Cougar

I would check the carburator to see if anything is sticking when the the throttle is supposed to returned to the idle position. A sticking or bad float may cause the high revs also. To check for intake leaks you can spray some WD-40 around the intake joints to see if that changes the idle speed or use a hose to listen for leaking air. I think a small intake air leak will cause a faster idle but a large leak will bog the engine down.

If you have a headgasket leak there you may see and hear bubbles in the coolant reservoir. You can also have a block check done to see if gases are getting into the coolant.

You are going to need a test light at least so you can make sure that voltage is getting to the coil and there are pulses on the minus side of the coil. By having the correct troubleshooting tools it will reduce the time it takes to locate the trouble area. If you are having a problem with the battery draining then you need to check the current draw with everything off. If you have over 85 milliamps of current draw then you need to check for a problem. I don't follow your last statements. It sounds like the engine is running in those comments.

If you are sure the compression is ok then I would suspect that the problem may be with one of the engine position sensors. I think they can go bad and not show a code if the output is low. You may be able to check the output with a digital meter using the AC volts function to see if there is a significant difference in the readings while cranking the engine. If the sensors are ok then the suggestions by Skip and Legacy777 may be what you need to check.

In case you are still looking I checked my FSM for a '88 again. It shows the flasher to be next to a set of 4 relays. The area should be near the steering column as GD stated. It may be near the center of the dash also. Look for the four relays and the flasher should be above them if your model is like mine.

Thanks for the update NorthWet. Glad you got it going again. I'm not sure if the pump is supposed to turn on with the green connectors connected or not.

From your posts it sounds like the engine is getting fuel and spark too the plugs so I would suspect the ECU is okay. I would check the codes for any clues to this problem and if you haven't checked the compression in each cylinder yet I would do that.

Thanks for the update. Glad you got it working alright for a decent price.

I would suggest you replace the alternator with a good remanufactured unit. This way you will have all new parts in it and longer service life. I have had good service from Bosch units. One other thing to note about your AC voltage check. Some analog meters will show the DC component along with the AC voltage when measuring AC voltage. In order to block the DC voltage you need to put a capacitor in series with your test leads. Digital meters block any DC voltage in the AC voltage function so you don't see it in the reading.

I would suggest replacing the optical pickup in the distributor next.

Shawn, I think this circuit has a high input impedence so you would want to use a meter that has a high input impedence, like a digital meter, to measure voltage with.

I would try hooking up the wires as you think they should be and see what happens. The black wire is a ground lead and the bottom wires on the relay are hot. I am a little confused about this relay and what it supposed to do. I kind of think it is not drawn right but I can't say for sure. What gets me is you can't have a ground wire switching to a hot wire. The ground lead may be for one side of the coil though.

Good deal. Thanks for the update.

Interesting. I have to assume that it is the way it was designed to work. Thanks.

Welcome to the forum David. I hope you enjoy the Subaru.

Thanks for the update Imdew. Glad you got it fixed. Does the voltage across the sensor drop to a normal level (0v to 1V) when the car starts to warm up?

It sounds like the ECU pins for the valve are tied to a open ended circuit and are ok. The communication lines appear to be bad though so replacing the ECU may fix that. It sounds like the lead that runs between the valve and the injector common lead may have something to do with this. I am guessing that it is a return lead for the valve circuit somehow.

It sounds like the memory power lead for the clock is not suppling power to the clock. This power is needed to keep the memory alive for the clock and is always supplied to the clock. The normal accessory power works ok since you stated that the clock works and keeps time ok when the car is running.

I did a little research and here is what my info says about the ECU for a '93 Legacy. The air control valve has 3 pins. Two of the pins tie to wires that go to ECU pins 1 and 2 of a 26 pin connector. The third wire ties to the common lead of the injectors. Pin 3 of the control valve is tied to a black wire that ties to pin 1 of the ECU and pin 1 of the valve ties to pin 2 of the ECU. How does that match up with what you have?

I also agree about checking the fuel filter. It may also be a weak fuel pump causing this trouble.

I would first suspect the amplifier as the culprit.

You are probably correct. There is that design also. Either way, if you have 12 volts on both sides of the pump wires, with reference to chassis ground, when the pump should be on, then ground is not getting to the pump wiring.

Have you checked to see if you have 12 volts going the pump by placing the meter common lead to chassis ground? If you have voltage there then the trouble may be with the ECU. It supplies a ground to the pump. I have fixed a couple of ECU's with this problem.

If you haven't changed the fuel filter yet then I would do that. If it is ok then the pump may need to be replaced.

Can someone tell me where the removable cap is so I can add more flasher fluid? Sorry.