I earlier posted the message
"I have a 1999 Suburu Legacy, standard transmission, with about 130K miles. It has been a very good car. But lately, when the engine starts to lug, it goes berserk. Instead of the gentle lurching I've experienced with every car I have owned, it lurches wildly at the onset
of lugging. It did not do this until recently. Has anyone experienced this behavior. Better yet, does anyone know how to fix it? "
Apparently my use of the verb "lugging" was a poor choice. I am not actually lugging the engine. Imagine driving up a steep hill in 4th gear. If the hill is long enough and steep enough, eventually you will have to downshift. We all know the feeling; the car isn't yet lugging but you can tell that you are running out of power. It is at this point that my Legacy starts to spasm. I could not think of a simple way to describe this condition, so I called it lugging. I have driven standard transmission equipped vehicles for over 30 years, I don't lug the engine before downshifting and I maintain that my car's behavior is abnormal (and irritating). So any advice more constructive than "Don't lug your engine?"