For the record it is an 87 GL-10 turbo wagon w 96 miles. Last week I noticed my charge and at temp oil light came on and stayed on. Belts are new lvls are all good. Alt seems to be good. Car starts and runs fine. Spoke with my favorite backyard mechanic. He had no ideas after looking it over , all appears well. Any ideas?

Check for AC voltage off the alternator. That is the most likely cause. And I sugest you find a mechanic with a DMM that also knows how to use it.

 

GD

sounds like a voltage regulator problem. i would check it for over voltage. that could be a problem

Electronic mess?? Now my brake light and brake fluid light are coming on. Yes fluid lvl is good

Electronic mess?? Now my brake light and brake fluid light are coming on. Yes fluid lvl is good

 

Replace your alternator NOW! You risk damage to components in the car as well as the battery from the bad voltage regulator in the alternator.

 

The bridge rectifier inside the VR is toast - it's allowing AC current to flow through the electrical system. Indicator lamps in the dash are wired into common-ground circuits and individual lamps are protected by diodes. AC current defeats the diode protection and falsely illuminates the lamps.

 

Again - STOP DRIVING it till you replace the alt.

 

And find a new mechanic - he should have seen that first thing and a 10 second check with a DMM would have confirmed it. It's a very common symptom for alternator failure. The VERY FIRST thing you check when the charge lamp comes on is...... you guessed it - the alternator! That's first-year automotive electrical theory stuff. If the alternator is bad - NOTHING else in the electrical system can be trusted while the engine is running.

 

You have a very troublesome engine - you NEED someone that is familar with Subaru's and specifically the EA82T if at all possible. Things like that alternator can cause you a world of problems if not addressed promptly and accurately. One wrong move on the part of an incompetent or inexperienced mechanic will land that engine in the scrap heap. More than one good mechanic on here has tried and failed to keep those engines together. Only a very few people around here know them well enough to maintain them properly and most of them have learned from very bad experiences - I know members that have burned through half a dozen engines before they learned the ins and outs of the EA82T. You can't just have joe-backyard look at that car - they are going to kill it.

 

GD

Edited April 2, 201015 yr by GeneralDisorder

Mobile Mechanic on the way :-\

My hat off to you sir,, great internet diagnostics. I feel fully confident that when someone says " I hear a funny noise" you would be able to help))) Alternator done idiot lights are off, all looking really good( for now anyway)

 

By the way , Mechanic dude (Dale) read your posts for reference and appreciated the info you posted.

No problem - that's what this board is for .

 

I'm happy to hear it's fixed and all is well.

 

It really wasn't magic or anything that I knew what was wrong - that's probably something we see asked a couple times a month around here. There are a number of members that could have correctly diagnosed the problem and part of that is your thorough description of the symptoms.

 

GD

My hat off to you sir,, great internet diagnostics. I feel fully confident that when someone says " I hear a funny noise" you would be able to help))) Alternator done idiot lights are off, all looking really good( for now anyway)

 

No problem - that's what this board is for .

 

I'm happy to hear it's fixed and all is well.

 

It really wasn't magic or anything that I knew what was wrong - that's probably something we see asked a couple times a month around here. There are a number of members that could have correctly diagnosed the problem and part of that is your thorough description of the symptoms.

 

GD

 

He's just being modest.

He is considered the go-to guy for EA advice. (Yes, other people are allowed

to inflate your ego GD)

 

By the way , Mechanic dude (Dale) read your posts for reference and appreciated the info you posted.

 

It happens all the time around here.

You have stumbled upon one of the greatest information stores on Subarus,

anywhere, and I mean ANYWHERE.

 

Twitch

Ok guys I need to tap into your collective brain cells again. My little Sub heats up in a weird way, The coolant backs into the overflow tank for no apparent reason ( yes I put a new radiator cap on). Any ideas?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

Ok guys I need to tap into your collective brain cells again. My little Sub heats up in a weird way, The coolant backs into the overflow tank for no apparent reason ( yes I put a new radiator cap on). Any ideas?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

So there's extra coolant in the overflow tank when its hot?

Sounds like your coolant system is too full.

No big deal unless it just started doing this.

 

If it did this recently, it may be the headgasket.

 

Twitch

The coolant lvl will be just right then as I drive the car it heats up , when i take a look the coolant has backed up and filled the overflow tank.

The coolant lvl will be just right then as I drive the car it heats up , when i take a look the coolant has backed up and filled the overflow tank.

 

Does it go back down after it cools down?

Because if it does, this is completely normal.

 

If it keeps filling and spits the coolant onto the ground, you have a problem.

 

Twitch

Does it ever overheat? Cause it should suck coolant out of the overflow as it heats up. Not the other way around. I also think it could be a head gasket problem cause that's pretty common with those engines.

Is the oil milky looking? If so its definitely a head gasket problem.

Oil looks good, Yes it over heats and spits coolant out through the overfill tank.

Oil looks good, Yes it over heats and spits coolant out through the overfill tank.

 

Ok, you can have a mechanic test your coolant or I believe there are test kits

that you can use to see if there are any hydrocarbons in your coolant.

If there are, that means that your headgaskets are blown and will need

replacing.

 

As long as you're not adding more coolant after it blows out, then I can just

about guarantee that you have blown headgaskets.

 

If you've been adding coolant as it comes out, I would try not adding any

coolant and seeing if it continues to happen.

 

Twitch

If its overheating all the time then id be willing to bet money that its a head gasket. Do a compression test on it