88 GL Wagon...myriad of issues

[mdobies]

 

Hello,

I'm new to the board and this site will be HUGE for me! Cuz, I hate to say it, but I know very little about cars. So I guess it's time to learn!! I've got quite a few issus, 1) oil light on,

2) oil leaking really bad. 3) power passenger windows don't work from driver side door 4) heater blower is down to two settings 3&4.

 

I think I found most of the answers except for 1 & 2. #One, I think is indicative of 2. #two was an issues when I got the car but was so sutle I didn't worry too much about it. But now with gas prices so bad, I don't want to lose this car. I haven't looked recently, but when I did the oil appeared to be (collected, puddled) on the top of the engine where the oil is put in(to the right of it). What would be needed for replacement or done?

 

Again, I'm not a car expert, so if you can not be too technical in any responses that would be helpful.

 

Thanks,

Michael

 

fyi, It's got 240K miles and I Love it! I've put over 20K miles on it in the past year and with the savings in gas I paid it off in < 6mth.

[fredrogers]

I am not sure on the oil problems, but I would look in to that first if it were me.

 

On number 4, the blower motor it might be one of two things. First I would check out the fan switch. Some times it can wear out and not make contact on a few settings. You can take the dash off and pull the switch out and take it apart. You may just need to clean the contacts on the first 2 settings, or adjust the contact points so the touch.

 

The second thing it could be is the resisters that control the fan speeds. Under the passenger side dash just next to the blower motor is the resister pack. You can take that out and see if there is any damage to the resisters with a mulit-meter.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

-=fred=-

[stephenw22]

If the oil light is on, there are two possible reasons:

1. You have very low (or zero) oil pressure.

2. The pressure switch is broken.

 

If your car is running without making all kinds of horrible sounds, I'd guess that the switch is broken. The switch is located down where the oil filter is. It's a round thing that threads into the oil pump. There will be 1 wire that connects to it. The wire goes up the engine and then joins up into the main wiring harness (eventually).

 

To find oil leaks, the best thing to do is wash the engine bay very thoroughly. Get everything nice and clean. Then, drive the car a little bit, and check for leaks. Another option is to have a dye tracer put into the engine oil, and then to check the car out with a UV light. Not every shop has dye paks though, so you might have to call around.

[1985GLWAGON]

If the oil is pooled on the top of the engine next to the filler neck, could it just be that the gasket that seals the filler neck to the engine is leaking? I'm too lazy to go look but isn't the #1 spark plug just to the right of the filler neck? Maybe the plug well is filled up and that's were it's pooling at.

[zyewdall]

To find oil leaks, the best thing to do is wash the engine bay very thoroughly. Get everything nice and clean. Then, drive the car a little bit, and check for leaks.

 

I second that. Buy a can of spray on engine cleaner, and take it to the car wash and use the high temp power spray to wash the whole engine compartment. Otherwise it's too hard to tell if its a new leak, and old leak, or just spilled oil. If it's on top of the engine it could also be due to the PCV valve going bad. I have also had an oil filter get loose, and spray oil everywhere on the fan belt which whips it around the entire engine compartment in the front (plus makes the belt slip...). How much oil does it use? If its an extra quart a week, that's still pretty darn cheap. $100 a year, which is what, one fillup on a big SUV nowadays?

[mdobies]

Ditto, I can live with the other problems, but the car won't without figuring the oil.

 

Thanks,

 

 

I am not sure on the oil problems, but I would look in to that first if it were me.

 

On number 4, the blower motor it might be one of two things. First I would check out the fan switch. Some times it can wear out and not make contact on a few settings. You can take the dash off and pull the switch out and take it apart. You may just need to clean the contacts on the first 2 settings, or adjust the contact points so the touch.

 

The second thing it could be is the resisters that control the fan speeds. Under the passenger side dash just next to the blower motor is the resister pack. You can take that out and see if there is any damage to the resisters with a mulit-meter.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

-=fred=-

[mdobies]

Your're right the plug is just to the right of the filler neck. I

know that cuz whoever owned the car stripped the plug and I had to rethread it before the plug would stay in. I don't think

there was standing oil there, but grease type buildup near

where the plug goes in. This buildup would have been over

six mths cuz the motor was pretty cleanned up when I bought it. I'm gonna look at the filler neck gasket first.

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

If the oil is pooled on the top of the engine next to the filler neck, could it just be that the gasket that seals the filler neck to the engine is leaking? I'm too lazy to go look but isn't the #1 spark plug just to the right of the filler neck? Maybe the plug well is filled up and that's were it's pooling at.

[mdobies]

aside from the other oil problems I have, I think the pressure switch has got to be broken. From what I can

recall as I'm running the car the pressure guage is about

half way. About an 8th at idle. I have noticed this tho'.

The check engine light doesn't come on after I start the car until I drive up to 1/4 mile, then it's on like clockwork.

 

Ok. where is the oil pump? I just bought a haines manual, I'll look in there to see if I can find where it's located.

 

Thanks,

 

 

If the oil light is on, there are two possible reasons:

1. You have very low (or zero) oil pressure.

2. The pressure switch is broken.

 

If your car is running without making all kinds of horrible sounds, I'd guess that the switch is broken. The switch is located down where the oil filter is. It's a round thing that threads into the oil pump. There will be 1 wire that connects to it. The wire goes up the engine and then joins up into the main wiring harness (eventually).

 

To find oil leaks, the best thing to do is wash the engine bay very thoroughly. Get everything nice and clean. Then, drive the car a little bit, and check for leaks. Another option is to have a dye tracer put into the engine oil, and then to check the car out with a UV light. Not every shop has dye paks though, so you might have to call around.

[stephenw22]

So you have a pressure gauge that works, AND you have an oil light that's always on? I've only seen one or the other, not both.

 

The oil filter threads on to the oil pump. It's on the bottom of your engine, at the front.

 

If the ECS light is coming on, you'll have to check for engine codes as well. There's a section in the Ultimate Subaru Repair Manual about checking and interpreting engine codes.

 

aside from the other oil problems I have, I think the pressure switch has got to be broken. From what I can

recall as I'm running the car the pressure guage is about

half way. About an 8th at idle. I have noticed this tho'.

The check engine light doesn't come on after I start the car until I drive up to 1/4 mile, then it's on like clockwork.

 

Ok. where is the oil pump? I just bought a haines manual, I'll look in there to see if I can find where it's located.

 

Thanks,

[DrKrazy]

If you need some help you could swing on by my place, since you can't be very far away fellow Goldenite! (or however you want to say it).

[1985GLWAGON]

Yeah, if your gauge says you have oil pressure I'd say your sending unit is okay, I had a similar situation with my GL where the oil light never came on. I think we concluded that these cars only used one or the other (either gauge OR light) I'd bet your oil light is lit via some electrical anomaly, Camelwagon's light only came on if he turned his headlights on.

I third the engine wash idea as well, get her as clean as you can then let her idle up to temperature and see if she'll show you the leak, if you can't see anything, you might have to drive it around for a while then check and see if there's any fresh oil on anything.

Oh, and I'd say you need a new resistor pack for the blower motor as well. It's right next to the motor (pass. side foot well) and only has a couple screws holding it in, mine had an obvious crack in one coil, but if you can't see any check it with a ohmeter, if you get a resistance reading then that coil is okay. If any of them read as an open circuit then that's a broken one.

[torxxx]

If its not ticking, you still have oil pressure. When ever my gauge would start acting up, I change the sending unit. fixes it every time.

 

Sounds like you need a cam case reseal and the lil o ring that goes between the head and the cam case.

 

For the heater, get a used resistor pack from someone on the board, or a junkyard.

 

For the window, replace the switch on the drivers side. the subaru switches like to wear out.

[mdobies]

I'm actually in Coal Creek Canyon, But close enough!

How is the weekend of 10/1? I'm gonna try a couple things.

The longer this thread goes, the more overwhelmed I'm becoming with the wealth of info(responses).

 

Michael

 

 

If you need some help you could swing on by my place, since you can't be very far away fellow Goldenite! (or however you want to say it).