Subaru Repair: auto 2004 forrester, liberty auto, power button

Question
QUESTION: The "hold/power" button on my 2004 forrester appears to do nothing other than
switch on an indicator light on the dash. This is very different to my 96 Liberty
wagon where the "power" button holds the car for longer in each gear and
changes down sooner on hills (great for towing). The dealer says the forrester
button is working. I know it is not. Should not the forrester and liberty power
button behave in the same way?
ANSWER: When you push the power button you are commanding the Transmission control module(TCM) to hold the gear longer based on demand /load.If the TCM sees no reason such as increased load it will still shift normally to protect the transmission.Your 96 Liberty was didn't really have this feature as it was just programmed to hold the gear longer regardless of conditions to a certain extent, and wasn't as capable of making changes based on conditions.Its more of a new technology thing than it is a difference between car makes.In an effort to not only prolong transmission life but to also decrease the amount of tail pipe emissions ,newer transmissions are controlled by the TCM much more than they used to be with the use of shift solenoids controlled by the TCM the newer the car or truck the more precise the controls.Having never driven your car i cant honestly tell you whether yours is acting normal.But i do suspect that it is.

Justin
All Wheel Drive Auto

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Justin. I can see your point.
Can I look at it another way.
96 Liberty auto: Taking off from a standstill (traffic lights) or overtaking on the highway with the power button on, the Liberty will accelerate much faster (holds in gears longer) than without the power button off.
04 Forrester auto: Do the same as above and it makes no difference that I can feel (always sluggish).
Surely I should be able to detect some difference.
The 96 liberty (2.2Litre) is much better (more relaxed as you don't have to floor the accelerator up hills if you use the power button..it changes down easily) for towing than the 2.5 Litre Forrester auto!!
Cheers
Jack

Answer
I really think that the big difference you are talking about is more related to the two different torque curves of both engines.The Liberty inline 4cyl makes more torque and it peaks earlier than the Subaru.To satisfy whether or not your vehicle is normal for its design i would suggest finding one on a car lot and asking to test drive it.

Justin
All Wheel Drive Auto