# 1990 Subaru Legacy Idiot lights

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** legacy, lights, subaru\
**Created:** [September 4, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114 "2009-09-04T17:55:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pdennler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e56c9b/32.png) [@pdennler](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pdennler)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114/1 "2009-09-04T17:55:30Z")

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Battery symbol, AT Oil lamp, Stop Lamp, and Brake light flash on and off periodically while driving. All fluids are checked and full and there does not seem to be any apparent operating problem. Wondering if it indicates problems or just lights being idiots…

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**Author:** ![realbinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@realbinky](https://community.cartalk.com/u/realbinky)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114/2 "2009-09-04T18:53:12Z")

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connections to the panel, they’re “rebooting”

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**Author:** ![bennyandthejets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@bennyandthejets](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bennyandthejets)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114/3 "2009-09-04T19:15:26Z")

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That certainly sounds like a problem. Your lights might be idiots, but I would want to fix the problem because it could lead to something more serious like leaving you stranded on a deserted road late at night, in the middle of winter. I’d start by looking for a loose wire connection, under the hood, starting with the battery and any other major connections you can find. wiggle everything with the car running and have someone sitting behind the wheel watching for the lights to come on.

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114/4 "2009-09-04T19:22:11Z")

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Have your alternator’s output tested.  
When an alternator is beginning to fail, one of the symptoms that I have observed–on a '97 Outback–was random flashing of various warning lights with no apparent reason.

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**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114/5 "2009-09-05T06:32:22Z")

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I agree with VDCdriver. Those lights are in the field circuit to the alternator so they get tested when the when the key is turned to ON and the alternator isn’t running. When the alternator has trouble internally those lights can turn on or flicker depending on the trouble.

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**Author:** ![pdennler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e56c9b/32.png) [@pdennler](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pdennler)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-subaru-legacy-idiot-lights/36114/6 "2009-09-05T09:06:38Z")

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Thanks for the input I will check loose connections and alternator tomorrow. I noticed tonight the headlights seemed to sort of dim periodically as well,this would seem to line up with the alternator possibility.