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Well, I've searched but couldn't find an answer. My '94 TW with A/T has "delayed" or slow engagement when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. I have two friends who are long time, experience mechanics who said I have a vacuum leak somewhere because that is a classic symptom of a vacuum leak. The engine also seems to be running quite hot even after driving it a short distance (5 miles), which is also a symptom of a vacuum leak. I couldn't find any vacuum leak by spraying starter fluid on the vacuum hoses in the engine bay. Could there be a vacuum hose loose, cracked, dislodged, etc. that runs to the tranny? The FSM chart of band adjustment needed (thanks for the link, Josh) doesn't list a slow engagement from 1st to 2nd but could it be that a band adjustment is needed? Anyone have thoughts? Thanks!

There is a LONG post over on the USMB site about 'delayed engagement' HERE. It's not the same trans, but it's related and may find something useful.

From all my reading (but certainly not conclusive) the band adjustment isn't a fix.
EDIT: Read this POST about band adjustment - may be worth a shot.

I've done about 3 4EAT replacements and one AT>>5-speed swap and don't recall vac lines.

Check your ATF level - yes, it's a pain. And try shifting manually to see if still delays.

What do you mean your car is 'HOT' after driving? The Temp gauge is in the red zone? If so, that's a water pump/T-stat/radiator/head gasket/etc. issue most likely.

On all my Subarus I've owned (15+) the temp gauge sits just below 1/2 - all the time.

Td

The transmission and shifting have nothing to do with vacuum. Neither does coolant temp.

def check trans fluid and mabe a filter replacement, and ya vacuum has nothing to do w/ temps

No filter on these (unless it's the external Subaru add-on - see HERE) just a screen in the pan and it's never the issue, based on what I've read.

But it could be the valve body. A transmission shop or a Subaru dealer could probably diagnose that.


Edit: Read this POST and this POST about Band Adjusment

Td

Engine temp can affect shift points, but is mainly used for colder temperatures where the trans won't upshift into 4th if the temps are below a certain point.

The 4EAT is electronically controlled, so vacuum won't affect shifting.

The 1-2 shift is solenoid driven I believe, and a delay or "soft" 1-2 shift on these transmissions is a common problem. Short of having the valve body rebuilt/reworked or having a shift kit installed, anything you do will not likely help significantly.

The transgo shift kit alleviates the soft 1-2 shift point. I had it installed on my trans and it did helkp. Here's some info on the transgo kit.

http://www.txchange.com/sk.htm

SK® RE4R01A

Nissan RE4R01A, RL4R01A Mazda R4AX-EL, Subaru 4 speed ECAT (except 1998-up), Nissan – Infinity – Truck - SUV V8 RE4R03A, Isuzu Diesel JR403

1988up 4 speed with or without lockup
Corrects/Prevents/Reduces:
Planetary burnup; 3rd clutch failure; forward clutch burnup Soft 1-2 shift; 2-3 cutloose; Band burnout and low lube flow causing overheating and total burnup

My girlfriend's '98 Outback sometimes exhibits a late, very hard shift from 1st to 2nd gear when cold. We can fix it temporarily by changing the transmission fluid. The trans has about 180k on it and has been overheated a few times due to the previous owner. When the problem happens usually the trans fluid is still red but is starting to smell burnt, and changing it gives us another 10-15k miles before the late shift returns.

I guess what I am getting at is that you should check your trans fluid, see if it is at the proper level and if it is burnt at all. Maybe drain and fill ATF once or twice and see if the problem gets better or not.