derekja

Hi, I've got a 1995 Legacy L, manual transmission. About a month ago the speedometer quit working. Initially it would work when the car was cold, but then quit when it warmed up. It's throwing a P0500, bad VSS sensor. I was in the midst of a crunch at school and decided to drive without the speedo for a while. I've ordered a new VSS, but a couple of things in the interim make me wonder if it's something else. 1) when the car is cold, the parking brake light won't go out. If I let the car warm up, turn it off, then start it again the light always behaves normally 2) the gas gauge is behaving erratically. Sometimes going down by a quarter tank over the course of a few minutes. It usually comes back when I turn the car off and restart. "Check the grounds" seems to be the common response to this kind of problem. Other than the ground on the engine and the negative connection on the battery I'm not sure where to check, though. A search doesn't seem to come up with any comprehensive set of grounds that should be tested on the Legacy and the Chilton's guide and AllDataDIY manuals aren't terribly forthcoming other than showing schematics. If there is a ground problem, am I likely to damage the new VSS by not addressing that before installing? Thanks! --Derek

Hi, I've got a M/T 1995 Legacy L. She's been driving beautifully ever since I pulled the engine and redid the heads and gaskets a couple thousand miles ago. On the way back from the store, she threw a PO500 code and the speedo stopped working. Started up the next morning and everything was fine until it warmed up, and then the same code and same symptoms. Probably a bad VSS. Can't find one locally and want to order one (anybody have good ideas where from? I'm in Victoria, BC.) Aside from not having a speedo (!) I don't think there are any other ramifications of driving around without this for a couple weeks, are there? I know the signal goes to the ECM, but I don't know that anything is actually controlled from it. Thanks! --Derek

Hi, So this may be a dumb question, but I'm trying to figure out how to cross-reference accessory parts across model years. My 1995 Legacy wagon is missing the AC belt tensioner bracket and idler. I thought that most of the accessory parts were the same from 90-95 anyway, but I just drove out 40 minutes to a junkyard and found that a bracket from a 1991 didn't fit. I can't find a 1995 in any of the yards near me. Any idea how to check when that part changed? Thanks! --Derek

Thanks. It sounds like I just need to rebuild what's in there. Since it's a fairly high mileage engine is there anything aside from oil pump and gaskets that should be on my "must do" list? (no problems with the oil pump, btw, I just keep hearing that it's something I should do while I have it apart...)

Hi, So I'm investigating the best way to repair my 1995 legacy wagon with a leaking head gasket. I don't particularly want more power or anything, just a long-lasting reliable engine. option 1: just pull the existing ej22 and replace the head gasket. Timing belt, water pump, thermostat have all been done recently so shouldn't be much to do except the gasket. 1a: coolant conditioner? The gasket leak isn't causing overheating right now in my test drives, just bubbles in the coolant overflow. But I'm off on a long trip this summer, and have time to do the fix right so I'm less likely to consider this option. option 2: I've got an EJ253 from a 2000 R.S. that has about 170k miles on it. Ran fine when removed, the owner just put in something souped up. Suggested I rebuild before putting it back in, but that's just common sense not because he knew of anything wrong. I'm leaning toward option 2, mostly because I can do the work on the new engine while I continue to drive the car. This is based off a number of assumptions that I'd love confirmed before I dig into the work: 1) both are "phase 2" SOHC engines so wiring and sensors ought to just plug in (ack, not sure this is true. I thought an original EJ22 from 1995 was phase 2, but just read elsewhere that phase 2 started in 1997, which is right?Does it matter to me?) 2) engine mounts, transmission, headers etc. will all just plug and play 3) even though the EJ253 is slightly bigger it should just slide into the existing space 4) scared of the head gasket leaking issue on the EJ253, but hear that the 11044AA642 gasket set will largely eliminate this problem. Is the EJ253 going to be as reliable as the existing EJ22? Since I don't know much about this particular EJ253 I'd probably replace timing belt, water pump, oil pump, thermostat while I'm in there. Don't know that I'd do much beyond that, though. Are there other parts I ought to replace? I'd love opinions and gotchas. Thanks! --Derek