lasersforeyes

Yep, I've checked both the ground and positive cable...I haven't looked all the way along, though...it might be corroded somewhere...I'll look again in the morning and hopefully something will become apparent. I still don't know why the engine was revving high then dying when I can get it started, though...would the TPS and idle switch fault codes have something to do with that?

Oh and now the horn is randomly going off when I do manage to start the car. (after jumping the battery, of course.) Holy crap.

Update: Got it to give me a code, and it's flashing 31: TPS, 42: idle switch, and 22: knock sensor. I know that the TPS was specifically changed not six months ago...checked all the wires to and from the TPS and there's nothing loose or looking like it's shorting. And I didn't even touch the TPS or any of those connections. Also the knock sensor is new with the engine. On another note, is there anywhere that has pictures or diagrams of engine/under-hood transmission components? I'm looking at a couple of things and the manual I have is super unhelpful as far as visuals go...

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'm not getting a CEL. Might be because I'm not getting much of anything as far as lights go... As far as I was able to research, the gear ratio for 5MT transmissions was the same for all non-turbo US-made Legacies between 90-96 (the new trans came out of a 94). I didn't unplug the engine harness except where it connects to the transmission (one connector, right on top of the trans, the one that now has no ground wire) The battery cable grounding wire is connected and tight... (both the one to the frame and the one on top of the bell housing) Would a speed sensor screw with it this much? I kept the speed sensor that came with the new trans because it looks like my speedo cable plugs into it just fine, but I still have the old sensor...maybe I should swap them? Can't think why that would give me starting problems, though... Could it have to do with the starter motor? As far as I can tell all electrical connectors/grounds on the starter are good, too, and the starter itself is part of a rebuilt engine that was JUST put into the car, so unless something happened to it sitting out while I swapped the transmission, it's a good one... Again, thanks for the replies. I will see if I can flash any kind of CE code, even though the light's not coming on.

I'm hoping some of the knowledgeable folks here can help me out... I just finished installing a new-used 5sp transmission in my '90 Legacy. I turned the car on, let it warm up, everything seemed fine, until I got it halfway down the block on the test drive and it started chugging and died. Managed (barely) to start it again and it revved really high and then died again. This time, I was unable to restart it without a jump, got about five feet, and it died again. All the electric was also acting weird, like a battery on the way out? But the battery is new and I hooked up everything as it was. Could the lack of a ground wire from the transmission harness cause this? There was a ground wire on my old transmission, but not on this one. I'm at a loss, unless I massively screwed something up and I just can't think what it is. I've never done a transmission install before, though, so I'm dreading what it might be. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!