flashing warning lights!?!?!?

ok, I noticed this tonight, but it could of been going on all day for all I know.

4 of my warning lights were flashing in and out, almost fadeing in and out at random times. somewhat frequently, then would go away, and come back a few min later.

they are:
steering, batery, lamp bulb, and break

towards the end of my little trip I saw the ABS light dim in and out w/ the rest of them as well.

However I had no steering problems, my battery seamed fine, as I drove the car probably 100 miles this evening total, w/ my lights on, and radio (up all the way most of the time). All my lamp bulbs are in perfect working order, and are the OEM replacements. I replaced them all a few months ago. My breaks were working 100%, only thing is I dont know about the abs as i didn't really have to use it.

any thoughts, ideas, sugestions, warnings?

[Beav]

Have your alternator tested, it might be on it's way to the happy charging grounds in the sky.

that's what i thought too, but it's only a year old!!!

[mohrds]

Better hope its still under warranty

Doug

yeah, that would be a nice thing. they are usually a life time deal, it's just talking the place into letting me use the warantee even though I'm not the owner that had it put in. Although the work was compleated a month before I bought the car. Discount Tire gave me free tires bassed of the previous owners road hazard thing

I'm going to go get it tested when I goto lunch, so we will see.

Originally I thought it might have something to do w/ the fact that I've been having trouble starting my car....

i took it to autozone over lunch and had them run a check on the charging system...i'm running 14.35 volts, and it peaks out at 71.47 amps...that sounds like a perfect running system to me...

so what's the deal w/ these lights dimming in and out? the only thing I can think of is if all these lights run off a common wire somewhere that isn't connected to the other ones...But I dont have any diagrams for the car...

[nubs]

I had this problem a while ago and it turned out to be a loose and slightly corroded alternator plug. I cleaned it up and tightened up the terminal ends.Have not seen the lights come on since.

Originally posted by EverclearAtMSU
i took it to autozone over lunch and had them run a check on the charging system...i'm running 14.35 volts, and it peaks out at 71.47 amps...that sounds like a perfect running system to me...

so what's the deal w/ these lights dimming in and out? the only thing I can think of is if all these lights run off a common wire somewhere that isn't connected to the other ones...But I dont have any diagrams for the car...

I took mine to autozone when the lights came on... had them test it, and it was charging just fine. I had the alt replaced anyway (that was back when I had some money) and it made the lights go away.

-Mike

[mohrds]

Mine went away after discharging the ECU. With the car off, Disconnect both battery leads and touch them together (the leads, not the battery terminals ). The lights didn't reappear until about a month ago and a few days later my alternator was dead.

BTW, I had my alternator rebuilt by a shop that rebuilds truck starters , generators, and alternators. They beefed it up to 115 Amps. It bench tested at 119.5 amp output. It was only $158 with tax. Much less than an autozone or pep boys wanted for a low quality 80 amp rebuilt.

That extra power is going to be great this winter with heater on, lights on, rear defrogger on and stereo on while idling in stop and go traffic.

Doug

[Beav]

71 amps is kinda low, actually. Probably a bad diode, hence the lights going flaky. Starting probs would support the theory. Be prepared.

Originally posted by Beav
71 amps is kinda low, actually. Probably a bad diode, hence the lights going flaky. Starting probs would support the theory. Be prepared.

I agree. (Actually i just wanted to hit 1400 posts, but who cares!?)

-Mike

[vkykam]

If I remember correctly, stock output is 95 Amps.

VK

Originally posted by EverclearAtMSU
i took it to autozone over lunch and had them run a check on the charging system...i'm running 14.35 volts, and it peaks out at 71.47 amps...that sounds like a perfect running system to me...

so what's the deal w/ these lights dimming in and out? the only thing I can think of is if all these lights run off a common wire somewhere that isn't connected to the other ones...But I dont have any diagrams for the car...

this isn't the stock one, and it's rated to 70amps.

I looked at the lead coming off it that goes to the battery today, looked like the shop that replaced it replaced all the wires going to and from the alternator. and they used really small wires to! They were burning hot when i took them off. and the splicing job they did was horrible. So I replaced those, used 2 8awg wires (all i had laying around), and silver soldered the other 2 wires going into the alternator, I didn't drive it that much tonight, but I didn't see any warning lights, and nothing was dimming out as badly as it had been. So maybe I'll be fine, we will see. But I am mad at whoever re-did all these wires.

I'll probably do a grounding mod on it too, since I found an extra distrobution block and a ton of 8awg laying around. what points around the car was this supposed to be done to?

You`all seem to know a lot about flashing lights. What does it mean when I get 1 x long flash followed by 16 x short flashes,whenever I start the car ? Then it stops !

Rich.

Hay Rich,
The flashing power light means the tranny computer (TCU) has picked up a fault code. Check this thread for the how-to decode from Randy. I hope it's the same for the UK version. Good luck.. B.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...&threadid=2304