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RFlower · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject: ECU problem on Subaru

Hope this is not the wrong place for this post....

A good friend in England recently bought his wife a rather nice looking 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback (on eBay), to replace her even older Subaru.

5 days later it just stopped, far from home, of course.

Like myself, he has fixed his own transport all his life, but I think this is the first car he has ever had with an ECU, and having got it home again he is struggling somewhat. His wife is getting a bit annoyed too.

It has carbs, so I'm not sure myself just what the ECU does, and he is finding it difficult to get any information. There seems to be confusion over models around 1998 as to what market specs they were built to, and he is not sure if it's UK, Australian or other RHD spec or a grey import.

He sent the ECU for checking to someone on eBay, but, as I expected, they pronounced it "unrepairable".

Does anyone here know of a really good and honest place for ECU testing/repair, or have any knowledge about Subarus?

Dick
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Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

Hey dick,
One of the guys in Formula One was an avid scooby owner / modder. I will ask him on Monday and about ECU testers. Bosch do a test/repair service, whast make of ECU is it?
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RFlower · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:59 pm Post subject:

Thanks a lot

Make of ECU is UNISIA JECS CORPORATION

Dick
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Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

john 33_16v · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:17 pm Post subject:

I worked in scooby dealership up to 1988 when all cars were carbede or turbo carbed.

I would have thought injection would have come in by about 1990 though especailly for Uk cars for emmissions, certainly by '92.

I can recommend this place for ECU testing- http://www.middlesextuningcentre.co.uk/ I think you can send ecu to them etc etc.

John
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If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
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08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
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RFlower · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:34 pm Post subject:

It seems the new scooby has injection. The old one has carb engine.
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Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

Ben_nz · Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:40 am Post subject:

You seem to know what you're talking about, but really? Factory carburettors, on a nineteen ninety-eight Subaru Legacy?
Maybe a Hindustan Ambassador or a Paykan (Iranian Hillman Hunter).. Shocked

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"Now, all that is left to do ... is wait that something else brokens, to fix up again!"

RFlower · Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:24 am Post subject:

RFlower · Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:14 am Post subject:

Update on the Subaru problem.

Turns out there was about 5 litres or so of what looks like antifreeze mix in the fuel tank. Now hopefully all removed by draining and fitting a water separator. The whole fuel system had to be cleaned out also.

Apparently the green liquid came from the tank of the last petrol station. He didn't take a sample immediately after he broke down, so it's impossible to prove.

Just a couple of weeks later, on the way to collect the Trofeo, my pride and joy, the Ro80, stopped about a km down the road after buying 50 litres of petrol, a long way from home.

After an hour checking the engine (cold, windy and raining, of course) it occurred to me there might be something wrong with the fuel. It smelt OK, although the exhaust smelt oily, but I thought that would be too much of a coincidence.

2 days and a lot of cash later it turned out that the Super 95 tank in the petrol station had been accidentally filled with diesel.

I'm now arguing with an insurance company about possible damage to my engine's rotor seals after standing with diesel in it over a weekend, and wondering if one should take a sample of fuel before filling up.

Fortunately, this time, the garage which recovered the car and eventually drained the tank has a sample of about 70 litres.

I'm putting a glass jar in the boot of each car.
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Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

paulhide · Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:27 am Post subject:

That's just scary!
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