lastchance

i got the light on the ecu reset, ran codes and it pulled 11 and 12 which i understand are nothing to worry about. thanks for that guys. i see there's no trouble code related to the coil, and after testing it (across the + and -) it's showing resistance of 1.7-1.8 ohms. is that normal? is there another coil test i can do?

Cool, i'll disconnect the battery and make sure to get those codes cleared/reset. i originally thought the coil, but figured coils just die not fail over time. the coil is original to the car, so it's almost 30 years old. i'll test that for sure. they can act shotty before they finally completely die? i'll reset the ecu like turbone said then try to grab codes again, i'm hoping it's just that simple. plugs, wires are both good. coil is the next thing i'll check. thanks guys!

to note: the car started running poorly with a bad misfire that seems intermittent and i'm trying to track down the issue. symptoms: car starts every time, but runs rough most of the time, sometimes it idles great and runs through the entire powerband but most often it runs really rough. i have to keep the RPMs up when in DRIVE or PARK by revving, even then the engine isn't running smoothly and seems to have a pretty bad misfire. if i start the car and let it rev by itself when cold it'll run for a few seconds then the RPMs will drop, the car chokes and sputters, then dies. if it's warm it'll do the same thing. actions already taken: checked injectors, replaced fuel filter (~100 miles ago), full tank of gas, checked for vacuum leaks, cleaned the EGR valve (~100 miles ago), replaced PCV valve (~100 miles ago), checked for disty shaft play, made sure (NGK) plug wires were all tight and not damaged.

I haven't looked, but I'm sure they're a pain to find. I'm just interested in other members' ideas, looking for cool DIY remedies.

I'm trying to diagnose some misfire/rough running/idle issues with my 84 turbo wagon but the light on the front of my ECM stays on. I pulled the cover under the column off, located the green T-connector and have tried numerous ways to get the light to turn off. I've ran codes before with no problems whatsoever, but this time I'm having issues. With the car either running or in the ON key position, the green T-connector connected or not - regardless the light on the ECM just stays lit. Could the ECM be failing? Is there a way to reset it? Is there perhaps more than just that one green T-connector that I'm not seeing?

what do you mean? i'm trying to visualize...

does anyone have any tips for keeping ea81 wagon wheel center caps on without the plastic retainer rings? i hate not having center caps on my wagon and have a box of center caps I want to get put on.

definitely. i was on the old ezboard (ca. 1999-ish until the switch over) and have always respected the guy.

i just wanted to give a shout out to shawnw and family at RetroRoo. i'm sure this isn't the correct place (and shawn will move this for me if it's not!) but i want the members around here to know how great these guys are. long story short the 3AT in my turbo wagon is finally dying after 170k and we hammered out a plan to do a future 5spd swap when funds allow. shawn is super knowledgeable, super honest, and a straight shooter - all things hard to find in a mechanic, let alone a subaru specific one. i'm lucky to have such an amazing shop here in town. if you're in the denver, colorado area there should be no doubt in your mind that shawn is the guy to take your car to. thanks again dude, you guys are awesome.

I bought the battery in June, installed it, drove it maybe 5-6 times (short distances, 17 miles total) that month and then let the car sit until last week. I'm sure not letting the alternator do work and sitting in a cold shop for 5 months killed it.

Well, battery (brand new Optima RedTop) was showing 10.8v at rest, hooked it up to my trusty Shumucher charger and got it back to full charge in no time. Also threw in new 2 gauge battery cables and cleaned the connections super well. Battery goes back in, starts right up no problems. Never underestimate low battery charge levels.

starter is dead again. :banghead: what are the chances the flywheel teeth are gnarled up, causing me to burn through starters?

dude that's mine! can i stop by your shop this weekend? front range here too, up north in greeley.

aweosme. this is what i needed to know, i'll get under there and start tugging that thing around to see how much play it has.

ordered a tranny mount on monday, should be here tomorrow. we'll see if that helps!

great. i'll start with that!

it looks like the MT has a rear and a front: ANCHOR Part # 8665 DEA Part # A6702 but the AT has only a front: DEA Part # A6706 or ANCHOR Part # 8661 can anyone verify?

great, that's what i needed to know. i was worried i'd get the car up and start digging around to find that i can't tell if the mounts are okay or not.

it was that pesky glass fuse under the dash on the driver's side, next to the fuse box inside one of those in-line white plastic fuse protectors. the thing fell apart when I tried to remove it. free fix for tearing apart the entire passenger side underdash area. :-\

this is a problem i've lived with forever but i'm now at the point where i think it's something i can tackle... when i start my 84 wagon and put the car into reverse it sort of slams/knocks into gear. it doesn't matter if the car is hot or cold, raining or dry outside. the tranny is otherwise awesome, it down/up shifts when it should, is super smooth, there is no apple-coring on the governor gear, it never slips, transmission fluid has been changed at the recommended intervals, etc. could this be a motor and/or tranny mount issue? how many does an ea81t have? is there something else i should be looking for?

i see. i'm always worried about breaking or mucking up stuff on the car, looks like the incredible hulk approach isn't always good. :-p

quick answer: http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-SR176N-New-Starter/dp/B000BZN69Q/ref=au_pf_ss_1?ie=UTF8&Model=GL|59&n=15684181&s=automotive&Make=Subaru|13&Year=1984|1984&carId=002 bosch rocks my world, those reman starters from advance/auto zone/o'reilly are a joke. i blew through four starters thinking it was everything from the ignition switch, to the switch harness, to the relay, to the battery, to the cables, and so on. long answer: i bought a multimeter, printed the wiring diagram out for my car and started troubleshooting. the mature, realistic approach to old subarus far trumps quick fixes and stupid money wasting crap. after everything checked out (relays, fuses, etc - continuity across circuits, voltage where it should be and so on) I bought the NEW bosch starter above and it's never started better. the old one was returned to advance where it blew the breaker on the bench testing machine twice (something was obviously grounded internally) and the guys were thoroughly amazed the starter was "that bad". note to self - use multimeter first rather than just throwing money at it, take your time to really think about what's happening and why, then move on and make repairs.

alright. i will get out and there and mess with it this week. thanks for the help.

ok, i might be missing something... the guys at the shop said they could get it started by running a jumper wire from the (+) battery terminal to the solenoid spade connector (the connector on the starter with the one small single wire). does that single out the starter being faulty because it actually starts the car? should i be trying to track down some chewed up wiring? do you think it could be the ignition switch as someone else mentioned?

i hate to admit it, but i was doing it wrong. without going into further details i was basically trying to blow the battery up by running a jumper from the (+) on the battery to the (+) on the starter, not from the (+) on the battery to the small solenoid spade connector. yep, i'm dumb. in other news; i went to pick the car up from the shop this morning and it started right up first try like it was NEVER having problems. :-\:-\:-\:-\