Questions and Answers

A Shifty Subaru

Q. Just bought a 1985 Subaru Loyale 1800 for my Daughter. It has 45,000 original miles on it (I know the owner). It's carbureted, with air, 4-door, has little if any highway milage on it. When you get up to 60 mph, the ECS light comes on and stays on till you drop down in speed. Sometimes, it doesn't go out at all. Bought a repair manual that covers this year and model, but there is nothing in it about an ECS light. Someone told me it could be the pressure sensor valve, but I can't find that either. FYI: I do all my own maintenance on my vehicles (including the motor home). I used to service marine engines for a living. So I have some background. Just need to find out what this warning light is. Hate to bring it in. Everything seems to run great. Starts fine, accelerates fine, etc.

Thanks for the help.
Mike

A. The electronics that control the Electronically Controlled Shift (ECS) are inside the transmission. There is little you can do to correct this and a visit to the dealer or a transmission shop are needed to resolve this problem.