Subaru - Legacy :: 1996 Sometimes Will Not Start Unless Brake Pedal Is Pressed
Aug 15, 2013
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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We bought a 1996 Subaru Outback Legacy Wagon a year ago. It has a salvaged title with some back-end damage that doesn't seem to effect the overall ride of the car. The car really seems to run fine, but the main problem is it randomly won't start. We can drive it short or long distances. It will start just fine 5 to 10 times in a row and then - BAM - we go to leave somewhere and it won't start. It makes a sound like it is trying to turn over, but it just doesn't have that last spark to start...until you wait approximately 10 minutes, then it starts again like nothing happened. We changed the fuel filter thinking it might have a blockage, but to no avail. We live in Portland, Oregon, so we get all four seasons of weather. The temperature does not seem to be of any consequence.
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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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My wife called and said her ES350 couldn't start. I told her to wait 5 minutes and tried again. It still wouldn't start.
So I went there and tried to start the car. My first try did not work either. I noticed that the brake pedal couldn't be pressed down. It was quite stiff. So I pressed hard on the brake pedal and tried again. This time it started. It has been working fine since then.
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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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every 2 to 3 weeks the car will stall while driving and acts like it's out of gas. 3 tows and no mechanic can figure out what the problem is and the car starts the next day.
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I recently replaced the brake pads on my 1996 Subaru Legacy. I can hear a grinding noise when I stop. I checked the brake pads again but could not see anything.
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I have a 1996 subaru legacy (2.2L) wagon. A couple of years ago, we had to replace the engine after a head gasket issue. A couple months after this replacement, this issue developed. The car would be idling normally, and just quit. No rough idling, no warning lights - just on / off. It only occurs with the engine idling (stop lights, parked, etc.) and will occasionally be proceeded by a rough feeling transmission shift while driving (especially between 40- 55 mph), though I do not know if it is related.
This issue is intermittent, and does not seem to occur until the engine has been running for at least some time. Normally the car will restart immediately, with a flashing A/T oil temp light that will disappear after a few seconds; however, sometimes it requires more attempts to restart, lately. I have taken the car in a few times, but, unfortunately, the subaru dealership could not replicate the issue. It is beginning to happen more frequently now, and I am about ready to take the car back in. What it could be.
I have cleaned the MAF sensor per instructions already - that seemed to work for a few weeks. I was thinking of attempting to clean the idle air control valve or replacing the fuel filter.
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My AWD 1996 Subaru Legacy Station Wagon suddenly loses power while I'm driving......
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We have a '96 Subaru Legacy Wagon with about 175K on it. Bought used. Ran OK for 2 years and suddenly we get this: going up a hill, even a slight, steady grade for more than a block or two, the car starts shuddering...power ebbs...car slows...check engine light flashes madly...it turns into a cartoon car with tongue dragging out, then dies if you don't pull over and let it pant like a dog. If it dies,one can restart it in half a minute or so.
Our excellent mechanic cleaned engine, valves, checked fuel-related stuff, replaced things, even worked on it for free because he was so stumped. Consulted w/worldwide Subaru experts. Conclusion: some cylinder/valve or something has sort of carved itself a new notch and so doesn't seat properly, evinces itself under pressure of grade or hill, would cost 2-3K to fix...an amount we simply don't have.
I'm doomed to drive this thing for the next 2-3 years, finding grade-less routes in my hilly Northwest city--not an easy task, but got to keep it chugging. Works beautifully on the flat (should I move to Kansas?). Will happily charge up a one-block hill as long as you then go sideways on the flat for a block or two. Big Sigh Here. Whether it could be some other problem? One website yaks about catalytic converters breaking up and blocking lines.
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i have a Subaru legacy rs 1996 twin turbo, about 6 months ago now i replaced both front outer CV joints and boots due to a grinding when turning at slow speed e.g a car park. the grinding had gone and its was all fine until now the same grinding as come back. its it normal for the CV joint to wear out that fast or could there be a different problem?
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Ok, did an intake manifold cleaning on my 99 Accord the other day, and now I have problems...
Long story short, some time ago my car started to have a very rough idle. Took me awhile to find the problem. Turned out the air hose, between the filter and throttle body, had developed a big hole on the underside. So I replaced it and while I was at it used some throttle body cleaner, spraying into the intake manifold chamber. Lot of junk blew out the tailpipe. The car ran much better, but the idle could still be a little rough. I ran it that way for awhile, and finally the other day decided there was probably still some junk in there and it was time to really clean it out. So I took ff the throttle body and intake manifold housing. There was a lot of junk in there! The small intake on the passenger side was completely clogged shut. (I understand this isn't surprising on these cars.) I used a bunch of rags and 2 cans of Valvoline throttle body cleaner and a lot of elbow grease and cleaned it out. I was thinking to myself that whatever I didn't get with the rags flushed through OK, but I didn't want to take the whole intake manifold out.
So I put it all back together. (I took a video before I started, so I'm pretty sure it's all back together right.) But now I have problems. The car starts. It idles fine mostly, but can be a bit rough. But the trouble starts when I put the pedal down. If I do it in Park, well, if I push it quick the engine just dies. If I push it slow, the engine revs then quits, revs and quits, over and over. Similar if it's in gear. If I push it hard, the engine stalls. If I push it gentle, it revs up, but chugs along a bit.
I've run some seafoam through it, thinking it was clogged up with all that junk, and sure enough, lots of smoke comes out, but nothing is improving so far. What have I done wrong?
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On my 1996 Maxima (175k miles, maintained well, good shape, no CEL), whenever I brake beyond a "normal" stop but short of a panic stop, I then put my foot on the gas and it revs as though it's in neutral. It then catches first gear, and the car drives normally. As for the stopping conditions, I don't mean a normal "here comes a stop sign" comfortable stop, and I'm not stopping so hard that I activate the ABS. More like, I look up, see a stop sign 1 second too late, and have to stop slightly shorter than a comfortable stop. The ATF is fine, by the way. Any clue what this could be?
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I own a 04 Grand Cherokee and have recently had problems with my passenger side brake light. Now the light itself does work under normal running light conditions, but when I go to press the brake pedal it doesn't engage the bright brake light. Drivers side works fine and so do all my other lights, I replaced the bulb to no avail, and am now currently looking into replacing the bulb socket.
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I have a 1997 Subaru Legacy sedan with a 2.2L engine with AWD. When I step on the brakes I hear a ratcheting type of sound and feel pulsations in the brake pedal.There is no problem with brake performance that I have noticed. We have replaced the front rotors and front brake pads.We also replaced the rear passenger side brake caliper. It still makes a loud ratchet/groaning-like sound. It makes the sound when you first start braking after starting the car and intermittently while driving. It's not constant when you step on the brakes.
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Right before Xmas our 09 Forester was hit while parked on the street. The whole front end of our car got wrecked. Was still driveable but we needed a new radiator, AC compressor, fenders, bumper, hood, lights, etc...over 5K worth of work.
As soon as we picked it up we noticed that when you press on the gas the car makes a high pitched whistling noise, almost like the noise when you'd try to tune in an old transistor radio. It only happens when the car is driving and the gas is pressed, not when parked or in neutral.
I know we should have probably brought it right back to the shop that day but I really did not like the shop at all and they are not at all convenient to where I live. I've read it could be a loose cat converter. I checked the air intake housing and that is secure.
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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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I drive a 96 Subaru Legacy. What does it mean when one of the high beams is dimmer (less light output) than the low beam? I am using a brand-new bulb. It's not an adjustment issue because I was looking at the bulb when it was outside of the housing and it clearly gets dimmer when you switch to brights. However, they are equally bright when on low-beam, so I don't think its just a crossed wire.
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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 was wondering if this problem is the "Barking" noise that keeps coming up the search or is it another problem. I will include a link to the video down below.
To start off, the Prius is 2010 Prius II and has 120k miles on it. Great Car. Only other problem was AC compressor dying at 90k.
The chirping noise happens when the brake pedal is pressed and does not go away until the release the pedal. It makes the noise regardless of whether the car is on or off.
It makes the noise when the car is stopped and or when the mechanical brake engage at between 0 and 6 mph.
Noise does not occur when the brake switch is removed. Not valid solution since the brake lights will stay on. It does not affect the performance of braking.
Here is the link to the video .... .... ....
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