gcleeton

When i topped them up a few weeks ago the outside temp was 60 and the blower vent temp dropped to 40. Now outside temp is 80 and blower vent temp is only 60. This applies to both cars. Is that normal? Gil

Yes I have attached a picture of it. It is bronze color shaped like an inverted U. Thanks for your patience. Sorry pic is blurred I do not have the latest camera! Gil

By the way the question is for 96 and 99 Legacies. Gil

Please what is the correct air temperature in the dashboard vent stream with air con on full if outdoor temp is 80F would you say? Gil

Yes but it isn't a coil it's a U-shaped strip of metal about an eighth inch wide and an inch circumference?

The blower resistors periodically fail in both my 96 and 99 Legacies.(I have the circuit if anybody wants it). In most cases it is the soldered joint which melts, and only occasionally the coils break. Why is there a piece of highly curved springy metal connected with a soldered joint to one of the resistors? The metal does not appear to be a bimetal strip. Is the melting-point of the solder being used as a first-line protection to save the coils? If not, I intend to use higher-melting point solder or braze the joint? Gil

Without closing the door please? Gil

How can I disable the beep when the ignition key is inserted please? (I don't want to pull the key out !) Gil

SORRY ABOUT MISTAKES IN LAST MESSAGE - HERE IS THE HOPEFULLY CORRECT ANALYSIS - I HAVE A UNIT DISMANTLED HERE ON THE BENCH - You can prise off the cover and twist the lugs straight underneath so you can take off the perforated screen. With the keyway at the top, renumber the pins top left 1, top right 2, bottom right 3 and bottom left 4 (clockwise). Inside there is only one soldered joint check this first and resolder if necessary - this has melted twice in one of my units. All other joints are crimped because nichrome resistor wire is difficult to solder. The circuit I think consists of 0.5 ohm between 1 and 4, in series with 1.2 ohm between 4 and 3, in series with 2.2 ohm between 3 and 2. These three resistors are therefore joined in series. Phone me 716 373 1015 or email gcleeton@hotmail.com for a pic or help. Sorry I got the pins wrong in last email. What a crude unit and what a crude method of control - there must be a better way. Fancy having to force-air cool it, or the resistors would be a foot long like sausages! Gil

Thanks for your advice I will look around today for a solenoid Gil

>Woo slow down. There is nothing wrong with the ABS. ABS is designed to have no affect on braking if it fails. The only thing ive seen abs units do besides fail (abs light is on) is the unit gets external leaks. There are many things that can be wrong with your brakes. The pads or rotors can be glazed. you can have a blown grease seal drippin grease on a brake. You can have frozen or leaking calipers. You can have collapsed brake lines. The 99 is heavier then the 96. It may have a longer stopping distance due to this. Tires make a differnce too. You can upgrade brake hardware if you dont like the way it stops. What do you mean by "less sensative" >Take the car someplace that will closely examine your brake system. Thanks Nipper and others - I thought it was nothing to do with the ABS. By 'less sensitive' I mean it needs more pedal pressure and the stopping distance is greater. I didn't know the 99 was heavier than the 96 - how much heavier? That may be the reason. The steering is also heavier. There was another 99 in the garage at the time and that had the same pedal pressure and stopping distance. Gil gcleeton@hotmail.com

Sorry I got my stupid pin numbering wrong last time so I have edited this message - Resistor values between pins of a GOOD one - Looking at the unit with the keyway at the top and numbering the pins top left 1, top right 2, bottom left 3, bottom right 4 - Between 1 and 2 3.2 ohms 3 and 4 1.2 ohms 2 and 4 2.0 ohms 1 and 3 0.7 ohms 2 and 3 2.9 ohms If any of these values is open circuit the unit has failed. Some of these values are for combinations of resistors AS I HAVEN'T ANALYZED THE CIRCUIT YET. The trouble is the wattage is really high - not sure watt! - I've just thought - you might be able to multiply 12 volts by the current rating of the blower fuse? - and some people have obtained resistors from RadioShack which were ceramic coated but they failed. Others cracked open the coating to get better cooling on the wires. Nichrome wire is difficult to solder, but the resistor ends are crimped and there is only one soldered joint between two metal parts - this has failed twice in one of mine. I have found some units where the solder joint failed and I re-soldered with higher melting point solder. The design is pathetic, disgraceful and old-fashioned - it might even be better to convert the DC to AC and use a solid state control. The Part Number is 72024AA000 Gil gcleeton@hotmail.com 716 373 1015 I WILL DISMANTLE A UNIT AND ANALYZE IT FOR FOLLOWING MESSAGE - I WILL HAVE TO RENUMBER THE PINS YET AGAIN SORRY - MESSAGE FOLLOWS

Thanks for valuable info. I used your tests and garage followed it up. The booster is OK but also so is the master cylinder. Garage suggests ABS 'pump' which they say is 1000 dollars unless get used one? Gil

Garage says I need a new vent solenoid - is this the purge control solenoid please? Gil

Yes the blower resistor looks like a relay in a perforated metal box. I think they burn out because either the solder used in them is too low melting point or the moisture from condensation corrodes them - the cases on old ones are always rusty. It is difficult to solder nichrome wire anyway. You would think we could come up with a better way to reduce blower speed by now - if it were on AC we could use a thyristor. I have replaced the one in my 99 Subaru Legacy today with one that I repaired, but the one in my 96 Legacy has gone again now. I can provide the resistance values a good one should have across its plug pins if you need it. There must be a better way! Gil

My 99 Legacy Engine Check Light is on. Code says EVAP fault. Any ideas please as to usual problems here?

The brakes on my 99 Legacy are less sensitive than on my 96 Legacy. Now my daughter starts to drive she finds braking heavy on the 99. Garage says it may be 'brake booster'. Any advice please?

The heater blower resistor has failed 5 times in my 99 Legacy and twice in my 96 Legacy. I thought this was due to blower faults but no. Sometimes the resistor wire is broken, sometimes the solder joint. Is there any more permanent solution please? I wouldn't mind if I could get only 2 speeds fast and slow.

No I didn't say it was in a ditch. Let me make it simple. You have a toy car skidding sideways on ice. Wouldn't you rather PULL it out into a straight line with a string attached to its front end, rather than by PUSHING it from behind? So any pushing is disadvantageous, even 20%. So we think that FWD is better in a side skid and AWD to go into snow straight and come out straight. It's no good talking to us as though we are or should be, rally drivers, because we aren't, but we can both take our cars to bits and put them together. That makes the question more serious, not less. Gil

I have studied your answers with interest and accept your unfounded criticisms of my (our) driving. But - Suppose the car was standing on ice and that theoretically there was no friction at all. You pushed it sideways into a 'skid', but then wanted to bring it straight. Wouldn't you pull it from the front with a piece of towing rope rather than push it from behind? Gil

I hate to suspect a criticism of my 96 and 99 Legacies, but - The cars are fine for straight traction out of snow, but my wife and I both think they are side-skid-prone. When you do go into a side-skid do you REALLY want any drive on your rear wheels - something tells me not? Shouldn't your car then be only PULLING, not PUSHING? Or do I have wrong tires? Buffalo Gil

John I'm not sure. Their phone is 716 925 8872 Gil

M and M Auto Salvage Limestone NY, off 219 near Bradford PA, have been good to me with parts for my 96 and 99 Legacies. They have two 95 Legacies and a 94 Loyale for spares. Mention my name and you'll get a good seat. Gil Cleeton

M and M Auto Salvage Limestone NY, off 219 near Bradford PA, have been good to me with parts for my 96 and 99 Legacies. They have two 95 Legacies and a 94 Loyale for spares. Mention my name and you'll get a good seat. Gil Cleeton

My AT Oil Temp warning light very occasionally comes on for a few miles. I have replaced the sensor but it still happens? Gil