subenoob

Looking around I see different ECU's for 95 legacy. I've seen some that say "R4" "C9" and "2D". Mine says "2D". I take it if I get a new one it should also say 2D? Does it matter? Thanks

Yes that was engine running.

Today voltage on the yellow/blue wire was 0.18 and the yellow/violet wire next to it was 0.35/8 ish

Voltage on the yellow/blue wire at the ignitor is at around 0.06-0.09. It kinda fluctuates. Hard to believe the ECU is bad from the last time it was driven (6 months-ish) to now from just sitting. I also have noted the door locks going crazy at random times. Not all the time but sometimes...

OK wheel here's an update. Bought a coil. Didn't help I don't think. BUT.... If I take a test light, put the alligator clip on the POSITIVE of the battery, and touch the probe to the YELLOW/BLUE pulse wire at the ignitor, then remove it (essentially putting 12 volts on that wire then removing it) cylinder 1/2 misfire goes away! But only for 2-3 seconds, then those cylinders fail to fire. Touch 12v to that wire, then remove, misfire gone for 2-3 seconds. What in the hell!?!?!?!?!?! Edit**** The longer I hold 12v to that wire, the longer the misfire stays away. I held 12v to that wire for about 20 seconds and it ran great for like 35 seconds!!!

Thanks for the moral support man!! Haha I'm not yet. I'm really digging this car. Its clean, and its a wagon . I've had a thing for wagons (particularly hearses) since I can remember. I don't mind yanking the engine for a separator and seal and t-belt job, but I can't keep throwing time and money at this thing without being able to have it run right and drive etc. Gonna tinker this weekend and see what I can come up with. Might just back half it and stick a 347 ford stroker in it. I have a habit of doing stuff like that....

Ah!! Thanks for clearing that up Gloyale! I was spacing there and didn't even put 2 and 2 together there!! I'll check those 2 wires now and update. Thank you again. **update** checked yellow/violet and yellow/blue wires. Meter reads 000 on both from ignitor plug to ECU. **another update** just for poops and giggles, I checked compression. 150 exactly across the board. I also pulled the outside timing covers. Marks line up, but I can't see crank of course. Checked the teeth on the back of the cam pulley to trigger cam sensor, cleaned cam sensor. Still no spark to 1/2. I don't want to send this ole girl to the great Subaru junkyard in the sky... Oh, and this thing leaks oil like a siv. Can seals, seporator, valve covers, maybe oil pan. Engine cross member is soaked and dripping after every run. Considering cutting my losses at this point man

OK found the connector they doth pass through. Cleaned it and checked continuity on both sides of that connector to the ignitor. 000 across the board. Still no spark to cyls 1 and 2... Who needs some 95 legacy parts??? Lol that's about how I'm feeling right now

Just a quick update, while its on my mind. Thanks for the assistance Gloyale. With everything unplugged, both blue and red/green wires read 000 from the coil harness to the ignitor plug. However, pins 13/14 on my ECU are empty on the top row. The 3rd/4th from the opposite end are both yellow. I'll investigate further. Have not checked the connectors at the top of the trans. There's a bunch of them there so I'm gonna pull them all apart and clean for good measure. I'll be sure to update later this evening when she fires right up and purrs like a kitten....(a man can dream lol) Thanks again guys! Paul.

I thought that too after I posted. If the DS cover was broken, that's very close to the cam sensor. Checking if its fuel or spark will tell us a lot more. Def check the belt and timing before cranking anymore! Or your valves could be introduced to your pistons!!

Give me a carburetor any day!!! If my one of my carbed cars won't start, its fuel or spark. All easy fixes. The suby has crank sensor, cam sensor, O² sensors, MAP, MAF, coil, ignitor, timing belt, fuel pump, ECU all kinds of crap haha!!! Gimme a Rochester, a mechanical pump, and a distributor, preferably with points haha! I'm slowly moving up into the computer controlled world. Kicking and screaming tho. This 95 is the newest thing I've ever owned...

I'd def start with the basics. You need gas, spark, and compression to start it. One is missing from the equation. I DO NOT know if your model has a fuel pump shut off. I know my mustang for instance has a shut off that if the car senses impact it will kick the fuel cut off to stop fuel flow. Someone who better knows your car can weigh in on that. Do you hear the fuel pump come on when the key is turned on? If not start there. If so, do you have spark at all cylinders? Some one more surbaru knowledgeable will weigh in, but check the basics first. Fuel and spark, then you can investigate further accordingly. Paul

That's a great summary and I really appreciate it Fairtax. I know its hard to diagnose things like this over the interwebs, but I really appricate you guys trying! What your saying makes perfect sense and I understand completely now. I didn't mess with it a whole lot last night, but tonight I'm gonna try and be more precise and make a check list of what checks out good and what doesn't. Hopefully I can pinpoint this tonight. I'll be updating for sure. Thanks again Fairtax. I'll try and download that manual on the ole lady's laptop tonight. Thanks for that link. Paul

Hey Suby, thanks for the welcome! I did the exact opposite. I left communist maryland-istan for VA haha!!! I love the VAB area. Its fantastic. Nowhere else I'd rather be man. Find yourself back home, we'll drink a beer and check out what kinda work we can do on that brat!!

Edit: OK testing continuity now from the red/green at the ignitor to red/green at ECU. With the coil plugged in it reads "14". With the coil unplugged it reads "586". I'm not a whiz with these voltmeters. I only know what 2 or 3 positions do haha! What is it trying to tell me? Seems like this is not correct... ****Edit AGAIN.... Ok...im ready to send this pooperoo to the scrap yard...only kidding lol, but man is this annoying...i dunno what i did, but now when the car is running I have a pulse on blue, yellow is solid on, red is solid on. When I probe the blue it makes the engine drop RPMs for a split second, then the test light pulses. Red nor yellow have any effect...just solid on... I'm closely eyeballing the coil. I wish I could afford a new one, but I can't spend that kind of dough right now on a car I have never heard run on all 4 cylinders lol. Only 2 subies at my local pick-n-pull. A 97 and 98 Impreza and one the coil is missing the other, a bit dif than mine (male lugs for plug wires as opposed to my 95's female lugs) Just to verify. With my "el-cheapo" mutli-meter. At the coil harness, on the "200" setting (lowest) from pole 2 to 1 it reads 1.4 from pole 2 to 3 it reads 1.4. Across the plug wire lugs, on the "200k" setting (highest) 1 to 2 plug wire lugs it reads 20. Same for 3-4 lugs. Seem OK? Thanks guys, Paul.

OK, so if I probe at the ignitor on the red/green wire, with the coil plugged in, I have continuity to the red on the coil, but also the blue. This sound normal? Also the colors from the ignitor are red yellow blue, and at the coil, yellow red blue? So blue goes to blue, yellow to red, red to yellow...that seems strange to me. I thought yellow was 12V and blue and red were pulse??? This is all factory since 1995, seems weird tho.. I can't find a 95 ecu pin out, and I couldn't down the one in the link you provided Fairtax, well I could but my phone wouldn't open in. Perhaps I can try on the ole lady's iPad later. So not sure if the red with green wire I have at the ECU is the same red with green wire at the ignitor. What a mess lol thanks for bearing with me guys Paul

Thanks suby and fairtax, I was thinking ECU as a last resort, but I understand they almost never fail. I don't think the ECU is my issue here either, but if I come across a usable ECU cheap, it couldn't hurt to try. Think there's other places to trouble shoot first. I def need to take a fresh look at this after work. I was so frazzled and crosseyed looking at wiring all day yesterday, I can't recall where I did and didn't have continuity, so I need to slow down and double check everything. As a side note, the ECU pin out I'm looking at is the only I could find online, and its for a 1997 Impreza I believe. Would this jive with my 95 Legacy? Thanks again for your input guys. Paul

Thanks FairTax! I did jiggle those a little, but they do look a little grungy. That's a good place to start and rule that out. I'll open them up and clean today and do some more continuity tests and get back to you this. I hadn't considered that the red/green wire may not be the same back to the ecu, only assumed. And we know what happens when you assume lol. I'll do some more digging and church back. Thanks bud! Paul

Thanks for the welcome Olnick! Its an AWD automatic with 193k on the ticker. The price was right, that's for sure, so I said what the heck. Her aunt was the original owner, and even save the original window sticker, 17,900 I believe! It was gonna be her sons first car but he didn't want the "grandma wagon" then it developed issues and so it sat, and they got him an 07 impreza instead. Lucky me. Free superoo! Thanks again! Paul

Hey guys! I'll try and keep this short and relevant. Working on my newly acquired 1995 Legacy L AWD wagon. 193k miles, auto. So I do not have spark to the front two cylinders. I was planning new plugs and wires anyway, but these did not help. I first thought coil, but mine is testing fine with the volt meter. That brings me to the igniter. I figured that was the culprit, so I grabbed 2 used ones and a crank sensor from a local yard. However, somewhere else I saw to connect a light build between the middle 12V pole on the coil harness, the blue wire would pulse while cranking. The red wire with green stripe would not. I tried to trace the wire back to find a break all the way to the ECU to no avail. I don't think there is continuity from the red/green wire at the igniter harness to the ECM, but there is to the blue one I'm pretty sure. What gives? Is it that the red/green wire is bad? 3 bad igniters? I'm stuck and frustrated. I fancy myself a decent mechanic, but this wiring stuff isn't my strong suit. I'm not savy to computer controlled cars either which doesn't help. The car will start and run (a bit rough tho!). The CEL flashes (misfire) and I do not have a code reader, nor can I get the car to one. But I believe I have gotten close to the problem, I just need help/advice from fellow Subaru owners that know their stuff lol. Any help or input would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks guys. Paul

Hey guys! I'm Paul. I live in the VA Beach area. I just got a brand spanking new used 1995 Legacy L Wagon. The ole lady's aunt and uncle gave it to me. Clean but needs some love. I'm stuck on a weird issue that I'll start a thread about later. I'm a welder/fabricator and car restorer. This forum has been invaluable since I got my Sube so I wanted to join and say hey, and get some advise on some issues. I'm sure I'll be talking to you guys later! Paul