jj421

You're welcome! I didn't have to use anything. I just drilled into the bumper with regular wood screws, haha. If you go back far enough (too close to the grill), like any farther back than my lights on top are, there is metal and you won't be able to [easily] drill there. But from that point forward, you can just drill straight in without any problems. I don't think it's styrofoam, but it's definitely not metal. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that EA82 and EA81 alternators are slightly different, especially with the mounting, so I'm not entirely sure if it'll work.

I've seen photos from Walker, and it looks like I need a lift, bigger tires, etc. But I'd love to ride with someone, take photos, be a copilot, etc. I think I'd rather ride with someone on my first time at Walker anyways, so I can get an idea of the trails and difficulty. So yeah, I'd love to go and ride with someone, if you don't mind bringing me along, haha. I'll take a bunch of pictures.

Sweet! My video is mostly footage from my dash cam, but oh well, haha. And your pictures. I didn't know what music fit it best, so I just chose whatever, haha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4UJPo0IBR0

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of doing. I was gonna get a Legacy fog light switch and put it there, but it didn't fit. I might try fabricating something for that spot soon. I always head to the one up in Lynnwood. If I feel like making the drive, I go up to Arlington. They usually have more Soobs there, and they usually have more stuff on them (I see a lot more D/R transmissions, roof racks, etc.). I haven't been to the one down in Tacoma, but they hardly have any older Soobs.

Dang! Awesome photos!! I wish I had your camera, but I just don't have the money for one, haha. My car actually looks pretty good in these pictures, in my opinion at least. Mind if I use some of these photos in a video?

I've seen a number of pictures of lowered wagons. Haven't read anything on how to do it, but I've seen it done. I know I wouldn't lower my wagon because, 1) there isn't much ground clearance stock, and 2) that would take away any offroading ability from my car.

Alright, I went out and took some pictures. Like I said, the top lights basically have 5 screws holding them down. One in the center of the bracket, and four around it. Seems to work pretty well. The bottom lights were just placed in one of the empty holes in the fender. However, this morning I decided to move my lights to where I originally wanted them: under the bumper, in between my two other lights and my headlights. These are the BEFORE shots. These are the AFTER shots. Because you're interested in the mounting, I figured I would share how I did the bottom lights. It might give you some ideas if you need 'em. So, the way the lights mount, I could not drill straight into the bumper like I did the top lights. So what I did is I bought this $5 door hinge from my local Ace Hardware. Then, using that thing in the middle and pounding on the ground, I managed to punch out the pin in the middle and separate the two parts of the hinge. Then the plan was to put the light through one of the holes and use the other two holes to drill into the bumper. With a stroke of luck, the mounting screws on the lights were the exact size as the holes for the door hinge. Just had to thread the door hinge on the screw like screwing on the nut. Then I took the light/hinge combo out to my car, and drilled it into the bottom of my bumper. I could only use one of the two remaining holes, but that's all I needed. They seem solid enough that they won't move, but loose enough that I can easily adjust them if the need be. And then, of course, I have this switch inside the "cockpit." It's a dual rocker switch that I bought from O'Reilly a while back for under $10. I have the green one wired to my new fogs and the red one wired to the center driving lights. It doesn't mount really well, but unless I build a switch panel, there isn't really another place to put it. And since I only have two additional switches, I don't feel the need for a switch panel... yet.

Hahaha, I guess so. I just read your write-up about doing the swap. I wish the pictures were still there, but yeah, seems pretty straight forward. So it looks like I'd need an alternator from a late '80s, early '90s Maxima, correct? I might head to the Pick-N-Pull tomorrow. They have six Maximas ranging from 1987 to 1993.

That's what I figured. Just would hate to come home, put on the alternator, and realize it's failing/faulty. I don't have an impact wrench. I want one, but I don't have the money to spend on one right now. Oh well, I'm sure I could get it off.

Yeah, I have the dual belt setup on my alternator that's in my car right now. So basically I just get the Maxima alternator, take off the pulley that's on that one, move the pulley and spacer from my alternator to the Maxima alternator, then mount the Maxima alternator in my car? Oh, and what year Maxima would I be looking for? And is there a way with a multimeter to test the alternator at the junkyard to see if it's any good? Ferox, thanks for the pictures. Yeah, it seems like the Maxima swap would be easier for me. I just don't know how to get the pulley off. Isn't there some tool to stop the pulley from turning so you can loosen the bolt/nut? Or can I do so by just holding it by hand?

Oh, I should've mentioned that I am not going to be buying a brand new alternator. I'll be pulling it off of a junkyard car. An alternator from a Maxima and an alternator from a GM will cost the same, haha. To change out the pulley, do I just take off the one from my current alternator? Or do I have to get another one from somewhere else? I have the inboard alternator and outboard A/C compressor, and I took out the compressor, so I believe I have a few mounting options since the compressor brackets aren't being used. Wow, that is a big alternator! I am only really running lights, since I don't do anything extreme enough to require a winch. :-p wakingtowinter, I'd be happy to take some pictures for you, tomorrow, when it's bright outside. The ones on the bumper I basically just drilled into the bumper. The mounting didn't quite drill in easily, so I have four screws drilled into the bumper keeping it in place, haha.

So, thanks to "peacewize," I now have under-the-bumper fog lights. They're mounted a bit low, which I feel like won't be great if I go offroading. Not to mention I don't think they're street legal, especially if I have all six of my lights on at one time. Also mounted pretty far back. Like right in front of the tires. But I don't mind. Now there isn't much I can't see on the road. Just need some roof rack mounted 100 watts and... :cool: Anyways, I digress. With all these lights, I need a new alternator. Idling at 750 RPM with all six lights on, well.... Not to mention if I add brake lights, turn signals, heat, rear defrost, wipers, rear wiper, radio, etc.... Once I rev it above 1250, the voltmeter gets into the "healthy" range. So, I would say I need an alternator upgrade, haha. I've done some reading already, and our stock alternators seem useless once you add any accessory. I've read there are two swaps to do: the Maxima swap and the GM swap. The GM seems easier since from what I've read, you only need to figure out how to mount it. The Maxima swap, you have to change out the pulley, wiring, and mounting. I'll probably do the GM swap since it's easier. But what I'd like to know is what specific car is the best for the swap. Is there one car that has the most alternator output, easiest to install, and easiest to find? Thanks!

I had fun today, for sure! Didn't get a tree like I was planning on, but oh well. The fake Christmas tree it is.... I was gonna take a bunch of photos, but I kinda didn't follow through with that, haha. But anyways, here's a couple photos: The cars: Peacewize and I going on the trails: Working on the car in the middle of the path:

Awesome pictures! Looks like it was fun! I still wanna do a camping trip like that but I've been too busy. Plus I don't have anyone to come with me. But maybe with no classes for the rest of December, I can squeeze in a camping trip or two. Not too long ago I had a bed in the back of my wagon. I took it out because I changed out the seats. Never actually got to camp in my wagon, but I did get a few naps in between classes. :cool: Wasn't much. Just two individual camping pad things to lie on, a sleeping bag for the blanket, and two pillows. Was a lot more comfortable than I thought it was gonna be.

The only leak I have is a small one. When it's pouring rain and the car is parked, water will get in through the windshield right behind the rear view mirror and will drip all over my gear stick. Not a big leak; just a slow trickle. Doesn't help you much in this case though. :-p

Yes, that is the fuse. Pull that and your defog idle will be normal. Like I said, I had a 20 amp fuse in there. However, I think someone swapped out the 15 for a 20 sometime in the car's life, because the fuse was a yellow one, like one that you can buy from Ace Hardware (whereas the one in your picture has the Fuji Heavy Industries logo on it). Plus mine is missing that cover for the fuse. But anyways, yes, that is the fuse in question. Pulling that will tell the ECU that there is no A/C compressor anymore, and your idle will be fine. All your heating controls will work perfectly fine. Not sure if it throws a CEL code, because my CEL is on all the time for a stupid purge control solenoid. I actually thought something was wrong the other day when the CEL turned off for 5 minutes, then was relieved when it came back on, haha. As far as that screw goes, I have no idea. Considering its location, I'd think it has to do something with the idle. I heard you should never manually adjust the idle screw, but I don't know if I'm thinking of the right thing. It's 6:30 AM. Not thinking straight just yet. I would say you could replace your coolant temp sensor, especially if you're going to the junkyard any time soon. When your car's been sitting for hours and is nice n' cold, unplug the CTS and measure the resistance on the CTS side. The Chilton manual only give specifications when the engine is warm, but that doesn't help in finding a junkyard one. My old CTS read 3.8 on the 20K Ohm setting on my multimeter. At the junkyard, I tested almost every CTS in every old Soob. Ended up pulling two CTSs that had the highest resistance. The one that I eventually put on my car read at almost 4, again, on the 20k setting. It was an educated guess, really. All the CTSs that I tested ranged from 3.7-4 on the multimeter, so I figured more resistance is better. Turns out I was right, haha. Replacing the CTS isn't terribly difficult, just kinda hard to get to. A CTS from the junkyard is $7 or so (at least the one I went to), so if you can grab one or two, it won't hurt to replace it and see. Unscrew the two Phillips hex nuts on top of the thermostat that hold down the vacuum lines from the canister. Move those out of the way. Remove the vacuum line from the intake to the IACV. Either drain some coolant properly, or do it the way I did. Unbolt the thermostat housing and slowly let the coolant leak out until the coolant stops leaking. With a 17mm wrench, loosen and remove the CTS. Let more coolant pour out of that hole. Install the new CTS, tighten. Then put everything back that your removed/loosened. Add some more coolant back into the system and start her up. I can definitely see how the CTS could affect the electric fan from coming on. If the CTS is telling the car it's warm, when it's not, then the fan won't come on. Come to think of it, before I replaced my CTS, I have noticed that the temp gauge would rise up to about the halfway mark, and then the idle would return to normal and temp gauge would go down. So I think it could have something to do with it. All that other stuff in that quote definitely sounds plausible and makes sense. But I am not 100% sure. *EDIT* Looks like my cold idle is not completely fixed. I started the car this morning and it still wouldn't idle. I believe changing out the CTS helped, but not enough for the really cold mornings. Luckily I don't have school for the rest of December, so it won't bother me too much, I hope. I might just need a brand new CTS. Christmas is coming up, isn't it?

Yes! Winter dash cam videos yield the worst drivers. Just gotta hope an idiot doesn't crash into me.

Haha, well, with an automatic transmission, it's fine. And I guess extra power is helpful too. I remember years ago before I started driving, I wondered if manual transmissions even could have cruise, haha.

My main goal with this car is to keep it as stock as possible, and any modifications should be reversible. So I guess not being able to install cruise helps towards following this goal. Still would've been a neat feature to have though. Although I feel like I wouldn't use it enough to make it worth it. From what I've heard, having a 5 speed in a hilly area makes cruise control virtually useless.

Bump & Update Alright, first gonna update with the fuse, defog, high idle, etc. Since taking out the fuse, driving has been wonderful. I can now drive all the time with the defog on and not worry about the idle speed. I really needed this, since my rear windows would just fog up non-stop. Now with the new fan speed switch I pulled from the junkyard today, it's gonna be awesome to have the defog on more than just two speeds. :-p And while I was at the junkyard, I pulled off two coolant temp sensors with my new 17mm wrench. Came home and let the car sit for three hours. After doing a multimeter test, I decided to install the one that seemed the most different than my current one. I just finished installing it, and after starting it, it seems like I'm in the same boat as everyone else: idling at 2000 RPM for 5 minutes after a cold start. Gonna have to wait and see what happens tomorrow, but I think my low idle issue is resolved. I should be able to drive my Loyale in the rapidly approaching winter temperatures.

So just as an update, it looks like I won't be able to add cruise control. Went to both the Arlington and Lynnwood Pick-N-Pull, but only three cars had cruise control. One cruise system was destroyed (the wiring and stuff was cut and missing) and another was factory installed (I don't want to deal with that). I tried to pull the cruise off of the third one. I managed to get the button under the rear defog switch, the buttons on the steering wheel, the vacuum lines, the vacuum pump, and some wiring. I bought the stuff, $60, and then when I got to my car, I decided to put on the steering wheel for the ride home. Realized I can't even plug the steering wheel in. Every single Loyale/DL/GL in the junkyard had a 3-prong connection for the horn, but mine only has a one prong. Needless to say, I returned everything and decided I'm not going to install cruise control. If I can't even install a new horn, what makes me think I have the connections for anything else? Oh well. Got two coolant temp sensors, a fan switch, and some spark plug wires. So it's worth the trip, I'd say, since the coolant temp sensor are the biggest problem with my car right now.

I'd say this is a good point. Unless you know that that light is burnt out on that side, that should signal (to me anyways) that a new bulb probably won't be the solution. I would try putting a new bulb in there anyways, but I don't think that is it. I'd say something is up with the wiring that's affecting the side marker and the headlight. Unplug the headlight, stick a multimeter in the plug, and measure the volts when the headlight switch is turned on. Wouldn't hurt to measure the resistance either. I don't know what those values should be, but that would be a good place to start. *EDIT* Actually, do the multimeter test on the passenger headlight too, to see what the values should be. Obviously the passenger side is working fine. If you get different volts and ohms between the two sides, then something is up with the wiring.

I'd look at your alternator. When my car idles low in the morning, the RPMs aren't as high as they should be, and ergo the alternator is not charging as much as is could be. If I turn on the dome light, then hit the brakes, the brake lights come on and the dome light will dim. However, once the engine warms up and idles normally, the alternator is charging normally. If I turn on the dome light, then hit the brakes, the dome light won't dim as much, or even at all. So basically it seems like the alternator just isn't charging as much as it should be. I'm sure you already knew about this, but just throwing it out there. Not to mention that turn signals seem to take up a lot of power (my voltmeter goes up/down 2 volts or so each time the turn signal clicks). The only thing to really do is get a new alternator, preferably one that can deal with a lot more electrical demand. As Cougar stated, do check the battery connections too. Corrosion can create electrical resistance (again, I'm sure you already know this), which would not allow the alternator to charge to the best of its abilities. I learned that the hard way. For 2-3 days, I thought my starter was bad because my car wouldn't start at all; it would only click. Then I decided to hit my positive battery terminal with a hammer, it knocked off some dried up acid, and my car started like normal. Good thing the starter is a pain in the behind to pull out, or else I probably would've unnecessarily spent $100 on a new one.

Well, thanks, mdcc2010, for making sound complicated and near impossible to do. Haha, but thanks for the info. However, you're saying factory cruise, but I'm looking to install dealer cruise. I've heard factory cruise installation requires modifying the wiring, but dealer cruise does not. I'll probably be unlucky enough to not be able to install cruise control in my car for some reason, haha. Oh well. I'll print out your tips and bring it to the junkyard tomorrow. I really wouldn't mind having you help me with this, if you can. It seems pretty simple, but I'd still appreciate the help. You should come to the Pick-N-Pull with me tomorrow if you need parts for your car. I'm gonna go up to Arlington since they have quite a few Soobs, and might hit Lynnwood on the way back if I don't find anything. Since you have pulled the setup out of your coupe, you could show me what to pull out on a junkyard car. Hahaha, man, you do love your emoticons. But yes, the Subie gods must be looking down on me this week. :-p