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  #1  
Old 01-16-2012, 05:18 PM
phillih phillih is offline
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Location: England
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engine check light help

Hi all, im new to SVX ownership, buying my first 5 weeks ago. Im from Southampton, England where these cars are pretty rare, there are only 104 registered in the country.
My question is my engine check light comes on when i am driving, but only once the temp gauge reaches the half way point (about 5 mins into a journey). Im only driving short distances 2-3 miles, but at the end of the journey my top rad hose is hot, as well as top of the rad, but bottom hose and radiator is cold? could this be my thermostat? or a blockage? is that a fault that the ECL would bring up?
i have details of reading fault codes, but im not overly mechanical/electrical, and parts over here need special ordering etc, so have not done this as of yet.
Just incase it makes a difference i changed my alternator belt recently and did an oil change, oil level ok, coolant level ok.
any suggestions appreciated
Phil
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  #2  
Old 01-16-2012, 07:15 PM
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icingdeath88 icingdeath88 is offline
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Re: engine check light help

Checking codes is extremely easy. See the attached document. Do that before you do anything else.

How many miles on the car? Was the timing belt and water pump changed and how recently?
Attached Files
File Type: pdf SVXQuickRefGuide.pdf (99.9 KB, 209 views)
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'94 Laguna Blue LSi ~159k.......JDM ultra short-geared 3.900 STi Version 7 6-speed w/ Cobb shortshifter, ECUtune 244,8.1mm/256,9.1mm i/e cams, group N motor mounts, '97 grille, JDM clear corners, Momo JDM Legacy GT steering wheel, apkarian's LED tails, silver STi BBS wheels, PWR radiator, redstuff pads f/r, drilled/slotted rotors, bontragerworks rsb #18, Koni/GC 450f/375r coilovers, Megan Racing adjustable lateral links, KMac c/c plates, Stebro exhaust, ECUtune 1v5, Optima battery in the trunk where it belongs. Turbo project

'97 Ebony LSi ~137k #036.......Power mode mod, JDM clear corners, BBS wheels. AUX/pocket mod

Now a mod "over there" ............Photo album
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  #3  
Old 01-17-2012, 02:19 AM
phillih phillih is offline
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Re: engine check light help

hi, thanks for that. its on 135k miles. it had the timing belt done in 2000, but it has only done 47k mikes since then. i have no paperwork for the water pump ever being changed.
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  #4  
Old 01-17-2012, 09:31 AM
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icingdeath88 icingdeath88 is offline
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Re: engine check light help

It would probably be worthwhile to change the timing belt and water pump/t-stat/. 12 years is a long time, and a lot of SVXes are having the water pump fail at 120-150k miles if the timing belt was changed but the water pump wasn't at the first timing belt interval (60k). Ebay has good prices for a timing belt and idler pulleys kit, but it's best to get an OEM water pump (USDM water pumps are different from some Euro market water pumps).

Listen at the front of the car, if there's any whining noise from the front/left (passenger side on a RHD car) side of the engine.

But check the codes before you do anything else.
__________________
'94 Laguna Blue LSi ~159k.......JDM ultra short-geared 3.900 STi Version 7 6-speed w/ Cobb shortshifter, ECUtune 244,8.1mm/256,9.1mm i/e cams, group N motor mounts, '97 grille, JDM clear corners, Momo JDM Legacy GT steering wheel, apkarian's LED tails, silver STi BBS wheels, PWR radiator, redstuff pads f/r, drilled/slotted rotors, bontragerworks rsb #18, Koni/GC 450f/375r coilovers, Megan Racing adjustable lateral links, KMac c/c plates, Stebro exhaust, ECUtune 1v5, Optima battery in the trunk where it belongs. Turbo project

'97 Ebony LSi ~137k #036.......Power mode mod, JDM clear corners, BBS wheels. AUX/pocket mod

Now a mod "over there" ............Photo album
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  #5  
Old 01-23-2012, 03:23 AM
phillih phillih is offline
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Re: engine check light help

Hi, finally got round to checking the engine codes, any help on replacing and or severity of issue would be great.

knock sensor
left and right o2 sensor
duty solenoid a
duty solenoid c

parts for svxs are a little harder to come by in the uk, so any equivalent parts would be useful - are any parts shared with imprezas, legacys etc? or even universal?

many thanks all
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  #6  
Old 01-23-2012, 08:07 AM
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icingdeath88 icingdeath88 is offline
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Re: engine check light help

Knock sensor codes - could be bad knock sensors, or it could actually be knocking. Are you using premium gas or no?

How hard/firm does the transmission shift? Is the AWD binding at low speeds?

As far as getting parts goes:

O2 sensors - amazon.com has them. Search the forums to find the part number, SVXcess has posted it a number of times over the years.

Knock sensors - rockauto.com has some for cheap, the cheapest being ~$30.

Solenoids A and C I am not sure on.

There's a crank angle sensor from another 90s suby engine (I think EJ22) that works as one of the two crank angle sensors on the SVX, as well as the cam sensor. Electrically it's also the same as the other crank sensor, but the shape of the plastic part of it that bolts down is different. So it could work with modification if you were really strapped for cash.
__________________
'94 Laguna Blue LSi ~159k.......JDM ultra short-geared 3.900 STi Version 7 6-speed w/ Cobb shortshifter, ECUtune 244,8.1mm/256,9.1mm i/e cams, group N motor mounts, '97 grille, JDM clear corners, Momo JDM Legacy GT steering wheel, apkarian's LED tails, silver STi BBS wheels, PWR radiator, redstuff pads f/r, drilled/slotted rotors, bontragerworks rsb #18, Koni/GC 450f/375r coilovers, Megan Racing adjustable lateral links, KMac c/c plates, Stebro exhaust, ECUtune 1v5, Optima battery in the trunk where it belongs. Turbo project

'97 Ebony LSi ~137k #036.......Power mode mod, JDM clear corners, BBS wheels. AUX/pocket mod

Now a mod "over there" ............Photo album
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  #7  
Old 01-23-2012, 08:26 AM
92snowmachine 92snowmachine is offline
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Re: engine check light help

you don't usually get codes from the knock sensors actually sensing knocking, the code generally means that the sensor is bad. might as well replace them.
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