Latest news - occasionally it starts flashing BEFORE the AT oil warms up!

If I stop the car and start it again the flashing always stops.

Gil

Latest news - occasionally it starts flashing BEFORE the AT oil warms up!

If I stop the car and start it again the flashing always stops.

Gil

 

Again, flashing means that the last time the car was operated, there was a fault. It makes perfect sense that you re start the car and it goes away.

 

Check the wiring harness

HG replacement/Engine swap is giving me this flashing light.

 

I swapped CTS's, checked and rechecked all my plugs for proper connection, and now I'm getting ready to go plug by plug, staring down pins.

It'll turn off after a restart, but as soon as a gear is engaged it flashes on.

Any ideas on what plugs/sensors I should attack first?

 

Twitch

Waht it is indicating is that there was an electrical fault on the previous operation of the car. I would double check all the electrical connectors. if it still happens read the codes and tell us what they are.

 

Also check to make sure all your grounds are good. Run an extra one from the engine or tranny to the battery and see if that helps.

I hadn't thought of the grounds.

This car is rusty so that very well may be an issue.

I'll let you know what happends after I go through my plugs for a second time.

 

Twitch

Ok, I've gone through all the plugs and there are no broken wires as far as I can find.

 

Does anyone have an accurate wiring diagram for a 99 Legacy Outback?

Every diagram I've found doesn't match the wiring colors >_<

 

I've swapped the coolant temp sensor on the block, and pretty much every sensor I can find on the engine.

 

Twitch

 

EDIT: I found the temp gauge sensor, and it wasn't plugged in

But the tranny problem still exists.

It's shifting hard and there are bubbles in the fluid, so I'm going to change it and see where I can go from there.

Would an air bubble in the line cause the issue with the sensor?

Edited August 5, 201114 yr by Twitch de la Brat
I'm an idiot.

It'll turn off after a restart, but as soon as a gear is engaged it flashes on.

 

Let me see if I got this correct. If you turn the car off, then restart the car, the at oil light does not flash correct? And then as soon as you put it into gear, the atf light starts flashing, correct? If this is the case, this is NOT normal behavior. You should only get the 16 flashes (electrical issue) on startup, not during normal operation. If the light is coming on after starting the car, something is up for sure.

 

But it sounds like you fixed that issue. Does the power light flash after starting the car?

 

Do the outbacks atf light flash, or the power light flash if there is an electrical issue? On my 1990 leggo, the power light flashes, not the atf light. Did this change later on in the later years or something? On the loyales/xts the atf light would flash and NOT the power light, but they changed that to the power light on the leggo's I thought...

 

Air bubbles shouldn't affect the sensor. What's the fluid level like in the trans, and what's the trans fluid look like?

 

A drain a flush is not a bad thing at all, so I would what you are doing and see if that helps. That will surprisingly fix alot of weird issues with the 4eat.

Well now, after some plug cleaning, it comes on immediately after startup.

And the fluid is a nice red color, no burnt smell, just a few bubbles, and the bubbles get fewer and fewer the more it gets moved around and sits.

But that tranny is in limp mode and it shifts super hard.

I'm going to drain and refill it via a cooler line and the dipstick hole, but I don't think it'll fix the problem.

 

Twitch

Hello everyone I'm new to this forum and have a similar problem. My father in laws 2003 legacy 2.5 sohc w/automatic trans was just completely rebuilt by me with new water pump, timing belt all new tensioner and idlers along with new head gaskets. Question is there was absolutely nothing wrong with it before hand and after it was all put back together including a new trans and oil pans (he's weird like that) I started it and it had the infamous flashing A/T temp light. I did the secret handshake and it came up 7 longer flashes and 9 quicker ones which where I found a thread elsewhere said it was the transfer duty solenoid. Just got done replacing that and its still flashing. And it is a constant flash it never slows down it just stays on all the time. I need HELP please on where to even start looking. Thanks to any and everyone for their help 

Eeman1273, you might want to thoroughly check out the wiring. Check for open circuits and shorts to ground on all of the wires for the fault you have. The service manual explains the procedure pretty well.