urabus1995

While I agree with most of what has been written on this topic, I have to point out a few areas where I beg to differ. I use somewhere in the region of 12-15 batteries during the course of a year, for all sorts of purposes, including starting vehicles, electric fences, portable PA equipment. The usage and storage of these batteries varies depending on the month of the year. My cars all need a good working battery almost every day of the year. I have a Horse transporter 7.5 ton truck, which is used very infrequently, which also has a separate battery to power lights and gadgets in the living area. I have started to experiment with EDTA over the long term, so that I can maintain and store my batteries without them degrading. I had to pay out a lot ($400 approx) to replace the large truck battery after leaving it on the vehicle uncharged for a few months over the winter. I did not realise that its Tachometer was consuming electricity . Once a battery has been discharged to that degree, it becomes useless. Treating my batteries with EDTA, then removing the residues and acid, washing with water, then emptying for storage, has allowed me to more than double the life I get from them. I do the same with my electric fence batteries. My car batteries have all been treated with EDTA, emptied out and refilled with fresh acid + EDTA. I have some batteries that are 10, 12, years old which have been rejuvinated and behave like new, even in extreme cold (-25c).

I just keyed in " EDTA battery" in google search , and it went to lots of sites which explain it all. Manufacturers dont do it cos they want to sell batteries!!! strange as it may seem LOL

If your battery is more than 5 yrs old, but still behaving normally, especially in the cold, you might want to try a technique that i am experimenting with. The chemical EDTA, when added to a battery which is just starting to "sulphate up", can remove the deposits on the plates, and drop the material out of solution. The EDTA then goes on preventing Lead sulphate forming on the plates. I have read that this can extend the life of a battery by 10yrs or more.There is quite a lot of info on the net about it. It does not work with a damaged battery (eg one with a shorted cell ), but will rejuvinate most old batteries. Only a teaspoonful per cell is required. The full name of the compound is Di sodium Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid. Harmless Chemical.

Thanks to everyone for their views on this subject. I cant afford to lay out the cash to do this conversion just yet, but I think I will save so much in the long term, that the sooner I get it done the better. Being duel fuel,as some of you have noted, the availability problem is not so much of an issue. My home town has the LPG station for the area. It looks as if the donut spare wheel cavity is the best place to fit the tank for LPG, but that then leaves me finding a sensible place for the wheel. It does not take up much room, I know, but its a pity that things are not like my old DL, which had the "proper" spare , under the hood ! I will let you all know if this is a successful modification. Cheers, John

thanks Tolerance, this is what I want to hear !!!! I did read another thread on this subject, but it was referrin to modern Imprezas.My engine is an EJ20, which I also read is the most reliable of them all-------so I want to treat it real good. Its greedy, but I just love that growl at 4000 +revs. I will talke it down to the local fitters to get an expert opinion. They also give an extra discount on the LPG if they do the conversion. Another thought--------------------My heating system runs on LPG ! Maybr I could tap into that tank ????? its only 26 Pence a litre. I would probably get caught by the authorities !! I dont think the central heating gas is taxed at the same rate. Worth investigating though. Thanks for all your opinions, I will let you know how I get on. Cheers from a Shivering frozen Scot. John

Hiya Guys and dolls. Has anyone converted an N/A Legacy to run on LPG? My car has very low milage (approx 25,000 miles) although a 94 model, imported to UK from Japan. I intend to keep this beautiful car for as long as it lives, with care and attention. Petrol prices in ULK are real BAD -75-80 Pence per litre. our govt has allowed LPG to be sold with a better tax relief, and is , at the moment, 40- 45 Pence per litre. The cost of conversion here is around £1200 . Does this mess up The ECU? are there ant other pitfalls I might encounter if I go ahead? I dont want to risk anything that might shorten the life of the car, but it looks like I could save a lot of money in the long term.

You are so RIGHT Northguy ! My old 92 DL had its own particular smell, recognisable from a distance. I did drop a lot of rolling tobacco over seats and floor, which gave it a nice "french TABAC " smell. Then ,after transporting my pig in it, and a few hundred bales of hay , its smell chenged considerably. My kids spilt some milk drink down the back seat. I never noticed, cos I never drive in the back seat. The odour was quite unique for a while. Maybe thats why I never smelled any engine "heat", until the day the heater sprayed its contents inside my dash .

thankyou everyone for your suggestions. I will check all the areas you suggest , for leaks , drips etc. I suppose that being 9 years old ,rubber and stuff will perish whether it has been driven or not. I will let you all know if I find anything weird. John

Hi guys and dolls, I have noticed that after a fairly "nippy" 10 mile or so drive back from work, quite often in 3rd or 4th gear, fairly windy roads, when I get out of the car, I notice a pronounced hot odour coming from the engine ( I think). Its not a rubber smell, nor a radiator leaking smell , both of which I used to get sometimes with my 92 DL Wagon which had 150000 miles on it, and got very little real attention. This new Wagon has only done about 25000 miles. It looks , and feels like a brand new car in every other way, and I cant believe what a bargain it was. Is it possible that the previous owner was ,perhaps, a very slow driver and the car has never really been "used" to its full potential ? There is no indication of high temp. on the dial, just middle of the range. The oil is really clean, and full. There are no leaks of any sort ( coolant or other fluids). The max revs I have used it to for short periods is about 5000. Maybe I am just a bit paranoid about this smell, its a bit like hot metal ??? ( could even be part of the exhaust?) If anyone else gets this effect after a bit of a burn, could you let me know? I just hope my sensors are working properly!!!! cheers, John (scot)

Thank you Alias, these links seem to be what I need. I did do several searches on the forum, but did not come up with any hits. Maybe I was being too specific in my terms. John:D

Hiya good people, Does anyone have a diagram of the fuse box in a 94 Legacy wagon ? Mine is in Japanese, and I am not fluent in the pics.! In particular , I want to check the Radio/ Cd/ Tape etc fuses before ripping the units out of the dashboard. The Radio lights up etc, the tape machine plays, but the CD does not load, and there is no sound from the system. I only get a beep when I turn the volume control up. This sysyem may have been disconnected before the car was shipped to UK from Japan. Any help would be appreciated, even for another year of car.

Hi Lucky Texan, I am also in the dark about models. I am drivin my new Japanese import 94 Legacy, which has the TS type R badge. I am finding it almost impossible to get info on this model, but have been led to believe that the TS means Touring Sport ( with sports suspension) . If you find a source of legacy models and meaqnings to badges, Please let me know. Cheers John

Hi Josh, Its hard to say, mine is an estate wagon type, with a very individual look about it. No photo yet to show you. I have been tryin to find out what the TS type R badge means, and it seemingly stands for Touring Sports ( with sports suspension I believe.) if you know any source of history of Legacy models, I would love to know as I still cant find out much about this one. thanks for replyin John

Hi Guys, Any Ideas? My 94 import Legacy TS Type R, is now on the road and running beautifully!!! One requirement for passing import test was to have the Speedo converted to read in MPH. The reading on the odometer when I got it was only 38000 Km. ( approx 24,000 miles). After the conversion, it , not surprisingly was still reading 38000. On the way to work today , which is the second day I have used the car on the road, I noticed that the odometer was not clocking distance travelled !? I was wondering if this is a mechanical device, cable or something, or if it is electronic? The guys who set up the car to British spec for me, are in Japan buying more cars, so I cant ask them about it. I am not too bothered about the actual reading starting off higher in "miles" than it should , as I intend to have the car a long long time ,but I think the law requires the clock to be recording miles travelled???. does anyone know if the speed reading and the milometer are two separate devices?

Hi Again, Just curious to know if others from Scotland use this forum, or its related ones. I have excellent Scooby contacts for some VERY special cars/wagons . Hope to hear from anyone ,about anything. John

Hi Dr. RX, I am originally from the Island of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland, but now live in the rolling hills of the Borders region. I have a small farm, so 4WD is a bonus, but I dont want to wreck my "new" Legacy just yet. I might look for an old 1.8DL dual range, like I had before, cos it was the business for mud and steep slopes. John:cool:

Hi Quidam, Like you, I am so glad to find this forum, it looks like a great source of info etc. I only have one Sub now, A Legacy TS-R, and I am wishing that I did not scrap the last car, since it had lots of useful bits on it, even though crushed a lot by head on impact with a big 4X4. My son wants to get an Impreza, but insurance is a problem --------he is only 19. I just love these cars. John

Hello Everyone, I am real glad to find you all out there. I have been a Subaru fanatic, for many years. I am in Scotland, so if there are any other cold people out there, I would like to keep in contact with them. I have just taken delivery of a 1995 Legacy TS-R and cant wait to get it tested and on the road. Its a bit lower than my !.8DL dual range estate, so I am hoping it will cope with snow etc. I wont be using it in fields, like I did with the DL. It really was a workhorse, and I have many silly stories to tell about about its adventures. Nice to meet you all, John

Hiya All, This will seem a daft question probably, but I could do with some contacts, just in case things go haywire! I have just imported" blind", a TS-R 1995 Legacy. My buyer found it in Japan and recommended it highly. I agreed, and the car is now in Scotland , ready to be tested and registered etc. I have looked around the net for some info on this particular model, but found very little, mostly just adverts for sale etc. Does anyone know what the TS-R badge means? Does it differ from other Legacy models by much. Are there any secret points to check up on? its only done 38000 km, so I am hoping it will last as well as my 1.8DL (still going strong at 180,000 miles till it got wrecked in a bad smash) . The Legacy is like a new car, inside and out and I want to spare no expense keeping it like that, so any tips will be welcome. Cheers !!!

hi alpine raven, i had the same thing happen to my 1.8 dl dual range, and there was no engine damage. My mechanic did say that it had two belts, and recommended changing both. it did not cost too much, but I cant remember how much. I think this happened around 80,000 miles on the clock. I should have known to get them changed earlier, but I did not know the recommended interval. While on this subject, I would like an opinion on my recent buy-a legacy 1995 with only 38000 km on the clock. As this car is 9 years old, should I get the belts changed , or is it only milage that affects their life?

thankyou, gbhrps,hocrest and camosuba, i will try all these things tonite, when i get home. the dual fuse thing sounds a real possibility, but i am not raising my hopes too far! I will let you know whichever way it turns out. Cheers!

Hello everyone, glad to find this site. I am new to it, so forgive me if I get it wrong. I was owner of a 1.8 dl estate, until a foreign man hit me head on, on my side of the road OUCH!!!!! for 8 weeks.! I have now had a Japanese import arrive in Scotland, its TS-R 1995 Legacy. Only 38,000 kilometers on the clock, and sems to be in real good condition, almost as new. The only problem, apart from makin it legal for britain, is that the Radio/ cassette/cd unit makes no sounds. It all light up etc. If the battery had been disconnected , for shipping, would that disable the unit in anyway? does it need recoded? the unit is A GX-77, with kenwood name on the Tape deck. I look forward to takin part in this forum, as I have years of experience of these wonderful workhorse cars.