NEW SVX Owner! (NY)
 

Hey Everyone,

I just bought a used SVX.

I was told it was a '94, but i'm a bit confused by the options. I was hoping it was the LSi model (AWD) .. it has a dark grey leather interior though, with a lighter gray suede-like (ecsaine?) lining along the door panels. Power locks, windows, sunroof, mirrors, 6 speakers, etc. On the instrument panel, where on the upper left quadrant a model of the car is displayed, "FWD" is lit up in red. I guess this means I have the L or LS model, because I can't find anywhere to shift it to AWD .. but I was thinking why would it say FWD, if it was ONLY able to do FWD. Then again, going by the options list, leather power all etc. I would think this was the LSi.

Anyway, it's green and has 140,000 miles but the engine is purring (I should say growling) strong and the tranny shifts very smoothly. Is it just me or does this car's exhaust note sound like a VERY large cat ;] I believe the transmission has been rebuilt. There are alot of dings on the car and I have to retouch the paint in many places.

My main concern, aesthetically, is that the front grille and turn signals are cracked. I have had trouble locating a replacement grille. IF anyone can point me to a site, a person, whatever .. it would be greatly appreciated.

If anyones curious I payed 1700 for the car. IT has its share of problems but, i'm going to invest some time into it and fix what I can. Again, any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm going to take some pics when I give it a carwash too, so you guys can see what I'm working with.

Peace!

P.S. >>> I'm thirsty for knowledge and have been scouring this site, but I am unable to locate a downloadable user's manual anywhere. Any suggestions?

-D

Welcome! Good to have another New Yorker around!

Your car is AWD. You're correct in your deduction--the FWD light means you have AWD. I'm guessing that the fuse is simply in the fusebox to lock the differential into FWD mode. I'm not sure which fuse it is, but someone else will be able to hop in there and help me out.

Congrats on the purchase, welcome to the community.

The red FWD signifies that someone put a fuse in to deactivate the AWD to cover up a problem with the transmission.
In the fuse panel under the hood by the battery you'll find a fuse in the AWD/FWD slot. Pull that out and you'll have no red "FWD" but most likely there is binding in turns. Do a search for "torque bind" to see your options from there.

Other than that, it sounds like you got a good deal. Congrats.

I sent you a PM (private message) Ill help in any way that I can.

+1 to what hocrest said about the FWD light. It signifies that the vehicle is engaged in FWD mode, which is done by placing a fuse in the fwd slot that is located under the hood. (Im sure someone has a picture which shows exactly where it is, I cant take one right now...)

Good luck with the car. Ask questions before you trust a local mechanic with the car, and take good care of it. We like to know that they are in good hands :) .

Where in NY are you located?

Whoa, I didn't think this forum was very active. Glad to see I was wrong!

Thanks for the kind words and advice.

My last car was an 85' Porsche 928 ... got rid of that beast a few months ago. The SVX is in good hands, no worry there :)

I'm glad to hear that in fact I *do* have the LSi model. I've been wanting to drive an AWD (particularly a Subie) for a loong time ..

I will try and locate the FWD fuse tomorrow and pull it. I'm not exactly sure what binding is, but I will look for anything funny when I turn with AWD on.

I'm from BROOKLYN by the way. Always good to see other New Yorkers/Tri-Staters as well ;]

I frequent NYC. If you call me tomorrow, perhaps Ill take a drive over (im 15-30 mins away on the NJ side..)

Ill help you locate the fuse and see indeed if there is binding.

welcome to the board!! If you are thirsty for some knowledge, come out to my Garage Sale meet on March 11th. You can find the thread for it in the upcomming meets section. You can also pick up some parts if you need anything...I have a ton of stuff in the shop I want to get rid of. Phily isn't too much of a drive;)

Tom

It is for me. Wish I could drive out for it. :D :D

Hi and welcome to the site. Yes, we are very active here. Have you found the How-To Documents yet? If not, there is lots there for you to digest. Good luck and post some pictures when you have a chance. :) :)

Hey! Again, thanks for the welcomes. I'm glad to be here!

Inspired by the quick replies and circumstance (friends showed up), I ended up running downstairs and pulling the fuse (which was very easy to find and clearly labeled on the fuse chart, thanks all).

Now to set the mood ... it just finished raining here, and the streets were glistening, SLICK!! A light drizzle remained ... What better opportunity to test AWD for the first time in my life?

I had two friends in the car, and we set off. I gunned it down a few blocks and took several turns under heavy throttle.. also ran over some patches of snow/ice that lingered from the storm a few days ago.
Hmm.
Felt like we were driving on dry asphalt. You know, kinda normal. There was a certain apprehension on my friends faces. Was the AWD working?

For good measure/contrast I put the fuse back in and de-activated AWD, whoa, what a difference. The car was losing traction all over the place, especially turning. So to answer the question, yeah AWD is working and it rocks!

That made my night, definitely.

I took a look again at the grille and hmm .. I dont think the 'grille' (mesh) itself is messed up, rather the center plastic piece below it is badly cracked. Looks to be the same material as the light covers. Is this considered part of the "grille" or another piece altogether?

I'm considering replacing the headlights and turn signals for a clear set .. since my passenger's side turn signal is cracked anyway, plus the center piece. The headlights have that yellowish aging look as well .. though I have to admit, I don't know if I could install the whole kit myself. If anyone has a set .. I'm interested. I found a set on ebay but it didn't seem like a newb-friendly installation and cost ~$350 + shipping. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Subar...spagenameZWD1V)

Below is a (ghetto) example (not my car) of what's cracked.http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...ab/example.jpg

Do a search for headlight cleaner. There are several plastic cleaners or polish that will get the yellow off and clear them up. Then wax them and you won't have to do it for a while. As far as the center light, they are available for $50 or so or can be replaced with a 97 grille, or an after market one.

The side lights can be purchased off ebay or from here. Put a wanted add in the Parts wanted section and someone will respond if they have a set.

Good luck and scan the How-To Documents. The headlights are easy to replace if you get to that point. There are some tricks, so if you are not sure how to do it, post a question and someone will help you with the steps to take. It is not as bad as you might think. You just need to know the tricks. :)

I'm going to try the mother's mag on the headlights and see how it comes out. I'm hesitant to spend close to $400 on a new grille and lights but, I think the updated look is great. Pics soon!

Good luck!
 

I am also a new owner of a fwd model, 1994. I too am in NY, in Westchester county.

thats a beauty:D Nice find

Tom

Ever drive a 4 wheel drive vehicle on asphalt with 4WD engaged and try to make a tight turn? The wheels want to rotate at different speeds but can't, so the drive line binds, making the car shudder. The tighter the turn, the worse.

(I recently noticed my eldest complaining mildly when I pulled a U-turn...)

Hopefully whoever put-in your FWD fuse was just goofin' around and not hiding a problem with your car.

dcb