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The switch is a membrane type on the top of the block. It uses the block as a ground and 1-wire for the indicator in the dash. (the switch is somewhere under the alternator, next to the EJ25 logo cast. 25240KA040 could be the right one) - Check for leaks, and check oil level with the dipstick first! - Check if that wire/connector is connected. Or pull it off and ground it with a piece of electric wire. Start and see if the light goes off I have had these fail between 4 and 12 y of car age, the are simple to replace.

The Japanese economy was booming in the '80s, and crashed in the early-'90s, and that really shows in the cars. The 2nd gens were just reheated 1st gens, as they did not have any money for real devolopment. IMHO, they feel like tin cans, and the interior feels very cheap and poorly made (little things like the gauge clusters being largely front-lit, instead of back lit). They were forced to spend some money on the ECU and fuel injection system to comply with OBDII for 1996, which makes diagnosing those engines a lot easier. But I still think I'd prefer 1st gen to 2nd. That said, I MASSIVELY prefer a 3rd gen Legacy (specifically, the Outback based on it. I have 6 of them, 7 including the Baja). I have an '01 Forester (last year of the late '90s generation) with just under 100k miles on it and in phenomenal mechanical condition, it will be sold soon. Getting out of a '99 Outback and into a '00 feels like getting out of a Corolla and into a Lexus LS. But the biggest thing. These things are all in the neighborhood of 25 years old. How it was stored/used/cared for will have about 50x more affect on how reliable it will be going forward, than what it was like new, or any generalization any of us can make. $5k is a decent budget, even in this crazy market. Look for a nice clean example that's been loved and maintained. Inspect it thoroughly (or have it inspected), and you'll have years of use to come.

I've never seen anyone reflash the obdi EJ ECUs, there have been a few things available for the SVX, but I think those are all off the shelf tunes, and not tuneable. You would have to remove (desolder, most likely, although you could probably install a socket to make it easier to do again in the future) the EEPROM chip from the ECU board and put it into a reader/burner. Download the raw code. Decode it. Recode it. Burn the new code to the chip. and then reinstall it. Every time you want to make a change. Yuck. With the cost of a Speeduino or Megasquirt these days (and even a speedy is likely considerably more powerful than a 30 year old factory ECU), I don't think any of that makes any sense.

I’m wanting more clarification on this one, I see you have some ideas floating around in the top paddock… This would be for EJ22 conversions into the earlier EA82 models, correct? Standalone/aftermarket would be the ultimate way to go, and with the factory wiring systems becoming harder to find, it could end up the only way to go. As for programming the factory ECU, I’m 99.9% sure the early stuff is locked with what it’s got already, no messing with the programming there. Carb and dizzy can be done but you’d be sacrificing reliability, efficiency and ultimately power too. There were some EJ engines that were factory carb or SPFI with a dizzy for spark in other markets. At the end of the day it seems you’re not building a power house engine, mods to NA EJ22s don’t return the bang for the buck spent - unlike the EJ20 turbo variants, they’re a whole other kettle of fish. If GD drops in here I’m sure he’ll back what I’ve said above with his knowledge and experience, other will be in that same boat too. Don’t try reinventing something, in this case, that’s been tried many times without success in anything other than throwing money to the wind. Cheers Bennie