91LegLS

If the transmission is overnight cold, transmission won't shift to second gear until 1-2 minutes of driving. Valve body rebuilt 6 months ago. If I push the "manual" button and downshift to 3rd, trans starts in 1st, then shifts to 2nd and 3rd gear no problem. When trans begins to lock out 1st gear after stopping, I turn off "manual" button, upshift to 4th and everything's fine. Any Ideas? Is my VSS showing its age? 180K on the clock. Is it the TCU? Local mechanic (Strictly for Denver drivers) has pulled VSS codes for both front and back and recently cleared them (one month ago).

If anyone knows how to contact the guys with the turbo Lego with turbo bumpers, I found JDM turbo bumper fog lights with the dash switch. These are extremely difficult to find. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-65-JDM-Subaru-Legacy-BF5-1990-FOG-LIGHTS-AND-SWITCH_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33709QQihZ001QQitemZ110155449879QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW No one is bidding on them yet, starting at $10 or buy it now at $79. The listing says it's for a Legacy with chassis code BF5 (does that mean turbo?)

I found this item on eBay; it's a brochure for the '89-'90 Alcyone written in Japanese with tons of photos http://cgi.ebay.com/2-1989-SUBARU-ALCYONE-Japanese-Brochure_W0QQitemZ200131038408QQihZ010QQcategoryZ35935QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting Might be interesting to see what the Japanese were offered that the rest of the world didn't get

Bad sensors can pass emmissions tests; mine passed for at least 6 years without causing any issues. My mechanic scoped my engine with a Subaru code reader while running a e-test and everything looked fine. I still changed the O2 and MPG changed in one tank. Another silent contributor: bad belt tensioners on the front of the engine. If you have a bearing that doesn't spin freeley, which can only be checked with the fan belts off, that bearing is causing a drag on the engine. May want to consider checking the power steering pump, alternator and AC to make sure they aren't slowly siezing up.

I changed my original O2 sensor that wasn't failing computer tests, or emission tests and my MPG went from 18 to 25, in city driving, in one tank. O2 sensors loose their effectiveness after 5 years, regardless of mileage. If you have the original, which is a good chance, replace them even if no CEL. If your tires are getting old, even if they're inflated correctly, your grip may be reduced, and if the AWD computer doesn't like the grip the front tires are getting, it will send torque to the back wheels, which means your engine is spinning four wheels instead of two.

I have a '91 Lego with a OEM CD player (Clairon) plugged into the back of the OEM 80W stereo and it plays homemade CD's.

I guess the bug-eye wasn't wierd enough; I'm glad to see the tradition of unusual looking Subarus is alive and well (the Alfa-Romeo Tribeca, the Baja, 80's sedans, wagons and hatchbacks). What could the designers have planned for the 2008 Impreza to continue that tradition? When do they wise up and make a Legacy Coupe? The surviving SVX's and Impreza coupes are getting a little long in the tooth.

Fuel sold in the Denver area compensates for higher elevation; we get 85, 87 and 91 octane. Unless fuel gets to be consistently $4 a gallon, I will never use anything below mid-grade. Super isn't worth the trouble unless my car was engineered for it, and even then mid-grade works just fine. It's like putting platinum plugs in a Model T. Whoop-de-freakin'-do.

If you have occassional pinging from mid-grade fuel, you may want to consider removing the possible carbon build-up in your engine. Seafoam (heavily discussed here) BG 44K and other internal engine cleaning products may help reduce the need for premium. I use 87 octane in Denver driving up into the mountains (Vail Pass at 10,000 ft , Eisenhower Tunnel at the Continental Divide) and no hint of pinging ever.

I noticed my Lego in a few photos.

I have collected brochures from around the world for the first generation Legacy (USA, UK, Japan, Germany and Australia) and according to them, the ECON button when lit forces the transmission to shift at lower RPMs to maximize fuel economy. Turning the button off allows the transmission to shift at higher RPMs if the gas pedal is pushed fast enough. The USA AT has a "Power" light that appears when the gas pedal is pushed rapidly, but not necessarily to the ground (kinda cool when the "Power" light comes on). Do you have the owners manual that came with your car? If so, it might go into more detail about the function.

I assumed that when I removed my glove box that the plug with three wires going to it positioned front and center was the device I was going to splice. Once I did, as you described, the fan speed was full blast and the ac controls were urresponsive to fan speed, even the "off" button. The only way I could turn it off was to turn off the car. Does anyone have a photo where the thermister switch is located? I'm not concerned with my car freezing up since I live in a dry climate (Colorado) where 35%-40% humidity is considered a muggy day. I wasn't aware that the probe could be replaced, just bypassed. I guess photos would be a big help, if they exist. Thanks for any help available out there. Just had 2 pounds of freon added, with no leaks. Would be nice to actually use it. AC blows cold at night, really cold. All I get is clicking relay during the day.

I replied to an old thread to get some assistance. Hopefully the suggestion above will help.

I don't have a schematic; what happens if the red/black wire and the green/red wire are crossed? I crossed the wires as described below and the AC works but the fan blows at high speed and it won't shut off unless the ignition is off.

Do the national auto parts chains carry the item (Autozone, Pep Boys, Checker, NAPA, etc.) ? Do I ask for the switch for the Legacy or a generic item? Do photos showing the location of the switch exist (I tried searching this website on thermoswitch but no results).

Is this switch integrated into the evap core or is it attached to the outside?

I went back to the mechanic that retrofitted my system. They checked the pressure and said I had the required two pounds of freon. They checked for leaks and found nothing. They added a dye into my system so that if any leaks develop over time, it will show up. They inserted a thermometer into my vent and measured 60 degrees. I have the rare digital climate control unit that won't allow the temperature selected to go below 65. This system also regulates fresh air/recirculation automatically. There is a button marked "recirc" but if the unit wants fresh air, it will override the button pushed after 10 minutes. I also can't determine air flow direction. It allows me to select the temperature and that's about it. I can defrost the windshield, select low or high fan speed and learn the outside temp. It basically says "you tell me what temp you want and I'll deal with everything else".

No, the old stuff was removed.

I recently upgraded my '91 LS to R134a. What should the pressure be? My system was partially charged with R12 so the system wasn't exposed to atmosphere. Should the pressure specs listed on the compressor be used when changing to R134? The A/C does eventually get cold but it seems like it should be colder. I work in a tractor trailer garage with refrigerated trailers and our A/C tech (30+ years experience) thinks that the freon pressure seems to be low based on watching my A/C being operated, but he doesn't have equipment to diagnose my car correctly.

90-93 LSi are very rare, LSi=gray leather. If the car has pearl white paint, and it is an LS, it will only have tan interior. I have '91 Legacy brochures from JDM, EDM, UKDM, USDM and ADM (Australia). Pearl white paint and tan interior is available USA only. If most of the extra stuff doesn't work (moonroof, AC, etc) make them come down on the price or walk away. If they have someone who interested in a car they might have had in inventory for awhile, make them come down on the price.

The TDI is VW and the CDI is Mercedes, right? Recently, the German reputation for reliability has been tarnished in USA (We Subie nuts don't like Audi, do we?). Do the Japanese makes have diesels for the EDM cars and do they suffer the same problems?

I live around Evans & I-25, are you leaving from your home or are you waiting for others somewhere to drive with?

If I can remember that the meet is on the 25th, I'll make an appearance for the first time. I have some JDM and EDM items for show-and-tell. Where at Red Rocks do you meet at?

I found this link on Autoblog which includes very detailed photos... http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/07/geneva-motor-show-subarus-boxer-diesel/ The "gallery" section of this article has system breakdown photos. If Subaru introduced the diesel to USA, they could pander to the eco-freaks by suggesting the car can run on bio-diesel, which will make the Birkenstock crowd happy, knowing that if it snows, the car can easily pass the Toyota Pious stuck in a snowbank. (No I didn't mis-spell Prius, I call the car the PIOUS, reflecting the drivers I'm-better-than-you attitude for driving a car that is in compliance with the Kyoto Treaty). Didn't I hear that Subaru was contemplating a boxer hybrid somewhere? Bio-diesel boxer hybrid with AWD?

How about markeeting the Impreza against the Corolla and Civic in the entry level market but keeping the AWD standard policy unchanged? Not everyone who isn't a male in his mid 20's wants a WRX. Do the same for the Legacy against the 4 banger Camry and Accord. People who live in the Sun Belt (LA, Phoenix, Texas, the South and Florida) may not benefit from the traction benefits unless it rains, but being to drive on the freeways at 75 mph plus with very stable handling will definitely make a difference.