bridorf

It was the fuel line (return side) - acutally it was the spring type clamps just worn out I guess. I replaced them with some screw type clamps and no more issue.

Just wanted to get some opinions: Car has been fine with no CEL coming on. This afternoon I noted a strong fuel smell coming from somewhere and realized it was coming from my 1993 Legacy L once I parked the car. A really strong raw fuel smell, but no leaks evident anywhere. Also on the subsequent start up the car cranked over for awhile before starting and once it did the idle flucuated up and down quite dramatically. I drove it around the block and the symptoms stopped. Leaky injector or bad coolant temp. sensor?

The 031 unit I pulled out of a MY 1993, early 1993 production date, Legacy L AWD Wagon (same exact set up as my car per buttons on shifter, etc...) My MY 1993 Legacy L AWD Wagon, but late 1992 production date, car has a TCU ending in 011. Just thought someone might have a database of what changes to the car included an update to the control unit requiring a part # change?

Just wondering if anyone has a list of changes in the Transmission Control Units and how using one from a different car would effect the recipeint? I have a 1993 Legacy L AWD Wagon with a bad TCU, and found one from another 1993 (slightly later production date) Legacy L AWD with a TCU that ends in 031 instead of 011. Any knowledge of what changes were made from one control unit to another?

'93 Legacy - auto trans. has been shifting strangely at low speeds (i.e. throttle barely open) and the car just recently started throwing the idle switch fault code #42- I cleared the code and checked the TPS setting, which seems fine, but the code returns within a few days. What I really want to know is if these two problems (trans. and idle switch) could be related or are most likely separate. Is it worth taking the car to a shop that might be able to more accurately check the TPS and idle switch setting - or just get a good throttle body from a wrecker? Thanks.

Just wondering if anyone has or could provide typical wire tapping points for installing a keyless entry system in a 1993 Legacy L wagon? Wire colors and locations for them - just thought I would farm the knowledge base here before starting from scratch.

Just an update: Today my wife said the CEL came on and the car ran a bit rough - finally a problem that presents itself properly. - I pulled a code #42 for the idle switch and visited the TPS - all looks good - unplugged connection and plugged it back in - cleared code and car ran fine and did not reset code in the 15 miles I drove it. Could this TPS fault code be related to my strange trans. problems, and what does this fault code generally mean?

The whine is definately coming from the transmission area - could just be normal front gearbox noise - not very perseptible. The transmission issue did start after the tires were replaced, but a few months after. I had recently replaced the knock sensor, steering rack, and had a alignment performed prior. I don't see anything amiss anywhere, and I've changed the trans. oil which looked good and is at the proper level. Just every once in awhile the car will hiccup and it is definately a transmission thing - I just have no idea what it could be and was hoping for some possible insight or if anyone had experience with a similar issue. Or I'll just wait for it to happen more often or fail...

What is the IACV? and I notice the whine when cruising on highway light to no load on motor - as soon as I put my foot into the pedal slightly the whine goes away - didn't really concern me until I read about the front pump issue. It wouldn't suprise me to have a trans. with 190,000 on it to make some noise. The AT shift problem doesn't feel like that which you described - at least I don't think so. My wife has been driving the car the past two days in all sorts of driving situation without any issue at all. Could a TPS issue be so intermittent?

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I recently have replaced the steering rack, right front wheel bearing, plug wires, knock sensor, trans. fluid change and injection relay. I also used some BMW synth. 15W50 motor oil from work that was free (seems a bit heavy for this motor, but it is a warm summer). Obviously if the issue was consistent I could put a few of the old items I just replaced and try to rule out some change I made. Could any of these items make a difference in TPS behavior? I have also noted a slight whistling sound from somewhere, air past throttle plate?, at very light throttle - possibly an indication it needs some cleaning and adjustment checking. I dealt with the torque bind thing a couple of years ago and after transfer housing removel and solenoid & clutch pack replacement - the issue was due to a bad TCU. The used one I put in is an exact match for the one that came out - but I am somewhat suspect of that too. I've also been reading about this front pump in the 4EAT - I do have a whine from the trans. that I could never hear over the wheel bearing and the wind noise from the missing, but now replaced, plastic covers for the side view mirrors. Any chance this is the culprit, and what is involved in repairing it?

Just got back from a long trip to the Washington coast and while we were there the transmission did a strange thing - very intermittent so far - it has only happened twice. *It happened once after a long drive and once when the car had only been driven approx. 8 miles. When cruising through town at around 35MPH the trans. seems like it can't make up its mind about what gear to be in for a second and feels like it disengages and then abruptly engages again. I have never felt anything like it before and can't quite explain it exactly, but it is really disconcerting and makes it hard to trust the car when it is so intermittent. We got back last night and the trip home was uneventful, but that was primarily at highway speeds. Again it only happened a couple of times and then the rest of the drive is uneventful. The fluid was changed recently and the color and level are good. And possibly there is nothing to be done until it fails or is problematic more consistently. I am hoping that someone can enlighten me or this will be obvious to someone - i.e. bad computer, TPS adjustment, etc... also - tires are new and pressures good, no codes in either TCU or ECU

1993 Leg. L Seems to happen more when it is warm outside, but sometimes it will crank longer before firing up than othe times - almost like it isn't going to start but then if you keep on crankin' it it will start - longest cranking period is about 3-4 seconds. Other times it will fire right off normally - no check engine light ever and all battery & starter terminals are tight. Any thoughts? I never have to press the accel. pedal or anything like that to make it start.

I wanted to add that in the last week the car has been developing a hesitation in shifting around 22mph (2nd to 3rd?) when accelerating and then taking your foot of the accel. pedal briefly and then getting back on it. I recently replaced plug wires and the knock sensor prior to some of these tranny issues starting as well as the steering rack etc. I had the front right wheel bearing replaced yesterday and the trans drained and filled with fresh fluid - but my wife tells me today the weird shifts are becoming more frequent. Anything new come to mind? TPS or speed sensor maybe?

Just curious - has anyone had a vehicle speed sensor 1 failure and if so what are the symptoms? Could this cause tight corner "braking" and the speedo needle to wiggle slightly?

Tires are all equal and about 3 months old - checked that. Pressures are all good. It happens so infrequently and randomly that I don't think the fuse trick would tell me much and I don't think it is best to drive around for weeks with the fuse in place. When I did the work on the car about a year and a half ago the fluid was flushed at least 3 to 4 times. I will likely do it again this weekend as I am replacing a front wheel bearing just to see. The problem probably wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't already been through this nightmare once already. I am leaning towards another bad TCU, but I hate these random and intermittent issues.

1993 Legacy AWD Wagon * About a year and a half ago I started on the Duty Solenoid C and torque bind issue on the family wagon. It would bind, set a code and continued to get worse over a period of a couple of months. I removed the transfer case and replaced the solenoid, clutch pack and fluid hose. I inspected the shaft for wear and it looked good so I replaced the two ring bushings and put it together. I worked great for a couple of days and then started to happen again. This time I didn't have the time or patience to mess with it so I took it to a good Subaru only shop here in Seattle and let them play with it for a week or so. They checked all the wiring and bypassed the main harness connection for the solenoid and found nothing wrong. They then removed the transfer case to inspect and everything looked good - since they were in there I had them replace the new solenoid again due to the thought it was possibly a bad (new) solenoid. Problem still occurred - I found a TCU out of a wrecked car and plugged it in - problem solved (Wonderful!). I then found one with matching numbers for the one that originally came out and put it in and the problem went away for the past year and a half. About three weeks ago I replaced a badly leaking steering rack and had the alignment done. Last week I was driving the car, thinking all my car problems were gone (at least for a little while), when I noticed the car bind when parking - kind of a getting tight car not wanting to move then I stop and hear a kind of popping sound. It has happened a few times in the past week, but never sets a code. I have also noticed a light clunk on occasion when putting the car into reverse and the speedo needle wiggles very slightly, but only occasionally. I don't know if that is related or not. For those of you who have stayed interested long enough to read this far my main question is this: What kinds of AT failures are known among this forum group and what kind of Trans. Control Unit failures has anyone experienced? Does anything come to mind that may have happened while doing the steering rack or the alignment that I should check specifically? My wife is about to freak out thinking our car is about to die, we can't afford to replace it right now, and I don't have the time or money to tear the trans. apart again - any help would be awesome. Thanks.

Possibly. The only rack that seems to be avail. cost. (after core return) around $210 with a lifetime guarantee. I plan on doing the job myself and haven't been successful locating a used one locally that doesn't look like garbage. I just don't want to deal with a crappy vendor or product, but it seems like nobody has any experience with reman. units. I'll keep lookin' around though.

So, nobody has ever had any luck with a reman?

Just curious if anyone had any more ideas about my second question?

I need to replace my leaking rack and don't really want to spend what the dealer is asking. My first choice wouldn't be spending the effort and money on a used unit - so my question is has anyone had good or bad luck with any particular brand of reman. or online seller of reman. racks?

Need new tires for my Legacy Wagon and was looking at Costco, specifically at the Michelin X Radial DT, due to a good deal on them currently. However, they are an "S" rated tire and the boys at Costco are reluctant to sell them to me - I don't really think it will be an issue, but thought I would ask around. My second question - When looking up tires on most sites it lists for 1993 and 1994 Legacy L models an "H" rated tire, which is per my owners manual correct for the 1993 - but 1995 and later it shows an "S" rated tire as being perfectly fine for the Legacy L model - Why? What is the big difference?

Does anyone have a rec. on a place online to purchase a steering rack - reman. or new? I have priced some used ones around the area and it seems wreckers nearby want just a bit less than the cost of some reman. racks.

I am pretty sure my 1993 Legacy AWD Wagon steering rack is bad - there is a leak coming from, I believe, where the column goes into the valve body portion, but the driving symptom that has recently occured is a shimmy in the steering wheel from about 30 - 50 mph - and a notchy feel at times when coming back to the center positon after a slow speed turn. I have swapped rims front to back - and a second set of wheels with no change - Basically I am wondering if anyone can say, to make my decision easier, that it definately sounds like a worn out steering rack. Thanks

Since I see you are in Seattle - try the King County library system www.kcls.org I have a 1993 Legacy L and they have the factory manuals for that car and I believe many others - the down side is you can't check them out so plan on sitting and reading, finding what you want and photocopy away. I haven't checked the Seattle Public Library system.