While driving, the "brake" warning light and battery symbol light on the dash of my '01 legacy wagon lit up. Later, the "ABS" light came on and all the lights in and out of the car began to dim. Even the tach and speedometer needles drop to zero, if the engine is not revving beyond idle. The alternator belt seems snug and unworn. All the lights are dim with the engine off, as well.

I need urgent help, please, as I'm at work now and my subaru is parked out in the lot. I just don't want to get burned by a mechanic, so a little knowledge before I shell out the cash for a tow and repair would be great.

Sounds like the alternator. How many miles are on the car?

Any auto parts store will check the charging system for free.

Check 1stsubaruparts.com for the discounted dealer price.

While driving, the "brake" warning light and battery symbol light on the dash of my '01 legacy wagon lit up. Later, the "ABS" light came on and all the lights in and out of the car began to dim. Even the tach and speedometer needles drop to zero, if the engine is not revving beyond idle. The alternator belt seems snug and unworn. All the lights are dim with the engine off, as well.

I need urgent help, please, as I'm at work now and my subaru is parked out in the lot. I just don't want to get burned by a mechanic, so a little knowledge before I shell out the cash for a tow and repair would be great.

 

I just went thru that myself! I have a 2001 Outback Wagon. The problem was very intermittent at first... 3 weeks between first (dials) and second (braking and charging system lights) occurrence, 3 weeks until the third. I had an independent mechanic check it out twice and was told battery and alternator okay. Finally, it showed up and didn't go away... seemed to be related to weight on the back seat. I found a wire under the back seat which had a small piece of a broken window under it and was perhaps shorting out. Anyway, I just had dealer do a diagnostic and was told battery and alternator needed to be replaced... both were bad and so far, with new alternator and battery in place, the car seems to be fine. It has been 4 days now. My research on this site for similar symptoms... same light and dial behaviors... found someone who had had a short in the hatch door circuit. Other research online ... battery can be hurt by a bad alternator. My battery was 3 years old so I was okay replacing it.

Alternator is bad; battery might be okay, but not fully charging any more since the alternator is not charging properly. If you have a battery charger, put it on the battery for now but change the alternator asap before you're stranded.

If you're going to swap out the altenator yourself, I highly recommend giving

Jason at 1stsubaruparts.com a call @ 866-528-5282 (Auburn Subaru in Washington State, parts department).

 

Good pricing on rebuilts ~ $70 + shipping + $50 deposit until they receive they old core back. 12mo/12K miles warranty.

 

Make sure you mention this website forum...

Sounds like the alternator. How many miles are on the car?

Any auto parts store will check the charging system for free.

Check 1stsubaruparts.com for the discounted dealer price.

 

thanks for everyone's help on this. My legacy's got over 91k miles on it---all with the original alternator and battery (garage kept). So, I won't be surprised, then, that one or both of those are at fault. I've got the battery on charge now here at work so I can, at least, limp to the repair shop on battery power. I let you all know what the problem is for future reference. I'll certainly consider "1stsubaru" for future problems!

How old is your battery? At 4-5 years, it needs to be replaced in you live in a cold weather climate.

 

Did you check the water levels? There is no such thing as a maintenance free battery. I bet your battery is dry. All you need is some safety glasses (sunglasses will do), distilled water, flat screwdriver to pop off the cell covers. You should check your battery water levels about once a year.

 

Also, a great fix for older subies and batteries is a trickle charger that you can pickup for around $35 bucks. Saves my bacon in the winter. Especially if you have a car that you don't drive that often. All you have to do is top off the battery every once in a while or when it's really cold.