Subaru - Legacy :: 1993 - Power Steering Died - Battery And Brake Lights Came On
Nov 24, 2012
My old and often very reliable '93 Subaru's power steering died the other day. I was driving and my engine suddenly started making a deep ticking sound. I pulled over and with it running, popped the hood. The sound was coming from the front of the engine near the visible belts. I decided to keep driving. After about 10 miles that's when the power steering died. Then my battery light and break light came on (which in the past has usually indicated that something is up with the battery or something is drawing from the battery more than it should). THEN I began to smell burnt rubber.
What I want to know is this: my boyfriend says that it's probably the surpentine (sp?) belt or the pump thingy that runs the steering. First, I want to know if I can drive it to the shop or if that is a dangerous thing to do. The steering is really hard but I can still make it work. I'm a grad student and I don't have the money to get a tow, but will will find the money if I have to. Second, is my boyfriend right and will it cost a lot? Again, poor grad student.
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So a bit of background, I'm not the original owner, it has about 190,000 miles on it, and is almost definitely due for an oil change. Anyways, I was driving home, the car was running fine, I got into the left turn lane and had to come to a complete stop in the intersection. As I was about to turn, I felt the steering lock up, and there was no throttle response, I was in a bit of a panic so I didn't see if the engine shut off but several warning lights went on including the check engine light. I turned the key into the off position then restarted the car and it worked fine for the small remainder of the drive. What caused this or how I could prevent it from happening again?
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1993 Subaru Legacy wagon AWD Auto, press on brake pedal & won't release shifter,unless you press the button at the bottom of shifter.
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I bought a brand new 07 Legacy 2.5i sedan at the end of 2006. At 1500 miles the steering was problematic, took it in to the dealer, and by the time they were done, they replaced the entire power steering system. They said the problem was with the power steering rack, which they replaced. I asked if this new part was from the same supplier, so could also be defective, and apparently it is. I am rather alarmed, this is the 1st brand new car I have purchased in 20+ years.
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As I was driving home the other day, I noticed the steering wheel on my 99 Subaru Legacy (130,000+ miles) became considerably stiffer than ever before. I pulled into my driveway (where, incidentally, the wheel loosened up) and checked the power steering fluid. Unsurprisingly, it was low.
I haven't been on the road since, but I did turn the car around in the driveway. Aside from the wheel gently stuttering or pausing initially (it's done this when cold for a while now -- I always assumed it was a loose belt or something) the wheel seemed normal.
I made an appointment with a mechanic and described my symptoms. He said he'd have to take a look but suspected it was a bad power steering pump. Is this the only possibility? Could it be a bad belt or a leak somewhere in the system? If it is the pump, how much should I expect to pay to have it fixed?
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I need to lube the speedo cable on my Suburu legacy 1993 does the cable come out from the speedometer end.?Also what the best lube to use for the cable,also any pitfalls to avoid.
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I own a 1996 Subaru Legacy (2.2L), and when I was almost home, my car died. I was going about 30 mph, and without any warning, I lost power to my headlights, my gauges, my power steering - everything. I lost all power to my car. When trying to start it again, nothing happens when I turn the key - no lights, no fuel pump...nothing. It has to be something electrical (obviously), but I would like to know what it is before I send it off to the mechanic.
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93' subaru legacy wagon hard starting, fans won't shut off check eng light on, killed old battery, put in new battery.car started right up,no check eng light,fans off, everythings fine.uhoh fans on light on now lights off,everythings fine.next day car won't start eng check light on fans running non stop, original problenm is back.battery will probably be dead soon.
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Reverse stopped working after it's been driven for a while. It works when it's cold. I'm actually hoping this was caused by my stupidity (though it may have nothing to do with the problem). A while ago I wanted to change my oil, but opened the auto transmission plug instead. I decided to put new trans. fluid in it. I thought I would add trans fluid until I could see it on the dip stick. After the problem with reverse started I tried to again read dip stick but can't tell where the level is, so I decided to drain trans. fluid to measure it. Owner's Manual calls for 8.8 qts. Drained fluid measured only about 4 qts. I added more. Now it looks like dipstick shows it ~2 inches above the full/hot mark. Questions:
1) Would fluid level affect reverse and not forward (with which there is no problem)?
2) Is method of draining trans. fluid & measuring it a valid way of telling how much is in it, i.e. would all... or most... fluid drain out so the 8.8 qts. in the owner's manual should be added back in?
3) Am I misreading the dipstick? I've tried letting it set for 4 or 5 days, but still fluid seems to smear high on the dipstick.
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On my 1993 Subaru Legacy wagon, when the ignition switch is turned on to engage the starter, normally the power to the windshield wipers and radio is cut off until the key is released. What is happening is the power to the wipers and radio is occasionally delayed by a couple of seconds up to maybe a minute or two. This is happening sporadically, maybe once every other day or so, unpredictable. What is going on?
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I am currently on vacation, and will be here for another 2 weeks (3 total). I live in the midwest, and my car is currently parked at O'Hare Airport. I have a 2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5i with 42k miles, full synthetic oil, and a 3 year old battery. Will I have any issues when I go to start it upon my return home?
The car always seems to fire right up, and with these warmer temps, I am thinking I'll be ok, but thought I would ask. I just kind of want to know if I should be looking for someone to jump me when I get back to my car.
Last, in warmer temps, in the garage, with a good battery, how long can a car usually sit for without being started? Also, if I start the car and just let it idle for 5-10 minutes, will that recharge the battery, or do I need to actually drive the car and get my speeds above 60mph?
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I have a 2005 Subaru Legacy and the steering wheel shimmies all the time. My Subaru mechanic can't find a reason for this. I did try another general mechanic, without telling him that this appointment was really a 'second opinion' and after rotating all the tires, numerous test drives he couldn't figure it out either and referred me to my original mechanic, telling me that he's the best Subaru guy in town.
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Today I had a flat tire. Noticed because the warning light was on. Fixed flat. Tire pressure light is off. Now the brake light is blinking. The cruise indicator is blinking. The skid control light is on and the check engine light is on.
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Sometimes my 96 Subaru Legacy will not turnover unless the brake pedal is pressed. Other times starts without my foot on the pedal. It seems to need the brake pedal addition more often if it has sat a couple hours or more without being started.
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On the way home from purchasing this 2.5i Premium the BRAKE light started flashing when I got to 40mph. - yes, the emergency brake was off. Car was roaring like the brake was on-ablut 5 mi. to home. When I drove it back to dealer/service to get a few minor "We owe" things done, same thing happened again when up to 40mph. This was reported to service and car was driven by service manager. They reported a bad wheel bearing front R, and later in day found out rear R wheel bearing also bad. Yes, to be replaced..
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I pulled out of my driveway yesterday (2014 Subaru Legacy 2.5 H4 engine, CVT) and about a half mile from the house, I noticed the brake light blinking. Along with it, the traction control icon was on steady, the cruise control icon was blinking (CC off) and the check engine light on steady. I turned around and went home. According to the owners manual, the blinking brake light meant a defect in the electronic parking brake. The car may not be safe to drive.
I pulled the code P1449 which according to the code reader means "air filter clog". The car has 33k on it and I changed the filter at 30k. I pulled the snorkel and checked it and it was clear.
Since it is under warranty, I called the dealer to schedule the repair. I asked the service advisor if it was safe to drive and she told me that the blinking brake light was only to get my attention that the check engine light was on. BTW, the parking brake seems to be working just fine, setting and releasing normally.
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My running/tail lights and my dashboard lights don't work. Every other light works though(low/high beams, reverse, break). I don't know much about cars but My neighbor just put in a new relay and the running lights worked fine for about a week. Then the dashboard lights started flickering on & off for a day or two & now I don't have dashboard or running lights at all.
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In the past month our 2005 Subaru Legacy has had a vibration(intermittently) where the steering wheel going slightly back/forth 60-70 MPH. I understand a wheel balance can cause this. However intermittently does not make sense. My wife simply speeds up to 80MPH and it disappeared or less than 60. Any clues?
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I have a 2011 Legacy Sedan with 40K miles. Three weeks ago, I drove the car 25 miles in 90+degree heat on the highway. I parked at a store, did not use the electronic parking brake and when I returned to the car 5 minutes later and started it, the dashboard BRAKE light was flashing. The brake was not engaged. I tried to engage and release it, but it would not engage, when I pushed the button the car 'chirped'. I drove the car home and garaged it. The next morning (after a cooler evening) the light no longer flashed. At that time I was able to engage and release the electronic parking brake and it worked as designed.
A similar sequence has occurred on four different occasions. When I start a cool car, no light. When I start the car after it's been run for a while, I'm getting the flashing light.
I've checked the brake fluid and it's fine. I've checked the OBD and it shows no codes.
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Just wondering if it's my car or does Subaru have a light issue going on with the 2011 Legacy's??
I bought my car 1/31/11 (so I'm still under warranty... barely) but here is my history with bulb replacement:
3/22/12 -- 14,251 miles -- driver side headlamp out
6/27/12 -- 17,322 miles -- passenger side headlamp out
6/19/13 -- 27,783 miles -- driver side headlamp out (although was taken in for a passenger side, side marker light)
7/16/13 -- 28,987 miles -- passenger side marker light out (the one that they didn't replace on 6/19/13)
1/22/14 -- 33,759 miles -- driver side head lamp and side marker out
Six bulbs in under 3 years???? Granted these have all be replaced under warranty but the next one won't be despite the fact it's an ongoing issue and that concerns me. I know I'm spoiled because I had a 2002 Honda before the Subaru and in 12 years (mom is now driving it) and 100+k miles I've replaced 1 burnt out bulb.
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Last week, the brake, traction control, cruise, and check engine lights all came on my dash. All but check engine were flashing. The car seemed to be driving fine but cruise would not engage. I drove it to a local mechanic who checked the battery and alternator and reset the computer. He said there was nothing wrong with the car. The next day the lights started flashing again so I made an appt to take it to another garage. This place said my gas cap needed to be replaced (hence the check engine light) and that my vehicle dynamic module was busted. My dilemma is that since picking the car up 4 days ago, and driving roughly 200 miles since, the lights haven't come back on. My current plan is to wait a bit and see if they do but I'm wondering if there's a chance that the VDM is ok.
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