I might go and look at this car in the next few days. It's a 5 speed (I think) with "a button" that gets it into 4WD. I had a 1987 which had a whole separate shifter that would take it to hi or lo 4WD on the fly. I guess I'm a little nervous because this would be the first year for the transition? Maybe it's nothing to worry about, but would be curious to know if the experts here have anything to offer as far as letting the buyer beware? Mostly concerning the tranny - I believe the engine should be similar enough to the '87 that I have some idea of the problems that may exist with leakage, exhaust parts, etc.

Actually, the '88 GL 4WD 5 speed should also have the Hi Lo tranny. Not only that, it should have Fuel injection. The best two yrs for this model of wagon was the '88 and '89, so long as they are the GL's. The DL's had the push button tranny, but were also FI. All my info apply's to the wagon. Maybe the sedans were different.

 

If it is a '88 and it is a GL with a push button tranny, I'd say it's an auto tranny wagon. In which case, I'd completely avoid.

Edited February 6, 201115 yr by markjw

The 4wd mechanism is a physical actuation, controlled by vacuum and electrical solenoids. Any problems that may occur would be relative to a vacuum line coming loose under the hood, easy to do when servicing the engine. Nothing really to physically break. The 4wd can be actuated manually if the solenoids fail. Any subaru with a pushbutton 4wd manual, or any full time with a diff lock use the same mechanism.

 

The 4wd is actuated by a vacuum diaphragm, in a push/pull manner by a pair of solenoids alternating between off and on to pull the diaphragm one way or the other.

 

When the switch is actuated, it turns off one solenoid, and turns on the other.

 

You could invent or bypass or replace this with a pair of switches to operate the solenoids independently, or a ganged pair of swithces. If you saw an electrical schematic for this, you would understand how it works.