trans. temp. light

Last week the transmission oil temperature light began to flash, in my '97 Outback when I started the engine. I thought it was a bad temperature sensor, or the car was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after hurricane Wilma. Obviously, the gear oil temperature was at the ambient temperature after not driving for 10 hours. Now when I make a tight turn at low speeds or when I back into a parking space with the wheel hard over, there seems to be binding and bucking in the rear end; are the two related, and how many kzillion dollars is it going to coast me to have it repaired. I'm thinking of replacing the best car I've ever owned with a 2006 Subie. The car has only 135k on the clock, and I'm sure it could double that figure.

A flashing AT temp light indicates that a trouble code has been detected and stored by the transmission control unit. This is similar to when the check engine light comes on. There is a procedure in the service manual to read the codes by connecting the diagnostic plugs under the dash, and counting the flashes of the AT light. Or, you can have a shop or dealer pull the codes. Even if the light has gone out, the codes should still be in memory as long as the battery has not been disconnected in the meantime. The binding you are describing sounds like a problem in the rear differential, which may or may not be related to the light coming on. If the car was in deep water during the hurricane you should have the transmission and differential fluids changed as soon as possible as they may be contaminated with water. Doing so might clear up your problems.