Phaaase Posted April 25 Report Share Posted April 25 Hey I have a plug n play link ecu in my v2 wrx I was wondering how much work I would have to do to get it to work in a auto sf5 98 stb forester is it able to be done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamw Posted April 27 Report Share Posted April 27 I think I have heard of a few users putting one of our WRX plug-ins in a SF5 with minimal wiring changes, but the auto would likely be an issue in this case. I dont know of anyone that has tried so it is I have no info on what the trans requires. There would usually need to be torque reduction requests from the trans controller and often the ecu outputs the kickdown signal and convertor lockup etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaaase Posted April 28 Author Report Share Posted April 28 Sorry forrys a auto I’m putting a manual transmission in it out of the wrx I’m unfamiliar with the Subaru harnesses but I do know manual has three plugs and auto has 4 I’m guessing the 4th is for the automatic transmission I’m just wondering if there are differences in the wrx plugs being a 94 and the forester plugs being a 98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamw Posted April 28 Report Share Posted April 28 You will have to find a pinout or wiring diagram that matches your car, then compare that to the Link pinout which is available in the help file or the pdf manual. There are so many pinout variations in the forester's and legacy's that I wouldnt just rely on what it "should" have according to the internet, you really need to verify yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben Horsley Posted July 11 Report Share Posted July 11 Sorry for the late reply on this one, but I'll do it anyway in case people find this while searching. Thankfully wiring wise, foresters are essentially imprezas, they very much are a common platform. The 3-plug/"4-plug" difference in the SF5's is not auto vs manual, it's 3-plug for SF5A, which is common with WRX V3/4, and the "4-plug" is SF5B and up, common with WRX V5/6 (4-plug in quotes, as 4-plug in the subaru world normally refers to V1/2, the "4-plug" of the V5/6 is actually still 3 harness plugs, but the ECU has a 4th unused plug socket on the header - it's also important to note that the plugs on 5/6 are different to the 1/2 and 3/4's). I must also point out that I am talking exclusively turbo SF's here, the non turbo's, I can not say. So depending on which version SF5 you have, the conversion here is a "simple" V1/2 to V3/4, or the more complex V1/2 to V5/6. It's been a long time since I've done a adaption from v1/2 to v3/4, and normally it's people running the 4-plug 1/2 loom, adapting to plug in the 3-plug v3/4 ECU in. I've not actually seen a successful adaption to run a 1/2 4-plug ECU on a 3/4 loom. The normal issue that trips people up is the sensor grounding method changes between 1/2 and 3/4. The 1/2 runs individual sensor grounds for each sensor, the 3/4 uses a single pin and a distribution block. There are some other issues too, that usually result in a no start situation, but sadly I can't remember what they are, but they are solvable. you need to be a bit of a wizard with following the factory service manual wiring diagrams to nail these adaptions. There's some options here, with pros and cons. 1. You can make an adaptor harness, you will need to gut the SF's ECU for it's header, and go snip off the ECU plugs of a V1/2 from a donor car, and then you can solder the wires in that pig tail to the SF's ECU header. Pro's, you're not touching the ECU, or the SF's factory wiring, so if you stuff up/can't get it working, you're not left with paperweights. Con's, it's fidly, difficult if your soldering skills aren't up to scratch, and involves destroying a donor ECU and loom from 2 different cars. 2. You can re-pin the SF's loom to a 4-plug. Pro's, you can use what you got (though you'll have to find the 4th plug somewhere), and there's minimal soldering. Con's, if you stuff up, you've ruined your loom, and you'll have to call an expert in. this option is also not possible on the SF5B+ (V5/6 style), as the pins are different and won't fit in V1/2 ECU plugs. 3. Sell the WRX 1/2 ECU and buy the appropriate one for your SF. Pro's, no loom work. Con's $$$. I honestly recommend option 3, it's far less headache. Option 1 and 2 really do require a bit of skill. But that said, there's only one way to learn, and gain said skills, and if you got the bits needs and the tools needed, go hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaaase Posted July 12 Author Report Share Posted July 12 My man thanks bro heaps of help.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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