8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
152,200 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (1 reports)
1998 Subaru Impreza electrical problems

electrical problem

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1998 Subaru Impreza Owner Comments

problem #1

Sep 202016

Impreza Wagon 2.2L Sohc

  • Automatic transmission
  • 152,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Environmental extremes caused through summer delivery ravaged the ignition system. Battery voltage remained normal until its amperage was unable to engage the starter. Car failed to start at 160 cranking amps. Brake light and ABS light were accompanied by the electricity warning light. Possible short in front lamps began months earlier and continued to be unreliable, the right turn signal solely, even after the corrosion was removed from the lamp harness of turn signal and bulb replacement, intermittent and unknown shorting occurred in these two connections (dome light turn signal). These signs are coupled with unknown lack of power to cigarette lighter in the cargo area. The front 12v insert is still good. Fuse changed that was going to rear 12v. The automatic light of dome flickers as if the dome light control switch is being jarred by invisible hand, lol. The starter failed without warning. A week after the repair was made, the battery registered dead dead and the alternator finally ceases to function. The electrical warning light was on for a couple days before alt and battery failure, but after starter not before. Key locked up when AutoZone ran battery test with engine on, which in turn, stalled engine until new battery was installed. The battery and alternator tested normal the morning the battery failed. Brakes seemed to make less noise after new battery installation. The AutoZone tech had no idea his installation failed to engage the battery retaining studs, and thus, I drove with the unbolted battery for only a day until it began jarring the connections and probably damaging the battery. The battery restraints were installed correctly by myself after replacing this new battery in an effort to test alternator, and rule out the battery as faulty. The alternator is probably going to become damaged as a result of some intermittent electrical issue that does not involve a main component in the ignition system. A confused computer revealed itself at alt test. The alt was not recognizing rpm after Mechanic tested it. Car was driven immediately after the second new battery was properly installed. AutoZone Alt test was unable to be attempted. Driving then to Monro, their test on the Alt produced a confused testing device, but the device did print a receipt that the Lead mechanic said suggested a bad alt. They could not determine the cause of the testing device acting weird yet still producing a result and printing that on the receipt as if it didn't just scatter while the LOAD test was being performed. THe mechanic said it was possible it was not only the ALT, but some other unknown component that has yet to reveal itself completely. Six months before this climax on 9/20/16, a technician was trying to understand why the car would be unable to shift into drive if the car was released from the e-brake on a hill and reversed. That ghost issue occurred mostly when the e-brake situation was combined with reversing and then attempting to engage drive. The attempt to diagnose the issue remained questionable because the solution produced no difference. The solution was based on the code from the check engine light that turned on after failing to shift back into drive. The code, IDK remember exactly a #, but the code said their was an overload of voltage to the TRANSMISSION, which caused them to improve the TRANNY Grounding by adding a ground wire or three to the cars good ground areas. The check engine light did not turn on at times when the battery was dying. The car had serious oil leaks from sensors and the pan itself, though the PCV was not attempted until later, but before the Oil pan was dropped for a new one. The engine oil dipstick was dry and the engine remained able to run fairly good, but leaks plagued the engine compartment's street level oil parts as much or more than the brake light which has never turned off, which is the only good indicator light that does fairly good at turning off after I constantly refill the master cylinder with fluid because the leaks in the braking system seem to suggest that the computer controlling the ABS is pushing fluid enough to break the seals in the brake system, because leaks keep developing after the obvious rusty lines were replaced. The master cylinder started spewing fluid out alarmingly onto electrical components in the engine compartment portion of the braking system in what appears to be over pressurized. The engine compartment is not leaking because of rust, the brake fluid or engine oil, I mean. Coolant levels remain stable, power steering shows signs of a previous leak in its reservoir, but the lines must have been replace shortly before I purchased, again stable. The fumes from gasoline come when temperatures are extreme and the muffler system is completely original, but the gas tank and the piping to the gas input are new. The stalling occurs with a cold engine followed by engaging the gas pedal and will manifest at usually the first red light unless I play with the brake pedal by holding it down with stronger than usual tension until the engine can engage the "IDLE" command from the computer. Sometimes, I forget to hold the brake pedal with enough tension and the engine will stall. The dip is not controlled enough when the computer attempts to go from drive to idle when the block is just lubing and warming up. The brake lines have no weak pedal that is spongy, just a creaKY SOUNDING SYSTEM. tHE LINES ARE VERY AUDIBLE. Theyy sound better when a battery is at the correct voltage, but they remain unable to avoid doing something to create other unlikely brake leaks that seem to manifest as soon as the other leaks are repaired, as if the system is unable to deal with a fluid pressure they were not intended to carry. All these seemingly unrelated problems must be attributed to some faulty electrical component that I believe can be related to the engine timing, and or fuel system. Any thoughts on the interrelatedness of these seemingly isolated events?

- jdoeisgreat, Akron, OH, US

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