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  #1  
Old 02-28-2008, 04:11 PM
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Will
 
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Power Mode Switch Installed, Very Pleased

So, I found myself very pleased with the results of about $5.00 and 2 hours of labor. I am now able to engage Power mode at the mere push of a button. I decided the best location to mount the switch was beside the parking lights switch which in the long run, has to be the worst. Not only did I have to mount the switch, I had to cut away a large amount of the plastic that deals with the parking light switch to allow room for the terminals, but I managed to do a good enough job not to disrupt the parking light switch function. If anyone is thinking of doing this mod, think of a better location. I'm using a On/Off push button, I think its a SPST ( Single pole, Single throw)?? but I dont know. Push it once its on, push it again, its off. But after I got the switch situated it was on to the wiring. I found it easier to push the wire into the TCU harness while it was still connected to the TCU, plus this way you wont risk bending a pin on the male side of the TCU. I striped about an inch of insulation off the 18 guage wire and cut about 5 strands of wire off and twisted the rest together and just shoved it in the connector. I used the 10mm nut that holds the inside fuse panel steady as my ground. I was thinking of using the screw that holds the under steering wheel cover inplace behind the mirror adjuster, but I wanted to make sure the ground was good and i've had bad experiances using dash sheet metals.
So, in conclusion, I think this mod has got to be one of the BEST BANG FOR BUCK mods out there! I would suguest this mod to anyone as long as you use a better location than I did. The pay off is well worth the clostrofobic feeling you get from dislocating you're sholders and shiming you head under you're brake pedel. I think the car feels like it should have from the factory. It feels like its getting its stuff together faster and just feels more positive. Like I said, It feels like a car with 230 hp and nearly 3800 lbs should feel. I love it and highly suggest it!!!
Will
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Old 02-28-2008, 05:05 PM
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Interesting. Does power mode time out, or stay on the whole time the switch is depressed? What else does it do besides delay shifting?
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  #3  
Old 02-28-2008, 05:08 PM
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Heh, my original plan was to take a whole 'nother parking light assembly and fit it where the coin holder is, then wire up its harness so that it was connected to the TCU. This plan got foiled because there is pretty much no clearance behind the coin holder; with the bolt in place holding the trim in, the coin holder barely clears!

Make sure that wire is in there nice and secure though... I got around the issue of possibly having it knock out by getting a TCU harness, taking out one of the pins (with wire still attached of course), pushing that pin into A4, and then wiring it up from there. This way there's no chance that the wire will come out of the TCU, and it will always have a clean connection.

I also opted out of a switch... I just can't bring myself to turn it off.

EDIT for SomethingElse: It stays on as long as pin A4 in the TCU is grounded (i.e. his switch is on). It actually changes the entire feel of the car. It isn't just like mashing the pedal all the time. Somewhat hard to explain what it does without just letting you drive one set up that way. The one word I'd use to describe the change is "responsive."
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  #4  
Old 02-28-2008, 05:44 PM
STeeL25T STeeL25T is offline
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Forgive my noobness, this is the first I've heard of this kind of thing. What needs to be done? Do you need to buy anything somewhere you are you just moving a pin?

Whats a TCU lol
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  #5  
Old 02-28-2008, 11:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by STeeL25T View Post
Forgive my noobness, this is the first I've heard of this kind of thing. What needs to be done? Do you need to buy anything somewhere you are you just moving a pin?

Whats a TCU lol
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39133

Enjoy. TCU = Transmission Control Unit
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  #6  
Old 02-28-2008, 05:49 PM
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I agree, " responsive" would be the correct word. The shifts arnt hard unless your hammerin the gas to the floor. The car drives as it normally would but just a little more responsive, or as in my original post, as the car should. I havn't really drivin the car to much with the switch on but as far as my jaunt cross town goes, it feels more like a sports car than a luxo-cruzer. Its just a 10X more fun car to drive. I had a heck of a time finding the TCU but after reading a few posts and looking at a few pics, it was one of the easiest mods i've done. I would rate it a 2 on a 1-10 difficulty scale. Installing the switch was the worst part of the whole mod. I wish Subaru would have had me in mind when the made the parking light switch. I've never seen so much stuff fly out of a connector before!! it took a little doing but I got it all back together. All in all I think I spent 95% of the time on the switch, 2% on wiring, and 3% on locating the damn A4 Pin!! Well worth the effort!
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  #7  
Old 02-28-2008, 05:57 PM
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TCU is the transmission control unit and you need about 2-3 feet or 18 guage wire, a good ground, a 2 position switch, and a good mounting location. If you ground the A4 pin in the TCU's wiring harness (4th up on the back side of the removable clip on the TCU) It will engage power mode when grounded.If you want full time power mode simply run your wire to a good ground and it will be on full time.
I'm glong to look at Radio Shack to see if i can find a terminal that will fit in the wiring harness and give a better connection then just stuffing wires in holes!!
Yeah, Thanks Nomake Wan, After i saw the Idea, I just had to jump on the bandwagon, and i'm damn sure glad I did.
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Last edited by 2.5InchTrueDual; 02-28-2008 at 06:00 PM. Reason: giving props
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  #8  
Old 02-28-2008, 06:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomake Wan View Post
Heh, my original plan was to take a whole 'nother parking light assembly and fit it where the coin holder is, then wire up its harness so that it was connected to the TCU. This plan got foiled because there is pretty much no clearance behind the coin holder; with the bolt in place holding the trim in, the coin holder barely clears!
I have a second parking light switch in place of the coinholder. It fit no problem...

I use it to "turn off" the power antenna.
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  #9  
Old 02-28-2008, 06:08 PM
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If you live somewhere that doesn't get snow, or only small amounts, you could use the winter/summer wiper switch under the dash and keep your wipers in summer mode year round. This is not an option for me
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Old 02-28-2008, 08:16 PM
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This is where I mounted mine.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photopost/...wer_switch.jpg
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  #11  
Old 02-28-2008, 10:55 PM
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Im working on mounting mine the same. Up untill recently, I just had it grounded to a screw on the steering column two inches away
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  #12  
Old 02-29-2008, 07:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nextse7en View Post
Dhooo.......... That's the spot I've been lookin at for a change in the future.
Now I gotta come up with somewhere else.
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  #13  
Old 03-11-2008, 02:23 PM
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I don't get torque converter lockup anymore with the power mode mod. Is it just me or is this what you guys are seeing also?

If this is the case, I will install a switch. The mod is great, but no lockup = high tranny temperatures and poor mileage.
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  #14  
Old 03-11-2008, 05:03 PM
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Matt

Nowhere in the WSM or another 4EAT manual I have does it directly say "When Power mode is on, lock-up is not obtainable". However, I believe you are correct, and it will be interesting to hear back from Nomake and others with the switch installed to see if their lock-up engages.

The stated reason for Power mode [in the manual] is for climbing hills and for rapid acceleration. To me this implies that when Power is on, by definition the torque convertor needs to be engaged to give its benefit to the acceleration, or torque multiplication in the case of climbing hills.

Having said that, I ran my car for 3 years with Power permanently on, and no ill effects. Phil in England runs his the same. If you feel the need to add a switch [ it would be advantageous for long highway runs at steady speed] then do so. Power mode is mostly noticable for quick driving on back roads or for rapid overtaking. If a lot of your miles are steady speed highway, it will certainly help economy to switch it off.

Joe
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  #15  
Old 03-11-2008, 05:11 PM
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How will I know when it's locked up? In the years I owned my Legacy, and now my SVX, I never knew how to tell when it was locked up. Also, if there's a signal that the TCU sends for "Torque Converter is now Locked," someone (Phil? ) should tell me. A lot easier for me to just scan a computer readout.

However, I will note that I did this mod back when I was in New York. I have driven the car across country, and did so on one seized brake caliper (which has since been replaced). I still managed something like 27 MPG on average across the US. So gas mileage, as Phil has said before, is really not a concern with this on (though the urge to go fast may hamper this). High transmission temperatures I cannot comment on, since I have no gauge. The light has never come on, though.

Just tell me what to look for and I'll look for it.
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