1995 Legacy - the ABS light came on and stayed on this morning. Also, the hydralic unit in the right front of the engine compartment is running constantly with and with-out the engine being on.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

Hi. Sounds like a faulty ABS hydraulic unit relay. There were issues with these sticking thus making the pump run constantly. There is info on endwrench.com about it.

You can unplug the ABS unit ***but be aware that this will disable it***. But it may not be working at the moment anyway.

 

At least that way your battery won't go dead until you figure it out.

OK - Thanks - Where do I unplug the unit at?

 

 

You can unplug the ABS unit ***but be aware that this will disable it***. But it may not be working at the moment anyway.

 

At least that way your battery won't go dead until you figure it out.

Pull your fuse cover off, should be listed there. ed

I think there are two ABS fuses; one for the controller and one for the hydraulic unit. I think they might also run some other stuff too...

 

Here's the article from EndWrench I was thinknig of...

ABS Relay Sticking - Legacy, Impreza and SVX through 1996

If you encounter a case of the ABS hydraulic motor continuing to run or buzz when the ignition is off, and/or an illuminated ABS warning light and a Code 52 (faulty hydraulic motor and/or motor relay) stored in memory, follow these steps: Note: This condition may be intermittent and difficult to duplicate.

 

1. If the ABS hydraulic unit continues to run with the key off, confirm the trouble code, if any, and follow the diagnostic chart in the appropriate service manual.

 

2. Check the wiring harness to make sure it is not the source of the problem.

 

3. If you have determined that the ABS hydraulic control unit motor is indeed faulty, replace it with the modified relay, part number 26735AA012 (there will be a white line under the word “Japan” on the case). Always check part number supercession for any changes.

A lot of owners have had luck by just rapping on the ABS relay with a screwdriver handle, or smacking it with thier hand. Not a permanent fix, but it'll get you through until you can find a new relay.

I had the same problem as the original poster tonight. On a 95 Legacy Outback Wagon, the ABS light came on at startup, and I heard the hydraulic unit continue running 5 minutes later when I shut down. One tape on the side with a screwdriver handle shut it off. I'll look into it further this weekend. "Check the easy things first."

The ABS buzz started in my 95 Subaru legacy wagon this morning. It has been buzzing all day with or without keys in the ignition.

 

I attempted to disable it by removing both fuses but that did not stop the buzz.

 

After consulting a friend, I unplugged the ABS unit from beneath the air intake. The connection is on the back side of the ABS unit. The buzz stopped immediately.

Edited October 23, 201510 yr by audibleclick

Pull the relay out. You can separate the cover from the base with small flathead screwdrivers or picks (be careful not to puncture your hand if it slips). Do a visual inspection of the contacts (there should be a thin brass or copper arm with little pads at the end) and make sure they are actually there and that you don't see arc points, like say the pad came off and the arm is arced directly to the source. 

 

Anyways, doing this quick visual on a known bad unit will help you find a good one at the junk yard as you can repeat the process on the spot to know if the car in the yard had the same issue or not. Some of the other relays are interchangeable. You'll have to look at the side of the relay's schematic on the cover and look at the part number to tell (if you want to go with a newer year relay possibly) and should do that any way to be sure it's OK to use. Thankfully they tab them uniquely. Most yards I'd say "How much is a light relay"?. They say $4 or whatever and you go get it. Unscrupulous yards will see a giant relay in your hand and try asking more

What crazyhorse001 said worked for me. I had the exact same problem. A gentle tap on the relay turned both the buzzing AND the ABS light off. So far (a week later), the problem hasn't returned...