rayfordmachen

Hmmmm, wtdash's post now has me wondering about my 93 Impreza AWD. On snow covered logging roads the Impreza just doesn't compare to my old 87 GL wagon that had pushbutton part time 4WD. I'm not so sure it's worn out as suggested for wtdash or just isn't fair to compare the two different types. But, wtdash, you say it doesn't seem to be the same as your other AWD Subaru? Interested in what you decide - worn out or just the characteristics of VLSD. This Impreza can keep me going and get me out of jams in the snow but I'm going back to the part time 4WD models. They really work better for me on snow covered backroads which is what I like most. Nipper, When you say "nice old LSDS with clutches" is that referring to the part time 4WD with pushbutton like my old 87 GL Wagon? I'm reading everything I can find on comparing the various 4WD systems and differentials and still not understanding it all.

That would be nice Cougar. I am an electronics nut myself. I tried to take a look and couldn't figure out the wiring and which actual connector and trace was from the fuel pump relay. I just did in circuit tests on as many transistors as I could see, but not the surface mount ones. Whew, noticed a few of those. Often in circuit tests of semiconductors is inconclusive because of parallel resistances etc. Could you point me to the which transistor it is? If I can't fix it I'll drive it over to you to take a look at. Which road do I take?

Thanks Cougar and all. Yep the horn works, I was out in driveway at 3 in the morning and bumped it with my elbow I took the ECU covers off and did a visual once over. Nothing obvious. Pulled a known good ECU and put it in , turned the switch to on and heard the sweet sweet 2 second rumble of a fuel pump, then started it and it ran great. Haven't been out on the street yet. I'll save that for tomorrow when I'm not so sleep deprived. Thanks all again. Anybody have an ECU that will work in an 87 MPFI TURBO 4WD? I was at PAP Lakewood WA today and there was nothing there. I sure hope the air suspension doesn't go through that box and I have to have a special ECU? I could get rid of the air struts if that's the case.

To cd45, Thanks for the suggestion on bypassing the relay. I'd read about that but thought I'd see if I could find the actual problem. If I'd realized it was going to be this much trouble I'd have jumpered the relay from the start, now I've spent so much time on it I want to see what the problem is. to Mark Humble, Interesting about the fuse. I had pulled each and every fuse one at at time and did a visual on them and they were all fine, but going back to the #11 you mentioned it is fine, except it's a 20A. I wonder if it's possible the 15A was blowing and they put a 20A in to stop that nuisance. A real short would pop either one of them. Could just be a total coincidence. I've driven another 87 turbo that hasn't blown a fuse in 8 years so it makes me wonder why that wound up with a 20A in it. Thanks again for the posts. I'm still looking at it. I guess the ECU itself could be bad. I may swap a known good one into it. Would the known good ECU from an 87 Automatic Turbo 4WD work in the 87 problem car that is automatic turbo but only Front Wheel Drive?

Also, I noticed that even though the speedometer works, the cruise control doesn't. Does each one gets it's speed signal from a different place? Would the sensor that feeds the cruise control also be the one that gives the code 33 Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) or circuit? But could that being bad cause the ECU to not turn on the fuel pump? Thanks.

I've searched through the forums several times trying to pick up a tip that might give me an idea what to try next. I have an 87 Turbo that wouldn't start. Fuel pump not running. No voltage to fuel pump. Looked at relays. I didn't really determine which relay was for the fuel pump but I did find the one for the blower and swapped each of the other relays into the blower relay socket and each one powered on the blower fine. There were four relays up on a higher bracket and two relays lower down and just directly above the ECU which I take from reading the forums one of those is the fuel pump relay. I can run wires directly from the battery to the fuel pump and it runs fine. Hooking up the green test wires and turning ignition on starts a box at the front right clicking but the fuel pump doesn't cycle or power at all as I've read it should cycle during this test? Codes: 33 Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) or circuit 34 EGR solenoid valve stuck on or off 35 Purge control solenoid or circuit 42 Idle switch or circuit Could any of these codes actually keep the ECU from powering the relay on for the fuel pump or maybe provide a clue? Thanks in advance if anyone can point me in the right direction.

I have an 87 Turbo 4WD wagon. My old 3AT 4WD transmission exploded so I picked up a used one out of a wrecked car. Was very clean inside. Installed it, new fluid, new gear oil, and test drive - it wouldn't shift at all. Mostly just second gear if you set the selector to "2". Took out the governor to do the cleaning and touch up as recommended and the gear was just about gone with apple core, I'd doubt if it was even making contact it was so bad. I didn't have a dental mirror to look at the internal gear but with an old governor on hand that was in good shape I had nothing to lose. The internal gear just by feeling felt like it wasn't scarred. Is that possible that the gear on the governor wears but not the internal mating gear? Can anything be done to stop the apple core from happening or is it just a normal predictable wear to be expected after "x" miles? It shifts now with the other governor. It does wait to 4K to shift to high but it does shift smooth so maybe I'll rework this governor and try a vac modulator. Thanks, Ray

Thanks MilesFox for the post and info. I do know there are two fill tubes now but I learned it the hard way. Ray

My old 3AT 4WD tran went out on me and I picked up a used replacement. I bought Valvoline Extended life Dexron III / Mercon and Pennzoil GL-5 gear oil. Searching through the threads I've seen different ones swearing by some other fluids and mixes but is there anything wrong with using these for my Subaru? The old trans was full of little chips of (clutch facing?) and lots of metal fur on the magnet. The used one is super clean inside with absolutely nothing in the pan. Because I was worried about contaminating the new one I used low pressure air to blow out the oil cooler and got nothing at all but fluid and it was clean. Are the cooler lines so separated from the the pan that the chips could never make it into the cooler anyway or is it possible I'm just not getting it cleaned out? Thanks for any advice. Ray

Thanks Gerry and Seahag. Well it's confusing to me that the inside edge of the tires are worn off slick. It seems like that struts that lift the car would, as Seahag says about his, make it dinktoed \---/ and wear the outside edge instead. I'll try the alignment and also see if they think the wear pattern I got is what they'd have expected to happen.

I have an 87 turbo wagon. Had an air strut go bad so replaced the air struts in the rear with regular struts from a wagon in the junkyard last year. It lifted the car a bit I could tell, maybe a couple inches? After a year or so I've just noticed the inside 1" of the rear tire treads are both worn off slick. Did I need to get an alignment? I gather from other threads here there are several different length stuts? Would I be better off to find some that are closer to the original height or just go with an alignment? Thanks for any help.

Sheeze, looked back at the original post and see it's a 5 spd. Sorry for my diatribe about the transmission modulator. You don't have those on 5 spds do you? For some reason I was thinking Subarus were all automatics. (just kidding, really)

Heh, whoops, from my little corner of the world I knew that was only on automatic transmissions but never considered that you probably had a manual instead.

I have an 87 GL-10 and was coming home from work one day a couple years ago and as I crested a small hill, let off the gas a little bit and started down the other side I noticed this puff of smoke in my mirror and my heart sank, pretty sure I lost something in the engine since I'd never seen any smoke out of that engine. It kept on going though and over the next few days I'd get it again now and then and it got worse and worse over time. Long story short, it was a bad transmission vacuum modulator letting transmission fluid get pulled into the intake at certain engine/vacuum conditions (like letting off the gas after acceleration). I like to have never figured it out. I wonder if yours could be just barely starting to leak a touch. I think it's pretty common they wear out around 12-15 years.

jstrawther, Find this problem yet? Had similar symptoms, weird smoke from cat, power loss, comes and goes. I scratched my head and tried to think of everything possible. Finally I decided the turbo must be letting oil into the exhaust. Replaced the turbo on my 87 GL-10, against the advice of my Soob junkyard friend who was saying, "That ain't your problem 'bub'" He was right, didn't help a bit. Finally figured out it was the tranmission modulator valve letting trannsmission fluid get sucked into the intake. The connection to the intake vacuum is up top at the rear of your intake area near where the transmission and engine bolt together and has a rubber vacuum line slipped over a small metal pipe. Unplug it and see if your smoke disappears. A new vacuum modulator may also help shifting problems if you've noticed any lately.