Cougar

You could force the pump to turn on by manually grounding the return side of the pump power leads but that would defeat the pump shutdown circuit safety feature, like the others have previously stated. If you are having problems getting the engine started then like GD stated, check for codes that may provide more clues to the trouble. If you aren't seeing any codes then try spraying some starter fluid into the intake and see if that gets the engine running. If that works then you need to see what is going on with the fuel delivery system. You know the pump is working at least since it turns on initially with the key on. A blown fuse to the injectors could cause the problem.

As long as the pigtail wire is at least 12 gauge wire I would think you would be ok.

Very good troubleshooting Pamike. The Main Relay should be under the dash on the far left side near the top. Look for a brown 6 pin socket the relay plugs into.

Well I think it is safe to say the other unit is bad and hopefully the store will exchange it for another one. You have proven it is bad. The one now in the car might have some damaged diodes since the output voltage is a little on the low side. I would like to see between 14 and 14.8 volts at high idle. At least it is working well enough to get you by. As far as having the shop rebuild one you should watch the costs of doing that. Sometimes it can be more than buying a remanufactured unit.

Good deal. Thanks for the update.

Disconnect the wires on the back side of the alternator and then see if there is still voltage getting to the IAC valve. If the voltage is now gone then replace the alternator, it has a diode problem.

You shouldn't need a special crimp tool for the smaller power wire. You would need one for the large wires. Like the others stated, soldering the connection is a sure way to make sure the connection is good.

You should be able to still use the older smaller wires and splice them into the new main cables that they provided a splice connector for. Just make sure you crimp the connections well. If you need to cut out some damaged wire you can splice in some new wire of the same gauge to replace the damaged wire and get the length you need. Placing heat shrink over the splice connections or doing a good tape job over them would be good to do also. Adding splices to a power wire isn't ideal but it isn't any problem if they are done correctly and can save time and money.

I agree with Gloyale. There is most likely a circuit problem rather than a bad new sensor issue. It would help to know what the code was. If it talks about a circuit issue then the wires to the ECU need to be checked along with the connection to the sensor.

The voltage readings seem pretty normal to me though maybe slightly on the low end. It would be nice to know what the battery voltage is while the engine is running around 1,500 RPM while the lights and blower are on full.

This thread is helping a lot of folks. Maybe it should become a sticky.

You should verify that the coil is getting power to it while the trouble is occuring. There may be a intermittent connection problem and the other coil may have really been ok. Power to the ignition system should always be checked first when the ignition system doesn't work.

Very nice looking Loyale WASHroad. That is a real buy for the price you paid for it. Somebody did a major restoration on it.

If the solenoid circuit is supposed to be active and it isn't turning on due to a problem with the ground return for the circuit inside the ECU then the ECU will have to be replaced.

After going back and reading the first few posts I see it was Gloyale that first called the bad diode. So hats off to Gloyale on that good call. The alternater does provide a backfeed voltage on the lamp lead when it is working. That is what turns off the warning light when things are working correctly. I can't remember how things are tied together exactly but if I remember correctly I think fuse 12 protects the circuitry tied to the ignition switch so the fuse is tied between the switch and the rest of the circuitry. I may be wrong about that though. It has been a while since I have looked at that area and that old of car.

If you did measure the voltage on the b/r while the light was tied to the wires you would have seen basically the same 12 volts you saw on the other side of the load. Like you stated, the return or ground side of the circuit isn't going to ground inside the ECU so no current can flow and cause a voltage drop across the load. There is either a problem with the ECU or the circuit isn't turned on. If you are sure the circuit should be turned on then the ECU has a bad driver for that function.

You're welcome for the help. This was a pretty good one. Naru called it well.

You should be able to replace the diode with something like a common 1N4002 diode.

I think I see what you are getting at Naru. Current from the alternator is backflowing through a shorted diode in the cluster and providing the ignition circuit enough power to still work, even with the warning lamp may be in series with the circuit. Is that basically your thought?

Thanks for the info Gloyale. I thought all the EA-81 models had external regulators. If there is no external regulator then replacing the alternator is in order, unless the OP wants to service the installed one. Do you concur doctor?

A bad ground won't cause this kind of trouble. The problem is due to power getting to the ignition system while the ignition switch is turned off. As far as I know, the only way that can happen is a path through the regulator due to stuck relay contacts. You may be doing yourself a favor if you try disconnecting the voltage regulator to see if that kills the engine. If it does you know what you need to replace. A simple test that will most likely save you time and money. The ignition switch could be internally shorted and cause the trouble also but I doubt it is.

Many folks mistake a bad fuse for a good one on the first check. Glad you found the trouble.

Someone else had the same thing happen to them. It turned out to be a problem inside the voltage regulator. The contacts stuck closed and that made a bridge to power even though the ignition switch was turned OFF. You might try tapping the VR like he did to clear the trouble. Here is a link you can refer to on this. Post #33 details the fix. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=130805&page=4

The 81s do use an external VR. They can't be used on the newer 82 models which have an internal regulator.

Your testing shows the external wire connections are good but that has nothing to do with the internal operation of the alternator. I believe it is bad. If you have a spare one I suggest you put it in the car to try and confirm it.