Legnum Vr4 AYC light? Urgent

[nos monkeys]

Hey, guys im wanting to buy a vr4 legnum tomorrow but noticed the ayc light was on when i started the car and have been on google looking at answers but haven't found what i need. Could i please get some help before i buy just incase i cant afford to fix after i buy.

They told me the light is on when cold then goes off once warm but i can't remember if it went off after the test drive i completely forgot!

I need to know where the filler tank for the ayc oil so i can check that, google wont come up with the picture just says something about in the boot? could someone please explain or send me a picture of where it is so i can have a quick look before i hand the cash over.

Also is it safe to drive with the ayc light on? will it cause damage, like if it has a stuffed pump or something and i cant afford to fix could i still drive it without problems or causing damage? If i cant i wont buy it because im only buying as i need a daily driver and wont have funds to fix for awhile


Thanks heaps in advance

[Nick Mann]

The red ayc light usually means that the ayc hydraulic pump is unable to make enough pressure for the pressure switch to operate. There are other reasons too but that is the most common. If that is the case then installing an adjustable pressure switch is cheap and will get extra life from the pump.

Assuming that there is oil in the rear diff then driving the car with the red light on is fine. It will just be acting like a heavy open diff.

[nos monkeys]

the light i saw on the dash was yellow/orange. is there different colour lights for different reasons?

[Subaru ETA]

They only have a red AYC light, and the 3 green bars. No orange AYC light.

Did the light say AYC? Sure it wasn't the traction control light or something?

[nos monkeys]

was sure it said ayc because google said they were common problems so made sure that was ok before i buy but saw the light on, it could of been red but im sure it was yellow or orange. what does the traction control light have on the symbol, could i of mistaken that for ayc?

The car has only done 140,000kms which to me seems rather low and the car was in great condition just paranoid and scared the diff or something may need replacing, so trying to get as much info about this car as i can even though im most likely still going to buy it because its pretty dam cool

also what are these 3 bars for you mentioned

[Subaru ETA]

It will have AYC written on the cluster with 3 bars above it. As the AYC activates you will get a bar light up. When giving it **** you will get all 3 (like when you have it crossed up sideway in the wet :D )

If you drive in a straight line and swerve violently you should be able to get some bars to light up

[elnevio]

This is what the dash lights starting sequence should be upon start-up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVFe7FxUIE4

Note the lack of a yellow AYC light. The red AYC light is in the bottom right corner under the temperature gauge.

[nos monkeys]

hmm either i am blind or the dash didnt quite look like that but ill go check it tomorrow, where abouts is the fill bottle for the ayc fluid? google said somewhere in the boot? also do i just use dex3 trans fluid for topping that up.

maybe it was a red light i saw it looks like the same place.

[Nick Mann]

Yes, you need to remove an access panel that also allows access to change the bulbs in the drivers side tail light. Then twist off the cap and the dipstick will come out of the reservoir. DexronIII should be okay for that, but don't use it in the AYC clutch packs or the auto gearbox, you must have SPIII compatable for those.

TBH it is VERY rare that the issue with AYC is low fluid level in the hydraulic reservoir. I'm not saying don't check it, it's worth spending a few minutes checking all the fluids on a car before you buy it, just don't expect a lack of fluid to be the reason for non-functioning AYC.

[97vr4]

TCL light?
I was confused with my car when that light was on
Turns out I turned it off while fidgeting for the fog light switch I'd never used

[Davezj]

the TCL should reactivate itself every time you turn the car ignition off and back on again even if you use the switch to disable it before you switch the car off.
however a few people on here have perminently switched the TCL off viathe wirriing, because they don't want it to cut in at any point.

[Davezj]

use the flash dash diagnostic process to check for any errors on the car before you buy it.

Info here.
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?13785-Fault-Codes-Accessing&highlight=access+diagnostic+code

if you can't read it then the external link to the FTO club is here.
http://ftowa.com/html/workshop/workshopart07.html

join the club and pay your mone there is so much info on these pages it is worth while join beofre you be a lemon, i am not saying the car you are looking is a lemon, but it will give you the advantae to be able to buy with confidence as you say you have no money to spend on the car to fix it after purchase.

[nos monkeys]

Thanks for all the info guys, i done that ecu read awhile ago on my mates 1800cc legnum and i was googling the other day if the same way can be done on the vr4 but didnt find an answer so wasn't sure. i never tried it yesterday because i didnt want to ruin the car but i'll do that today to check everything. good to know it works. i plan to give it an oil change and change the diff oils and ayc fluids after iv brought the car if all goes well. wont be for a few months before i could do that though i was $100 short from buying the car as it was so ill have no money for the next couple weeks but hopefully its worth it.

[BubbaLeggyVR4]

It'll be worth it :d
Just dont expect to have any money at all, they do like a drink lol
/haz

[nos monkeys]

Well considering iv been using my 1975 jaguar as a daily driver, 4.2lt carby i think its got to be better than $20 petrol for like 30kms ^.^. but it does go dam hard for an old school cruiser. Had to buy a car suitable for a kid though and my jaguar doesnt come with rear seat belts so brought this legnum as it'l still be good for the days i want to go fast and is a good wagon for a newborn. Next step is to find out the must upgrades it needs for either handling or performance

[nos monkeys]

The red ayc light usually means that the ayc hydraulic pump is unable to make enough pressure for the pressure switch to operate. There are other reasons too but that is the most common. If that is the case then installing an adjustable pressure switch is cheap and will get extra life from the pump.

Assuming that there is oil in the rear diff then driving the car with the red light on is fine. It will just be acting like a heavy open diff.

the red ayc light is deffinatly on, i topped up the fluid in the boot because it was bearly on the dipstick unsure if it has solved it at this point but if it hasnt is there any links or guides which will tell me how to check and replace the pressure switch?

Thanks

[nos monkeys]

use the flash dash diagnostic process to check for any errors on the car before you buy it.

Info here.
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?13785-Fault-Codes-Accessing&highlight=access+diagnostic+code

if you can't read it then the external link to the FTO club is here.
http://ftowa.com/html/workshop/workshopart07.html

join the club and pay your mone there is so much info on these pages it is worth while join beofre you be a lemon, i am not saying the car you are looking is a lemon, but it will give you the advantae to be able to buy with confidence as you say you have no money to spend on the car to fix it after purchase.

hey i did the ecu code read, the engine check light flashed the same speed continusly but the abs light flashed, first numbers i got from that was 24, then 52. 24 says speed sensor so im assuming it has that wire cut? the next 52 says Ignition coil and power transistor unit (Cylinder 2 & 5) what does this mean?

[Davezj]

52 it suggests you have an issue with the coil pack that feeds cylinders 2 and 5, this is one coil pack as it is a wasted spark ignition system.

24 yes speed sigal to ECU wire cut to remove the 112mph speed limit.

what you need to do is a battery disconnect to reset all the code then go out for a drive and recheck the code to see if they a current code or just old ones. if the red AYC light is on perminantly then when you do the fashy dash error code reading it will give you some code to say what is wrong.

check code meaning here
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?22930-diagnostic-codes-complete-set&highlight=complete+set+codes

best thing you can do is join the club and pay the £20 it will save you loads of money in the long term.

[nos monkeys]

would you be able to tell me where that coil pack is so i can have a look at it? will disconnect the battery and try that but it does miss when foot flat. also are you meaning becoming a full member of this club, clubvr4.com ? or another one? I'm keen to do that just need to wait a week till my next pay goes in

[Bender]

also are you meaning becoming a full member of this club, clubvr4.com ? or another one? I'm keen to do that just need to wait a week till my next pay goes in

He meaning coming a full member on this club, Clubvr4.

Here is the link, It cost $30nz, It well worth the money.

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/content.php?117

[nos monkeys]

i disconnected the battery took for a drive rechecked the codes and came back the same also wrote down the ayc codes but its the abs that flashes those codes not the engine check light, on that link the abs codes doesn't have a 52 or 24 and judging by the miss in the engine when foot flat boosting i suspect it is the ignition coil. i have posted in the engine ecu section with more details if someone can help please. I'll defiantly become a full member on here ill check if i have a spare $30 now or ill need to wait till next thursday.

Grr i haven't got paypal ill ask the partner if i can use hers lol otherwise ill have to make one

[Bender]

Haha you don't need a paypal account to pay,

When you go into the link, You will see "join Club VR4 NZ", click on it and from here you can join and pay the fee into ClubVR4 nz bank account :)

[nos monkeys]

oh i just read i needed paypal lol but that's all good im going to do that, because i dont plan on getting rid of this car for ages even though it does have some problems but im hoping once there fixed it'l be good as.

[Davezj]

it would be helpful if you only sart one thread to discuss you isues, not have 2 or 3 running at the same time.

here is a couple of word of advice,
when giving infomation out like i have error 52 which is saying it is the coil pack don't just pick any code 52 out of the lists of error code make sure you quote the righht one from the right list, otherwise it just make all of look stipid when you say it is flashing out of the ABS light and quote and engine check light code.

so ignore anythuing i said above about the codes, i was giving advice on the code you quoted not the code you obviously have.

i hope you have read the error code reading thread, as the long flash gives you the tens and the short flash gives you the units of the error code not the other way round.
i was wondering if you have transposed te digits which is why ther is no error code 52 in the abs list as you are supposed to be looking for 25.

i have just checked the ABS section and there is a error code 52 in the list.
no one is here to give intentionally bad advice but you have to get your info correct to start with if you want correct info back.

[nos monkeys]

yeah i did check another thread and it did have more abs codes so i was wrong lol, am going to have a look at the pugs to see what there like to try figure out the miss. ill delete this thread and use the other one :P