Legacy Sportshift gearbox & fuel gauge problem

[danch]

Hi guys,

I\'ve got a 1999 Legacy b4 TT tiptronic, I recently purchased it and it was doing ok but then all of a sudden, the sportshift started to malfunction.

Sometimes, when I shift to sportshift mode, nothing happens.

The gear number doesn\'t show up and the light is still shining around "D" (which is supposed to be turned off when sportshift is on)

However, when I shift up and down, it still shifts, but sometimes it feels like it\'s going from 4->2 or so.

There was a time where the gear number and "D" was blinking back and forth.

Do you have any idea what needs fixing?

I already tried resetting the ECU.

One other issue is that the fuel gauge randomly drops to completely empty and comes back to normal few minutes after.

I\'m not sure if I need to replace the fuel sender unit.

I opened up the fuel sender unit on driverside but it looked ok- no wax or anything built up.

I\'m planning to stop by at the Winger Subaru (which costs $60 just to have a look)

but I\'d appreciate if anyone with similar experience can give me some advice

Thanks

[gazzy2000]

 danch said:

One other issue is that the fuel gauge randomly drops to completely empty and comes back to normal few minutes after.

I\'m not sure if I need to replace the fuel sender unit.

I opened up the fuel sender unit on driverside but it looked ok- no wax or anything built up.

I\'m planning to stop by at the Winger Subaru (which costs $60 just to have a look)

but I\'d appreciate if anyone with similar experience can give me some advice

Thanks

i have a 94 GTb wagon with similar fuel guage problem, i have replaced/use three sender units. so now when time permits i will replace the gauge with another and check wiriing and earths etc

subaru fuel tanks are a bit ghey in that they have a tunnel/section built into them to allow for the drive train.

This almost splits the tank into two sections, so when the fuel level is low and/or at a certain level.. when you go round a right hand corner the fuel all leaves the drivers side part of the tank where the sender unit is, making the gauge go low.. so that when you go round a tight left hand corner the fuel level fills the drivers side again making the gauge go up.

As part of the sender/pump assembly in the tank there is a pick up on the passengers side.. to pick up from the fuel from the "other half" of the tank, this is achieved via vaccumm

Ghey fuel setup is ghey

[Subirex Automotive]

these models are prone to cluster failures, we have a lot of issues regarding this. fuel gauge plays up, fuel light coming on even the gauge says full. get your cluster checked first.

as for the tiptronic, sounds more like the wiring in the steering wheel is playing up.

[danch]

Thanks for the info, how can I get the cluster checked?

[danch]

http://www.uklegacy.com/forums/index.php/topic/90850-b4-tiptronic-problem-help-please/

Looks like I\'m not the only one with the tiptronic issue. This guy had exactly the same problem..

Is it true you can\'t use tiptronic until your gearbox is hot enough?

[gazzy2000]

 subirex said:

these models are prone to cluster failures, we have a lot of issues regarding this. fuel gauge plays up, fuel light coming on even the gauge says full. get your cluster checked first.

is it like a dry joint prob in gauge circuit boards?

[Eight_dollar]

there are two fuel sender units too btw

[gazzy2000]

 Eight dollar said:

there are two fuel sender units too btw

thought the other one is just a pick up? i.e. doesn\'t have an actual sender unit.. just a pick up for the other half/section/side of the tank (so to speak)

[nickmcgill]

I have the exactly same problem on my 2000 B4 it\'s no biggie just an electrical fault with the dash. (Potentially troll ghosts) :

My triptronic display has been doing it the entire time I\'ve owned the car 5+ years now.

It will commonly show D when I\'m in sports or show 4th gear when I\'m in second or "-" when I\'m in 3rd.

You eventually get used to it and just know what gear you\'re in by revs.

The car will still change gears normally if requested via sports shift regardless of what the dash is showing.

The fuel gauge issue mine started in the last year or 18 months.

It will often go from full down to zero at random and back up and down slowly at it\'s leisure.

I bought a second hand fuel sender unit from someone who had the same issue.

They said they got their dash solders reconditioned / redone by a place in Christchurch.

Off the top of my head the name escapes me but I\'ll post it up when I remember!

I haven\'t had mine done yet as I can\'t be assed pulling it out but from memory it was only about $65 to get done.

Hope this helps

[DacerX]

my fuel light ring on mine flashes sometimes i dont know if thats a factory thing or somethings not right

[danch]

Thanks nickmcgill!

I didn\'t think it\'d be dash cluster\'s problem but considering that the gearbox still shifts, I guess it makes sense.

I wonder if I can buy a second hand one and get someone to reset the odo value? Otherwise I\'ll see if I can get my dash reconditioned by an auto electrician and post a review!

[Subirex Automotive]

 danch said:

Thanks nickmcgill!

I didn\'t think it\'d be dash cluster\'s problem but considering that the gearbox still shifts, I guess it makes sense.

I wonder if I can buy a second hand one and get someone to reset the odo value? Otherwise I\'ll see if I can get my dash reconditioned by an auto electrician and post a review!

Robinson Instruments in Auckland does the calibration but its bloody expensive. give your original cluster to them for repairs, it will turn out to be cheaper than buying one and getting it calibrated.

[Guest]

 subirex']

[quote name='danch said:

Thanks nickmcgill!

I didn\'t think it\'d be dash cluster\'s problem but considering that the gearbox still shifts, I guess it makes sense.

I wonder if I can buy a second hand one and get someone to reset the odo value? Otherwise I\'ll see if I can get my dash reconditioned by an auto electrician and post a review!

/quote]

Robinson Instruments in Auckland does the calibration but its bloody expensive. give your original cluster to them for repairs, it will turn out to be cheaper than buying one and getting it calibrated.

Found anything electronics half the price of robinsons.

[nickmcgill]

 danch said:

Thanks nickmcgill!

I didn\'t think it\'d be dash cluster\'s problem but considering that the gearbox still shifts, I guess it makes sense.

I wonder if I can buy a second hand one and get someone to reset the odo value? Otherwise I\'ll see if I can get my dash reconditioned by an auto electrician and post a review!

Would be worth a try, I\'ve swapped out the TCU and ECU a couple of times to see if that fixed it but it never has.

Apparently it\'s just a few from our model which are known to have these issues.

** Further more to your original post re feeling like going from 4th to 2nd this is likely felt when your shifting when it\'s been in the 1:1 lockup after 4th gear.

When it comes out of this it feels like it\'s shifting down two gears where it\'s only shifting down to 3rd.

If your in 4th and then go full throttle in sport you\'ll feel the same thing as it shifts down into 4th and then normally you\'ll get trans slip and have not much power

[nickmcgill]

 DacerX said:

my fuel light ring on mine flashes sometimes i dont know if thats a factory thing or somethings not right

It\'s a factory thing. Mine does this also.

It\'s designed as a alert, temp gauge does the same.

[DacerX]

i thought it was me going insane

[danch]

 evowrx']

[quote name='danch said:

Thanks nickmcgill!

I didn\'t think it\'d be dash cluster\'s problem but considering that the gearbox still shifts, I guess it makes sense.

I wonder if I can buy a second hand one and get someone to reset the odo value? Otherwise I\'ll see if I can get my dash reconditioned by an auto electrician and post a review!

/quote]

Robinson Instruments in Auckland does the calibration but its bloody expensive. give your original cluster to them for repairs, it will turn out to be cheaper than buying one and getting it calibrated.

Found anything electronics half the price of robinsons.

I called Robinson Instruments and they quoted $250 (half day) if I take my car there or $140 (2 working days) if I just take the cluster.

Resetting a second hand cluster would cost $250 for the reset.

I pretty much need my car everyday so I\'m not sure what I\'d do.

Does anyone know any good auto electricians who can do these kind of stuff around Auckland?

[Subirex Automotive]

 danch']

[quote name='danch said:

Thanks nickmcgill!

I didn\'t think it\'d be dash cluster\'s problem but considering that the gearbox still shifts, I guess it makes sense.

I wonder if I can buy a second hand one and get someone to reset the odo value? Otherwise I\'ll see if I can get my dash reconditioned by an auto electrician and post a review!

/quote]

Robinson Instruments in Auckland does the calibration but its bloody expensive. give your original cluster to them for repairs, it will turn out to be cheaper than buying one and getting it calibrated.

Found anything electronics half the price of robinsons.

I called Robinson Instruments and they quoted $250 (half day) if I take my car there or $140 (2 working days) if I just take the cluster.

Resetting a second hand cluster would cost $250 for the reset.

I pretty much need my car everyday so I\'m not sure what I\'d do.

Does anyone know any good auto electricians who can do these kind of stuff around Auckland?

give the cluster for repairs and drive without it, or go to pick a part and get a donor one. it think it costs around 37 bucks from pick a part.

[asanz]

+1

I have EXACTLY the same symptoms - temperamental shift lights and random fuel gauge.

I swapped over spare working fuel units - no change.

New battery and earthing kit - no change

Cleaned all the connectors (dash, fuel sensors, AT shift unit) and it was much better. Fuel gauge works perfectly down to half a tank - then behaves randomly. Sport shift numbers now almost always correct (though "3" seems to default to "2" half the time).

I Will also be sending the dash unit in for servicing.....at some stage.

[Codex]

Or if someone here finds the fault there could be a DIY... o-o