Cougar

Unless there is another amp between your unit and the speakers then the speakers should tie directly to the unit. Checking the resistance of each of the speakers like TD mentioned should tell the story.

I have a manual for a '88 model but I won't be home until Friday 5/12 to look at it.

It may be the regulator but I think some of the diodes are toasted. When some open up then you don't get all the normal output. The regulator will try to keep up with the demand but if the load becomes excessive then the voltage goes down. Either way the alternator will need work. I would recommend you get a remaufactured unit from Bosch if you can. You can replace individual parts but others things will still be used inside and will have trouble again later on. If the battery is getting fairly old it is a good idea to replace it also.

Welcome to the forum. Hope you get it going again like it should be.

Better grounding has helped some cure problems like this but I would expect if the problem was due to that then it would always be there and not just when warm. As I stated in my first post I think your problem is carbon buildup on the pistons. When the carbon gets hotter as the engine warms up then the problem occurs.

If the B/W wire you mention is not the main output wire then it is the "sense wire" for the alternator's regulator. As voltage on the line from the battery goes lower due to load on the electrical system the regulator then makes changes to the alternator output to compensate for the added load. The W/R wire is for the warning light as you stated and supplies voltage for the exciter also. If the waring light burns out then there will not be any output from the alternator. I first learned of this many years ago trying to see why a alternator wouldn't work. I finally found the bad bulb and changed it.

Along with checking the alternator clean the battery connections and check the wiring to the alternator for problems, including the fusible link.

You probably right Nipper (as usual). The electronic speedos may have come later on.

I suspect there may be a problem with alternator noise that is causing these to happen. I would see if some of the diodes have failed in the alternator by checking the AC level on the output . You may be able check the AC ripple with a good voltmeter connected to the alternator ouput lead. An oscilliscope would be best but it is harder to get. A good shop would be able to tell you if things are ok there.

I agree with Nipper about checking the inhibit switch as Subaru calls it. The problem could also be in the wiring from the ignition switch but I would check the safety switch first and is a fairly common problem. The switch is in the console area fairly near the shifter I believe. Heavy tapping around the tunnel area may help get the switch to connect.

To MAV: A common problem with these engines are leaky intake manifold gaskets. I would check that out especially if you are losing coolant and have no sign of a external leak. I would not recommend adjusting the screw on the throttle body because it is calibrated. Adjusting it only makes changes to the system that are due to other problems.

To MAV: Make sure that the coil bracket and body of the coil are clean and have good electrical contact to make a good ground to the engine. To bgd73: The heat problem sounds like it is due to a clogged heater core or the heater temperature control is not working correctly. Since the engine temp seems ok along with the coolant level those things should be good. Going to a lower temperature thermostat won't help this problem. If the engine temp reading was low I would say the thermostat is stuck open but since it appears normal that should be ok.

I think there is a relay in the circuit that may be the fault here. The thermoswitch turns on the fan relay I believe.

If you are getting shocked by touching the case of the coil this means the case ground is not good. The case of the coil needs to be grounded properly to provide the ground to the plugs. If you make sure the ground is ok it will probably fix your problem. The high voltage of the coil will try to find a path to ground want ever way it can.

If you are getting zapped like that it means there is a "leak" somewhere. You should replace the coil or wire if that is the cause. The coil needs a good ground connection to work correctly.

Since a coil can't tell one cylinder from another I doubt that changing the coil will make a difference with the missing if that is what you mean by a burp. The trouble is more likely to solved by replacing the wires or the plugs. I would recommend you stick with any line of NGKs. There have been no complaints about those plugs but there has been with Bosch using them in the Soobs. Sometimes using the Seafoam trick cures these kind of problems also. Sucking some into the intake to remove the carbon deposits.

Good deal. Thanks for the feedback.

Hang in there. If you hang around here long enough you will get things going. The lighting problem is most likely due to a faulty left side headlight relay. It also supplys power for the dash lights and that is the clue to this mystery. The power for the left headlight comes from the relay then through fuse #7. Fuse #6 is also tied to #7 and it then splits off to the dash lights. By placing a voltmeter on those fuses you will most likely see something less than 12 volts to ground. Maybe around 8 volts as a wild guess. You may be able to tap on the left relay to make it connect better or swap it with the right side relay to prove you have found the problem. The relays may be located on the right side of the steering column under the dash. There should be 4 relays in a row and I think the lighting relays are in between the blower and defogger relays. The lighting relay sockets may be black and the defogger relay socket may be blue if that will help you locate them.

Yes, there is a inhibit switch for the shifter and it could be that. You could try moving the lever around while in park to see if that changes things or try the neutral position. The switch is under the console area near the shifter. The problem may also be with the starter solenoid or the ignition switch wiring.

Check the fusible links for a bad connection. Clean the battery cables whether they look good or not.

Make sure your battery voltage is above 12 volts while you do a test. If that is okay then it sounds like there is a bad connection in the smaller accessories power wire from the battery. There may be a bad fusible link connection also so check to make sure there is very little voltage drop across the links when there is a load on line. I doubt you blower is bad. To prove it you can connect it directly to the battery using some jumper wires.

It sounds like you have the correct cylinder. The rotor turns counterclockwise I believe.

It has a switch you say. I assume you are talking about a relay and it may be bad. If you had 12 volts on the Blu wire then the problem is within the control unit or the ECU which controls the FPCU I think. One other thing to check is the spark. If the system is not generating a spark then it may shut the pump down for safety reasons.

The connectors are usually under the dash as was mentioned or about in the same area under the hood or bonnet as the mates down under may call it.

Before you get carried away with the FPCU, have you checked the voltage on wires that I mentioned earlier? I still suspect you have a relay problem and not a FPCU problem.