I would test the crankshaft sensor.

 

It is located behind the crank pulley (the large pulley below the alternator) Check the resistance through the sensor.

Ok...I got the ignition relay out. That was an enduring task let me tell you! And I think that it might be my problem. When I unplugged it and turned my key to on, no more AC compressor clicking, no more relays clicking. I tried to start it but kinda figured it wouldn't work with out the relay in. Now, I guess I'll have to wait till monday to see how badly the subaru dealer is going to rape me on the price of the relay. By the way, is there any way I can test it to see if i should buy the new one? Thanks again.

i dont know of any tests,maybe the dealer does hopefully.

If you connect a 12v source to one of the connections and one of the other connections to a ground the relay should click. (not sure which connections you have to use though.) Test the various connections, the two that have continuity are the 2 you want to play with.

 

I'll bet the relay is toast and that is why you aren't getting any voltage to the coil pack.

 

Try it and see. Not sure how much relays cost, probably more than they should.

Usually if you are really nice to the relay and have a jewlers screwdriver, you can pop the cover off the relay. It is possible that it is a solid state relay, then its all pointless. It doesnt reallly help to test the coil at 12 volts, you need to see the minimum pull in voltage, which shoud be at 6 volts or there about. Also the points on the relay could be shot.

 

Realys arenbt just simple little coils and pints any more, some have logic in them.

 

nipper

Well, I did end up taking the relay apart, and sadly enough, it is in perfect working order....... So I am back where I started. I have a feeling I am having two seperate problems going on. Something is preventing spark and I think something else is causing my relays to occilate. Tomarrow I am going to test the wires leading to the coil for voltage while someone is cranking it. If I have voltage entering the coil but not leaving it ,then I have a bad coil, correct? Even if the coil is bad, I know that this is not causing the occillations because it happens when the coil is unplugged. It seems like this should have happened to someone in the past. I know I'm not the only one with a 95 legacy with close to 200,000 miles on it.

is there another relay that you could sub for that one?

remember you wasnt getting power to the coil with key on,thats not going to change cranking the engine.

remember you wasnt getting power to the coil with key on,thats not going to change cranking the engine.

 

hmmm, I think I once learned from someone here that soobs won't fire off the ignition if oil pressure doesn't come up to some minimum during cranking. I dunno if that's true or not - but it does beg the question, 'is the ECU having all it's logic satisfied to allow starting?'. Could be back to a crank angle sensor or even the aforementioned ground condition. many folks have solved problems by cleaning or rewiring engine and chassis grounds.

 

I dunno

Since you said there was 0 resistance measured at the coil pack that could mean it is bad.

 

Since there is no voltage going to the coil pack that could mean your igniter, crankshaft sensor, wiring or ECM are bad.

 

You can check for bad grounds, sorry I don't know where they all are.

 

I'm not sure how to test the igniter.

 

Check the resistance in the crankshaft sensor.

 

If you can rule everything else out then it is probably the ECM.

 

Maybe find a scrap yard, pick up a few parts and swap then out and see if it helps.

 

I dunno, kind of spent now, good luck anyways.

Ok..... I have a feeling now that it could be my ECU. Where is it though???? I can't seem to find it and even when I search on this forum I can't find anything on its location. Oh, by the way, my tests before on the coil were inaccurate. The resistance values all came up fine when I tested it again. I am also getting the 10V I am supposed to be getting from the center wire in the plug leading to the coil. I am not getting spark though. This leaves the igniter and the ECU. I do not believe that the cam sensor, crank sensor, or igniter would cause the relay occilations I am getting so I am preety sure its the ECU. If anyone has pictures of where its at or a good description, please respond. Thanks again.

all the books say it is under pass side floor above your feet under glove box,but others say it is under steering wheel.

all the books say it is under pass side floor above your feet under glove box,but others say it is under steering wheel.

I'm pretty sure I found it now, next to the glovebox. I am a little dissapointed though because when I unhook the plug from it, I still have the relay occilations. I didn't think the car would do anything with the ECU unhooked....my next step is going to be to test for a short in the wires that plug into it. I'm also going to check for discontinuity between the igniter and the ecu. If I still don't come up with anything after these tests, I think I'm gonna give up on it. I'll just take it to some shop and fork over the cash for them to figure it out.

Did you get yourself a haynes manual? they have a pretty good testing section on the ignitor and everything else. Is the relay you took apart a straight forward relay? Also di you check the voltage at the relay coil when you turn the key?

 

 

Lets go through the checklist again ...

 

The car cranks.

The fuel pump runs

You have fuel pressure

 

Did you attach a test lamp to a fuel injector to make sure you have power at the Injectors.

If you have a timing light, use that to check for spark. If you have no spark, the inductance (thing you clip around the spark plug wire) will not fire the light.

The coil pack is a waste spark design, mening plugs fire off in pairs.

Weird cycling of realys tell me they are not getting enough voltage/current to stay engaged.

Have you checked the voltage at cranking?

 

nipper

I just spent the last hour and a half removing my ECU...only to find out that it was my damn cruise control box. I had to drill a hole in metel behind the glovebox to get the top nut off. I'm getting soo frustrated. Where is the ECU at??????? ugggghhhh.

You STILL Havent gotten a manual? Untill you get a manual your going to waste alot of time trying to figure out whats wrong. The ECM is located under a false floor on the passenger side of the car, about where you put your feet. The ECM rarely goes bad, and is susually the last thing you look at.

 

nipper

Just wanted to finish this one off just incase someone else has this problem. It was the ECM. Had it replaced and all is well. Thanks for all your help though. This forum is a very useful tool.

yay always happy to hear when a problem is fixed

 

 

 

nipper

Good stuff!

 

Subes are great cars, and very addictive, but, they can make you very, very frustrated at times