I bought my 1999 Legacy Outback in February 2016 and have had good luck with it so far. Today I noticed when I first start the car, several lights under the speedometer come on for a couple seconds, then go off. The only two I remember are the Check Engine light and the AT Oil Temperature light. They are amber in color. I think most of the other lights that come on are red. One looks like a container with a drop (of oil I presume) at the end. None of these  lights stays on more than a scond or two. A mechanic told me this is normal when first starting the car. He said if any of the lights stays on, then it's time to have it checked. Is this true?

I too, have a 99 Leggie Outback. Yes, your mechanic is correct. Instrument warning lights go off upon starting the motor.

 

Upon purchasing the car, do you know when the timing belt, and belt tensioners were last replaced?? Also, if and when head gaskets were replaced?? Some of the 99's have tranny delayed forward engagement problem. Do you sense that when shifting gears from R to D?? If so, an inexpensive fix is available.

 

I have had my 99 for 10 years, and still love the car...fun to drive, very dependable, and easy to work on, still looks good.

 

Have you noticed that the back seat is "stadium design," that is the rear seat cushion is about two inches higher then the front seats cushions. This allows the rear seat occupants to better see "over" the front occupants, to get a better view of the road ahead. A nice touch in my opinion.

All those warning lamps come on at start-up deliberately.

It's so that you can see that all of the lamps are working, and are not burnt out.

Your Owner's Manual (available online) should show you which lamps are being tested.

If any of the lamps don't work during this brief test, they should be replaced.