My sons dash gauges are bouncing up and down, dash idiot lights flashing off and on car occasional surges or hesitates. I've experienced this multiple times on my cars and my parents. Its always been a bad alternator. I'm assuming same for this Subaru. Tried to drive it home last night no lights on or heater fan, only emergency lights. Made it half way home - battery fully drained. Brought battery home - charged it - just picked up alternator. Heading out to do the install. Hopefully past experience is dead on. 

 

Belt is tight, battery year old,  all cables clean and tight. Hope a separate regulator is not hiding somewhere - don't know if its internal to alt. 

 

Thoughts? Advice? 

 

 

 

Milty  

Regulator is built in.

Alternator most likely.

steering felt OK?

 

mostly likely alt. You could get the original rebuilt locally if you can do without the car for a few days.

Auto parts store alternators are not that good.  A used Subaru one is often better.

If not alternator, then it is the battery. I had a car years ago with same problems as yours, dash lights and gauges were going crazy nuts. Turned out to be a bad cell in the battery. Car would still start, but run like crap, because of low voltage to the car computer. Replaced the battery, an that cleared up the problem.

Thanks for all the info - I replaced the alt -  all is good

 

...Milty

My 83 Brat is running again after salvage yard engine installed & now a new problem surfaced. Dash lights for high AT oil temp, brake fluid, brake light out & low voltage are on very dim while running, but none of those items are an issue.  Could this be related to alternator or battery going out?  Battery always starts the car so alternator must be working too.  

It’s the alternator. If you raise the revs and they go out that’s a clear indication that it’s the alternator. It also means your alternator isn’t properly charging the battery at idle. My mother inlaw’s brumby does the same thing, but you can only see these lights in the dark without any illumination lights on. 

Cheers 

Bennie

On 4/16/2019 at 4:18 PM, el_freddo said:

It’s the alternator. If you raise the revs and they go out that’s a clear indication that it’s the alternator. It also means your alternator isn’t properly charging the battery at idle. 

Cheers 

Bennie

Rebuilt alternator installed today and problem solved. Now for turn signal fix, blinking faster than they should. Bulbs all good, but I can't even see the flasher unit up inside the dash. 

Thanks to all!

John

Edited May 21, 20196 yr by jdkneppy
Correction

did someone install an LED light? that's 'hyper flashing'

 

needs a resistor to simulate the impedance of an incandescent bulb.