Nearly completed with my ej swap into my 90 Loyale. I used a 96 ej22 and harness. Everything was fine and going well until we put a muffler on it and was able to actually rev it up a bit without it being deafening. We now find that it won't rev above 4k. We were told the vss needs to be hooked up and that was probably the issue. So we hooked that up to the yellow/green wire above the clutch pedal in the cruise connector switch. It didn't change anything. Somewhere along the line the obdII port was cut, so we tried wiring in the port last night with no luck. We even had another 96 Legacy to look at to see what wires went where. We hooked the 3 data wires up like they were in that car, and then just hooked the 2 grounds and 1 power wire to a booster pack. It turns the code reader on and recognizes it, but won't communicate with the ecu. So does anyone have any ideas? I had an appointment to go get an actual exhaust made for it today, but had to cancel any it can't really be driven. Thanks in advance.

With my swap. my ign cuts out at about the same rpm, somehow in limp mode. I only have ign, fuel, and ground connected to run, still have to connect all the sensors.

 

But now and again, it will rev out all the way, This is intermittent, and i don't know if i have a loose wire grounding out, or if the ECU is going in and out of limp mode on its own. my engine is 01 imprea in 86 coupe. I do not have my vss connected at all when it does decide to rev out. This akes it annoying to drive since rx trans is geared so low i have to shift rapidly just to get up with traffic, and i run out of gear at about 80 mph with no rpm's past 4500

Yeah its terrible to drive. I took it up the road a bit and it just won't cut it. And if I do keep my foot in the gas, it'll run like crap after unless I blip that throttle a couple times and then it'll come out of it. Fuel pressure is good, and no other obvious issues. Has to be something unhappy with the ecu. I wish I could understand why the obdII port won't communicate.

So I got the vss hooked up. And also got the diagnostic port working now as well. The only codes it's throwing is for both o2 sensors because they aren't plugged in because there is no exhaust system yet. Would that cause it? It still is In limp mode. Revs nice and smooth to 4kish and the bogs out and stumbles.

And the only other thing not hooked up is the neutral safety switch. We have that hooked to itself.

Changed out the coil and igniter just to rule those out, no change at all. Still only throws the o2 sensor codes. I wouldn't think that would cause limp mode but ????

And the only other thing not hooked up is the neutral safety switch. We have that hooked to itself.

 

Neutral switch has nothing to do with safety lockout of starter.....that is a clutch switch.

 

Neutral switch can cause idle and stalling issues but not rev out.  That has to be the VSS or perhaps an Air intake leak, MAF issue....something else.

 

O2 sensors would help alot...but still probbably not the issue......

How do you mean hooked to itself????

 

It's on;y one wire from teh ECU.....get's grounded when in gear........open when in nuetral.

 

SO you should run it to ground if anything.....make it think it's in gear might think it's in nuetral all the time if you have it wired wrong.

my neutral switch is not connected. the obd2 port does work and i get some 10 codes. i do have an exhaust with o2's, although i get codes. Mine does what yours done intermittently. Hope this helps you in your process-of-elimination troubleshooting.

I have done several of these swaps and MANY harness repairs - builds. Spend some time with the ECU pinout until you understand it. You don't need much else to get started. Verify one circuit at a time if necessary until all the ECU grounds are properly routed and terminated. Same goes for ALL the power and sensor circuits. I really don't know how you can start to trouble shoot any issues at all with out ALL of the exhaust in place and the sensors connected and working. Add O2 sensors with heater circuits while your at it if you haven't already. 20 year old junkyard O2's are a no-no. Spend a buck or two here.  Not flaming at all - just adding my .02 based on LOTS of hands on.

There are 2 wires that go to a plug for the neutral switch. I cut the plug off and butt connected them together. I also tried with them disconnected and It didn't change anything. We tried the man as well and that was fine. I looked for any vacuum leaks or lines unplugged and found nothing as well. There are 2 yellow/green wires under the dash, maybe I need to hook to the other one? But again, it throws no codes except for the o2 sensors. And the car has only been driven once up the road, and it was after this started. Really at a loss at what to do. I figured once I got the obdII port working I'd find a code to point me in the right direction.

Edited May 9, 201411 yr by bratman18

We have one bung for the front o2 sensor that we can hook up. But the exhaust shop is 40 minutes away so we slid a muffler on to quiet it down so we could drive it there. So until it runs correctly, we can't get it to the exhaust shop. And none of us really thought those would keep it from revving out. And it idles and runs great up till that point.

VSS....It should be a Yellow/red wire in the optional connector.......It is indeed Yellow/green at the ECU pin 22......but if you are tapping it at the Optional cruise connector its Yellow/red.....in a white 2 pole connector.

 

You should be able to drive it keeping the revs under 4k.

 

I've done it when my VSS went out in the Outback.

 

 

 

Nuetral switch......your loyale has one.

 

Hook up the wire from EJ pin 82 (L.Green/Black)  to the the Yellow/Green wire either out at the trans connector,....or at the EA ECU connector pin 14 right in the middle/bottom row of the medium sized plug.

Ok. I'll have to check it on Monday or Tuesday when I make it back to work on it. Does the neutral switch have to be hooked up? Will it cause any issues if it's not?

I'm almost positive it is hooked up to the yellow green wire that comes out of large connector on the ecu. So I'd think it'd be good. But as I said, it didn't change a thing. And it reads 0 on the code reader. But that's just sitting still.

Yellow Green at pin 14 = Nuetral

 

Yellow green at Pin 22 = VSS

 

Nuetral not being hooked up can cause stalling.

Ok. Thank you. Like I said, I'm almost positive the vss is hooked into the correct spot.

 

As for the neutral switch, there are 2 wires on the ej harness and they had a small brown plug on the end.

Ok. Thank you. Like I said, I'm almost positive the vss is hooked into the correct spot.

 

As for the neutral switch, there are 2 wires on the ej harness and they had a small brown plug on the end.

 

Well....VSS  ..you'd get a Speed signal if it's in the right spot.....so I'm thinkin you don't.  You may have hooked it to the Nuetral switch wire at the ECU.....they are both YG at the ECU connector.

 

Nuetral = pin 14

 

Vss= pin 22

 

 

 

Neutral on the EJ harness One is the switch wire(Lg/B) other is ground(B/R).....if you looped them you grounded it telling ECU it's in Nuetral.

Edited May 9, 201411 yr by Gloyale

Ok thank you for dumbing it down a little lol. I wish I knew more about this stuff. I have been much for vehicle wiring and electronics. Thank you again.

I'd even get a speed signal if the car is stationary?

IIRC you get no vss signal below 2mph.  

 

Take the instrument cluster out and you'll have a much easier time connecting vss, oil, temp, etc.

 

There will be a white plug and a black plug on the back of the cluster.  VSS is the yellow/green wire on the white plug.

 

I also tried using the optional connector for cruise control but the ecu didn't like that signal for some reason.

IIRC you get no vss signal below 2mph.  

 

Take the instrument cluster out and you'll have a much easier time connecting vss, oil, temp, etc.

 

There will be a white plug and a black plug on the back of the cluster.  VSS is the yellow/green wire on the white plug.

 

I also tried using the optional connector for cruise control but the ecu didn't like that signal for some reason.

 

The VSS wire is Yellow/Red at the cluster.....and subaru provides a connector for tapping into the VSS in the wiring......there is no need to tap in behind the dash.

So I now have the vss hooked up correctly. It reads out fine. I also got the neutral switch hooked up. Still does the same thing. We checked timing, fuel pressure, and any other little random thing. The maf voltage is low according to what it should be. We tried another maf from a running car and it was the same. The vacuum read through the map on the diagnostic reader is low as well, but with a gauge hooked to the intake manifold it reads at 20psi where it should. We are at a loss. Are there any wires that if they were hooked up wrong, it would cause this?

Dang.....VSS is the one that ussually causes the Rev limit issue.

 

How do you have the VAC lines to the MAF and pressure source solenoid routed?  switched/Vented to the Atmosphere or vented to the Evap caniste/r......they did both in different years......think your 96 should switch between intake and atmosphere.

 

When you hook up the scanner and look at fuel bank 1 status, does it read  "closed", "open", or "OPDC"? (which is "open for a driving condition"....like full throttle or no throttle fuel cut)

 

If it never goes closed loop that would indicate an issue.

I know I have a canister under the hood, but not entry sure on the rest of that. I'll have to check.