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OT: Car Automatic Transmission Oil

J

Jeff-oh

Well-known Member
I am looking at a used 2007 car for sale. Everything looked good. Fluid lever ok etc. Drove fine didn"t notice anything.

However, the aTF fluid looked off. It was not red but a light brown. Almost like fresh motor oil. I"ve seen black ATF an know the trany was fried. So is light brown a warning sign?

I feel concerned. Am I justified or over reacting.

2007 Subaru Outback 53K miles of mostly short in city miles.

Thanks.
 
Did it smell like rotten eggs? That is when I become concerned about ATF! If it does not smell, I would think a fluid and filter would correct most of that!
 
Sounds like someone was doing seller a favor and changed fluid and used motor oil. I'd ask them to change it using specified ATF.
 
Subaru ATF does look similar to motor oil after use. Make sure you were using the right stick, the final drive fluid is separate and is regular color gear oil. If you change the ATF, the correct fluid is only available at a Subaru dealer. Do not use a substitute, the AWD is incorporated into the trans and will shudder if the wrong fluid is used.

Subarus are good cars, just don"t expect typical Asian carefree driving. They are not on par with Honda or Toyota durability. Subarus require maintenance.
 
Probably just fine. replace it if you feel like it. I have had 3 Subarus One 1400, and two Outbacks a 2000, and a 2001. They last well. Change the cam belt at 60K intervals (they crash if the belt fails) I had 200K on the 2000,and 120K on the 2001. No issues except clutch replacement (former owner issue) Nice well made cars. Jim
 
Ask if the transmission has ever been serviced. I have seen light brown fluid on transmissions after they have been "Flushed".
 
I have a 2000 Isuzu Rodeo that had transmission leak. Didn't have any transmission fluid so I kept adding tractor hydro fluid. Later replaced the modulator valve cover that was leaking. Trans was filed with probably 90% tractor fluid. That was 6 years and it runs fine.
 
id get it changed again, at a reputable shop, it either needs it or sombody changed it and put the wrong fluid in, the car should be good, my daughters 2001 just turned over 300,000 miles and still runs great and i know of several other subarus with really high miles still going strong, the one thing i will say is find out when the timing belts were changed out, if you cant, then get that done, and also change out the idler gears and water pump, the service manual specifically states to change all of that, the lady we bought this car from bought it new, and had her mechanic, who probably moonlites as a pizza delivery guy, change the belts, he changed only the belts, 800 miles one of the bearings on the idler gears shelled out.. 8 valves, all the timing gears, and a headgasket set , waterpump and assorted other parts which would have not been needed to be changed out and it was back on the road, so do allof it while your in there and ask to see the parts, for what we have in this one now we could have bought a much newer car, but this one is an incredibly clean car
 

Check under the car and see if there is any tranny fluid from the transmission to the rear of the car...a failed radiator will mix the coolant with the tranny fluid and the fluid will come out the tranny vent...then the fluid will be brown like you described.. just my own experience.
 
Mid 2000s was when Subaru, Mitsubishi, and some Chrysler products got the different tranny oil required- others from Japan, Europe also got it 1999 on, is a semisynthetic(?) . ATF+3,4,6 is the label on cans, bottles and it is double price + of the Dextron/Mercon used earlier. It is a different color- not a red, more a deep tan- so 'brown' might be the normal new fluid for that year. I found this out when one of church members 2004?6? Dodge Vans was low on fluid, dip stick says use ATF+ number only. I got him the needed fluid from parts store and got some of the warning literature, vehicles usingincluded Subaru, etc, disposal laws various places about it- it was noted as not cancer causing like previous dextron/mercon/type F. RN
 
Actually, it was the mid-1990's when Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Hyundai went to the ATF+. I was working in the parts department at a Hyundai dealer when the switch occurred. Apparently the lockup converters "like" the + stuff a lot better than the plain Dexron/Mercon they had previously used.
 
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