hey guys on my subaru 86 turbo spfi when i start it the ECS light comes on what is this i was thinking emmisions control sensor or electronic contor sensor but idk can any one specify

hey guys on my subaru 86 turbo spfi when i start it the ECS light comes on what is this i was thinking emmisions control sensor or electronic contor sensor but idk can any one specify

 

It's basically the check engine light. (Engine Control System) Does it flash or anything? It is supposed to come on while the Key is on, but before the engine is started. It should go out within a few moments of startup. Are either the Test(greens) or Read(blacks) diagnostic connnector pluged toghether. Unplug both for normal driving.

 

If the light stays on while driving, it means you have a trouble code. you need to read the codes off of the little LED in the ECU(bolted to bottom of steering column, about the size of a Discman) there should be something in the USRM describing reading codes.

.....the little LED in the ECU(bolted to bottom of steering column, about the size of a Discman)

 

Is your discman from 1984??!?!?? about the size of a CDROM drive, yeah.. a discman, not unless the 86s were SERIOUSLY different from mine

lol yeha mine looks like an :headbang: audio amp.

Okay so I dated myself.

Okay so I dated myself.

had to do it.. just be glad I didnt throw any laserdisc comments in there.

 

I liked the old discmans.. very ruggedly built, even if they didnt have any skip protection memory built in... didnt they need hydraulic support arms to hold the lid up on that thing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C'mon, the ECU is not that big

its about the size of a small audio amp, and I have seen some amps that were shaped vaguely like that.

 

Its honestly pretty hard to miss; its a largish box, about 8-10" roughly square, with three bright yellow plugs that have between them, about forty wires going into it.

 

i wasnt gonna say anything about comapring it to the size of a laserdisc player; its just that the first-gen discmans and laser disc players go hand-in-hand in my memory; i couldnt find any reasonable way of working that in there, though.

 

I *really* have to work on this "off-topic" problem I've developed lately.. I interview for a job with the school board tomorrow, and my brother has given me the impression that I should be a shoo-in, so soon I will have MUCH less time to waste on the USMB. Not only have I been out of work, but my TV fried about three weeks ago, too.. i've been desperate for entertainment

 

daeron == loser, (recently at least) but at least im not sitting at the PC eating cheetos and padding my behind. Aint got the grocery $$ for all THAT...

ok now every now and then the ecs light blinks whats that meen

I stopped here -

 

subaru 86 turbo spfi

Is it turbo or SPFI?

 

Here is a link to a site that may help you. Like the PGA golf ad says, "These guys are good!".

 

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

Careful though, I've seen that chart before and there are a few missing details and models there. There is no distinction on the charts for 84-86 between SPFI and MPFI, nor for 87. And unless it's an XT, the ECU is mounted undet the steering column, not in the trunk.