Changing ignition selector.

[FundamentalyConfused]

I found out that my car needs new locks all around, especially since I can use my house key to unlock my drivers door!!

I pulled all the locks out of a 2000 outback because the boneyard pickings were slim. The igniton switch looks too me like it could be interchangeable based on what my haynes manual has for pics. I haven't looked at the one on my car yet seeing as how getting this one off was a ROYAL pain in the rain. This part has 3 plugs hanging off of it. Does a 90 MY have the same thing?

I tried looking to see if I could find a wiring diagram to tell if it will plug right in but I can't find anything that tells me what this part is called. Does anyone know if I could just plug this thing in and go? Or could someone link me some pages to read to decipher the wire colors and plug diagram.

Thanks.

[Legacy777]

You can d/l the parts book from me, which has some blown up diagrams.
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... og_-_FULL/

Page 603 of 1,265 shows there's three connectors as well.

[FundamentalyConfused]

The new ignition switch came out of an automatic also. In that parts list I see 2 different numbers based on transmission type. Looking at the replacement piece it looks almost exactly like the one in my car, as far as the key selections are concerned.

I guess I'll just have to experiment to see if this is going to work.

I'm already in question whether or not the door cylinders will fit. The inside of my door looks very different than the inside of that 2000 outback. I still think the cylinders should be usable in there but with the window armature in the way it's difficult to see the backside of the door handle.

I'll just have to tinker around a little more.

[dscoobydoo]

I had to change out the locks/ignition lock on my 2000 impreza wagon project. I ended up pulling the steering column, door locks and glove box from the donor car.
It made things easier when I pulled the parts from the same type/year car I was putting them into.

There are plenty of legacy vehicles around here. Not sure where you are at.

[FundamentalyConfused]

I'm in Flint, MI. This is GM town. I see random Subaru's around but they're all newer and trying to get parts for a 90MY is a challenge locally.

[oldscoobyturbo]

if your stuck looking for parts I have a few I can spare and a parts car 93 base sedan

[ciper]

Seemed related -
The lock cylinder in the drivers door often shears off its pivot arm causing the key to spin freely. If this happens get a donor cylinder and rekey it. It's much easier than it sounds. Just swap the little metal spring loaded "doors" that come into contact with the key edges.

[FundamentalyConfused]

I'm getting some time to tinker today and my goal is to have both doors switched over.

The only real reason I'm not still looking for more locks is because this set I salvaged has the original key for it, 2 original spares and 1 knock off copy. There were 4 donor cars in the yard and all of them had keys in the ignition but the last one I found, the 2000, had 3 keys in the ignition and 1 key in the hatch. All of the keys work in the locks except the hatch lock is not working anymore since I removed it. I plan on taking it and my lid lock to a locksmith and asking if it's possible to swap the guts out.

This is proving to be an entertaining challenge.

[FundamentalyConfused]

This project is a wash for now. The replacements I have are all larger than the originals, tumblers are larger too. I probably could still use the ignition selector but it makes more sense to wait until I get a whole set again.

[FundamentalyConfused]

I managed to get the door locks out of a 91 legacy that was hidden in a salvage yard that's off the grid. The drivers door lock is heavily corroded and is taking lots of effort to get the teeth to move freely.

The only local locksmith that can do it will charge me $35 and that's without looking at the hardware yet, these locks look rough and I would bet the smith would suggest new pieces.

Should I just say F-it and sandpaper the teeth down so my ignition key will work on the doors or should I really spend more than $100 for my locks to be done right.

[ciper]

Why don't you do it yourself? I JUST rekeyed a cylinder for my drivers door two nights ago.
In fact I also made a new key for the car from scratch using a cut off wheel.

[FundamentalyConfused]

I could probably handle doing what locksmiths call pinning.

Where would I find a kit for that?

[ciper]

Why cant you use your old "pins" since they are the right sizes

[FundamentalyConfused]

When I took apart the driver door lock to find out why my house key worked at unlocking it I discovered the pins had been forced into the wrong placement and they were sheared off. It looked like someone had buggered up the lock to get in.

The car came with only one key, it's a copy and looks pretty worn & flexible, and that key doesn't work in the passenger door or the trunk lock. I did manage to get the glove box locked once only to find it was alarmingly difficult to unlock it, my Haynes manual was in the glove box along with my gloves and multimeter.

So I'm not really sure what to do but I do know I need to do something about this soon. Should I get a brand new ignition lock to have a good master key and have the rest of the locks pinned to that? Should I keep hunting for another used set with a good master key to bypass the locksmith portion? I do have another pair of door locks with somewhat functioning pins that the smith could repin but the tumbler for the driver door is badly corroded, almost to the point that I bet the smith would tell me to buy a new one. Should I get those repinned to my current key?

There's a local locksmith that can do the pinning for me for $35 a lock with the locks out of the car. I forget how much a new key would run me.

I'm kind of leaning towards getting a new master key but I'd rather not pull the old ignition tumbler to have a new key made.

What do you guys think?

[Legacy777]

Let's take a step back for a moment.

Are the locks in the car, minus the driver's door lock ok? If so, leave them alone. There should be a code stamped on the passenger door lock cylinder. This will be the key code for the car. Using this key code, you can have a subaru dealer cut you a new key. From there, you can get a new lock cylinder for the driver's door and have that keyed to the new key you had Subaru cut. That new key should work on the driver's door and all the other door locks.

This way, all you're buying is a new driver's lock cylinder, one blank master key (most dealers will cut the keys for free), and rekeying of the new driver's lock cylinder.

BTW, $35 to rekey a lock cylinder is way too much money IMO. It literally takes them less than 5 minutes to do it. Hell, the guy at home depot did my garage door lock in a minute or two.

[FundamentalyConfused]

Where is the code stamped at, on the arm or the tumbler housing?

[Legacy777]

Based on this post, it's on the arm.

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... 38#p328138

[FundamentalyConfused]

I saw this key and was wondering if it would work with my 90MY.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Subaru-Blank-Ke ... 284wt_1185

[Legacy777]

They say it does, so it should...

[FundamentalyConfused]

They say it does, so it should...

Actually it says 1991-1999 legacy. The only model that was shown older than 1991 is 1985-1989 DL. I don't know why it says 1991 for the Legacy. The Legacy started production in 1989. My understanding is that the ignition lock was pretty much interchangeable throughout the models.

I don't see why this key shouldn't work in my ignition but with the year listings it made me hesitate. I emailed the seller and they asked for pics of my key so I sent the pics and they said it would work.

I know for a fact that the 2000 Outback keys are thicker than what fits in my 1990 tumbler. Does anyone know what year they redesigned the keys?

[Legacy777]

If it says it works for the 91 MY, it'll work for the 90 MY. More than likely this reseller doesn't know the proper years of the car models.

[FundamentalyConfused]

I've seen that misinformation a lot looking for a suitable copy that looks like it will hold up longer than a year. There's more that show that year range than going to 1989.

[Legacy777]

Outside the US the first gen Legacy was launched in 1989 and went through 1993. 1994 was the launch of the second gen in Japan. In the US, 1990 was the first model year for the first gen Legacy and went through 1994, with the second gen being available in the 1995 MY.

You'll have some overlap of manufacture dates. My 90 MY was built in July of 89.