legacycentral bbs

I am thinking about puting a push button start on my 1991 legacy just cause it would be cool. I searched and found nothing. And all I know is that I have to splice into the ignition switch and the starter.

Has anyone else done this or know of a place to learn more?
Thanks for the help!

I think no one replied to this post because no one would be interested in doing it themselves. If you would like to do it however, they have a kit available at pepboys I think that has a switch and possibley a relay, I'm not sure. look into a kit first and if you dont find anything I'll tell you how to do it with a low amp pushbutton switch and a relay.

-Mike

Either way you're still gonna have to turn the key all the way forward. --and THEN reach to push the button. What's the point, then?

If you wanted, you could set it up so you use the push-button start and then turn the key all the way forward. =)

Heh, I suppose I could have a push-button starter if I just epoxied my remote starter key fob to the dash.

In any case, you don't need to splice into the starter. The starter wire you need comes out to the ignition switch anyway.

or you could do this.

turn the key all the way. then push the clutch. fires right up w/th press of your foot.

vrg3 wrote:Heh, I suppose I could have a push-button starter if I just epoxied my remote starter key fob to the dash.

Funny you should say that... the remote starter I installed in my car has an input that you can ground with a relay or just a button that does the same thing as if I pushed the start button on the remote (so you can integrate it with a factory keyless entry system). I've been thinking about installing a button on the dash because I sometimes use the remote starter to keep the engine running after I take the key out.

Why do you need to turn the key? Couldn't you just do some sort of elaborate switch dealie?

Do you know of an electromechanical way to defeat the steering lock?

That I don't

vrg3 wrote:Do you know of an electromechanical way to defeat the steering lock?

How about an angle grinder? It's electromechanical, and it will defeat the steering lock.

One point, the factory key-operated ignition switch gives you an important safety feature that a simple start button doesn't... if you take the key out, nobody can start the engine while your hands are under the hood.

How do you use an angle grinder to defeat the steering lock? I'm not all that familiar with how the steering lock works.

For that latter point, maybe you could wire in a hood pin switch like remote starters have.

vrg3 wrote:How do you use an angle grinder to defeat the steering lock? I'm not all that familiar with how the steering lock works.

That was a joke. You grind the steering lock out of existence. I probably should have added a smiley after that comment.

No, I realized it was a joke...

"I knew it was a joke, Meekus. I just didn't get it right away!"

I'm curious, though. Is there an accessible pin or something that you could grind away?

Glad you got the joke.

"Accessible" is probably the important word. I suspect not, without removing the ignition lock.

Well, I've never taken a Japanese steering column apart, only GM and Porsche (from VW's corporate parts bin), but there's usually a spring-loaded pin or a block that pops inward to engage in the steering shaft when the key is out, a little like a deadbolt on a door. Problem is, you can't get to it from outside of the column, only from inside.

If the factory service manual shows how to remove the ignition lock (and the part that holds the lock on the column), then it should be possible. A lot of work though, unless you're wanting to eliminate the key lock anyway.

That's all theory and conjecture without having seen the service manual or a torn apart Subaru ignition lock setup, so take it for what it's worth.

The service manual doesn't say a whole lot about the details. It does explain how to remove and install the switch assembly though:

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~v/pics ... switch.png

I guess it wouldn't be too hard to remove the switch assembly from a car and locate the steering lock pawl or whatever.

Mostly for posterity..

In the middle picture,

the round hole with the square peg, inside the clamp area that goes around the column. The "square peg" is the actual lock. It has a corresponding "hole" in the steel shaft of the steering column.

The whole assembly is clamped around the column with bolts that shear off when you torque them. As a theft prevention device.

Jess

PhyrraM wrote:Mostly for posterity..

In the middle picture,

the round hole with the square peg, inside the clamp area that goes around the column. The "square peg" is the actual lock. It has a corresponding "hole" in the steel shaft of the steering column.

Yeah, that's it. You'd need to remove that peg or grind it off.

I shaded it in red here:

vrg3 wrote:"I knew it was a joke, Meekus. I just didn't get it right away!"

Zoolander

Ah, huh, that seems fairly straightforward.

Earth to sillyp: Duh, yeah, I knew that.

Don't you ever think there's more to life than being really, really, really, rediculously goodlooking?

Can't pass up zoolander quotes.

"You can read minds?"