oldude

I might want to tow one of my Subbies (83 Sta. Wag Auto or 85 Brat 4Sp, 4WD) from Northeast to California. Wanted to tow behing an RV. Now I thought I remembered that it was recommended or necessary to disconnect drive shaft, but obviously this was a long time ago and with rear wheel drive car. So what will I need to do with either of these front wheel drive vehicles. Not that it might matter, but I still haven't decided which one to take. 83 Wagon only has 60K and just had it inspected. Replaced all 4 tires, both front brakes (calipers, rotors, pads) and exhaust from Cat back. Near mint interior. 30 mpg but Automatic and slowest pickup of anything I've ever owned except my lawn tractor. And not by much. Brat supposedly had engine rebuild less than 50K ago, but not a reliable source for that info. Previous owner lady was a bit cuckcoo. Needs CV axles replaced. One ticks when turning and boot busted. Not a problem. Problably some brake work, too, as it has sat for a bit. But still strong running and I like the 4Spd, 4WD part of it. And while not exactly going to the wilderness in CA, the property is a bit secluded, dirt roads, and even tho it has a cab on it now, I might take it off to make carrying some building materials easier. Bought land, hoping to build my own house. Sorry about the long-winded life story. So what do I need to do to tow? Such a great site for Subbie info. Feels like family, but smarter. Thanks:burnout:

I've had nothing but good experiences with Cooper tires. And even better, the place where I always go to get them has been great with any warrany issues. Case in point (Sorry if a bit off-topic) Had Cooper's on my daughter's car. Only 2-3 weeks old and she managed to run one in to a curb and it developed a small hole on the sidewall. Didn't want to plug it, so took it back for a replacement, expecting to pay full price. Salesman looked at it, (and it was pretty obvious that it wasn't product defect) but looked up receipt and date of purchase. "No problem, still under warranty." Ended up with new tire that cost only $ 3.+ So Cooper's get my vote.

Thanks for the input. I will check out the codes, and if I can find my book maybe then I'll find the temp sensor.

So are you saying computer may be bad? I have another one.

An 83 GL EA81 Sta. Wag. Automatic So this has got me a bit confused. First start of the day is really tough. Changed to manual choke, which helped at first. But now it is taking longer and longer to start when cold. Once started, it runs a bit rough, as if it is missing. Then when it warms up a bit AND ECS light comes on, it runs smooth. No missing, decent power, ( for a subie engine) Plugs new, Wires, new exhaust from Cat back. (Problem was happening even before new exhaust. This just seems backwards to me. I'd have thought that it would run worse when ECS light came on. Any ideas? Hope the New Year is good to y'all. Thanks

I seem to have the same problem, but on an EA81. I get 2 codes. 11 and 22. Mostly 22 I have gone through 4 distys. Changed distys from original with ignitor and pick-up coil, to one from Brat, same EA81, but different insides. All ran OK but not for long. Changed coil Changed wires Changed ECU What could cause this to happen>> Answer could help this person's question and from what I've seen, many others, too.

For once a simple fix. Cleaned and tightened battery connections. All is well Thanks to all who responded. Wish all fixes were so easy

Hi again. Well at least my 83 EA81 2wd Sta. Wag is running. Distributor has been working so far. New problem. I noticed my guage at only 12 volts. Used to be higher..14+ After 10-15 minutes, voltage goes up. Checked belt. It is tioght. Today I started it up and not only did the guage read low, but I noticed the the gas guage also registered empty. Had 1/2 tank. After the 10-15 minutes, the voltage kicked up back to normal, and at the same time my gas guage started to work, too This board has been so helpful. Really want to thank all who have helped and wish y'all nothing but the best for this New Year.

I have an old disty from my 83 EA81. I think the pickup coil and/or ignitor is bad. But I think the vac. part is still OK. Is this what you mean> If so, PM me and I can arrange to send it to you. Better yet, emailing me might be better. I check email more often than msgs here. oldude8@yahoo.com Now that I think of it, does it matter that the disty is nippon denso? I ain't that bright.

So far, so good. Finally gave up waiting to find a disty to get my 83 2WD EA81 Carbbed going. I had the use of an aquantances 85 Brat, but didn't really want to keep running it as it is not in as good shape as the 83 and I was afraid I'd break it and then be up the creek. Anywho, took disty from it, with different guts and voila.....it works. The 83 is on the road again. And Shawn, if you see this, wouldn't ya know your disty came the next day. But now I am ascared of changing back and tempting fate. But I guess I'll have to unless I can find another disty for the Brat. Who knows, maybe Santa will bring me one. But I hope this helps anyone thinking of whether different distys can work in diff cars.

I've done it w/o opening valve, but even tho a PITA, I would still recommend opening the valve and doing it that way. It may be in the long run you might end up having to bleed them anyway. Rather be safe than sorry

Here's the link I was thinkinf of. Hope it helps http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/

I found wiring diagrams by doing Google search. I didn't save them. I'll try to locate again and posts links if you need.

Read first post, please....Edited.. What the heck is stopping spark????

No disty yet. Was wondering that myself. Yellow to neg, black to pos

Went back to basics, I think. Tested for spark by holding high tension wire from coil to ground. Sometimes no, but all of a sudden, spark. Tested for spark to plugs. Yes again. Started right up, but then after 15-20 secinds, dead. All of a sudden, again. Started over, did nothing different, but cranked right from starter. Don't know if significant, but after 2-3 times. spark again. Wire back in disty, started, 15-29 seconds. dead again. OH YES.... ECU disconnected-connected..... Made no difference. WT$^&$^*$#$????? Me again. Getting really tired of not having my 83 EA81 2WD Sta Wag, not running Have changed/replaced coil, distributors. Seems I have something that is frying the pickup in the disty. Ran some tests as advised before. Have power to both sides of coil, but no pulse to neg. side when cranking. I was told that meant ignitor or pick-up coil in disty in NG. I want to just have a disty w/points and eliminated ECU. Can this be done. If so, how. Has anyone ever done this. Can I put points into one of my existing distys? If so again, how. Anyone have a diagram or..... I assume I still need the two leads from coil going to disty. But where to hook up. And would I then need a condensor? And where would that go. Would I need a resistor, too? I know this seems like a lot of stupid questions, but there don't seem to be any mechanics in the area that could help. And with only 46K on the engine and not a spec of rust on this baby, I'd really like to get it runnung. Thanks. Any online manuals, diagrams you could point me to wouls be appreciated.

Hi. I'm hoping you'll get your original question answered. As in "Can the ECU be disconnected/bypassed. I have an 83 Sta Wag, EA81 w/ECU. Can't get spark Also have an 85 Brat also with an EA81. No ECU. But it runs Diff. distys. So I'm wondering what can be done to eliminate ECU. I have emmissions in RI, but have a sticker good for 2 more years. So now all I want now is for the 83 to run. And so far I've replaced the disty 3 times and still get the same problem. No spark. Replaced coil, too.

Hi. Been raining, but managed to try a quick test. Now no spark at plug. I had changed coil, ECU, fuel pump control, but put all back as I thought I'd start all over again. First quit w a Code 22. That's when I changed disty and it worked for 3 days, then kaput. Now I think I'll try changing things again, one at a time. Coil first?

Hi. First of all, thanks for the help. This is making me cuckoo. It is carburated. I do get spark. I do get fuel......At times. By this I mean, it seems as if sometimes I am not getting fuel. But I've hotwired the fuel pump, disconnected lead going to fuel pump control unit and hotwired. As for spark. I did get spark. Had my son crank engine with plug wire off No. 1 and used extra spark plug. Got spark. But to be honest, when it died, I haven't rechecked to see if I'm still getting spark. Will do tomorrow. I do get 12v at disty. Haven't tested while cranking for pulse spark. Will do tomorrow, also. What can shut engine down? My understanding is there is a safety feature that shuts down fuel?? Yes?? Does fuel pump control do this? Is there anything else that would shut down.....stop spark from getting to plugs. The suddeness of it quiting throws me. If fuel was shut off, I'd expect not such a sudden stoppage. Oh. ECU flashes 22. Same as before when I first switched to new disty. And I've been told to clear any codes I was to disconnect battery for at least 10 minutes. Done that, for even longer than 10 min. but code still flashes. More testing as y'all suggest tomorrow and I'll re[prt back Thanks again

Sorry about the hard reading. I didn't start out trying to get these diff. volt readings. Pure coincidence. I just didn't understand why the engine would stop so all of a sudden like. Or why it seemed as if I was blowing up distys. If not a short, what could cause the sudden stoppage. I would think if it was a fuel problem, the stoppage would be not so sudden. It's like someone just pulled the plug.

Some tro0uble codes: http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/

This is way too long. Bottom line, why would I get sudden drop in power. Engine just quits. Does Fuel pump control do this? Can something else do this. This is 2nd, actually 3rd if you count the original disty, that I have gone through. Thanks 83 EA81 2WD StaWag GL. Nippon Denso disty. Started out as a blown disty. There is a thread I started before and got some help. Now I'm through my 2nd disty after having already blown up one. I think I still have one that works, but here is what I've found so far as to the cause of it blowing in the first place or now coincedence is driving me crazy. Anyway, testing for voltage at coil and such, and after finding out that the Subaru dealer/mechanics had hooked up my auto choke wrong which was shorting out and causing my rad fan to come on. I ramble, but bear with me. It's while I was moving wires around to get my tester in position to check for coil voltage, the fan went on and off and so... that led me to start checking out what else they might have done and found another test wire they had hooked up but never told me nor removed it brfore I picked it up. This gaused some wires to melt, but I think I localized them and that prob should be OK. Phew!! Back to testing for voltage. Wait. First, when I first hooked up the 2nd good disty, I was psyched. It started right up and seemed to need just a little timing and I was good to go. Let it warm up, and then after 15-20+ minutes....it quit. All of a sudden. No sputter, coughing,....just poof....quit. Jiggled wires, mades sure I had hooked up everything right. Felt ignitor in disty, as last time I had the problem, with a new disty, I had noticed it extremely hot. Well this time it wasn't. But I then tried to start again and it did, but this time it ran for just 15-20 seconds. Like before. Sudden. Even had my eye on tach and watched it just frop off, too. So I started to check things again. Thought Fuel pump, or control. Found power sometimes, but intermittent.Ended up with now, with just the positive cable hooked up to battery, if I pust voltmeter lead+ to Engine ground and other- to neg side of battery, I get 12+- volts. Neg cable is NOT hooked up. So no good ground, yes?? Went to fusible link box, under hood, next to battery, with pos. wire straight from battery, spltting at link to 3 wires, W BW and WB. So playing with those, I get same pos. volt reading at neg connections like I said above, with 2 of those wires. WB seems to go to fuse box and manual says it's for clock. Manual seems wrong, because clock still lights up even with fuse pulled. But regardless of what it goes to.....If I check my neg volt reading thingy I get pos reading with fuse in. No reading with fuse out. So that seems to be one prob. Bear with me if you made it this far. Volt test with W wire seems to be connected to ignition switch. With key off, no pos reading on eng ground/neg bat post thingy like above. With key on, 2 places/click before start, I get that pos. volt reading again. So there seems problem No. 2 Any quick/easy suggestions? If I have to I guess I could trace both wires completely, but I hoping for something easier. I thought of trying to just how-wire at connection on steering wheel for ignition, starting. That might tell me if the key/ignition switch is at fault? The other possible short....I'm clueless, other than complete trace. I suppose I could just disconnect altogether, eith at fusible link box or by removing the fuse. But it probably runs something vital so, who knows. I'm not that good with elec. stuff. Little patience, and littler knowledge. Have little handheld tester, but really only know very basics. Like testing for voltage. I wish I knew more about continuity things...Isn't that a means of finding shorts other than visibly finding bare wire. Questions are: How/what should I be looking for with ignition switch short? Should I consider replacing switch? Or just hotwire. That's assuming short is in switch, not somewhere under dash, through firewall, etc, to fusible link Question 2 Does WB (white w/black stripe) really go to clock at fuse box as manuals suggest or what?? How do I test. Just pull fuse and hopr for the best. I'm open to any and all advice. If you've read this, thanks for your time. Of you answer or point me in right direction, thanks even more. I've downloaded several wiring diagrams. All a bit different, but similar. Thanks again

Not sure, but sounds a bit similar to problem I just had. Swapped disty and it started right up. Took it on the road and seemed fine, but no power. Long story short, Thought I had pull off and puit back in disty in same spot. On #1. But I had the disty in one gear off. Pulled up disty, moved just that 1/4" - 1/2" over put back in. Does that make sense?

My Brat just started having idling problems. All I did was change the air filter and so far it seems to do better. I know this sounds too simple, but I'm finding out that simple is better than getting real technical and changing everything under the hood. We get crappy gas (water) here in New England a lot, too. Dry gas is always in my tanl Good Luck!