I’m driving home last nite…the brake and battery icon flashes on and off…i keep driving…the speedometerand tach stop working…then i put my right turn signal on and both the speedometer and tach dance in the same rhythm as the turn signal…
the radio dies…the abs icon goes on…the at oil lite goes on…the car lurchehes forwrd like the front wheel is fighting with the rear wheel drive…i brake and the brakes pulse…the dasboard light dims and headlites go out but the daytime lites stay on…I turn right onto my street and seemingly everthing comes back…i pull into my driveway, thankful to be home. any ideas???
Sounds Like An Electrical Problem. What Year Vehicle Is This? How Many Miles On It? When Was The Last New Battery Installed?
Bad battery cables or just poor connections could be the culprit if you’re lucky. You may have a battery or alternator going belly-up. I wonder if will start up and run, now?
You could try driving a short distance to an auto parts store like Advance or Auto Zone. Many of these stores are equipped to test charging / battery systems for free.
You could be running out of electricity. A daylight run with almost all electrical accessories turned off might work long enough to get to the store. Have a plan B.
CSA
I agree with CSA. This could be a worn out battery, a bad connection at the battery or a poor ground connection. I’d check the connections at the battery first. They should be clean and tight. Then I’d have the battery and the charging system tested.
The fact that everything came back after you made a turn points to a poor electrical connection somewhere.
It is obviously an electrical problem, but I am going to differ a bit with mcparadise and CSA–for a change.
You have described the classic symptoms of a failing alternator, from the combination of brake and battery warning lights to the random, alternating failure and “rebirth” of various components and accessories. Truthfully, by the time that you read this, it is very possible that the alternator has already failed.
I had this exact scenario many years ago with my '97 Outback. I ignored it on a Monday evening on the way home from work, since most of the components came back to life during my drive home. The following morning, it continued and the engine died shortly thereafter–on an Interstate highway.
The car was flat-bedded to the Subaru dealership, and they got me back on the road within about an hour with a new alternator, and without charge.
It seems that Subaru had a run of bad alternators from a supplier during the '96-'97 period, and even though the car was then ~5 years old and long out of warranty, they did not charge me for the alternator replacement. I doubt that you will be as lucky, but you never know.
If I were you, I would drive the car to a shop right away, or even better, have it flat-bedded there before you wind up stranded.
I’m giving this a bump, in the hope that the OP will see this before the alternator gives out and strands him/her.
The battery and brake lights is Subaru’s warning for alternator is failing or failed. It recently happened on my mum’s Forester. The repair is not bad for an alternator as it is located right at the top of the motor.
He car broke down in the driveway fortunately.
Hey Now.
"Bad battery cables or just poor connections could be the culprit if you’re lucky. You may have a battery or alternator going belly-up. I wonder if will start up and run, now? "
"A daylight run with almost all electrical accessories turned off might work long enough to get to the store. Have a plan B. "
I thought I’d bump this.
CSA
Thank you for confirming my diagnosis, Andrew.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR RESPONSES,THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL! I HAVEN’T TRIED TO START IT. TODAY,I WILL AND LET YOU KNOW. BY THE WAY, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU IT’S AN’02 OUTBACK WITH 74K. THANKS AGAIN.