avk

Inside the harnesses, wires are joined simply by crimp connectors, of the same kind as at the terminal pins. But to break the joint, someone had to pull on the harness hard enough. Did the Forester have any work done on the drivetrain? The diagnostics in the Babcox article cited by Bill is straight from the FSM.

They are not the same, and not only because of the clockspring (the '00 has an airbag and the '90 doesn't). Wiper and lighting switches and their wiring are different.

Just so you know, one of the TSBs on the torque-bind problem advices to replace the fluid and add friction modifier (I believe GM limited-slip additive but not quite sure). This is known to help in some cases.

On 1st gen. Impreza, the hose connects by the filler neck so in effect, you fill the engine block through the upper hose after the rad. is full. I wonder if there's any difference in 2.5l headgasket failure rate between Legacy and Impreza RS. Hard to tell because there are so many more Outbacks than RSes.

What a nice job. Don't forget the AWD decals.

The SBFs (slow blowing fuses) protect groups of circuits. You may need a wiring diagram to get to the bottom of this problem. The TCU trouble code was probably a result of power interruption.

I can email the text to you, it's the 1.8MB AT service manual. The quote was from the very end of the file, so that's all there is about installing the TC.

Your guess may be correct. Sea#3 is the one with hands-on knowledge, but here's what FSM says about installing the TC when assembling the transmission: ... 11) Insert the input shaft while turning lightly by hand. CAUTION: Be careful not to damage the bushing. 12) Install the torque converter clutch assembly. (1) Install the oil pump shaft to the torque converter clutch. NOTE: Make sure the clip fits securely in its groove. (2) Holding the torque converter clutch assembly by hand, carefully install it to the torque converter clutch case. Be careful not to damage the bushing. Also, to avoid undue contact between the oil pump shaft bushing and stator shaft portion of the oil pump cover. (3) Rotate the shaft lightly by hand to engage the splines securely.

Maybe the oil pump shaft, held by that circlip, slid off the transm. input shaft, but can't say I know what I'm talking about. Maybe this drawing will help: tcpic.pdf

I do have the pressure testing section. It would take my attachments slightly over the 1MB limit and it may be early to delete them, but I'd be glad to email it to you.

Wayne: I thought you can put the fuse of any rating in that socket because even the solenoid itself takes about 1 A if its resistance is as specified. What I saw on the diagram and didn't know before was that the fuse goes between TCU and the ground. The solenoid is operated by positive voltage and has a permanent ground of its own. Connecting an ohmmeter in place of the fuse sends (small) current through both the solenoid and the TCU, so this would not give a correct reading but hopefully didn't cause any damage. Voltmeter is fine and it shows the open-circuit voltage. I believe the 16-pin plug is one of the three sitting on a bracket to the lower right of the throttle body.

I also thought the FWD fuse socket was directly in the solenoid circuit. But that diagram shows it's actually used to provide a control signal by grounding a pin on the TCU (together with the FWD warning light). Hope this works out.

Wayne: did you try to check the resistance according to the manual? Your trans. should have the same 16-pin plug (named T4 in the Impreza book, connecting to B9 -- even though the numbers themselves should be different on your OB). This is where the wiring for solenoid C passes through. The solenoid "pigtail" connects to the transm. wiring inside the case. The wire on the right side you mention is probably for the "speed sensor 1" (see the pic. in component location section). Get a good meter. RadioShack always has something on sale. Good to know you could read the codes. To my knowledge you're the only one who posted with the results, although there were others who inquired how to do it, on USMB and elsewhere.

On Impreza wagons, it's mounted near the right tail light. Open the trim cover and see if it's there. Tell me about it!

For 1995 Impreza, they show a manual for "1985-96, all models". I'm sure Chilton's is their source. The factory manual is still well worth $20.

The headers are supplied complete with heat shields, but the shields are available as separate parts.

Stainless screw clamps seem to be the best solution. To use them in place of rusted out factory clamps, snip off the mounting "ears" on the shields. I only needed to do one so far. Also bought a spool of stainless wire but haven't tried it.

Before going to the dealer, maybe you want to spend $20 on wiring diagrams and troubleshooting guide. You can get them for both '95 and '96. I have one for '95 Impreza but it's different because only Legacy uses a vacuum pump. Chances are '96 switch is wired differently from '95. Is your horn switched by pushing on the airbag cover? A '95 has two buttons like '94 and earlier, so there's a chance the harness also changed with the new design.

Try connecting the old switch and see if the horn still works. Why didn't you check the clutch switch? Maybe it's out of adjustment or that plastic piece is missing from the hole on the clutch pedal. Also, by chance, was a taillight bulb replaced before the trouble began?

Are you talking about the connector on the ground wire? You can probably replace one kind with another, just make sure it's done soundly because you don't want to get there again. That wire is certainly necessary for the horn. Not positive about the cruise, but better have it connected right. JB Weld is not conductive. You can crimp it on and heatshrink, like the original. If the horn was working before, then the relay should be good. If memory serves, the cruise switch receives 12V through the relay coil.

Is there a ground wire on the switch that connects to the tab on the steering wheel frame? Did the horn work before?

Did you measure the battery voltage? If it's too low, ECU (& TCM) cannot operate. Batteries are known to die suddenly sometimes. Get a new one. You might get credit for the 2 y.o. battery under warranty, even if pro-rated. A battery usually costs less than having the car "looked at", too.

Subaru coolant is green but labelled "long life" on the jug.

Wayne: yes, that's how I read it. There's actually another helpful file in the AT diagnostics section that I'm posting. It's a simplified diagram that shows a "diagnostic switch" between a pin on the TCU and the ground. There's no actual switch, but the schematics shows what's going on. Besides, codes for ABS and airbags are retrieved in a similar fashion: by grounding some pins on some connectors. You can double-check those single-pin plugs by measuring their resistance to the ground. The TCU pinout on this diagram (it's a '95 Impreza) might be different from yours, but it shouldn't matter if you still have the six-pin connector. There have to be some differences in TCU wiring between OB and Impreza: for example, my speed sensor is inside the cable-driven speedometer. But let's hope they kept the diagnostic connectors the same. wiring.pdf

Josh: Your praise cost me only $20+download time at techinfo a year ago- much as I hate to admit! All I did was to give the files understandable names. Wayne: I knew you'd ask. "Connecting the diagnostic switch" refers to joining a 1-pin connector to the specified pin on another one, with 6 pins. There's a footnote in the "code reading" section and an illustration in the "location" part. Please note that I didn't try this myself, but if you have any more questions, be sure to ask. To find the connectors, it's best to remove the trim panel under the dash and have a good light. Add: I have looked at the wiring diagram and it shows the diagnostic connector as follows: It's black and looking into the plug with the latch facing up, there are two terminals in the top row, left and right of the latch, and four in the bottom row. The one to connect is no. 5, which is 3d from left (2d from right) in the bottom row. The other 1-pin terminal is simply on a ground wire (that picture shows there are two provided, which doesn't matter), so you can just as well connect the diag. terminal directly to the ground. I hope you find the same diagnostic terminal on your OB, otherwise you'd need the wiring diagram for your car.