I just want to drive!

EvilAsPie

EvilAsPie

New member
Disclaimer: I by no means blame the previous owner the car in questinon below. It's just a very frustrating series of events.

So of course it all started when i rolled the obs. Which i take 1/2 responsibility for. There should have been a sign!! But that's in the past.

Since then all i've wanted is a fun car to commute and maybe race a little with.

We needed a truck so we bought the 96 Tacoma. Hands down awesome truck, but i'm a car guy, i can only drive a tippy, not as fast mobile for so long. So we bought the 93 legacy, which is a car i've wanted for a long time anyway. And i was able to pick one up that had been modded some, needed a little tlc, some brake and suspension work, but seamed otherwise reliable. Reliable meaning the previous owner had been driving it for quite sometime with no major or stupid little issues.

She's a blast to drive! A little sketchy if you get going too fast and need to stop right away. But i had plans to clean it up a little throwing some good pads and fluid at it, change the suspension, you know progress. There was nothing that would keep it from being driven daily.

The first day akina and i worked on it we rerouted the FCD, plugged it back in upside down, and zap there goes the ECU. At that point every time she hit boost: Fuel Cut!

After lots of troubleshooting, research, and searching for a working ECU i picked one up on our way the Orono Autox. Once we got home it turns out the guy sold be the wrong ecu! Grrrr!!! Luckily he was able to send me the right one, honest mistake, but just one more set back. Finally get the working ECU in and yeah boost again!

I was able to drive it for 3 weeks. But during those 3 weeks she's wasn't quite right. Mostly she had idling problems. Sometimes idle was fine other times it was at about 1 or 2 hundred rpm, and often she would stall while the engine was slowing down. That didn't surprise me a whole lot seeing how she'd been put through some sh*t trying to troubleshoot the fuel cut problem. I thought the plugs had to be pretty nasty along with the throttle body, injectors, etc.

But then one Saturday we were out and as i was accelerating anything on boost and she would start to buck. Ok, so i kept her off boost. Then just slow acceleration and she would started to buck. Ok, let just get home. But, then any force on the throttle she would chug. Then just coasting she started chugging, then bucking pretty bad. Till finally she didn't have enough power to make it up a little hill. Pulled over and the engine died. Couldn't get it started again. We were about 8 miles from home.

Luckily we were able to get heidi's dad w/his truck and his neighbor's trailer to get her home. Checked a couple of things, found there was no fuel, even before the fuel filter. So, pump issue. Did the research, checked all the wires/power before spending any money. Connections seamed good. Pulled the pump, gave it external power, and nothing. Dead pump.

Ordered a new walboro. Fitted it into the pump assembly, installed it in the tank, turned the key, and the pump made a bunch of noise. Good sign. Tried turning the engine over and it tried really had to start but couldn't. No problem really it was just the first time. Cycled the key, no noise from the pump, car wouldn't start. Busted out the meter. When i turn the key the one wire gets 12v then stops, like it's supposed to, but the pump does nothing!!!

So guess i have to pull the pump again and see if some wiring there is wrong or something or something.

I just want to drive the car!!!

I'm a car guy, but man i hate cars!!

 
I share your pain sir, i have had three of these crazy cars now and have encountered every type of problem they can offer. I had fuel pump issues once that turned out to be a busted wire under the passanger side rear seat which is a common problem. Just in the last ten days i have spent over a grand getting it tip top again. i grandma about my cars a lot but in the end its way worth it.

 
Thanks for the support. I actually drove past your house on my home. It does look like the car has moved recently.

It is always worth it, but sure is frustrating too.
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Thanks for the support. I actually drove past your house on my home. It does look like the car has moved recently.

It is always worth it, but sure is frustrating too.
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If you're driving past him, you must drive near me every day too.

*runs and hides*
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I messed around with it a little today. Power is getting to the pump, but no fuel is being pumped. I even setup my old obs pump that i know works, and i still get nothing. I'm not sure what i'm missing!!
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There is definately some Karma involved here, I just haven't vented about mine with this ghetto riced out RS that I have, so here goes:

The suspension is all FUBAR. It NEVER drives straight. At first it pulls hard right, above 65 MPH it pulls hard LEFT.

The left door doesn't match with the window seal so there is a big gap that drives you insane wityh the wind noise

The grill is all chopped up, maybe beyond repair

The high beams aren't angled up enough and don't throw any more light than the low beams

The HVAC makes a loud squeal with the defroster on

The electrical system is all jacked up when the previous owner installed some mysterious "switch" that you have to pull in order to bypass the alarm. I need a whole day to sort that one out.

The Cobb adjustable shifter rattles incessantly

did I mention it's obscenely LOUD inside the cabin?

See man? KARMA

 
I had some time to try to make the leg run this weekend. I went over everything from start to finish, took my time, narrowed it down, reset everything and it worked.

???????????

Weird. She is currently running with the old obs pump with no problems. I guess if this one goes i have a new walbro back up.

Finally got to drive her to work again today. The idle was perfect(as perfect as a subaru idle can be), and she went the hole way to work with no CEL!

Hear that Rad, no CEL?!?

 
CEL came on while i was out driving at lunch. Which i was expecting cause there is no charcoal canister. Idle is still good.
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Finally drove the legacy again today. That thing spools crazy loud! 5lbs of vacuum and you can hear the turbo doing it's thing. It's great!!
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So what did it turn out to be Pete?
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I think it was a combination of bad ideas and mistakes. Before buying a new pump i put the hole pump assembly from the obs in... bad idea. The pressure and return lines are opposite on the plate so i think i put pressure to the wrong side of the regulator. ??? That i speculate that stopped any pump from working even with power. Thus the new pump didn't work and when i put the obs pump into the proper assembly it didn't work either. So saturday i removed the return lines from under the hood and a lot of pressure released and then i went right through the hole system to make sure everything was plugged in. Turned out the obs pump was not plugged into the assembly for power. That must have happened when pulled the assembly out for the second time with the obs pump to check for power.

I really didn't take my time with this issue. It seamed too easy, once i slowed down and though about it, it worked out. But now with the obs pump in there if get right on it in 2nd and the boost peaks quickly the car will bog pretty bad. Feels like half fuel cut. I think i'm going to try to put the the new pump in again today. Taking my time.

Also yesterday she started idling bad again. It's weird it seams to happen a couple of days after the ECU is reset. Hoping to at least check plugs today.

And kinda back on topic she does have an up-pipe to turbo exhaust leak that could be why the spool is so loud. The leak seams to be getting worse. As soon as i have a open bay in the garage she's going in. The replace the up-pip to turbo gasket is it easiest to pull the turbo out/off rather then drop the up-pipe/headers?
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So i got around to trying the new walbro in the car again. I got nothing. Put the obs one back in and she fires right up. Sad. I might try to see if i can get a replacement or discounted one.

I was also going to see if i could check out the plugs while i had some time but i noticed there was a significant amount of oil on the back of the motor under the turbo. Another sad.

Rad did you say you had an oil leak around there once-upon-a-time or was it coolant?

So it still runs, but i can't get on it too hard, it idles bad, the exhaust leak is getting worse, the brakes have started pulsating, and now there is an oil leak. :'(

At least i got to drive it for a couple of days.

 
Pick a day and we can pull it apart and fix the leak. I put that turbo on and off a bunch of times, it may be dripping from the oil return line. Is it leaking on the floor? I had some on the back of the motor when I had it but it never dripped.

If we pull the turbo and put new gaskets on, retorque the nuts on the uppipe and downpipe, your exhaust leak will go away. The return oil line was a royal PITA to get on completely, it's probably coming from there. If you can figure out the fuel pump issue I'll make sure you get squared away on the other things.

 
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