Hi all.

Haveing a problem with my daughters car, hoping for some insight from
you guys. It is a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2.2L fuel injected.

Here's the symptoms:

A while back had a bit of a rough idle and an intermittent "Check
Engine" light. First substantially cold day we had (single digits F) she
went out to start it up and no-go. Cranked and cranked, but would not
kick over. I took a look at it later in the day. It acts the same,
cranks but will not fire. I notice that both electric radiator fans are
running in spite of the fact that the engine is stone cold. Hmmm.
Suspecting frozen fuel lines, I spritz a shot of Magic Starting Juice
into the air intake. I crank for a second, the engine fires, runs rough
for a few seconds then smoothes out and continues to run. Idles and runs
OK. The CE light is now on solid. Turn it off and it acts the same,
won't start. I start it again using magic juice, let it warm up, then it
shut it off. Try again, and it starts.

The next morning, it again won't start when cold. The fans are
running. Nobody around here seems to have a code reader for a 94 OBD1
subaru. Again it starts with a bit of ether. I have a Chilton manual,
but it is about zero help with extracting the codes. It does (sort of)
describe a procedure, but gives no pinout of the connector. No help. I
have not fouund that info on line as of yet, perhaps my Googling skills
are slipping. I theorize that the engine temp sensor is bad and the
computer thinks the engine is hot, thus running the fans (fans are
controlled by the engine computer) and NOT suppling the extra rich
mixture for a cold start. I replaced the temp sensor, nothing changed.

Any ideas? Any guidance as to how to read the codes?

I appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance,
AL

Al A. wrote:

Hi all.

Haveing a problem with my daughters car, hoping for some insight from
you guys. It is a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2.2L fuel injected.

Here's the symptoms:

A while back had a bit of a rough idle and an intermittent "Check
Engine" light. First substantially cold day we had (single digits F) she
went out to start it up and no-go. Cranked and cranked, but would not
kick over. I took a look at it later in the day. It acts the same,
cranks but will not fire. I notice that both electric radiator fans are
running in spite of the fact that the engine is stone cold. Hmmm.
Suspecting frozen fuel lines, I spritz a shot of Magic Starting Juice
into the air intake. I crank for a second, the engine fires, runs rough
for a few seconds then smoothes out and continues to run. Idles and runs
OK. The CE light is now on solid. Turn it off and it acts the same,
won't start. I start it again using magic juice, let it warm up, then it
shut it off. Try again, and it starts.

The next morning, it again won't start when cold. The fans are running.
Nobody around here seems to have a code reader for a 94 OBD1 subaru.
Again it starts with a bit of ether. I have a Chilton manual, but it is
about zero help with extracting the codes. It does (sort of) describe a
procedure, but gives no pinout of the connector. No help. I have not
fouund that info on line as of yet, perhaps my Googling skills are
slipping. I theorize that the engine temp sensor is bad and the computer
thinks the engine is hot, thus running the fans (fans are controlled by
the engine computer) and NOT suppling the extra rich mixture for a cold
start. I replaced the temp sensor, nothing changed.

Any ideas? Any guidance as to how to read the codes?

I appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance,
AL

Generally if the sensor is good then either the wiring to the computer
is bad or the computer itself is bad. If wiring's the problem,
particularly a bad ground, then the codes may not help much. Ditto for
bad data conversion in the computer.

There's no local dealers?

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Tim Wescott wrote:
Al A. wrote:

Hi all.

Haveing a problem with my daughters car, hoping for some insight from
you guys. It is a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2.2L fuel injected.

Here's the symptoms:

A while back had a bit of a rough idle and an intermittent "Check



SNIP


Any ideas? Any guidance as to how to read the codes?

I appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance,
AL


Generally if the sensor is good then either the wiring to the computer
is bad or the computer itself is bad. If wiring's the problem,
particularly a bad ground, then the codes may not help much. Ditto for
bad data conversion in the computer.

There's no local dealers?


Thanks, Tim. There are 2 local dealers. They are my last resort. One
of them is not a straight shooter in my opinon, I won't deal with them
again. I have no sense of the other place. I will go there if i run
completly out of options. I always give RCM a try when I am stumped on
car problems, never let me down yet!

Just hoping we had a Subaru expert around here, we seem to experts on
just about everything else! I also posted this to several of the other
Subaru newsgroups, we'll see what happens.

Thanks for the reply,
AL A.

"Al A." wrote in message
. ..
Tim Wescott wrote:
Al A. wrote:

Hi all.

Haveing a problem with my daughters car, hoping for some insight from
you guys. It is a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2.2L fuel injected.

Here's the symptoms:

A while back had a bit of a rough idle and an intermittent "Check



SNIP


Any ideas? Any guidance as to how to read the codes?

I appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance,
AL


Generally if the sensor is good then either the wiring to the computer is
bad or the computer itself is bad. If wiring's the problem, particularly
a bad ground, then the codes may not help much. Ditto for bad data
conversion in the computer.

There's no local dealers?


Thanks, Tim. There are 2 local dealers. They are my last resort. One
of them is not a straight shooter in my opinon, I won't deal with them
again. I have no sense of the other place. I will go there if i run
completly out of options. I always give RCM a try when I am stumped on
car problems, never let me down yet!

Just hoping we had a Subaru expert around here, we seem to experts on
just about everything else! I also posted this to several of the other
Subaru newsgroups, we'll see what happens.

Thanks for the reply,
AL A.



Is it possible there are two temp sensors? One for engine and one for
ambient air temp? It sounds like a lean start problem.

Suggest you post to alt.autos.subaru

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:37:18 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, "Al
A." quickly quoth:

Hi all.

Haveing a problem with my daughters car, hoping for some insight from
you guys. It is a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2.2L fuel injected.

Here's the symptoms:
--snip--
The next morning, it again won't start when cold. The fans are
running. Nobody around here seems to have a code reader for a 94 OBD1
subaru. Again it starts with a bit of ether. I have a Chilton manual,
but it is about zero help with extracting the codes. It does (sort of)
describe a procedure, but gives no pinout of the connector. No help. I
have not fouund that info on line as of yet, perhaps my Googling skills
are slipping. I theorize that the engine temp sensor is bad and the

Bloody shotgunners. g


computer thinks the engine is hot, thus running the fans (fans are
controlled by the engine computer) and NOT suppling the extra rich
mixture for a cold start. I replaced the temp sensor, nothing changed.

Any ideas? Any guidance as to how to read the codes?

http://www.google.com/search?q=engine+codes+1994+subaru
gives me a spoon-fed setup:
http://autorepair.about.com/library/...l-dtcs-64a.htm
They had a nice setup back then. I got out of the automotive
field in '86, before self-diagnostic electronics came in.

http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/ Here's another, perhaps better
page.

This might be of interest to you, too:
http://www.legacycentral.org/library...ture/knock.htm

G'luck!


--
As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
--Leonard da Vinci (1452-1519)

If the Defrost is selected on the HVAC controls, the fans will run and
a/c compressor engage w/key on. Turn it off. The cold no start is
probably a failed CTS. Pony up and have the codes pulled to verify.
That's what the self diagnostics are for, you know....
JR
Dweller in the cellar.

Al A. wrote:

Hi all.

Haveing a problem with my daughters car, hoping for some insight from
you guys. It is a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2.2L fuel injected.

Here's the symptoms:

A while back had a bit of a rough idle and an intermittent "Check
Engine" light. First substantially cold day we had (single digits F) she
went out to start it up and no-go. Cranked and cranked, but would not
kick over. I took a look at it later in the day. It acts the same,
cranks but will not fire. I notice that both electric radiator fans are
running in spite of the fact that the engine is stone cold. Hmmm.
Suspecting frozen fuel lines, I spritz a shot of Magic Starting Juice
into the air intake. I crank for a second, the engine fires, runs rough
for a few seconds then smoothes out and continues to run. Idles and runs
OK. The CE light is now on solid. Turn it off and it acts the same,
won't start. I start it again using magic juice, let it warm up, then it
shut it off. Try again, and it starts.

The next morning, it again won't start when cold. The fans are running.
Nobody around here seems to have a code reader for a 94 OBD1 subaru.
Again it starts with a bit of ether. I have a Chilton manual, but it is
about zero help with extracting the codes. It does (sort of) describe a
procedure, but gives no pinout of the connector. No help. I have not
fouund that info on line as of yet, perhaps my Googling skills are
slipping. I theorize that the engine temp sensor is bad and the computer
thinks the engine is hot, thus running the fans (fans are controlled by
the engine computer) and NOT suppling the extra rich mixture for a cold
start. I replaced the temp sensor, nothing changed.

Any ideas? Any guidance as to how to read the codes?

I appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance,
AL


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:37:18 -0500, "Al A."
wrote:

In a later posting you mentioned that you had also posted the query to
a couple of Subaru groups. Having followed one of those groups myself
for awhile when I had some questions on my Subie, I suspect you'll get
a good answer there. Keep us posted on what you find out.

RWL


******* Recreate gaps in email address to reply *******

RWL wrote:
On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:37:18 -0500, "Al A."
wrote:

In a later posting you mentioned that you had also posted the query to
a couple of Subaru groups. Having followed one of those groups myself
for awhile when I had some questions on my Subie, I suspect you'll get
a good answer there. Keep us posted on what you find out.

RWL


******* Recreate gaps in email address to reply *******

If You don't have a scanner for a pre-OBDII Subaru, locate the green
"d" check connectors and plug them in. Drive the vehicle until the
check engine light comes on steady (problem), or flashes (system okay).
If the light comes on steady look at the eye on the ECM, it will flash
you your code/codes.

If memory serves, code 23 is what you are looking for. Coolant temp
sensor failure, very common and easy to fix. One strange thing about
this particular problem is that while with most codes, (failures), you
can just replace the sensor and drive the car and eventually the thing
will clear it's memory. Not with this code, you're going to have to
erase the memory, the easiest way for you would probably be to
disconnect the battery for a good period of time. Or if you feel
adventuresome, you can locate the clear memory connector and drive it
again until the CE light starts flashing.