93leg

Welcome to the owners club who want to know how to fix this. I have a post called Legacy Misfiring with over 1,800 viewers, and have not found an answer yet. Do a search and enjoy (or not) the reading. Maybe you can help us crack this case.

My suggestion is to start with normal tune up maitenance. Replace plugs and wires, and see if that helps. Their cheap parts and a cheap fix, if it works. There are other questions in this forum about similar problems; try searching for those and read through them, you'll be surprised about a common problem that sounds similar to yours, but no one has found a fix....yet.

Maybe I have missed something here, but if you installed a fuse into the AWD fuse holder located in the engine compartment, you have disengaged the AWD feature. You now have a front wheel drive car. Removing the fuse is supposed to reactivate the AWD, but with the other issues your having, I don't know if it will. Give it a try.

This is not a cure yet; I still need many driving trips to verify that it helped. But I am hopeful. Here is some advice for removing the relay. It is very hard to get to, but along the backside of the relay there is a slot. This slot slides down into the mounting hardware. It clips into place. If you can insert a slotted screwdriver between the backside of the relay and this hardware post it will bend easy. This will unlock the mounting clip at the top. You should be able to pull it off the hardware then. Good Luck!

To help determine if a Jideco relay replacement will cure my problem, I have removed the original relay, taken off its outer cover and cleaned the contacts. The contacts did have a small amount of carbon build up and show slight signs of wear. I then reinstalled it. I hope this creates a noticeable difference in the way the car runs. If it does fix the problem I will purchase a new relay. I'll keep you posted.

I don't think this is common. There may be a clamp on the return line; perhaps it just needs to be tightened. You could also check for a cracked hose.

Yes. You can view these if you crawl under the car also. The sensor is mounted on the back of the axle housing. It has one wire coming out.

My question is what makes you think your door windows are leaking? You may just have a sunroof leak that working its way down. I have repaired my sunroof; here's how. You need to remove the headliner; then unbolt the whole sunroof tray and remove it altogether from the car. I can't remember if I removed the glass then, or just unbolted the guide rails. The sealant under the rails dries out and cracks. I scraped away old sealant; used touch up paint to repair any deep scratches; then applied black silicone sealant and reinstalled the rails. This has held up for many years. Good Luck!

There could be a connection between replacing a front axle, and your ABS functionality. There are tone rings and their sensors mounted at each wheel. Perhaps the sensor was damaged when they replaced your axle, or repaired your CV joint. This would be the first thing I would look at since it wasn't a problem before it went into the shop.

There is another post that reports a similar problem and fix. I don't remember what the post is named, but it states he has had success replacing the Jidco (?) ignition relay. He had multiple cars with this problem, and they were repaired this way. I have not tried this, but I still have car problems. Try searching for Jidco, and post your results...please.

You may first want to check all fuses, and then try this; insert a standard fuse in the "AWD" socket on the passenger side of the motor compartment, near the strut mount. It is used to disable the AWD during towing. Drive your car to reproduce your problem. This will at least tell you that the solenoid has fully failed. In a properly functioning AWD system, your binding should disappear with the fuse in. This may help diagnose your problem. Next, I would try to determine if your solenoid is getting power to operate, or not. Good Luck

Thanks for the relay idea Sea#3. Could you also supply the part number for that relay? It needs to fit a 93 Legacy LSI. I have looked for, and found the relay. Now all I need is a replacement.

So sorry to hear of your problems. I also have a 93 Legacy with the similar problems. I wish I had some suggestions for you, but I don't. I'll tell you what I have replaced so far. I have replaced O2 sensor, ECM temperature sensor, knock sensor, plugs, wires, coil pack and still have the problem you discribe. I was thinking of the MAF sensor, but the cost is holding me back. I've checked compression, injector resistance, fuel pressure and cannot find a thing. Hopefully someone will figure this out soon. There are many posts dealing with poor runnability, it must be common.

How about inserting a fuse to disable the AWD. I have read in this forum that you may leave it in permanent, if you so desire. On a 93 legacy this fuse holder is located on the passenger side close to the strut mount. It has "AWD" written on it. You can read about this in your owners manual. It's located in the towing section.

Welcome new member, but sorry to hear about your ABS. The whirling you hear is from an electric motor that spins an eccentric. (a cylinder that is mounted off center) When the ABS control unit senses a wheel lock up, it spins this eccentric, which moves hydraulic valves in the ABS unit, which allows pressurized brake fluid to leak into an internal reservoir, thereby avoiding a wheel lock up. After the braking pressure is released, the reservoir is spring loaded to force the fluid back into the brake lines. If your electric motor continually spins, you may have a bad wheel sensor, or sensor connection. Hope this helps.

I have to report that I have replaced my coil pack with a new coil pack from the dealer. The car has improved performance, shifts smoother and I'm sure as a result, I'll get better gas mileage. However, it did not fix the original problem. I am still glad I replaced the old one though. The improved overall performance was worth it.

Well, a lot of time has passed since my last post, and I have decided to replace my coil pack tonight. I have purchased a new one with hopes of solving the problem, which is still around. I'll let you know what happens.

Well, let me begin by saying I took a step back, and reviewed some things. I have neglected the problem for some time now, but it’s still there. I have come to the conclusion that it must be related to a non-ECU monitored device, or it should have thrown a code. My rechecking of the coil pack showed it was within spec. However, that doesn't mean it's okay. I have used an inline pressure gauge to monitor fuel delivery while driving and that is okay. I have used timing light to monitor spark while driving. It too was okay on the wire I suspected of trouble. (Still three more to test) I am really leaning towards a plugged exhaust, or coil pack. I will purchase a vacuum gauge to try to rule out the exhaust. Besides, I can always use a new tool.

While your cleaning the variable resistor pad with an eraser, pay attention to the float arm's tension spring and washer. I believe that connection transfers the voltage through it up to the wire connection that leads to the fuel gauge. This is where I was having trouble. I recommend checking it before and after cleaning with an ohmmeter. You will able to determine if you have fixed it before you reinstall it. There is a procedure listed somewhere on this board that I followed, and it was very helpful. Good Luck.

I have experienced the same binding on my 92 legacy. I have questioned the Dealer about the binding and they also recommended replacing the Duty Solenoid, a few o-rings, and while you're in there the complete clutch pack depending on mileage. The solenoid costs around $80.00, but you must separate the motor/transaxle to install these parts. One question I had asked him was "I understand the duty solenoid regulates the pressure to the clutch pack, but what signals the duty solenoid"? There has to be a sensor, or sensors that monitor front and rear rpms and send that information to the TCU. I have been told by a private "Subaru Only" used car dealership that if you replace the speed sensor, that will take care of it. I have not yet repaired mine, but it does seem to me that there would be other sensors involved. Tire pressure and condition are the first thing to check for though.

Let me clarify the coil readings. I have checked the secondary winding resistance. They are 12.8 & 12.9 ohms for a range of 10.4 - 15.6. The Primary are 1.0 - 1.7 ohms for a range of 0.63 and 0.77. This reading is out of spec, and I'm looking into a new coil. The wires and plugs were replaced, with no improvement.

Where can I get a coil pack for that amount of money?

Well, I used a timing light idea that was posted on this board to double check my Hitachi coil pack. It seems the cylinders 2, 4 and 1 fire great, but 3 fires at half the rate that the others fire. Since this ignition system wastes a spark on the exhaust stroke, the firing should be the same as the other adjoining side of the coil. It's not, or at least it's not strong enough for my induction timing light to pick up. Before I spend $100 on a new coil pack, is there any way this could be associated with the igniter? Also, a double check of the resistance did indicate a 1.0 & 1.7 ohms of secondary resistance for a spec of (I think) 0.67 - 0.75. Primary resistance was okay.

The plugs were replace early on, and checked recently. I can't say I saw any difference in their appearance. I wish I could try another coil pack, but I only own one Subaru. I did however try to simulate a coil pack under load. I would remove the plug wire from the coil while the motor idled, increasing the air gap between the coil and wire. I figured this would simulate an under load condition, and the coil would fail, but the gap was pretty large (3/8" maybe), and kept on firing. I don't know if this test told me anything, given that the test was at idle.

The cooling fan is something you may want to look at. I would first spin it by hand to see if it is free wheeling enough to turn by the air passing through the radiator while traveling. If you think it is, try putting a piece of masking tape over the blades to the housing to prevent it from turning. Now, do this on a cool day when there will be no chance of the fan turning on, or just unplug it and make sure you don't overheat the engine. Make sure you remove the tape, or plug the fan back in when finished. If this isn't it, it may be drivetrain related. When did you first notice the noise? Was there any work done to the car right before the noise appeared? What changed around the time you noticed the noise?