MR_Loyale

Recently while researching backup cameras on Amazon, included in the search list was something called the XD-066 LED Display Car Reverse Backup Radar with 4 Parking Sensors. Intrigued, I clicked the link to learn more about this "backup radar". As it turns out, it is not radar at all, but rather sonar. Radar uses radio waves whereas sonar uses sound waves. The XD-066 Auto sonar uses ultrasonic sound waves via 40Khz transponders (four of them) embedded into the bumper to determine the distance of any object within 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) of the rear bumper. It is activated when the car is put into reverse and an obstruction is within the 8.2 ft (2.5 meter) maximum range. Then as you backup it displays the distance in .1 meter increments. It has a green, yellow, red progressive led display warning system that as you get closer to the object, it begins dinging the bell more rapidly the closer you get. In this way you get both visual and audio clues as to your distance from an object. Since I am planning on a backup camera in the future, a sonar giving the exact distance to an obstruction might be a good compliment to the backup camera. I already had my backseat out for other projects requiring hidden wire runs, so one more wasn't a big deal. And for 24 bucks (available for about $14 now), I could hardly go wrong if it was a dud. What You Get Installation diagram Video of Sonar in Action Drilling the Bumper This project requires you to drill holes in your bumper. Not just teensy holes but darn near quarter sized holes. If you are considering doing this project, you should think long and hard how you feel about holes being drilled in your bumper because once you start drilling, there is no going back. Oh sure, you could put some sort of filler in there, but it would look like hell. Once you have made the mental commitment to drill into your bumper, you need to plan out how to dril it. You don't need a special drill bit, just the one that comes with the kit. It will easily drill through the plastic bumper fascia and into the styrofoam. However unlike professional hole style bits that include vent holes for removing the material that gets stuck in the hole saw, this drill bit will require you to pry the material for each hole frequently as it is a shallow depth hole saw and not deep enough to go all the way through in a single pass. Before you drill, you want to layout where each of the four holes will go. They should be equidistant from the center of the bumper. First, layout masking tape across the bumper at the height you will be drilling. The instructions caution that the sensors should be positioned parallel to the ground so the face of each sensor sits at 90 degrees. You don't want any tilt in the sensors or they will be off in their measurements. Consult the included instructions for more information. On my bumper I chose just below the crease line because it is almost vertical and there is a good reference in the crease line so that it will layout level in the horizontal. The Horizontal spacing begins by finding the center of the bumper and marking that on the masking tape. Now you need to position the mark for one of the outer sensors. It should be around 4-6 inches from the end of the bumper so there is good coverage. Too far towards the center and you won't be able to detect objects near the edge of the bumper. Too close to the end of the bumper and you will always detect things on the side rear of the car. Once you have made the mark for one of the end sensors, the rest are easy. The other end sensor is placed at the same distance from the center as the first end sensor you just mark. Then the remaining two sensors are simply put at half that distance on each side of the center mark. Once you have the holes drilled, you will need to remove the bumper and disassemble in order to properly route the wires. This is because it is necessary to create channels in the styrofoam behind the plastic of the bumper. Disconnect the license plate light wire from the connector inside the sedan trunk. Pull the grommet and wire out of the trunk gently so you don't damage the wire. Then remove the three bolts on the left and right side frame mounts that hold the bumper on as shown: Slide the bumper back off the car. It might be helpful to have someone else help you with this. Disassemble the bumper by removing the two screws holding on the lamp assembly (5 in fig 1). Remove screws on the lower holder (6 in fig 1). Remove nuts on the upper holder (2 in fig 1). Remove the rear beam (1 in fig 1). Lift the lip holding the upper holder against the E/A forms and lift them out. Figure 1. Loyale Sedan Rear Bumper You need to create channels in the E/A form (styrofoam halves) so the wires are not pinching on the rear beam. I used a U bolt that I heated with a propane torch and then pushed into the styrofoam as if branding them. Create channels that guide the wires towards the center of the bumper. Mount the E/A form back to the bumper face and tuck it under the upper holder to keep it in place. feed the sensors through the bumper face and route the wires into the chanels you create. Tape over the channels to keep the sensor wires from getting pinched when mounting the beam. Gather the wires and tuck away under license plate mount to keep them from being pinched. Mount the beam and run sensor wires through hole in beam where the lamp assembly wire was routed. Tape the sensor wires using electrical tape to keep them together. Mount the lamp assembly and mount the bumper on the car. You will need someplace to pass the sensor wires into the trunk. I used the trunk key hole drip tube grommet. I slit it on one side to allow fitting around the sensor wires for a nice seal. Mount The Display In the instructions they give you two options for the tiny half moon digital distance display - one the dash and on the rear view mirror. I chose the mirror. Decide where you want the display mounted and then run the wire to back end of the car under the door jamb trim panels. Mount The Control Unit All of the cords, the display, power and four sensor wires connect to the control unit. Figure out where you will mount the control unit. Because I ran my wires down the left jamb, I placed mine on the back of the left backup light housing as shown below: Connect Power Power consists of a ground and the reverse light connection. If you are not sure which wire is the reverse light wire, then use a test light on the wires. Testing Now try it out by putting the car in reverse. You should see the display light up, If the car is within 8.2 ft of something, a number will display along with the appropriate bar graph and chime alarm sounds. As you gradually get closer, you will see the digital number decrease, the dinging rate increases the closer you get to the object. I have found zero to leave me about 3 inches from an object. Installation Videos

If it is any consolation, even a dealer can screw up an oil change. Had this happen to me. Got it back with no oil in the engine. The negative experience is as much a lesson as the positive ones. Half my life's in book's written pages Live and learn from fools and from sages You know it's true ...

I saw one just like yours today on first ave heading up marion. I liked it. Congrats.

That's only if it is in gear.

Wow. I would never have thought of a battery cable going bad like that! Thanks for sharing. Looks like another thing to note in a checklist if I ever experience something like that.

Call a transmission repair shop and ask them how it should behave in park.

Sorry dude, you are incorrect. BRZ are frameless:

You ar right to be concerned. The dealer is full of feces. There are several things you can do: 1) Go back to the dealer, tell them they will fix it or you will file a complaint with the better business bureau, your state attorney general and the The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), an office within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Don't just threaten, be prepared to follow through. Here is the link for NHTSA: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ In fact even if they do fix it, it should be reported so others who may not know yet will get it fixed too. 2) Does your state have a Lemon Law? Tell the dealer they will get the car back under the Lemon Law (be sure to know if your state has one or not). 3) Call Subaru's national number. It should be in your owners manual. Tell them you will file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if they don't fix the issue. Also tell them if the car rolls over a toddler or old lady, they are liable for murder. Let us know how they respond.

POR has a product called WhiteCote ( http://www.por15.com/WHITECOTE/productinfo/WCG/ )that from what I can tell is the same as the black except for the color. I am going to try it out on my white iron hand rail for my house next weekend. But I also am wondering if it will work for spot rust on my White Loyale. The type of rust I am talking about is the small spot rust beginnings as shown in the pic below (see label RUST) I have this all over the inside of my trunk. If I use POR 15 do I have to take it to bare metal or just scuff it? I appreciate advice from those who have actually used the POR 15 product, even if it is the black stuff. Thanks.

I am curious how the BRZ Remote Start feature works in the manual version. I know that in aftermarket remote start systems, you need to go through a "reservation" procedure for manual transmission vehicles when you shut off your car in order to be able to remote start. I think the general procedure in aftermarket is something like while car is running, put in neutral, set EBrake, remove key while leaving running, lock doors and system shuts car off automatically. What is the procedure in the BRZ remote start?

My Loyale sedan model didn't come with an automatic trunk release. Oh sure I have the lever on the driver side. But that is still a cable manually releasing the trunk lock. After having added the LED trunk lights to my Loyale sedan, I decided I wanted to do something more. Then I came across an offer on Amazon for a trunk pop solenoid kit for less than $15 and figured why not? It will make a nice addition to the car and if at a later date I decide I want to add keyless entry, they usually have a function for popping the trunk. If I decide to go that route, this trunk pop project will already be done. Adding a trunk pop solenoid is a fairly easy job. Basically you have a solenoid with a cable that is connected to the latch that opens the trunk. When a button is pressed, a current passes through the solenoid and it pulls on a plunger, much like a doorbell mechanism however instead of pushing something forward, the trunk pop solenoid pulls a cable that trips the trunk release mechanism. I chose the Directed Electronic 522T trunk release solenoid kit. It comes with the solenoid, wires, fuse and a yellow button with a trunk symbol molded into it. The image below shows all you get: If you think at some point you might want to add a keyless entry system and wire in a trunk pop function, you will also need a relay so that you can have a control signal rather than a drive signal. Most keyless entry systems will offer an output of 250ma (milliamps) maximum. This is not enough current to drive the solenoid that pops the trunk. Therefore, a relay is needed to control the solenoid circuit. This is the option I chose. Mounting the solenoid Although there are brackets that come with the 522T kit, you don't really need them. Why drill holes in your car if you can avoid it? The solenoid itself is the right size to tuck in between the lip of the trunk and the right brake light housing. The advantage here is that while it is snug, it is also easily removable for servicing. The picture below shows the solenoid in position: Connecting The Cable The next thing needed is to connect the cable coming out of the solenoid to the trunk lock release latch. I found it easiest to follow the trunk key rod to where it attaches to the trunk lock mechanism and connect the cable there. This means drilling a hole in the release lever and threading the cable through and securing the loop with the cable lock screw that came with the kit. The steps are shown below: Start at the trunk lock rod just behind the keyhole. Rotate the retainter clip down so the rod can be released. Remove the rod from the key hole lever. Now undo the two bolts (A) holding the latch inside the trunk as shown below. Also, you will need to remove the bolt ( holding the trunk release cable: You can now remove the latch mechanism from the mount. Disconnect the release cable and slide the key lock connecting rod out through the mount along with the complete latch assembly. While it is out of the car, clean and lubricate the mechanism for optimum performance. You will need to drill a hole in the release lever that the key rod is connected to so the solenoid can move the lever in the same manner as the key. Then thread the solenoid cable through the latch mount and through the hole and secure with the cable clamp as shown below: Secure the latch back into the mount by threading the key connector rod through the mount and to the key turn mechanism as it was originally. Connect the release cable to the latch and secure the latch using the two bolts removed earlier. Be sure to position the latch in the same vertical spot as it was when you took it out. If the latch is sitting too low, it won't catch the striker bar when the trunk is slammed shut. Connect the key rod and test the trunk by closing the lid and opening with the key. If the trunk won't close, the latch is too low. Loosen the two bolts and slide the latch up a bit and retest the closing. Now tighten the cable release holder. Go to the front and test that it works as before. Adjust if necessary. Make ssure these work properly before proceeding. Initial test of the Solenoid Testing often and early is the best way to ensure each step of the installation has been successful. Attach the spade connector of the green wire from the kit to one of the solenoid terminals. Attach the black wire spade connector to ther other terminal of the solenoid. Tuck the solenoid between the brake light housing and the trunk lip as discussed earlier. If the cable to the latch is taught (e.g. no slack), you need to unmount the latch and adjust the cable clamp to allow some slack. If you can, add slack merely by sliding the solenoid forward a bit without making is so loose it will fall out, then do that instead. It is important that there be some slack for the solenoid to be able to gain enough momentum to trip the lock. Using a battery charger, connect the green wire to the positive. Now touch the black wire to the negative clamp of the charger with it set to 12V. You should here a clunk from the solenoid. If you do not, recheck the wires to the solenoid and that the charger is on and set to 12v. Once you verify the solenoid works and pulls the cable, the next test is to see if the cable is adjusted correctly to trip the trunk lock and open the trunk. To do this test you will need to be outside the trunk with the wires accessible and the trunk lid closed. You can do this by removing one of the rubber grommets in the trunk floor and feeding the wires through the trunk floor to the outside of the trunk. Close the trunk lid and connect the wires as before. The solenoid should clunk and the lid should pop open. If it clunks but doesn't pop, there may be too much slack in the cable. Take up some slack by adjustung the cable connector or sliding the solenoid back. Restest. If there is no clunk but you see a drain on the charger, you probably need to add slack to the cable. Adjust the cable and retest. Once you have successfully popped the trunk this way 5 times in a row, you are ready to wire the relay and switch. Adding the Relay And Switch The diagram below shows how the relay and switch are wired to the circuit. A signal control wire goes from relay pin 85 to the switch at the front of the car. Also a +12v red wire will need to be run from the trunk area to the relay to power the relay control coil as well as the solenoid itself. Be sure to use the fuse that came with the kit. Find a spot to mount the relay. I put my relay behind a trunk support as shown in the attached image below: You can mount the switch using the included bracket and screws.I preferred a more factory look. I took an access cover for an option that never came with my loyale and mounted the switch there as shown in the attached image:

My 1993 Loyale Sedan did not come with a trunk light. Lack of a trunk light wasn't a big deal at the time I bought it new in 1994. I never really thought about it until recently when I was in the auto section of Walmart and came across a section with LED light add-on accessories. I got to thinking that an LED trunk light might be a nice thing to have. Even better was the idea of a couple of LED light strips that would light up the trunk better than any factory bulb. This mod story shows how I hooked up LED lights to my 1993 Subaru Loyale sedan trunk. No warranties, promises or guarantees of any kind are offered nor are they implied. The information provided below is for light hearted reading purposes only and not meant to imply anything at all. If you mess up your car, your boat, your house or your marriage it is on you and you alone. You should always seek out the services of a qualified professional to perform any maintenance or alteration of your vehicle in proper consultation with the appropriate manufacturer's representative. I picked up the Pilot Automotive 12" white flexible LED Strips at my local Walmart. They are available elswhere too. They come in other colors as well, like blue for those that prefer the inside of the trunk to resemble a bordello. If you look for this product on the Walmart web site, it doesn't show the bubble pack that it comes in at the store. This is important because not only do you get the flexible LED light strips, you also get it prewired with a battery source that includes ten 1.5v tablet batteries in a nice pack prewired to a switch so that while on the store shelf, consumers can hit the "try me" button and see the strips light up. The strips are flexible with LED lights embedded and can be cut to be smaller. Yes, you can cut them smaller and it won't ruin them. The important point is that you only cut at the designated spots as mentioned in the instructions - those little bits of paper you typically crumple up and throw out when you rip open a new toy. Since they are wired in parallel out of the box, cutting out some won't affect the others. The strips come with double sided sticky tape and they are flexible so they can be mounted just about anywhere you wish. And for 18 bucks, if it is a flop I haven't lost a whole lot. I still got a good switch and 10 of those little tablet batteries in a nice case. Here is a good picture showing what comes in the pack (note, there are two strips but this only shows one strip): I also took a pic of the bubble pack as it comes from the Walmart store. See the attached image. There are two options on how to power the 12v LED strips, either use the included battery pack as is, or wire it up to the car's 12v system. There are advantages and drawbacks to each approach. Initially I connected them up using the included battery pack (option one below) but then I changed it to wire it to the 12v Loyale electrical system (option two). Choosing which option to use is a matter of budget and experience level working with electrical systems in cars. If you are a cheap bastard like me, or a man of lesser means, then the batteries included option is probably the best way to go. But then again if your lazy rump roast side (again me) doesn't like changing little tablet batteries, you can opt to wire it to the car electrical system. Both options are explained below. Option One: Using the included battery pack If you decide to use everything as is out of the bubble pack, you basically only need to unpeel the sticky tape on the strips, mount the included switch so the light comes on when the trunk opens. Throw in a few dabs of hot glue here and there and voila. The advantage with this approach is the simplicity. There is no wiring to the Loyale needed so no chance of frying your Loyale's electrical system (important point if you are a novice at electrical circuitry), it won't run down your car battery and if you are stranded with a dead car battery, at least you have a lighting source by opening your trunk. Since these are LED lights and a trunk light is typically used only momentarily, it is a feasible solution to just use everything as it comes out of the package. The disadvantages are that the batteries will need replacing eventually and the included switch is a normally open type which means you press down to make contact to complete the circuit. This can complicate how to mount the switch. However if you are a novice and the thought of touching the car wiring bothers you, this is probably your safest, easiest and cheapest choice. Option Two: Using the car's 12v Electrical System By wiring these strips into the Loyale electrical system, the need to change those ten little tablet batteries periodically is avoided. Since they are LED lights, they use way less power than the typical single incandescent bulb typically found in trunk lights. The strips tend to light the trunk brighter too. The disadvantage of this option is that it is necessary to bring the 12v power back to the trunk which means running wires and connecting into the wiring system. You can potentially cause a short in your car's electrical system that could be very expensive if you are a complete novice at electrical systems and wiring. You will also need to buy a few more parts: wires, electrical tape, connectors, fuses (please for the love of god, don't connect without a fuse) and other bits which increases the final project cost. If you prefer a more stock than schlock look, understand car electrical systems and have the tools and patience for the job then this is the option for you. Mounting the Strips This is the easiest part of all. Just peel off the protective paper and stick them wherever you want light. I prefer a recessed illumination where the harsh glare of the bulbs doesn't blind my old fart eyballs. My choices were up under the fender wells or under the back lip of the trunk by the seat back. I chose the latter because the distance between each fender well meant possibly splicing wires and I didn't want any electrical potentially spark prone devices right over the top of the fuel filler neck that intrudes into the passenger side of the trunk. Yeah, I know that is a sealed LED and the chances of explosion are very small. Still, I don't want to be THAT guy that wins the Darwin award along with the topic of late night comedian jokes. Mounting The Switch Even though the Loyale Sedan did not come with a trunk light, it did come with a built-in bracket to mount a switch (at least mine did). Under the right hinge (passenger side: see attached images) is a bracket that can hold a switch so that when the trunk is closed, the switch is pressed. When the trunk is open, the switch is released. Using this bracket means that the included switch cannot be used. What is needed is a switch that when pressed turns off the lights and that is the exact opposite of the switch that came with the LED strips. In electrical speak, the included switch is a normally open momentary contact switch whereas what is needed to use this bracket is a normally closed momentary contact switch. It is similar to the switch used in a refrigerator to turn on the light when the door is opened. I broke my cheap bastard rule and decided to buy a normally closed momentary contact switch at Radio Shack so I could take advantage of this bracket. It is a mini SPST (single pole single throw) momentary pushbutton switch catalog number 275-1548 and set me back about four bucks for a four pack. I cut a square plastic adapter plate with a hole since these tiny switches won't fit the Loyale bracket exactly. The attached images show the switch and the final mounting. Do you have to buy a new switch? No you don't. You could mount the switch that came with the LED strips. You would need to mount it in such a way that when the trunk opened, it pressed the switch. When the trunk reaches the top of its travel and is open all the way, the hinges have stops. The included switch could be mounted there so that when the trunk is open all the way, the switch is pressed and the light comes on. This means however that the light doesn't come on until the trunk is open all the way. I prefer the light to come on the second the trunk is popped so I chose to use the existing bracket. Powering the LED Strips If you use the batteries included option, all you need to decide is if you will mount the little battery pack using hot glue, double sided tape, zip tie or bubble gum. You are done. If you are using the hardwired option, your fun is just beginning. If you want to do it right, you will need to run wires under the trim pieces along either door jamb of the car. Since the chassis is ground, you will only need a single 12v wire from a constant on +12v source. This is easier if the rear seats are out. Luckily our friends at Autozone have provided a handy diagram of how to remove the back seats in the Loyale as shown below. While the seats are out, you may find enough change to offset the cost of the LED strips or even a not too old french fry that escaped the bag from the last trip to McDonalds. I don't advise you actually eat those old french fries you find. Though your doggy might be happy to have them.

Sweet ride. Thanks for the pics. You will have to keep us aprised of the good, the bad and the ugly as only an owner can do. Nice color choice too. Now if you can just resist the urge to punch the throttle too high while still under the 1000 mile mark. Some folks that got those are putting opti-coat on it. What are the changes for 2013?

Also, what was the mileage on that? Often times people will dump the car when the timing belt is due when the mechanic tells them it will be $1200. On your sedan it is every 60K miles. If your miles are 115K to 130K, there us a strong possibility it is due.

Excellent lesson from the school of hard knocks. Thank you.

You know, I had the very same problem with that stupid little hose. I went to the dealer and he couldn't find it either. In the end he gave me something close that was coolant hose and I put it on. I suspect as long as you get hose rated for hot coolant, it will work. Just get some brand new worm screw hose clamps and don't reuse those funky original wire things.

Cool thanks.

In my 93 Loyal Sedan, under the passenger side trunk hinge, there is a perfectly stamped keyed bracket that looks to me like a mounting point for either a dash indicator switch or a trunk light plunger switch. I suspect this was an option on a GL version of the sedan or something. Does anyone know what this is for? I would like to add a trunk light so that when I open my trunk, a light comes on. If there is a pre-fit part, say for a GL version or something that will just snap in, that would be great.

Glad to hear it. And you got to use that cool little pulling tool that is in the fuse box too!

Also on the timing thing, under your hood is a VECI sticker (Vehicle Emission Control Information) that tells of the specifics for the timing for your particular car.

You have basically the same car I do. Mine is a white FWD sedan but with manual trans. I am the original owner, have had it since 1994 and still runs great at 145k. I haven't done my windows yet but I have repaired the door lock actuator on the passenger side. They are great little cars and esy to work on.

Actually the EA82 is stamped on the engine block towards the front passenger side. If you lean over the radiator and scan the block on the left (passenger side), you will see EA82.

I remember when mine had issues. The connector had gotten kind of crisp and didn't make good contact. Had to wiggle it before the blower would come on.

Thought I saw an infomercial once with the same title.

The guy has good taste. Bad judgement.