Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Ultimate Subaru Message Board

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Major AWD issue

Featured Replies

is the awd system in the 99-00 forester the same as a 96 legacy?

 

 

yuppers

 

nipper

  • Author
yuppers

 

nipper

 

so....how can i be sure that if i buy this it's actually what i need? is it something that my buddy can do in his garage who's a mechanic, but has never done anything like this before?

so....how can i be sure that if i buy this it's actually what i need? is it something that my buddy can do in his garage who's a mechanic, but has never done anything like this before?

 

cause we said so :) how good are you with electrical testing?

 

nipper

  • Author
cause we said so :) how good are you with electrical testing?

 

nipper

 

i cut the wire, tap them together and if they spark, there's power. unfortunately my buddy who's ASE certified is in alabama until wednesday (i live in pittsburgh)

i cut the wire, tap them together and if they spark, there's power. unfortunately my buddy who's ASE certified is in alabama until wednesday (i live in pittsburgh)

 

your not allowed to play with tools anymore.:headbang:

 

nipper

question: when the fwd light is on, is the torque bind cured? is it truley in fwd and no TB?

 

when you say all is working as it should , what does that mean? no temp light at start up? awd works? no TB?

 

from your description i read that all symptoms come and go as wire are wiggled. am i mis-reading this?

 

i cut the wire, tap them together and if they spark, there's power. unfortunately my buddy who's ASE certified is in alabama until wednesday (i live in pittsburgh)
  • Author

ok.. i made an appointment at the dealership for wednesday.

 

here's what i learned today through fiddling...

 

1. the FWD does not work if the solenoid's power is cut via the 4x4 switch (this is contrary to what i remembered when i put the switch in initially.)

 

2. i bought a new 20amp switch from advanced auto, hooked it up and i still got the 16 times flashing AT TEMP light no matter how the switch was flipped.

 

3. i used a wire nut to connect the two wires together, which restores the factory setup and i get no lights on startup.

 

so, my conclusion is that i'll cancel my appointment at the dealership indefinitely and proclaim that the Andyjo 4x4 switch, cool as it may be, is a bad idea.

 

i will leave the setup as-is until something goes wrong, then i'll take it in to the dealership. until then, everything seems to be back to "factory normality".

 

 

 

 

 

now the only question i have is why the new switch wouldn't work.....

ok.. i made an appointment at the dealership for wednesday.

 

here's what i learned today through fiddling...

 

1. the FWD does not work if the solenoid's power is cut via the 4x4 switch (this is contrary to what i remembered when i put the switch in initially.)

 

2. i bought a new 20amp switch from advanced auto, hooked it up and i still got the 16 times flashing AT TEMP light no matter how the switch was flipped.

 

3. i used a wire nut to connect the two wires together, which restores the factory setup and i get no lights on startup.

 

so, my conclusion is that i'll cancel my appointment at the dealership indefinitely and proclaim that the Andyjo 4x4 switch, cool as it may be, is a bad idea.

 

i will leave the setup as-is until something goes wrong, then i'll take it in to the dealership. until then, everything seems to be back to "factory normality".

 

 

 

 

 

now the only question i have is why the new switch wouldn't work.....

 

:horse:

 

THE SOLENOID IS POWERED TO PUT THE CAR IN FWD.

Its like having a burnt ouy light bulb, you can replace the light switch, the fuses, the cricuit breakers and the wiring, and the bulb will still be out.

 

Also if you read the andjo directions, i do remeber it saying that if the switch is in the non normal position, it will trigger the TEMP fault light when the car is started. The way the light works is that it is telling you of a previous fault. Also the way the system works. The system being forced into, AWD which is not a normal parimeter. Forcing FWD is a normal parimeter. When you flip the switch to force awd, the computer sees it as a short in the system and will kick up a duty c fault. Not only is the puter powering the solenoid, its is looking for the voltage spikes (what we would call noise) that tell it the solenoid responded to the command. Its not seeing that spike.

 

nipper

  • Author
:horse:

 

 

this emotiocon...i do not think it means what you think it means....

 

THE SOLENOID IS POWERED TO PUT THE CAR IN FWD.

 

right.

 

 

Also if you read the andjo directions, i do remeber it saying that if the switch is in the non normal position, it will trigger the TEMP fault light when the car is started.

 

yes, i know that. it was flipping the light on when the wires were connected as normal spec, when the switch was turned to the "on" position, and when the switch was turned to the "off" position. now that i got a new switch, the light still comes on no matter what. i reconnected the wires together as they came from the factory, this time with a very snug wire nut and it seems to be working normally.

 

i think i got a bad switch.

yes, i know that. it was flipping the light on when the wires were connected as normal spec, when the switch was turned to the "on" position, and when the switch was turned to the "off" position. now that i got a new switch, the light still comes on no matter what. i reconnected the wires together as they came from the factory, this time with a very snug wire nut and it seems to be working normally.

 

i think i got a bad switch.

 

no i think your not understanding whats going on.

 

Anytime you force car into awd, weather the car is moving or not, your going to get a flashing light on the next start up. Put the switch in normal mode. Start the car. Shut off the car, then restart the car. dont touch the switch. See what happens.

 

 

and ANDJO BAD! no more playing with him.

 

nipper

  • Author
no i think your not understanding whats going on.

 

Anytime you force car into awd, weather the car is moving or not, your going to get a flashing light on the next start up. Put the switch in normal mode. Start the car. Shut off the car, then restart the car. dont touch the switch. See what happens.

 

 

and ANDJO BAD! no more playing with him.

 

nipper

 

no no no....you're not getting what i'm saying...

 

 

what i'm trying to say is, "I KNOW THAT"

 

:grin:

 

 

You could always try the resistors that I used in order to prevent the MIL. One resistor provides a dummy load to the TCM, making it think that it is still connected to the solenoid. The other resistor is connected to the solenoid, to allow the voltage to bleed off slowly, to help prevent the solenoid from "bouncing". I reported all this quite some time ago, take a look at one of my responses to Andyjo's post. In the 18 months I've been running this mod, I've only twice gotten the MIL, which went away on the next start up.

 

BTW, if you have to resort to using wire nuts or crimp connectors, then you are not qualified to do this mod! On wires leading to and from the TCM, only soldering is prudent. Put it back to stock, but have somebody solder that wire!

You could always try the resistors that I used in order to prevent the MIL. One resistor provides a dummy load to the TCM, making it think that it is still connected to the solenoid. The other resistor is connected to the solenoid, to allow the voltage to bleed off slowly, to help prevent the solenoid from "bouncing". I reported all this quite some time ago, take a look at one of my responses to Andyjo's post. In the 18 months I've been running this mod, I've only twice gotten the MIL, which went away on the next start up.

 

BTW, if you have to resort to using wire nuts or crimp connectors, then you are not qualified to do this mod! On wires leading to and from the TCM, only soldering is prudent. Put it back to stock, but have somebody solder that wire!

 

i said we need to take his tools away :)

 

nipper

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

Sign In Now

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.