Cougar

You will not get a code if the resistance of the sensor is within limits. Some folks have had problems with the sensor showing the engine is always cold so it runs rich. You can see if the voltage changes across the sensor as the engine warms up. That is one way to check it. If you don't see much change in voltage as the engine wams up then the sensor isn't working correctly.

Welcome to the forum. Glad you found the switch. For the taillight problem you mentioned it sounds like the ground connection for that light assembly needs to be checked for a bad connection. With a bad ground connection the higher current of the brake light will cause a higher voltage drop across the bad ground. This will make the lower current running light go dimmer. The brake light will be dimmer than normal also.

Turbone, Have you checked to see it the coolant sensor for the ECU is working ok? This may explain the running rich trouble. For the knock sensor trouble, have you checked the wire connection resistance between the sensor and the ECU to make sure it is ok? The sensor itself may read about 500,000 ohms referenced to ground.

Then that may be ok. We need to see if the fuel pump relay is getting voltage next.

Did you remove the test plug connections under the dash or hood and still have the flashing CEL? If not, remove the connections and see if the light goes out.

The sensor may be the wrong one. Check what the resistance is of the sensor is with the lead removed and the engine is cold. Check the resistance between the lead connection and ground.

I don't have info for the Brat of that year but for the GL model the wire color is yel/grn.

First let me say, "welcome to the forum here" and hope you enjoy it. The trouble you are having is due to a bad connection somewhere alright. One place you might check for it is in the connector to the ignition switch. Some have found this kind of trouble there. You may find the connector by removing the panel under the steering column. Check to see if the voltage is ok there and look for any signs of burning at the connector.

If the CEL is on you need to count the code sequences. The ECU is most likely fine. You also need to check to see if voltage is getting through the fuel pump relay.

Make sure all the water hoses are in good shape along with the tires and belts.

If there is room to install it, installing a small heatsink behind the regulator may help save the device.

I'm sure you will like them a lot.

Thanks very much for the help Turbone. I was concentrating on the components in the picture and not the PC board. Now I understand. The burned area is a problem. The area to the right of the damage in your circle is just some glue the factory used. There looks to be at least a couple of traces along the edge of the board that have been effected by the burned board. It looks like something may have shorted the traces where the damage is. It could also be that the traces are in the middle of a shorted circuit and the resistance of the traces made that area get hot. The components on the board look ok but there may be some problem, it is hard to say just looking. Testing should be done to determine what possibly may be bad. You can cut the bad board area out and use some 30 gauge wire to bypass the bad wire trace section. Just solder each wire to the end of the traces that are in good shape. You will need to scrape the ends traces to remove the sealent over them so you can solder to them.

The SBF-4 fuse ties to the ignition switch so it is no wonder nothing works if it is blown. There are 3 main wires switched in the ignition switch and power is supplied to them through the switch by a blk/yel wire coming from the fuse. The 3 wire colors are red, blu/red, and red/yel. The red/yel wire ties to fuses in the dash and since they aren't having trouble then the other two wires are the suspect paths. The blu/red wire looks to me as the most likely path for the trouble to be on. It ties to places under the hood and tranny areas. You may be able to replace the fuse with a brake light and then see what makes the light dim when you remove various items from the circuit. When you remove the high load the light should dim some at least. This trick may not work so well since there is a lot of high current paths to check. Since there are a lot of places to check for problems you would be wise to get a service manual for the car that covers the wiring or go to the Subaru website and purchase their download service that you can use to print out what you need to cover this problem. It will be well worth the 20 dollars. You may also be able to get on the EBSCO site and download the info. Here is a link but I don't know if it will work for you. You should be able to get on it at your local library. http://arrc.epnet.com/autoasp/index.asp?sid=31850561&uid=s4772963.main.autorefctr

Using an ohmmeter to check the resistance is a very good method to see if the sensor is working as it should be. You could also watch the voltage change as the engine warmed up. If the sensor isn't working as it should be then there will be little or no change in the values. I don't have the specs for your model year but the sensor resistance may be around 300 ohms when it as normal operating temperature. There may also be about a 8 to 1 factor in the resistance when it is cold and then at operating temperature. The sensor may be about 3,500 ohms when cold.

If your picture is showing the damage I fail to see it. Everything looks ok there to me.

The light indicates the power mode for the transmission and it can come on normally when driving up a hill or under rapid acceleration. Here is the "bold print" from the manual. If this light stays on for about eight seconds or more after the ignition switch has been turned ON when starting the engine, there may be trouble with the automatic transmission control system. Be sure to have it checked at a nearby SUBARU dealer.

Excessive noise in the power buss can cause the low level signals from the sensors to be distorted and possibly intefer with the ECU also. If there is a power buss problem you possibly may be able to hear it in the AM radio tuned between stations.

You should have the alternator checked out. I suspect it is causing the problem you see with the tach.

A stuck Subaru? Truly, a rare picture.

I think is up under the dash near the steering column.

Fuse 16 should tie to a yellow wire that goes to the fuel pump relay. I would make sure that power is going through the relay contact to the pump.

Have you checked the fuse for the fuel pump and to see if there is voltage getting to the relay?

It sounds like the ECU is cutting the fuel pump off if the car only runs for a few seconds. You could check that by placing your test probe light on the ECU lead that ties to the fuel pump. Usually the ECU controls the ground side of the of pump power line. If that is the way your model is then you can place you probe between there and ground. If the light turns on when the engine cuts off then the ECU is turning off the pump for some reason. Since you aren't getting any codes then the trouble may be within the ECU.

Low or no fuel pressure will not cause the ignition to quit running but for safety reasons, the lack of ignition pulses will cause the ECU to shut down the fuel delivery system. Have you checked for any codes to help solve this problem? It sounds like there is an intermittent electrical problem in the ignition area. My first suspect to check would be the ignition relay. They can cause this trouble and this sounds like a intermittent relay problem. It could be a connector problem also. Check to see if you are getting power to the 'plus' side of the coil, with the ignition ON, while this trouble occurring. If you have no power there that may be the problem. Also make sure fuse #5 is getting power through it.