Bushwick

Went back and did more testing while waiting on response. In the row of 4 relays for AC, far right (no. 4) is for compressor. If I pull it out and wait 10 seconds, fans kick on and idle kicks up. If I reinsert the compressor relay, within 5 seconds everything kicks off. Remove compressor relay again and like before, everything kicks on. If I leave compressor relay OUT, everything will stay on. I've even tried jumping sensor on the can again and same deal. Tried jumping compressor directly with 14v (running voltage) and same deal. Everything will run briefly, then kick off minus compressor which'll nearly stall engine. Still sound like this thermal switch? Or does this sound like the ECM? How the hell does it know it's even running if I'm bypassing everything? Anyone?

OK, with glove box door removed and looking at the blower motor assembly, where exactly is the sensor behind the motor? Up top? or near back. I can feel the condenser core if I force hand up there. Also, what's best way to remove the blower assembly? Anything to watch out for? Like little itty bitty springs that pop out if you aren't careful? Also, if blower motor is out, how can I check operation of AC engagement?

I went ahead and did a 2nd drain/refill using the turkey baster method and fluid that came out was same color as fresh going in, so take away from that what you will. So long as you add enough fresh fluid to at least cover 2nd filter after initial fluid extraction and work wheel to get fluid in lines to mix with fresh, it'll save time and you don't have to worry about removing lines or messing with the belt. Nothing needed unbolted or messed with either and took less than 15 minutes including the cleaning of 2nd filter. The 2nd filter at bottom of reservoir IS worth removing and either replacing or cleaning out debris. It had something like a 15% blockage. To remove 2nd filter you need a pair of needle nose pliers and optionally a 90 degree pick. Use the pick or pliers to carefully pull up on the pin that runs through base of filter. Use pick or pliers to get filter off base, and fish it out (using pick you can catch a hole the pin feeds through and carefully lift up; if you use pliers, be extra careful not to grab the filter material and ripit or pull it away from the plastic). Use pliers to fish out pin. Used a can of carb cleaner with plastic hose attached and carefully worked tip of hose against inner wall of filter element while spraying at same time. It dislodged almost all of the debris blowing it outward. Then rinsed with water and hand dried. Use pliers to get filter back on base, then use a straight pick to align the holes, then carefully use pliers to reinsert pin. Just takes patience but very easy to do. Again, well worth the effort. Car feels and handles like a new car now and throw a big smile on face given how smooth steering is. Noticed MPG increased by a small amount too and it seems to accelerate with more authority. Only theory is the pump isn't working as hard and thus isn't creating as much parasitic drag. With 130hp at crank engine, it doesn't take much to notice a free hp or two.

No problem. Took it out for a 35 mile trip in mostly suburban back roads and it felt so much better. Car and steering felt lighter and more responsive. Steering effort was consistent throughout it's range left/right. Car even felt peppier off the line though only thing I could think of there is the pump isn't being as parasitic with fresh fluid. In lieu of the "proper" procedure, just pulling the fluid out with suction seemed to work fine just don't let dirt get in or on baster tip. I'll wait a bit after more driving and do a second fluid removal with baster and compare against fresh fluid and see if it's much darker or not. Should give an indication of how much old fluid was left behind. Make sure your filter basket that just sits in the filler opening when removed isn't damaged, that the mesh is still attached and not clogged. Can carefully rinse it and dry it off. Make sure any bits of dirt aren't left behind either, so flip cap upside down and carefully remove cap rubber o-ring with small screw driver and wipe off grime. Mine wasn't rotted so flipped it over and reinserted with fresh side making seal. If you can find a new filter, probably best to replace. There's a 2nd filter at the bottom of reservoir that looks like a pain to get at. Maybe need needle nose pliers? If it's clogged, be careful removing it. Definitely worth 30 minutes and $8 for new fluid if the car feels normal. It was a slow and gradual decline in effort from purchasing to being like the rack was dying. Save yourself the headache and be proactive. I also suggest splurging and dropping an extra $2-4 for a better quality fluid vs. just generic.

Well, least they aren't like late 90's Dodge trucks. Those things seem like they were too small for intended purpose or dryout as that's a common failure. Went and looked at a 4x4 Durango (before settling on the Legacy) as a winter vehicle and the seller failed to mention the steering u-joints were shot. Took it for a drive and there was nearly 12 o' clock to 3 o' clock play with steering wheel. Never seen anything it like before.

Refrigerant has been added. When charging, it's in the correct range then everything just shuts off; fans, clutch, and idle. Dunno if low would cause that. Going to mess with it tomorrow.

I didn't see one when jumping the connector but wasn't really looking. Will check for it. Which relay are you talking about and why/how would I jump it? One of the 4 in a line in the underhood fuse box? Looking at the 4 relays from driver-side fender, far left being 1, it was getting hotter than the other 3. Pulling it disengages the driver side radiator fan. But all 4 have same part number so swapped it with others and no change.

Yeah, thought for certain it was a mechanical issue. So odd it didn't get bad until immediately after alignment. But since it's less effort now than when first bought, it must have been purely coincidental the slow to return started immediately after, then roughly a little over a week later it started catching. Surprised mechanic didn't say anything. Though when he was done and saying everything was OK, he said there was "something" but had forgotten what. Figured it was minor and dismissed it. Guess this was that something. Haven't looked, but if you are suggesting WD40 or PB, it must not have grease fittings then. Next time hood is up, I'll have to mash some axle grease into the u-joint area as a preventative. Hope bringing this topic up helps someone in the future. These are the types of issues if you were take to the wrong mechanic they'd have you over their knee for a $1500 rack replacement + hourly charges

Thanks for a quick reply. Never know if someone died or gave up. Though usually it means they fixed/replaced whatever the last thing they were going to check was and forgot to update it worked. Going through a similar issue where mine runs everything then shuts everything off randomly. 95' Wagon L. Thinking it might be leading up to what caused yours to fail. Oh well, it'll get straightened.

I'll check the unit tomorrow. Wondering if the ground he didn't have might be intermittently weak on mine (leading up to his scenario). Since everything is either on/off at the same time i.e. fans and compressor kicking on/off at once along with idle, it sounds like it might be ground or the 12v+ referenced below: "12v applied to ECU pin 60 does three things 1. command the ac relay control to ground 2. commands AC sub-fans to ON 3. commands IACV to raise idle speed to compensate for compressor drag" One more thing Fairtax, you mentioned "tricky". Is it really fragile or do you need be a contortionist to get at it w/o removing the entire dash? Just pop glove box door and reach for it? Or does something have to come out?

Was this ever fixed? Hate seeing teased out threads with no results :'(

Thank you. Going to check the thread now.

I've actually had 2 cats get ruined over the years from fuel additives that even stated they were "cat safe". Both were Fords and both had the honeycomb melted so EGT apparently got way too hot. Both ran fine and were in correct running order prior. As far as water in gas goes, maybe that's a regional thing though Ohio gets below freezing winters (down to 0 sub 10's) with negative wind chills and occasional -5 and very humid summers, and water in tank never occurred for me. After hundreds of thousands of miles and more cars owned than I could even remember off the top of my head, none ever needed additives. Fuel additives used were supposed to boost octane IIRC. For water in tanks, they sell products specifically to remove that. Throttle body can get a little gunky over time. So definitely worth inspecting and cleaning any build up. Just try and avoid anything dropping down in. Fuel injectors, if actually clogged, should be removed and cleaned or replaced. But since your plugs were actually black sooted, that means too much fuel. With a vacuum leak like you had, that can cause that. Other vacuum leaks can cause too lean conditions which is worse. Your cat, O2 sensors, etc. are most definitely fouled. If idle doesn't clear up after 50 miles and a battery reset, might want to connect a vacuum gauge to an intake nipple after car is fully warmed up and report the readings. It can actually tell you a lot like if the cat is clogged (or melted and restricting partial flow), leaks, etc.

Interesting. Turkey baster was clear as was water bottle used. Didn't see any black in mine. Maybe it was the varnish Fairtax mentioned. I know trans pans get it on their inner surfaces, but that's always been silverish in my experiences. Did you notice any effort difference in yours after changing?

Low pressure line was very cold, but no frost. It was in the mid/upper 70's today. That wouldn't account for it not kicking on prior when it was in the upper 80's. Car had been sitting a day or 2 when that happened. I tried decreasing amount and the compressor kicking on got worse, so added a small can until it matched with temps. Any idea what you typed in your thread's header so I can find it easier? Also, does the thermal amplifier wiring exit to engine compartment? Or does it stay under the dash and connect directly to ECM? What's it purpose? Some sort of line heater?

Just too many horror stories out there. Would hate for him to put something in that shouldn't be and making matters worse. Sorry if it came across like an attack. Some carbon build up is normal and really can't be prevented. Giving any car a good thrashing with a heavy foot getting on a highway ramp usually removes piston and valve build up.

It was Dexron. Smelled like it, looked like it. Was just stating it didn't stink as bad as when it's burnt in a trans but still had that old trans fluid smell. 20 year old car with 180k miles it's bound to need changed eventually. PO only took it to dealer.

It was black? Was it actual Dexron or something else?

Compressor just has 1 wire. Pressure switch on the receiver drier only has one wire in/out. I pulled the connector off that and jumped it with a short wire section. AC still cut on/off like it had been. Evaporator core is the radiator thing up front, right? Where's that sensor at? I don't see any wires feeding around it. I have a gauge that reads the low side pressure with ambient temps listed on face and adjustable dial. When AC is on and charging, it's right at the temp and within range. Revving the engine to near the cut-off, pressure drops out of that range. When AC kicks off, pressure goes higher than that range. But when AC compressor is actually on, it's within that range.

Don't start adding "sea foam" or other BS until you get the car running correctly less you want more headaches. TBH, I never use snake oil and cars run fine. NEVER add anything to the engine oil. NEVER add anything to fuel either (unless it's sub zero). It's not needed and secondhand "it worked great for me" shouldn't be relied upon. If you have carbon build up, use the throttle more. The photo of the exhaust spit was water. Good news it means your cat is working and it's normal to see that after you start your car. In the morning watch other cars and you'll see them spitting water out the tailpipe. It's part of the process. After you reattached the vacuum line, did you disconnect the battery neg (-) to reset the ECM? If not, do so for 30 seconds. Reattach and start car. If it'll stay running, go take it for a drive on the highway and run the piss out of it. Put it in "3" so it pulls out of OD and you'll turn a higher RPM. Drive it at 70 to get rpms up. It appears it ran rich for too long from the broken vacuum line, and some sensors are fouled. As long as air filter, fuel filter, oil level, CPS, etc. are OK, and you can keep it running, give it a good thrashing to remove the deposits. Years ago I had a 92' SHO. It ran just like yours, but on occasion it'd clear up and run OK. Then cut out and and eventually wouldn't start. Spent 3 months towing it to a shop and leaving it with them for weeks on end. It supposedly wouldn't act up, or they'd change a cam sensor, drive it a few days, then say it was fixed. Would go and pick up, get a mile down the road and it act up. After getting furious I broke down and took it to Ford. Within a day they called and said the CPS wiring was rubbing against the crank pulley, causing a random grounding that would short out. Replaced it and when I went to get to it, the mechanic stated the same thing I told you. He said to run the piss out of it. That it had been running too rich and fouled out a bunch of sensors. That really running it good for 50 miles would clear it out. TBH, I thought he was full of it and couldn't believe what he was saying, but figured he was a Ford mechanic and lying wouldn't make any sense. Once I started the car and drove it out of there, it was running rough but was at least running. Ran it for the 50 miles like he stated and all was fine. Follow the advice and report back in 50 miles. If it can't make 50 miles, make sure the plug wires are in correct order, check your ignition coil, get it scanned again for codes if CEL comes back on. Also check ALL vacuum lines. They can harden at bends and rot on in spots of long sections or split. $10 and 30 minutes can get you all new vacuum lines.

Yeah, don't rely on fluid level either. Mine was correct and had stayed at the same level for the almost 2 years since buying. It was a dark red with an odor that's different. Not as pungent as when fluid goes bad in a trans, but nowhere near what new fluid smells like. Suppose in lieu of a turkey baster, disconnect a line and let it drain out. Double-check your manual as I'm not sure if they went to a different fluid at a later point or not. Maybe someone more knowledgeable knows. 95' was calling for Dexron II or Dexron IIE. I remember working at a trans shop in the late 90's and SO many GM cars came in at 70-100k miles with destroyed trans and fluid smelling like a perm (perm being what people used to do to their hair in the 80's). Makes sense old fluid in the power steering pumps would degrade similarly over time. Steering is just so smooth now. Hard to believe old fluid could negatively impact like that. Think it used around 16 ounces. Bottle used for old fluid was 16.9 (IIRC) and it was full. So one quart will be more than enough to dilute what's in the lines and fill up thereafter.

Have an issue with the AC in a 95' Legacy that I can't quite figure out. It's been refilled with 134a and is within the correct range when charging for outside temps. Problem is compressor is randomly engaging and disengaging at idle, and when hot out it might not even engage at all though that's rarer. Both fans are kicking on with the AC. If you pull the AC relay in far left of the row of 4 AC labeled relays, driver side fan shuts off and the odds of AC staying on just increased to almost 90%. I tried pulling each relay when AC is charging just to see if any of them were faulty and they appear OK. I ruled out the sensor on top of the aluminum can that's up against passenger corner of firewall by pulling connector off and jumping it. To be clear, AC and both fans kick on, might run 30 seconds, then both AC and fans kick off. Sometimes it'll kick back on immediately, after 5-10 seconds, or maybe minutes later. HOT weather like in upper 80's, it might not even come on. Last time that happened drove several miles and AC never came on. When AC is on, it's very cold. Also, revving at idle above a certain point will kick unit off correctly. Any other sensors directly connected to AC that might be worth inspecting? I can't find any other than the one threaded into top of the can mentioned above. Maybe a faulty temp sensor somewhere?

About 2 weeks ago had 4 new tires installed and an alignment done. I'd already bought new tie-rods (inner and outer) so had the shop install them at same time as alignment, along with new rack boots (they raked me over the coals installing customer parts but it needed to be done) Almost immediately I noticed the steering wheel wasn't returning to center as easily, and seemed to stay where you turned the steering wheel i.e. make a turn or change lanes and it'd stay pointed where you left it. A few days ago I noticed it felt like it was getting harder to turn and even noticed on light left turns like changing lanes, it'd "stick" after turning wheel lightly in the same spot, like it went from power assist to a dead spot or like something was physically hanging or blocking the rack's movement. Started fearing the worse and thought maybe the rack was dying, and also thought the guy might have tightened something too much along with maybe having the wheels pointing out at the front. Fluid checked out, nothing was visually amiss either. Decided to go ahead and change the power steering fluid anyways just to rule that out. Bought a turkey baster and grabbed an empty bottle, removed the power steering reservoir filter (looks like a giant fuel filter for those inline see-thru fuel filters carb'd cars used to run) then removed all the fluid. Added some new fluid until 2nd bottom filter was covered, reinstalled filter and cap, started car and worked wheel, shut off, then went back to removing fluid again. This extra step helped pull out OLD fluid in the lines as the small amount of new fluid added was a dark red now when it was extracted. After all old fluid was out, refilled with Castrol Dexron VI which mentions being a substitute for II and IIE where other brands only mentioned II. Probably not a big a deal, but would hate for there to be IIE in there and add something that wouldn't bond with it. Made a mistake as a teen and it ruined the power steering pump. To be honest, wasn't expecting much but figured it was worth a shot. Drove it 2 miles and immediately noticed steering effort decreased by at least 65%! Couldn't believe it. I'd noticed when I originally bought the car, it's steering effort was harder than my Saab 9-3's, but without having another Subaru to compare against, couldn't tell if it was normal or not. Anyways, after the 2 miles it just kept getting better. Effort is very light and smooth, and returns now. The old fluid was a darker red, but didn't stink like it does when in a trans and passed it's service range. The steering finally feels correct and was so relieved it wasn't the pump or rack going out. Figured this was worth sharing as a $10 turkey baster and $8 bottle of decent trans fluid completely revitalized the steering in my 95' Legacy. If you are still running original fluid and have a ton of miles or it's obviously old, REPLACE the fluid. You'll be glad you did, and you might buy a little more time with what's there and might event prevent a failure.

Could be a number of things like rodent damage, fuse, etc.. Only time my went from running to parking in a store parking lot, 15 minutes later no start, was the fusible link in the fuse box in engine compartment failed but was still touching so it's a miracle it didn't manifest earlier. I jumped it to get home. Pop fuse cover to box in engine compartment and check the upside down " U " wire for breaks. I ended up going to parts store and buying a generic fusible link wire. First one (black) was too thin apparently and got hot after a couple minutes running. Went back and got grey one instead. I reused the factory spades as they are high quality and might even be stainless. Used a pick to reopen the crimps then soldered it for extra measure. Year later and it hasn't hardened nor gotten hot. Very important to re-check periodically.

P1443 Check the evap system and look for rusted filler tube. P0420 Check your O2 wiring and check the ohms of the O2 sensor. Check preheater and element. Google how-tos. Check MAF sensor. Check plug wires and spark plugs. If wires are 5 year old, just replace. New plugs should be done routinely anyways. Check ignition coil. All these things can throw that type of code. Also, if the 1443 IS a short circuit, it could be causing the 420 code.