lifetime power train warranty and the bumper to bumper warranty until 140k miles so as long as it’s warranted I shouldn’t have to worry too much hopefully 🤞
Who sells that warranty? I have a 2022 wilderness and I’m thinking of buying it at the end of the lease. This transmission scares me and it pisses me off after ASKING the service department about the fluid change and getting blown off. My dealership in Fresno is total crap!
As a Subaru technician I would have to agree in your past video stating that Subaru CVT are more reliable then other manufacturers. Most failure seen are definitely with the solenoids in the valve body either for the lockup converter or the all-wheel drive solenoid since they are the most active. If you're a steady Highway Cruiser then you can definitely get much higher mileage out of your CVT than someone who is an inner-city stop-and-go driver where you're all wheel drive and lock up solenoids will work overtime and ultimately fail. If the solenoids are built with the same quality as the OE and then this will definitely be a money saver for the high mileage drivers. And just an FYI for people who dont know. If your vehicle is PZEV , your valve body is covered for 150k.✊️
that was another excellent video Mr. Subaru and very helpful. I have only 53000 miles on my 2015 FXT Touring and I don't believe my 2003 FXS Premium has a CVT. also Mr. Subaru I use the Subaru Parts Deals website and I love it 👍👍
Mr Subaru , I was waiting for this video as I too was hesitant of getting a no name solenoid . Some people bash Dorman however personally I have had no issues . For example I have used Dorman Subaru Key Fobs to Dorman Crush washers and everything in between from Dorman. There are stories where an individual complained about a Dorman Lower Control arm and Dorman actually improved the Lower Control based on the complaint. Thank You again for posting and if the need arises I will be going with the single lock up solenoid from Dorman rather than the whole valve body replace .
I have not had to do that repair yet on my 2015 Crosstrek. However if the need arises I will get the single lockup valve first and hope it lasts . I don’t have problems with Dorman and hope this a a quality part.
I feel very vindicated. Did this to me wife's outback months ago. you told me I'd regret it and be replacing it again soon. 4 months later, still no issues and now you're doing a video about doing it. lol
I have a 2016 Legacy. I have two complaints with the CVT. The first is the lag when shifting from park or neutral to drive. You have to wait a second before releasing the brake or the car will roll. The second complaint is that the CVT pretends it has gears (first, second, etc). That defeats the advantage of having a CVT and may lead to slippage. Otherwise I love the car. It is my daily driver to keep miles off of my F250 Superduty.
Hello Sir. Do you have that symptom of "gear changes" all the time on only when start driving until CVT warms up? I have same symptom only for a first few miles until CVT warmed up. Thanks.
I have 70K miles on my 2020 Forester since new. Pretty much resolved to sell at 125K to avoid all the planned obsolescence that seems to be built into this vehicle. These valve bodies have been failing just outside of warranty for years with little to no improvement.
I'm going to change just the solenoid in our 2014 Forester. We have 292,240 Miles on her now. If I have to change a solenoid every 100K, it's worth it, imho. My neighbor has a Topdon Artidiag Pro that I can use to relearn the trans.
Checked on these - they run about $110 in Canada, though unfortunately not compatible with my 2022 Crosstrek (goes up to 2019 for the Crosstrek). Hopefully they'll bring out some new ones; would be a good part to get and keep in a parts bin for the day it's needed.
I agree that it’s worth mentioning that you need a good scan tool for this but I probably wouldn’t figure that into the price of the job. If you’re the type of person that’s willing to change a valve body or solenoid you’re probably doing plenty of other work where a bidirectional scan tool will be useful or even necessary.
I would totally agree , it becomes a while you were in there unless you want to get the practice with r&r on the valve body LOL. The 4 parts still will not equal the price of the valve body itself. This would become a DIY project with the right care and attention to detail that is needed in any transmission work.
I was thinking the same thing, but wonder if all four solenoids are the same part number, and if there's any mechanical way that these valve bodies are known to fail. As the price difference decreases, you also have to wonder if it isn't wise to pay the difference and get true OEM quality. Luckily, it should be many years before this becomes an issue with our 2024.
Shoot, I was quoted (consistently above $1800 a few years back) when my outback kept going into limp mode IF the valve body could even be found. I felt lucky to have run into a small shop who were willing to replace just one for around $550. Good to know this is now an option.
Honestly, my crosstrek is at 186k miles on the original cvt and I had been contemplating replacing the valve body proactively before it fails... but that's a fairly price prohibitive move. What i might do instead is proactively change all the solenoids instead, now that that's an option. Maybe when I hit 200k miles, it it doesn't fail before then.
Coming up on 180K….I’ve had zero cvt issues but I service it yearly. The people that neglect to service it pre determine their fate. These transmission make a lot of metal. It has to be purged or you’ll foul the valve body. Been using Amsoil cvt also -0- issues. Trans and car run like new (2016 3.6R)
@bradbowles1153 yes but not as many times as MrSubaru recommends. Did one at about 150k, and just today did another. I actually dropped the pan because it was seeping a little fluid, so I did a thorough clean of the pan, magnet, and strainer, changed the strainer o-ring and obviously resealed the pan. If I could go back, I would definitely do changes every 30k (or at least one or two more after buying the car at 98k). So we'll see how it goes, I can't say it's really given me any issues up to this point.
@DesertAdventurerUT can confirm, there was a decent amount of metallic-looking schmoo on my magnet, all extremely fine at least, no big chunks. Only looked like iron filings when I first looked at it, as soon as I started wiping it off it just looked like gunk. Hoping that cleaning it up means a nice, fresh, strong magnetic surface that will catch anything that's still floating around in there. Kinda makes me want to drop the pan every two or three services lol
Here is a question. I don't have a $500 scan tool. What is the likelihood one could just drain the transmission, measure the amount of old fluid, take the pan off, replace the solenoid, refill with an equal amount of new transmission fluid and have it work ok?
Yes you can. The fluid temp is warm hot on the finger , not hot hot. A couple of trips around the block would do it. You fill the trans when its warm till it overflows. You 've got to work hard to get it wrong.
Hi Mr.Subaru, Thanks for all the great info! I just spoke with a tech over at Dorman Products.He advised that the solenoid they have is for the 926-408 Torque Converter Lock-Up Solenoid. He lead me to believe that all the solenoids are different. Was he correct or can the 926-408 solenoid they produce, be used to replace all 4 of the solenoids? I have 167,000 miles on my 2016 Forester and am considering doing the switch out as preventative maintenance.
Can't pay me to install Dorman parts on a vehicle. It sucks they they are one of the only companies that make obscure parts but I have learned my lesson unfortunately multiple times.
Thank you Mr. Subaru great explanation!! I only saw 4 solenoids, at $60 each you could replace all for $240 and save a ton of money or am I mistaken? Can you take the valve body off the transmission with out dropping the transmission out of the car?
So glad to find Your channel! Live in Sweden and my sweet xv 2012 and the solenoid has broken. Subaru in Sweden tells med they can only order this part from Japan and it will take a couple of months to get it....and it will cost me around 2000 USD. I have now watched many of your videos and need your help if I can by something from you or the US and how long it will take too get it to Sweden? Much appreciated your help, Ann Sweden
If you’re worried about replacing your lock-up solenoid with an after market one, like me, just put one of your primary up or primary down solenoids in the lock-up solenoid, and put the after market one in its place. Your OEM solenoid should have plenty of life left, and the after market solenoid will be in a place of less usage.
... A trusted brand Dorman. Who exactly trusts them? The only part i have ever seen anyone yrust from them is the intake manifold for the GM 3.8. It was less crappy than the OEM. Their electronic parts are absolutely horrible. How many times do you want to open a transmission? It is worth spending the money onve on the valve body. It will cost the same to do it three times with these "quality" parts.
Good advice!! They only have lockup solenoid? Or transfer clutch solenoid too? Because that solenoid have same trouble. But I can’t find in their web. Thanks for bringing some realy good solutions to this brand.
There look to be four solenoids on the valve body. Are they all the same, even though they have different color wires? Would it not be still economical to replace all solenoids once the valve body is out and still save the stealership costs?
I've got the trans with the valve body on top and easier to get to in my 2013 (MY14) SJ Forester here in Australia. 255,000KMs or so and I had 2 let go. I can confirm, in Melbourne, there wasn't a shop that would do the job for less than $1850 AUD. That was 12 months ago. Damn if I saw this then I may have even had a crack at it myself.
I have a 2016 Subaru Impreza sedan with the TR580 transmission. When looking at scanners to purchase to perform a relearn. I noticed that in a lot of the vehicle coverage sites for multiple brands often group XV/Impreza and Crosstrek/Impreza together. It doesn’t have an option of just Impreza. How do you know which option it correlates to and why do they have two different listings?
Do you think you could do a short video about the AWD fuse thing. I heard older subaru's can install a fuse and make it two wheel drive for towing and such. What models still have this, and what good bad things etc?
If this video came 2 weeks earlier I may have given this a shot. We just had the valve body go on our '14 Forester with 134k. If it weren't for the EXCESSIVE oil consumption and cylinder blow by, we may have given the shop the go-ahead to do the $2100 job. Instead we now own a '22 Impreza.
What about replacing all of the solenoids the first time one has the valve body off/out? Good middle ground option for DIYers? Maybe best combo of frugal but still comprehensive?
My son has been looking for a used Subaru. He is worried about getting one that is around a 2010 to 2016 because of the CVT. Is this something that should keep him from getting one in that range of years? Thanks also great videos.
Mr Subaru are these Dorman solenoids able to replace all the solenoids on the valve body as some are suggesting in here on the comments or are all the solenoids different specs as the guy who said he was a subie tech said? Mines a 2015 legacy we bought new and gave to our kid but it’s the awd that ain’t workin and I did just buy a brand new valve body from Subaru Chicago but would probably be willing to eat the restocking fee if I could just replace all the solenoids ? Thanks again for all You do and for your time as well🤙
Mr. Subaru . My son and I bough 2023 WRX .as you it don’t come with spare in back wheel well. I like you do a Video about spare tire kit with part number so I purchase from Subaru dealer? Please !!
I guess it'd depend on how long I planned to keep the car. Another 150-200k miles and I might just factor in the cost of a new valve body + labor as being cheaper than a new car.
Did my solenoid 60k ago with ebay special solenoid. Used valvoline cvt fluid still rockin n rollen. Latest issue is burnt exhaust valve cylinder 1. Oh well. Probably my fault for putting off spark plug seals and burning oil 🤷♂️
Replaced my valve body nearly 100k ago in my tr580. I personally don't think Dorman is all that and wouldn't bother wasting the time. You still need to flush and fill and relearn so you are $3-400 deep already in fluid Buy once cry once. Drive another 150k
Just did this job this past weekend on my friends '12 Impreza. I hope I picked the right solenoid 😅, but regardless I need to reset the TCU because Subaru won't allow a non invasive reset to reset the TCU 😒. Other than the scan tool you mentioned, is there another cheaper scan tool that might do the job? If push comes to shove, to the dealership, but I'd like to avoid them.
I have a 2011 Forester ive been fighting this with. I believe it has the 4EAT. I havent found a replacement like for the CVT shown. Besides ebay and amazon cheapos, is there a Dorman for it?
Prior to full failure....does it exhibit symptoms of abrupt engagement and delayed disengagement? At low speed it feels a bit like someone driving manual letting the clutch out too fast when accelerating and waiting too long when slowing. Worse when cold....
Get the ThinkCar scantool here - mythinkcar.com/?ref=MrSubaru1387 Promo Code MrSubaru10
Get the Dorman Solenoid Here - amzn.to/4fiMxgU about $60
Would i risk it?
I'm not a DIYer.... this spring i'm having a cam cover re-seal done :/
Full valve body will be next (106k)
Could you please do a video on the "new" SPT (CVT) and what makes it more durable, better, etc. Or is it all the same?
I work at a Subaru Dealership in Canada and my 2016 2.5i Forester had the lock up duty solenoid dtc and I did this! I personally used a different website/ part but basically pulled out the valve body and replaced it carefully and reinstalled it. We also did a cvt flush full 13L and cvt relearn to ensure best results. So far soo good.
Awesome, glad to hear it worked. How many miles do you have on the new solenoid?
Best site online for Canadians to buy Subaru parts? Looking for recommendations.
Share the website pls
If you don't do the relearn, does TCM learn the new settings after several drive cycles ?
@@johnnn.darrelll2746 It should be MakTrans
Not on a subaru but I recently changed my solenoids on a 08 Pontiac G6. My dad was about to scrap the car thinking the transmission failed. Turns out the 2nd to 3rd solenoid burned out. I took the side cover off the transmission and replaced all the solenoids I can reach, (A & B) and it fixed the trans problem. I ended up inheriting the car.
I literally just got a P0970 code almost 2 weeks ago and was so close of ordering a new valve body thank God I follow this guy because he just saves me nearly $1000 and a headache
IF your worried about the others just replace all 4 solenoid while in there and spend 240 still less than half a new valve body
If I go to do this job I’m definitely gonna do all 4. I have almost 200k on a cvt so I am sure it’ll happen one day
So how do you change this is it just behind the transmission pan?? Can you do a video on where this is located.
I was going to say the same thing
@@cbijames7MrSubaru1387 has a video on replacing the valve body.
I probably replaced at least 100 valve bodies in 4-5 years while working at a Subaru dealer(Subaru paid for all of them).I remember in the Gen2 cvt at least 6 solenoids and most of them had different resistant specs.So I don't think all the solenoids would be interchangeable and I haven't seen where Dorman has offered anything but the lock-up duty solenoid.All the valve bodies I replaced had faulty lock-up duty solenoids.
Aw man, I literally just replaced my valve body this summer, if only this vid came out earlier. Great info btw! Thank you!
LOL.. That happened to me this summer too on my 2015 Forester w/ 104,000 miles. It was outside the 10/100,000 service bulletin warranty extension, so I paid for the valve body less $200 since I was close to 100k miles.
I WONDERED WHEN YOU WOULD DO VIDEO ON THIS!
I replaced my solenoid valve last year using a junk full valve body on eBay. Ohmed out couple solenoids and found the right one and installed it.
Did this for a friend about a month ago on a 2014 Outback and it worked out well! Didn’t even need a scan tool…which was crazy. Things to note- get a new gasket for the top cover, replace the 2 o-rings under the valve body, and beware of the ring terminals for the ground that will most likely break even if you’re careful. Just strip the wire and crimp a new one on. We also added just a bit of CVT fluid that came out with the valve body.
How did you know that you didn’t need the scan tool?
Two months ago my tr690 failed in my 3.6 2018 outback with 141000kms. I’d only purchased 3 months earlier when it had 131 on clock. Subaru dealership wanted 13500 to replace . Australian dollars. So about 8ish odd American .i begged and pleaded for a good will. Was only four months out of extended warranty and only had cvt fluid changed ten thousand kilometres earlierv for the first time. very grateful to Subaru of Australia. After four weeks of biting nails They replaced box and charged me $650 for labour. Seeing this solenoid available gives me faith that I will keep this car for a long time. Thankyou Mr Subaru. Massive fan. This is not my first Subaru
When you say it 'failed' what was wrong with it? My Forrester XT 2015 has the lock up solenoid failure (with overheating when towing).
@@robertlawry434was not privy to that information. All they would tell me is “complete failure”
With your guidance I just finished replacing the lockup solenoid in my 2014 Outback with 204,000 miles. I’m a diy mechanic but the results are terrific. No lights and works perfectly. Thanks for your help.
Dave Schmelzer
I'm really hoping it lasts! Good luck
@@enb3810hey there! Has it lasted so far for you?
I’ve read mixed results on this solenoid people on Amazon said it failed after 2,000 miles of driving. Some people had them go 10,000 miles other people 50 miles and the solenoid failed.
The safest route still is going and buying the whole new Valve Body and spending the $1100 in parts and fluid to do the job. That way you know it’ll last 100,000 more miles. Either way it seems like $340 for solenoids and CVT fluid or $1100 for Subaru OEM Valve body and fluid. You save $760, but you’re going with a non-OEM solution
I repair mine on my 2015 Impreza. Cleaned the valve body took it apart completely. And replaced one solenoid I believe it was the AWD solenoid. To take it apart was straight forward. Id give thanks to Mr Subaru for the lessons to tackle the job.
Just had the valve body replaced on my Forester a couple days ago, luckily under warrantee. The dealer was amazingly uniformed on their product, as it took three trips to the dealer to get it diagnosed and repaired.
It’s always a bummer when the dealer isn’t as knowledgeable as the customer.
When doing research and replacing the torque converter lock up solenoid on the TR690 valve body on my 2011 Legacy, i discovered the first selenoid to usually fail is the torque converter selenoid. Replaced mine about a year ago (13,000 miles ago) with no problems.
Was gonna try one of theses Dorman solenoid on my friends Subaru last weekend but parts didn't show up in time, then Mr Subaru makes a video on it a few days later 😂 have done dozens of valves bodies finally someone sells the solenoid. Gonna do it today.
I think Eric O of SMA stated he'd rather use a junkyard OEM part over a brand new Doorman part any day. Let that one sink in.
As a shop owner, I agree with this. Dorman is not what it used to be.
I was shocked when he said “trusted brand” and then Dorman
The flying wings of quality! Aaaaagggghhhh! Run away!
What does SMA mean?
@@richjurgensSouth Main Auto. UA-camr car mechanic channel. One of the best mechanics out there. Check out his site.
ive done a couple of TR580s now with the Dorman TCC solenoid and no problems yet - $50 vs almost a grand is a no brainer. only thing is be careful is not to break the ground wire eyelet near the TCC solenoid. if you do break it get a copper eyelet and solder it on where the old one broke off.
Good to hear. Am dreading doing this down the road when my TR580 has that problem.
Exactly. the connection breaks because the head of the bolt grips the eyelet and rotates it when it is being undone, thereby breaking the lug, / eyelet. Put a clean screwdriver down beside the neck of the eyelet to prevent it rotating anticlockwise. Then carefully undo the bolt by hand, not with an electric ratchet. If you do break it, crimp a new lug on and solder it to make sure. Be super clean use flux to get the solder to flow and all will be good
You don't need to spend several hundred dollars for a scan tool. I bought an Anyscan A30M and it supports transmission relearn and temperature for my 2015 Forester. I used both when changing the CVT fluid. It also can run tests on each of the valves in the ABS system and I ran that just to see (hear) it work. That tool costs $169. No transmission solenoids needed yet (only 103,000 miles) but thanks for bringing this option to light.
I’m glad you finally did a video for this but when it happened to me shortly after I got my 14 Impreza I went through buying a faulty discounted one then getting that refunded and finally finding the solenoid to change myself which also would’ve been a nice video but I just referred to a video for a different trans love the content and as a diy car owner all always refer to your videos first 🤙🏼
I finally have something to share to people rather than explain it hahaha
I just did the valve body on my '18 Crosstrek yesterday. I wish I had found this beforehand. I ended forking over 1,400 for all the parts and fluid to drain and fill after the main job was done. I was going to order the parts from your online source, but then the lights started flashing every time I drove. One of our local dealers had it all in stock, but the valve body was 1100. I'm about to leave for a work trip for 2 wks so I thought it best just to handle it now before I left.
On my 2016 Forester XT TR690, I changed out all the solenoids after Christmas tree light dash appeared. That was done at 112k miles. It is now at 123k and still smooth sailing. I will add that once I changed the fluid at 111k it was a tad over 1,000 miles till the solenoid stuck. So I'd say buy your 12 and 3 ohm solenoids AND fluid at the same time and have a weekend of it. Change em all. TR690 means you gotta drop the pan so much messier and dry time on the pan sealant. I used the topdon artidiag 800bt for the trans clear and relearn. I did try and order the valve body, but dang they were all back order. So i went with just the solenoids.
did you use this Dorman part or something else?
Love these CVT videos, keep it up man! My WRX has a TR690
Are all of the solenoids the same part number? In my experience the one that almost always fails is the lockup torque converter solenoid. Maybe because it's almost constantly being duty cycled. A few have had failed fluid temp sensors. So far every one I've encountered has been at least partially covered by Subaru, regardless of miles.
I would risk it! But to say Dorman is a good aftermarket option can be a stretch!
I just did the solenoid on a 14 crosstrek xv, wasn't hard with basic mechanical knowledge. Fixed the issue and was way cheaper than the $2200 the dealership quoted
I cleared my lock-up duty selenoid issue error by cleaning the battery terminals. This makes me think the issue was more about voltage drop than the Solenoid. I ended up getting the Tourque converted staling issue a few years later and ended up not repairing it. I just shifted to neutral. I have also noticed that it behaves differently if you can keep the electrical draw to a minimum during braking.
It seems to me that not buying the vehicle in the first place is the best choice. I find it interesting that manual transmissions are nearly extinct. Mr, Subaru, your site is great.
Yeah, I used to think that until the throwout bearing on my '04 F150 failed. The part was less than $100, but replacing it requires pulling the tranny, which means pulling the transfer case and drive shafts, which requires pulling the torsion bars, which is incredibly hard to do when they are rusted in place. That bearing failed at 60k, and it would be rare to have an automatic give trouble that early, unless you're an aggressive driver with a lead foot. As Mr. Subaru has pointed out in other videos, every system has its own trade-offs, strengths and weaknesses.
That solenoid can also be used for the primary up and primary down solenoids. The awd solenoid fails as well but has a different resistance. The tcc solenoids fail in my opinion because of the duty cycle of the solenoid. It stays fully applied almost all the time. I've never seen a primary up or primary down solenoid fail and it's the same solenoid. The duty cycle on those are constantly varying.
Exactly that’s my thinking Robert if one solenoid is out the door several others are probably on their way out as well, The other thing I’m curious about is the smoothness of the shifts and I think maybe that’s why Subaru was trying to sell you the whole thing at least I hope to think it is…
been running a 2010 forester with a lockup solenoid code for 6 years now and have yet to have any of the other solenoids have an issue yet. we had just replaced both cats and were tired of throwing money into the car so decided to live with the lights on the dash and the 1-2mpg loss from not going into lockup. the failure on that one solenoid happened 6 years and 50 k miles ago. It is plain ridiculous that Subaru doesn't offer the solenoids separately
I wish I knew about this solenoid a couple years ago. My 2010 Outback started shifting a little rough and there were blinking lights all over my dash board. Gas mileage went way down and could not use cruise control any longer. To fix the problem the entire valve body had to be replaced and the job being done by Treasure Valley Subaru in Idaho was well over $3000.
Ouch. I'm about to undertake this on my 2012 Outback and swap out the valve body. Dropped a grand on that alone. Dealer near me wanted $2600 to do the job.
Nice to have a potential high quality alternative. I am fortunate to be in the financial position to just replace the entire valve body so I would likely go that route to avoid the possibility of having to do everything again to replace a second failed solenoid. One could replace all the solenoids too but I'd have to do more research on the quality of the part. It would depend on where I felt the vehicle was at in its lifespan.
Thanks for looking out for us, Mr Subaru!
The LED headlights are more expensive than the valve body. Thanks for the update Robert.
My 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness with 28k miles started lurching really badly when coming to a stop. It wasn’t too bad initially but it got worse pretty quickly. I bought it with 24k miles on it. The dealer checked it out and it needed a completely new transmission. They were great about it and everything but I really don’t know if I can trust it now. My 2014 Outback with the non turbo has 143k miles on it and runs great. I’ve beat the crap out of it and towed way too heavy loads for hundreds of miles and it’s still fine.. that’s why I bought another one but now I’m not sure if it was a good idea. I do love the car overall and the turbo power is definitely a game changer, especially on the highway.. I just hope it lasts. I do have a lifetime power train warranty and the bumper to bumper warranty until 140k miles so as long as it’s warranted I shouldn’t have to worry too much hopefully 🤞
Who sells that warranty? I have a 2022 wilderness and I’m thinking of buying it at the end of the lease. This transmission scares me and it pisses me off after ASKING the service department about the fluid change and getting blown off. My dealership in Fresno is total crap!
As a Subaru technician I would have to agree in your past video stating that Subaru CVT are more reliable then other manufacturers. Most failure seen are definitely with the solenoids in the valve body either for the lockup converter or the all-wheel drive solenoid since they are the most active. If you're a steady Highway Cruiser then you can definitely get much higher mileage out of your CVT than someone who is an inner-city stop-and-go driver where you're all wheel drive and lock up solenoids will work overtime and ultimately fail. If the solenoids are built with the same quality as the OE and then this will definitely be a money saver for the high mileage drivers. And just an FYI for people who dont know. If your vehicle is PZEV , your valve body is covered for 150k.✊️
Subaru technician here those solenoid usually fails at 60-70 k miles not 150 k I have replace a lot at that mileage
that was another excellent video Mr. Subaru and very helpful. I have only 53000 miles on my 2015 FXT Touring and I don't believe my 2003 FXS Premium has a CVT. also Mr. Subaru I use the Subaru Parts Deals website and I love it 👍👍
Mr Subaru , I was waiting for this video as I too was hesitant of getting a no name solenoid . Some people bash Dorman however personally I have had no issues . For example I have used Dorman Subaru Key Fobs to Dorman Crush washers and everything in between from Dorman. There are stories where an individual complained about a Dorman Lower Control arm and Dorman actually improved the Lower Control based on the complaint. Thank You again for posting and if the need arises I will be going with the single lock up solenoid from Dorman rather than the whole valve body replace .
Hey there!! I’m also from NJ. I’m interested in hearing how that repair went for you, as I may be going down that route as well. Thanks!
I have not had to do that repair yet on my 2015 Crosstrek. However if the need arises I will get the single lockup valve first and hope it lasts . I don’t have problems with Dorman and hope this a a quality part.
I feel very vindicated. Did this to me wife's outback months ago. you told me I'd regret it and be replacing it again soon. 4 months later, still no issues and now you're doing a video about doing it. lol
I have a 2016 Legacy. I have two complaints with the CVT. The first is the lag when shifting from park or neutral to drive. You have to wait a second before releasing the brake or the car will roll. The second complaint is that the CVT pretends it has gears (first, second, etc). That defeats the advantage of having a CVT and may lead to slippage. Otherwise I love the car. It is my daily driver to keep miles off of my F250 Superduty.
I have the pretend gear shifting too - It's so stupid. It's makes no sense.
Hello Sir. Do you have that symptom of "gear changes" all the time on only when start driving until CVT warms up? I have same symptom only for a first few miles until CVT warmed up. Thanks.
@@sergeykuznetsov2784 It happens all of the time.
I have 70K miles on my 2020 Forester since new. Pretty much resolved to sell at 125K to avoid all the planned obsolescence that seems to be built into this vehicle. These valve bodies have been failing just outside of warranty for years with little to no improvement.
Would be great to follow a solenoid replacement transmission and how it works out.
I'm going to change just the solenoid in our 2014 Forester. We have 292,240 Miles on her now. If I have to change a solenoid every 100K, it's worth it, imho. My neighbor has a Topdon Artidiag Pro that I can use to relearn the trans.
I thought my 2013 at 190k was high mileage!!
@@enb3810 We have a 2004 MINI cooper S with 290,579 miles on her too. We enjoy roadtrips, as we mostly work from home. (very few commuting miles)
I love this dude
Dorman is a trusted brand? When did that happen?
He drank the Kool aid from the sales rep.
Checked on these - they run about $110 in Canada, though unfortunately not compatible with my 2022 Crosstrek (goes up to 2019 for the Crosstrek). Hopefully they'll bring out some new ones; would be a good part to get and keep in a parts bin for the day it's needed.
I agree that it’s worth mentioning that you need a good scan tool for this but I probably wouldn’t figure that into the price of the job. If you’re the type of person that’s willing to change a valve body or solenoid you’re probably doing plenty of other work where a bidirectional scan tool will be useful or even necessary.
I personally would only install this as a last resort as Dorman products have a high failure rate and you will be doing the repair again.
I would do all 4 while I'm in there
I would totally agree , it becomes a while you were in there unless you want to get the practice with r&r on the valve body LOL. The 4 parts still will not equal the price of the valve body itself. This would become a DIY project with the right care and attention to detail that is needed in any transmission work.
And you save another cvtf flush.
Exactly!
I was thinking the same thing, but wonder if all four solenoids are the same part number, and if there's any mechanical way that these valve bodies are known to fail. As the price difference decreases, you also have to wonder if it isn't wise to pay the difference and get true OEM quality. Luckily, it should be many years before this becomes an issue with our 2024.
Shoot, I was quoted (consistently above $1800 a few years back) when my outback kept going into limp mode IF the valve body could even be found. I felt lucky to have run into a small shop who were willing to replace just one for around $550. Good to know this is now an option.
Honestly, my crosstrek is at 186k miles on the original cvt and I had been contemplating replacing the valve body proactively before it fails... but that's a fairly price prohibitive move. What i might do instead is proactively change all the solenoids instead, now that that's an option. Maybe when I hit 200k miles, it it doesn't fail before then.
Did you have any transmission flushes done on your CVT during those 186k miles? Just curious about maintenance vs longevity.
Coming up on 180K….I’ve had zero cvt issues but I service it yearly. The people that neglect to service it pre determine their fate. These transmission make a lot of metal. It has to be purged or you’ll foul the valve body. Been using Amsoil cvt also -0- issues. Trans and car run like new (2016 3.6R)
@bradbowles1153 yes but not as many times as MrSubaru recommends. Did one at about 150k, and just today did another. I actually dropped the pan because it was seeping a little fluid, so I did a thorough clean of the pan, magnet, and strainer, changed the strainer o-ring and obviously resealed the pan. If I could go back, I would definitely do changes every 30k (or at least one or two more after buying the car at 98k). So we'll see how it goes, I can't say it's really given me any issues up to this point.
@DesertAdventurerUT can confirm, there was a decent amount of metallic-looking schmoo on my magnet, all extremely fine at least, no big chunks. Only looked like iron filings when I first looked at it, as soon as I started wiping it off it just looked like gunk. Hoping that cleaning it up means a nice, fresh, strong magnetic surface that will catch anything that's still floating around in there. Kinda makes me want to drop the pan every two or three services lol
@@stephenwilfong9607 Yes they do generate a lot of micro metals. You don’t want that stirred up.
Thanks for the info, I appreciate your input… always!
I literally just yanked 2 of these out of our warranty parts storage for recycling as they were on the weekly purge list 😂😂
I am truly enjoying my Subaru Sambar 1998 truck, I love it.
Thank you for posting this interesting video. I am not sure at this point what I would do if I were faced with a transmission issue.
Here is a question. I don't have a $500 scan tool. What is the likelihood one could just drain the transmission, measure the amount of old fluid, take the pan off, replace the solenoid, refill with an equal amount of new transmission fluid and have it work ok?
Yes you can. The fluid temp is warm hot on the finger , not hot hot. A couple of trips around the block would do it. You fill the trans when its warm till it overflows. You 've got to work hard to get it wrong.
Hi Mr.Subaru, Thanks for all the great info! I just spoke with a tech over at Dorman Products.He advised that the solenoid they have is for the 926-408
Torque Converter Lock-Up Solenoid. He lead me to believe that all the solenoids are different. Was he correct or can the 926-408 solenoid they produce, be used to replace all 4 of the solenoids?
I have 167,000 miles on my 2016 Forester and am considering doing the switch out as preventative maintenance.
Can't pay me to install Dorman parts on a vehicle. It sucks they they are one of the only companies that make obscure parts but I have learned my lesson unfortunately multiple times.
Thank you Mr. Subaru great explanation!! I only saw 4 solenoids, at $60 each you could replace all for $240 and save a ton of money or am I mistaken? Can you take the valve body off the transmission with out dropping the transmission out of the car?
So glad to find Your channel! Live in Sweden and my sweet xv 2012 and the solenoid has broken. Subaru in Sweden tells med they can only order this part from Japan and it will take a couple of months to get it....and it will cost me around 2000 USD. I have now watched many of your videos and need your help if I can by something from you or the US and how long it will take too get it to Sweden? Much appreciated your help, Ann Sweden
If you’re worried about replacing your lock-up solenoid with an after market one, like me, just put one of your primary up or primary down solenoids in the lock-up solenoid, and put the after market one in its place. Your OEM solenoid should have plenty of life left, and the after market solenoid will be in a place of less usage.
... A trusted brand Dorman. Who exactly trusts them? The only part i have ever seen anyone yrust from them is the intake manifold for the GM 3.8. It was less crappy than the OEM. Their electronic parts are absolutely horrible. How many times do you want to open a transmission? It is worth spending the money onve on the valve body. It will cost the same to do it three times with these "quality" parts.
Good advice!! They only have lockup solenoid? Or transfer clutch solenoid too? Because that solenoid have same trouble. But I can’t find in their web. Thanks for bringing some realy good solutions to this brand.
With Dorman parts, it's not if it will fail, it's when will it fail and you're going to be doing the job again.
Option 3. How much does a low mileage used valve body go for?
There look to be four solenoids on the valve body. Are they all the same, even though they have different color wires? Would it not be still economical to replace all solenoids once the valve body is out and still save the stealership costs?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge
I've got the trans with the valve body on top and easier to get to in my 2013 (MY14) SJ Forester here in Australia. 255,000KMs or so and I had 2 let go. I can confirm, in Melbourne, there wasn't a shop that would do the job for less than $1850 AUD. That was 12 months ago. Damn if I saw this then I may have even had a crack at it myself.
i get my solenoid from amazon and work very well
Dorman electrical parts have a very high failure rate.
I have a 2016 Subaru Impreza sedan with the TR580 transmission. When looking at scanners to purchase to perform a relearn. I noticed that in a lot of the vehicle coverage sites for multiple brands often group XV/Impreza and Crosstrek/Impreza together. It doesn’t have an option of just Impreza. How do you know which option it correlates to and why do they have two different listings?
Do you think you could do a short video about the AWD fuse thing. I heard older subaru's can install a fuse and make it two wheel drive for towing and such. What models still have this, and what good bad things etc?
If this video came 2 weeks earlier I may have given this a shot. We just had the valve body go on our '14 Forester with 134k. If it weren't for the EXCESSIVE oil consumption and cylinder blow by, we may have given the shop the go-ahead to do the $2100 job. Instead we now own a '22 Impreza.
What about replacing all of the solenoids the first time one has the valve body off/out? Good middle ground option for DIYers? Maybe best combo of frugal but still comprehensive?
My son has been looking for a used Subaru. He is worried about getting one that is around a 2010 to 2016 because of the CVT. Is this something that should keep him from getting one in that range of years? Thanks also great videos.
Beautiful work brother!!!!
I got a JDM transmission and get 2 days ago the same lights and codes ! What that hack? Now I buy the valve body kit looking to sell it !!
Valvoline has cvt fluid. 12-15 qt. Same if not better than subaru cvt fluid. Also, add a cvt cooler. 👍
Is a CVT cooler the same as a regular transmission cooler?
Af far as the Dorman suject goes. Dorman does make some better than factory components like the oil filter/oil cooler on the 3.6 pentastar engine.
I'm convinced those are going to start failing in Grand fashion soon.
Mr Subaru are these Dorman solenoids able to replace all the solenoids on the valve body as some are suggesting in here on the comments or are all the solenoids different specs as the guy who said he was a subie tech said? Mines a 2015 legacy we bought new and gave to our kid but it’s the awd that ain’t workin and I did just buy a brand new valve body from Subaru Chicago but would probably be willing to eat the restocking fee if I could just replace all the solenoids ? Thanks again for all
You do and for your time as well🤙
It seems to me that the better option is to avoid the CVT
I've been waiting for this one. Is there another option other than Dorman?
I am very confident in my mechanical skills. I was putting shift kits into auto trannies back in the '70s, so no biggie.
Mr. Subaru . My son and I bough 2023 WRX .as you it don’t come with spare in back wheel well. I like you do a Video about spare tire kit with part number so I purchase from Subaru dealer? Please !!
Go to your local tire shop.
Or junk yard
I guess it'd depend on how long I planned to keep the car. Another 150-200k miles and I might just factor in the cost of a new valve body + labor as being cheaper than a new car.
Trusted brand and Dorman shouldn’t be used in the same sentence.
Did my solenoid 60k ago with ebay special solenoid. Used valvoline cvt fluid still rockin n rollen. Latest issue is burnt exhaust valve cylinder 1. Oh well. Probably my fault for putting off spark plug seals and burning oil 🤷♂️
I'd change all four.
what are the symptoms of failed solenoid?
Lack of AWD, lack of converter lock up, check engine light
Replaced my valve body nearly 100k ago in my tr580. I personally don't think Dorman is all that and wouldn't bother wasting the time. You still need to flush and fill and relearn so you are $3-400 deep already in fluid
Buy once cry once. Drive another 150k
Just did this job this past weekend on my friends '12 Impreza. I hope I picked the right solenoid 😅, but regardless I need to reset the TCU because Subaru won't allow a non invasive reset to reset the TCU 😒. Other than the scan tool you mentioned, is there another cheaper scan tool that might do the job? If push comes to shove, to the dealership, but I'd like to avoid them.
I have a 2011 Forester ive been fighting this with. I believe it has the 4EAT. I havent found a replacement like for the CVT shown. Besides ebay and amazon cheapos, is there a Dorman for it?
In cold weather should you warm up the car in order to warm up the cvt before driving it?
Prior to full failure....does it exhibit symptoms of abrupt engagement and delayed disengagement? At low speed it feels a bit like someone driving manual letting the clutch out too fast when accelerating and waiting too long when slowing. Worse when cold....
what are the symptoms that cause the replacement of the solenoid
So you replace all the solenoids with the same part?
Doesn’t dormant make one size fits all plastic window winders and generic rear view mirrors and such?
One question.....are all four solenoids the same exact one or different???
Question, will the new hybrid forester have a CVT or will it be a 1 speed transmission generator sort of like Honda hybrids?
Undecided on this one. I can see either choice making sense. Just gets down to how skint you are at the time it happens I suppose.