Cougar

Another thing to check for is a bad connection with the fusible links. Mine were in a plastic box mounted on the coolant reservoir. The AC problem sounds like there may be a wiring connection problem also.

The ground connection for the fuel pump is most likely controlled by the ECU. I had the problem with a couple of ECUs for my '88 GL-10. It turned out, the same driver transistor in both of the units had failed.

Nice ride. I like the Baja's design also.

Thanks for keeping me straight Skip. I was thinking the disty was tied direct to the coil like a set of points would be. The memory is going.

The signal is generated by the pickup in the distributor, not the ECU. If you have the transistor also make sure it is grounded well and works.

Check the minus side of the coil with a test light while you crank the engine. You should see a pulsing light. If the light is on and not pulsing then there is a problem with the pick up loop in the distributor. If the light is not on at all then you need to see why no power is getting to the coil. Check the positive side and if there is power there, then the coil is open.

Here are some things to check. Problem: 1. I have heard of problems with the screws near the map light severing the wire to the dome light. 2. The blower fan resistors that control the fan speed may be bad. These are usually near the blower in the ducting. Look for a wire connector from the motor to the resistors. 3. The washer nozzles may be plugged with wax or other debris. Try clearing them with a pin or small strand of wire.

To Subaru_Dude: Your problem may be with the grounding. You could try using a ground jumper lead to prove it. Just get a long wire with some clip leads on each end and tie one end to the battery ground or other spot you know is a good groung point. Then touch the other end to the light ground lead. If the light then works you know you need to fix the grounding. Having a test light probe would be helpful also to check for voltage.

After looking at my '88 manual some more it appears that the red fusible link supplies power to the lighting relays. Fuses 4,7, & 8 are in the circuit also.

I edited my lasy post about the link positions.

When a link is blown it is usually more flexable in the middle because the wire inside has melted and it will strech. If they get hot enough they will be burned in the middle. You can also use a meter to check the voltage on each side of the link or pull it out and ohm it out. There should be 4 links and if I remember correctly there should be 1 black, 2 green, and 1 red. I'm not sure of the positions but it may be the black is closest to the driver, then 1 green followed by the red one, and then the other green one towards the front. This is only a guess and using a manual for reference. I think a couple of the links are in the alternator circuit.

I would also say check your alternator as it seems the regulator in it has failed. As was suggested, look at the fusible links which are on the coolant resevoir in a black plastic box.

Have you checked for an intake manifold leak after it has warmed up?

Another thing to check out if you overheat would be the radiator. If this is the original unit then it may be partially clogged and need to replace it. A clogged radiator won't be as effiecent in cooling as a new one.

I would recommend you use genuine Subaru gaskets and especially for the head if you do a reseal job. There are a number of places you can get discount parts from. Here is a link to one of them. I haven't purchased anything from them myself so you should do some shopping before you buy. https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/index.php Check the headlights to make sure they are not just worn out. A ohmmeter will do the job or a set of power jumper leads. If the lights are ok then the problem may be at the switch area. The switch makes a ground connection to turn the lights on I think. I am going by what later models do to turn the lights on.

Do you know what the temperature rating of the new themostat is? It sounds like you put in a 195 degree unit.

What did they charge you for it, and is it a new or rebuilt one?

I would first try to see if I could try to pin down the problem cylinder by pulling the plug wires one at a time while the problem is happening. The one that makes the least change woould be the one to look at. Replacing the plugs may be a good thing to do and use NGK if they aren't already. A faulty injector may be the cause also.

Don't feel bad, we all have been there. Glad you found the culprit and your welcome for the help. Steveman09 nailed it.

The brake warning light may be tied into the field circuit of the alternator. I know this was done on the earlier versions which had several of the warning lights tied into the circuit.

Your welcome for the help.

I am pretty lame when it comes to knowing the different engine designations sorry to say but I am slowly learning. CHIM, since the problem happened all of a sudden after you started it up, it could be a problem with the wiring to the MAF or TPS. Before you check the wiring, another thing it may be is the coolant temperature sensor that tells the ECU how warm the engine is. The sensor is different from the dash gauge sensor. The sensor for the ECU may have 2 wires going to it instead of one. I'm not sure what the resistance table of the sensor should be but that would be worth looking at. I have heard of these sensors failing and causing the engine to run rich.

I agree with the other posters about the MAF and TPS being possibilities now that we know this engine is injected. I would also include the injector as a suspect. You changed the MAF and that was no help. There may be a wiring problem to the MAF but you would think that would generate a code. If the TPS is ok I would check the injector next. It would be interesting to look at the injector signal with a scope to see what the signal looks like.

Your going to look pretty hot driving those wheels.

If you have a carburator on this engine I would check that.