Remanufactured 4EAT valve body with the solenoids already mounted, for 2005-up Subaru Forester 2.5L and Outback four-speed automatics.
A 2005-up Subaru Forester 2.5L or Outback with the 4EAT four-speed automatic that shifts hard into 1-2, flares between gears, loses torque converter lockup on the highway, or drops into limp mode with a stored solenoid-circuit code is a textbook case for the valve body. This remanufactured 4EAT valve body ships with the shift and pressure control solenoids already mounted, so you install one tested assembly instead of chasing individual solenoids on the old casting.
The 4EAT is Subaru's longitudinal four-speed automatic, and this listing is the Phase II, Version II valve body used on the later production run. The body routes line pressure from the pump to the clutch and brake elements that make each gear, while the solenoids mounted on it - clutch control, brake control, torque converter lockup and pressure control - are what the transmission control module actually switches to time every shift. Subaru revised the 4EAT's solenoid count and layout more than once over its production life, and the Version II valve body groups most of its solenoids under a single plate with the pressure control solenoid mounted separately, so a part built for an earlier Phase 4EAT will not bolt on correctly.
Pull the stored codes and check the fluid first. A solenoid-circuit code with clean fluid and no clutch material in the pan points at the valve body and its solenoids, while dark or metallic fluid points toward worn clutch packs instead. A line-pressure test at the test port that reads low or erratic with a healthy pump also narrows the problem to the valve body rather than the clutches. Our valve body cleaning and inspection guide covers pulling the pan and checking the separator plate before you spend money on a replacement unit.
This valve body is built for the 4EAT Phase II, Version II used in the 2005-up Forester 2.5L and Outback. Subaru changed the 4EAT's internal solenoid layout across its production run, so match your casting and connector layout against the photos, or send us your year, make, model and VIN, before ordering. Automatic Foresters and Outbacks built from around the 2014 model year on switched to Subaru's CVT (Lineartronic), which uses a completely different valve body - if your vehicle is one of those, our TR580 CVT valve body or TR690 CVT valve body is the part to look at instead, not this one.
Drain the pan, pull the filter, and unplug the internal harness connectors at the solenoids before backing out the valve body bolts, working from the center outward. Lower the assembly straight down so the manual valve pin stays clear of the detent lever, and keep that same orientation when you install this unit. Torque the bolts evenly in a spiral pattern, fit a new filter and pan gasket, and refill with Subaru ATF-HP or the fluid specified on the dipstick - do not use CVT fluid in this transmission even though Subaru sells both. Relearn the shift adaptives before judging shift quality, following the same reset procedure as any other valve body job - see our adaptive relearn guide. Browse our full catalog of transmission hard parts if you need a filter kit or other parts for the same job.
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Yes. The shift, brake control, torque converter lockup and pressure control solenoids are already mounted on the casting, so it goes in as one tested assembly.
Subaru revised the 4EAT's internal solenoid layout more than once. The Version II body groups most solenoids under a single plate with the pressure control solenoid mounted separately, and it will not bolt on in place of an earlier Phase 4EAT - match your casting and connector layout before ordering.
A hard or delayed 1-2 shift, flare or hunting between gears, no torque converter lockup on the highway, and limp mode with a stored solenoid-circuit code such as P0748 or P0778 are the typical signs of valve body wear.
Automatic Foresters built from around the 2014 model year switched to Subaru's CVT (Lineartronic), which uses an entirely different valve body than the 4EAT. If that's your vehicle, see our TR580 CVT valve body listing instead.
Refill with Subaru ATF-HP or the fluid specified on your dipstick - never CVT fluid in this transmission - and relearn the shift adaptives before judging shift quality.
