ok so i am a newby to subaru and i do own a chiltons manual but i still cant figure out how to pull the codes on this car. its a 92 legacy, seems to run fine but the check engine light is on. is there any way i can get it to flash a diagnostics code at me? i read something about trouble code wires? please help.

ok so i am a newby to subaru and i do own a chiltons manual but i still cant figure out how to pull the codes on this car. its a 92 legacy, seems to run fine but the check engine light is on. is there any way i can get it to flash a diagnostics code at me? i read something about trouble code wires? please help.

 

do a search, there is a black diagnostic wire connector under the dash near the steering column. you need to ground out one of the pins to get it to flash. i forget which pin, some one will know.

 

there are some good old post, with pictures, if you can find them.

For CEL code reading and definitions, see:

http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/

http://codes.rennacs.com/Petrol-Engine/Japanese-Korean/Subaru-Engines.php

http://codes.rennacs.com/plugins/SubaruEFI/SUBARU-EFI-01-PRE-L-Series.php

http://codes.rennacs.com/plugins/SubaruEFI/SUBARU-EFI-01-MEM-L-Series.php

 

Be sure to use the correct code definitions for your year/model.

 

EDIT: Also see http://www.furi-dorifto.com/tech/Subaru_dox/EWPreOBDAug05.pdf

Edited May 1, 201015 yr by OB99W
Added a link to Endwrench article

There's info in the sticky in this forum.

 

I've also got instructions on my site

 

http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/engine.html

Thank you so much. the only code it has was 21. and unless my light blink counting isn't up to speed that means that the coolant temp sensor is bad. is this a common problem and how hard is it to change? if no reply. thank you again for all of your help.

Yes, they do fail once in awhile. You might try unplugging it and cleaning the connector--see if that helps before buying a new sensor (around $30 IIRC.)

 

To find it, look from the right (passenger) side at the firewall end of the engine, down under the intake manifold. It's hidden down there under the PCV tubes and the IACV valve. It's a brick red color conector. There's a pic in this thread that might help:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=84323&highlight=coolant+temp+sensor

 

Good luck.

There are two sensors mounted to the coolant pipe, fairly close to each other. The one that corresponds to the code has a 2-pin connector. (The other, with a single connection, is for the temp gauge.) I'm mentioning this because sometimes the wrong one gets changed, and of course the problem remains.