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MY FIRST SUBARU A 1995 LEGACY WAGON Help Help Help


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Just bought my first Subaru. It's a "95" Legacy 2.2 5spd manual wagon. I have several concerns and hope the experts on this site will help me out.

 

1.) The gas gauge doesn't work most of the time, it stays on empty. Occasionally it registers half way but then returns to empty. Would it be the sending unit in tank or the gauge???

 

2.) The gear shifter has a real sloppy pattern like something is loose. I'm use to it now, but for awhile I was having trouble finding 3rd gear. Are there bushings or springs in the shifting linkage???

 

3.) The clutch works fine, with no chatter or slipping, but it doesn't start to grab until the pedal is almost all the way out. There is no play at all when you start to depress the clutch. Should I try to adjust it so it's grabbing when the pedal is closer to the floor?

 

4.) Lastly, do the heater push button light up at night so you can see what to select or do you have to memorize them or turn on the dome light to see??

 

Many thanks

 

Rick

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Just bought my first Subaru. It's a "95" Legacy 2.2 5spd manual wagon. I have several concerns and hope the experts on this site will help me out.

 

1.) The gas gauge doesn't work most of the time, it stays on empty. Occasionally it registers half way but then returns to empty. Would it be the sending unit in tank or the gauge???

 

2.) The gear shifter has a real sloppy pattern like something is loose. I'm use to it now, but for awhile I was having trouble finding 3rd gear. Are there bushings or springs in the shifting linkage???

 

3.) The clutch works fine, with no chatter or slipping, but it doesn't start to grab until the pedal is almost all the way out. There is no play at all when you start to depress the clutch. Should I try to adjust it so it's grabbing when the pedal is closer to the floor?

 

4.) Lastly, do the heater push button light up at night so you can see what to select or do you have to memorize them or turn on the dome light to see??

 

Many thanks

 

Rick

 

1 - Gas gauge info In my experience, I just reset the odometer and refill every 300 miles

2 - Sloopy shifter info This is a good thread to read, as well as the NASIOC.com thread on it

3- Someone else will have to chime in here

4- They should light up. I can't point you to any specific threads of note, but it is a pain to fix.

 

Enjoy the new Subaru :)

 

Kevin

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Adjust the clutch not for you but for the clutch. It is probably a bit tired by now. Adjust the adjuster untill there is about a quarter inch play and live with it until your next clutch job. It needs play to keep it from being partiallly disengaged.

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Did you steal my car!!! :grin:

 

Your car sounds identical to mine. 95 Legacy Brighton Wagon.

 

#1 It is usually the sending unit. Mine was pretty bad when I got mine. I started tracking the gas mileage and when I trusted a number I started running the tank down as far as I could. I actually think my gauge is now working better since running it through the full range time after time.

 

#2 The bushing in the coupling that goes into the trans wear out. Mine is bad, but I'm used to it so I haven't bothered to fix it.

 

#3 As long as there is a little play before the clutch disengages then it's ok. Mine is the same way.

 

#4 They all do it. Do the search and there are a few people who have made web pages showing how to do it. I just did mine a few weeks ago. Took about 30 minutes total.

 

Keith

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3.) The clutch works fine, with no chatter or slipping, but it doesn't start to grab until the pedal is almost all the way out. There is no play at all when you start to depress the clutch. Should I try to adjust it so it's grabbing when the pedal is closer to the floor?

 

The clutch is really easy to adjust, and I'd recommend doing it until you are really comfortable with the feel...unless the clutch is almost dead, there is usually a lot of room to work with...you can custom fit the clutch disengage/engauge height to your liking, as long as it's fully disengaging before it gets to the floor, and engaging with like ½inch of peddle travel at the top (so you aren't riding your throw-out bearing all the time).

 

Here is how you do this, Get a 10mm and a 12mm spanner/wrench, unlock the jamming bolts on the clutch cable (located directly on top of the transmission, by the firewall), and loosen (back them off the cable) to lower the paddle engauge height.... this may take some trial and error. Just go a little at a time, and test the feel by doing a launch or two. When you get this right be sure to jam the nuts back together. Also, if you have adjusted this a lot, and you have Hill Holder (anti-rollback device), you may need to adjust that cable (directly below the clutch cable on the fork), to compensate...

 

Oh, one last thing, I adjust the top stop of the clutch peddle (for a lower peddle resting height)...it's that thing that doubles as a cruse-control-cancel switch, up by the hinge of the clutch peddle. Its uhhh, a 14mm I believe..

 

Enjoy the car,

Cheers,

Stephen

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2.) The gear shifter has a real sloppy pattern like something is loose. I'm use to it now, but for awhile I was having trouble finding 3rd gear. Are there bushings or springs in the shifting linkage???

 

Yeah, the shifting feels a lot nicer with good bushings, in all three locations...oh and I know on some transmissions it's possible to loose the 1st 3rd return spring...unlikely but possible...I had to rig a custom one once.

 

Oh, and if you ever get tired of the truck-like length of the shifter... get yourself a nice aftermarket shift knob. and saw about 1 to 1½ inch off the top of your stick shift. This makes a pseudo-short-throw shifter...I know it sounds hokey, but I like it a lot better, and some other Subaru owning friends do as well... Try it out by grasping a below the top to shift. It's quicker.

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Oh, and if you ever get tired of the truck-like length of the shifter... get yourself a nice aftermarket shift knob. and saw about 1 to 1½ inch off the top of your stick shift. This makes a pseudo-short-throw shifter...I know it sounds hokey, but I like it a lot better, and some other Subaru owning friends do as well... Try it out by grasping a below the top to shift. It's quicker.

 

HI, who1981! Is this a glue on job or do you have to cut some threads?

Happy new year!

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HI, who1981! Is this a glue on job or do you have to cut some threads?

Happy new year!

 

The aftermarket shifters will have an assortment of plastic/rubber-like bushings to adapt your shift lever to the internal diameter of the shift knob. The knobs themselves have 3 set screws that will clamp them on to the lever.

 

1) Make sure you get a good quality knob...that will hold up, and you will enjoy, aesthetically and functionally...Oh and keep in mind that all-metal knobs can get/stay really cold in the winter, and hot under direct sun...(but they do look cool)

 

2) Select a bushing that fits your shift lever quite snuggly. You don't want any slop...If none of them fit quite tight enough, use some tape to enhance the girth of your stick :banana:

 

3) Tighten the set screws down well, but not to the point of stripping...Keep an eye on them for the first week. If they start backing out (and you like the knob enough to keep it), put a ‘lil dab of lock-tight, or superglue on the threads JUST before you tighten them back down

 

4) If the knob doesn't have a ridge or something to hold your shift boot up, you can put some tape, a zip-tie, or a small hose-clamp around the stick, about a half inch below the knob, to slide the boot over, and hold it up.

 

 

Enjoy...

:cool:

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Just bought my first Subaru. It's a "95" Legacy 2.2 5spd manual wagon. I have several concerns and hope the experts on this site will help me out.

 

1.) The gas gauge doesn't work most of the time, it stays on empty. Occasionally it registers half way but then returns to empty. Would it be the sending unit in tank or the gauge???

 

2.) The gear shifter has a real sloppy pattern like something is loose. I'm use to it now, but for awhile I was having trouble finding 3rd gear. Are there bushings or springs in the shifting linkage???

 

3.) The clutch works fine, with no chatter or slipping, but it doesn't start to grab until the pedal is almost all the way out. There is no play at all when you start to depress the clutch. Should I try to adjust it so it's grabbing when the pedal is closer to the floor?

 

4.) Lastly, do the heater push button light up at night so you can see what to select or do you have to memorize them or turn on the dome light to see??

 

Many thanks

 

Rick

 

96 legacy here.

 

my gas guage is off too, it like to go to empty after 1/2 tank. drive it a while, get to know the gas mileage and use your trip odometer

 

i've driven imprezas with the shifting problem. i have no idea. maybe get a short throw shifter??

 

replace the clutch, or at least check it for wear.

 

those dash (heater/ac/etc.) lights burn out ALL THE TIME. i've replaced them once, and they went out a couple of months later. the bulbs are like 7 bucks a piece and they should be in stock because they sell a lot of them.

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The aftermarket shifters will have an assortment of plastic/rubber-like bushings to adapt your shift lever to the internal diameter of the shift knob. The knobs themselves have 3 set screws that will clamp them on to the lever.

 

1) Make sure you get a good quality knob...that will hold up, and you will enjoy, aesthetically and functionally...Oh and keep in mind that all-metal knobs can get/stay really cold in the winter, and hot under direct sun...(but they do look cool)

 

2) Select a bushing that fits your shift lever quite snuggly. You don't want any slop...If none of them fit quite tight enough, use some tape to enhance the girth of your stick :banana:

 

3) Tighten the set screws down well, but not to the point of stripping...Keep an eye on them for the first week. If they start backing out (and you like the knob enough to keep it), put a ‘lil dab of lock-tight, or superglue on the threads JUST before you tighten them back down

 

4) If the knob doesn't have a ridge or something to hold your shift boot up, you can put some tape, a zip-tie, or a small hose-clamp around the stick, about a half inch below the knob, to slide the boot over, and hold it up.

 

 

Enjoy...

:cool:

 

Was away for a few days.

Thanks who1981 !

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