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A Few Q's for the Gurus


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I tried searching to no avail. I'm having a few problems with my 83 GL Sedan which is to be expected for a 25 yr old car. If you have any input, great. If not, I'll just keep tinkering.

 

1. My power windows work intermittently. 1 out of the 10 times I start the car, the switches roll the windows up and down. The other 9 times none of the switches work. I've tried the rear switches and they either work or don't work concurrently with the master. Do the rest of the switches operate independently from the master or do they jump off the master in some way? If they're in some way linked to the master, I'm going to assume the master switch is going out. I've checked the plug under the console - clean, no kinks, looks good. It's not a fuse, checked that. Anyone willing to send a center console master switch to Denver? I'll give you money. The windows stuck down and I'm cold.

 

2. My cabin fan is not working and hasn't since I got the car. The heat works, I can feel a bit of warmth on my toesies but I need to push some of that heat into the cabin. I can't keep coming into work looking like I'm smuggling raisins in my shirt.

 

3. I recently installed new head gaskets, a water pump, radiator & thermostat to conquer an overheating problem and my car tends to run just slightly above the second mark on the temp gauge (just less than half way up). Should I be at or below that mark? It seems to me that the mark is indicating normal operating temp. The needle stays glued just above the second line which is a vast improvement over before (popped seam in radiator, 8 foot horizontal fountain of coolant all over the blue rhino stand at the local conoco, chuckling onlookers, warped heads, hair-pulling frustration, etc.) but am I still running a tad hot?

 

That's it guys. My nipples thank you. Oscar the Grouch (my car) thanks you.

 

Josh

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Ive heard that some subes are known to run on the hot side, I know mine did, but it sounds like the temperature is close to where it should be. I put an all brass radiator in my ea82 and now it runs almost too cold in the winter, and the guage almost never goes above about 1/4 of the way in the summer, and it wasnt that expensive, about 100 bucks. I also went to a 160 degree thermostat and dual electric fans that I put on a manual switch.

-Bill

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1. My power windows work intermittently. 1 out of the 10 times I start the car, the switches roll the windows up and down. The other 9 times none of the switches work.

 

 

I found the main power wire that goes to the master switch in the driver's door was open / intermittant in my 90 Loyale.

 

Temperature:

One of mine runs at about 1/4-1/3, the others about 1/3-1/2. I ran an accurate thermometer on one head for a time years ago, and was reading around 190 degrees.

 

Heater blower, just have to trace the circuit, check voltages, etc.

 

The factory service manuals have detailed schematics and connector location drawings. VERY helpful. Some of that stuff my be online here.

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The temp sounds fine. You may eventually end up R&Ring your heater but that's another post. (search and ye shall find!)

Be sure you're using distilled water so you don't get (any more) mineral buildup in your car's cooling circuit.

 

Your car may need its electrical grounding cleaned up. Search for "ground" in the older generation forum and you'll find lots. Good luck!

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...

 

1. My power windows work intermittently. 1 out of the 10 times I start the car, the switches roll the windows up and down. The other 9 times none of the switches work.

...

 

Main Power Windows Relay Failure... Clean Contacts & Replace the Relay.

Also it can be Done by a Bad Working Engine Starting Switch, you can check it when your Power windows doesn´t Work while Engine´s on, just try to move a few mm the Key, maintaining engine on. If Power Windows comes Alive by This, Replace the Main Switch, if not, it is the said Relay.

Good Luck!

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All excellent info guys! :banana: :banana: :banana:

 

I don't know why it didn't occur to me before but the car had a factory radiator with a 25" core and I replaced it with a slightly smaller one - 23". Perhaps that's why it's running a bit hot. I'm going to drop a 10 degree cooler t-stat in there and see if that helps.

 

On the electrical responses, thanks much. I'll start by checking the door switch, then the relay, then the grounds and I'll try to dig up the electrical section of the FSM to track down the blower problem.

 

Thanks again!

 

:burnout:

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the relay could also have a 'burned' connection. Just fixed that on a friends' car a few weeks ago. Just have to find the relay and check it. Not sure where it is on the EA81s though.

 

As for running temp, I'd recommend finding a cheap IR temp gun. Then you'll know exactly what temp it's running at. My two cars both run at the same temperature, but the guage on one is barely off cold, and the other is 1/8" from hot. Go figure.

 

-Dave

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