Ok I only have had this car for a week. It is still sitting on the trailer I brought it home on. That has more to do with the fact that there is a rod sticking through the top of the motor. Something strange happens when the battery is hooked up. The parking light flash like the emergency flasher button is on. It is weaker than the normal emergency flash too. It also for some reason makes the dash lights come on and flash as well. It will do it for a bit then it will stop. Then it will start in again. Could something else been damaged when the motor blew up? I am not sure how to stop this. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Richard.

need more information. sounds simple to me - the emergency flashers are on and the battery/cable/connections are bad. all of which makes perfect sense for a car that blew a rod and sat on the side of the road.

Does it have an aftermarket keyless entry? Start pressing buttons after you hook the battery up and see if it stops.

Is the battery fully charged? Is the horn trying to sound? It kinda sounds like an OEM alarm trying to flash it's lights and/or sound the horn. If your car came with an OEM alarm, there should be a large obvious tag on the battery cable or right next to the battery that gives the procedure you need to follow for hooking up the battery on a vehicle with a factory alarm. It describes the parking lights will flash, and the horn will sound (if the alarm is also hooked up to the horn) when a battery is installed and there's a quick procecure you have to follow to stop it. It involves pushing a hidden button below the dash and turning the key, if memory serves correctly. I saw this warning tag on both my '98 Outbacks, and I imagine a '98 forester would be quite similar if equipped with an alarm.

 

If you don't see the tag, it may mean that someone ripped the tag off. In which case, your door windows may have stickers indicating an "OEM security system is installed on this vehicle" or something like that.

 

P.S. a rod sticking out of the top of the engine might be a bigger problem

It's the keyless entry control system that is causing the problem. I unplugged it and the lights stopped flashing. Now of course I don't have a remote for the car. The previous owner said it quit working so he threw it away. Lot of good that does me. Now I suppose I will eventually have to find a reomte for this car. Anybody have a Subaru part # for it. Will the car still be able to work with it unplugged?

It's dying, its hurt and fading fast, poor thing.

 

But seriously

 

www.cars101.com will explain. Its the alarm that needs to be reset, if the 4 ways arent on.

 

 

nipper

You are right it is the security system going off. I have the tag on the negative battery cable telling me the procedure. I can't do either. I need the remote which I don't have and the button is there but theactual button is missing out of the metal housing for the button. So I need both a new button and a remote.

Is the battery fully charged? Is the horn trying to sound? It kinda sounds like an OEM alarm trying to flash it's lights and/or sound the horn. If your car came with an OEM alarm, there should be a large obvious tag on the battery cable or right next to the battery that gives the procedure you need to follow for hooking up the battery on a vehicle with a factory alarm. It describes the parking lights will flash, and the horn will sound (if the alarm is also hooked up to the horn) when a battery is installed and there's a quick procecure you have to follow to stop it. It involves pushing a hidden button below the dash and turning the key, if memory serves correctly. I saw this warning tag on both my '98 Outbacks, and I imagine a '98 forester would be quite similar if equipped with an alarm.

 

If you don't see the tag, it may mean that someone ripped the tag off. In which case, your door windows may have stickers indicating an "OEM security system is installed on this vehicle" or something like that.

 

P.S. a rod sticking out of the top of the engine might be a bigger problem

With the battery disconnected place the key to the "on" position.

 

Connect battery.

 

Turn off key.

 

rd

I will give it a try in the morning.

Tried the suggestion a little while ago. It worked! Thanks! Now I just need to replace the motor, carpet and a few other things and she will be all set!