Subaru - Outback :: Battery Has Been Dying Intermittently
Aug 17, 2012
My battery has been dying intermittently. Twice after a week long vacation I have come home to a dead battery. No lights were on in the car and no clear source of a leak. It charged up but would die again after 12 to 24 hours of sitting in the driveway. After the 1st episode mechanics said the alternator and all voltage testing was normal so they just replaced the battery. After the 2nd incident I took my car to a new mechanic and they are saying again the alternator is fine but noticed the battery is shorting (alternator output amperage too high and voltage too low - they put in the shop battery and all returned to normal) and they say I need ANOTHER new battery. I have a hard time believing this but no one can figure out why my car battery keeps dying????
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So my daughter has a Subaru Outback with keyless entry and push button start, and her battery kept dying overnight. It turns out that she was keeping her second key fob within 10 feet of the car, so the car's electrical system was kept on all night (sensing that she was approaching the car) running the battery down. The lesson learned (the hard way) was to keep your key fobs far enough away from the car so the electrical system is not constantly energized.
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My Subaru 2000 Outback is dying occasionally when I come to a stop. It will stutter and die. I can restart it and everything is fine. It does not happen everytime, but happens more when I come to stop quickly, less when I come to a gradual stop. What is this?
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I can do all the basic car maintenance but this has me perplexed and a little frightened ...
My dependable 2001 Subaru outback has been dying after I start it up for the last couple of days. The build up to this was that the headlights have been flickering ever since I changed the fan belt a few weeks ago.
Whats strange is that the car will turn on and run fine until I turn the radio or air conditioner on. A few minutes after doing so I'll hear the weird ambient droning moaning sound start to build up in the speakers of the car - then the odometer starts to go haywire and the car will die if idling.
When I try to start it up again afterward the battery comes on fine but it wont turn over. I don't notice a clicking sound like a starter would indicate but rather an electric-ish sounding hiss. The next day it will start up again. And for what its worth the headlights no longer flicker.
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I bought the car brand new in May of 2009. All was good until February of last year when the battery died. I kind of wrote it off as one of those things that's part of life in AK. But then the same thing happened in November - yes, it was cold again, but it died after I'd successfully started it and drove it to my husband's work. He was inside for maybe thirty minutes. Not wanting to waste gas, it turned the car off and listened to the radio. When hubby came back, I tried to start the car and ... nothing. We had to get it jumped. Hubby said I shouldn't have been listening to the radio with the engine off. Anyway, I had a service appointment at the dealership a few days later and mentioned that the battery died again. They checked it and said it was weak so they replaced it.
Now, of course, I'm super-paranoid about everything that could be draining the battery. I turn the lights off whenever I turn off the engine (even though that's supposed to be something the car does automatically), and only listen to the radio when I'm driving. I've made sure that there's nothing plugged in any of the power outlets, and I don't have anything that's aftermarket. Oh, and middle of last year the radio/CD player died too, and that had to be replaced. Don't know if it's linked, but it's still odd.
The only advice the dealership had was to drive it more. I guess I'm pretty severe on the car - work's maybe a fifteen minute drive (20 if it's snowing) and a fair few of my journeys are short ones, for a variety of reasons. Plus, it's Anchorage, AK. Severe driving's standard here. But I never had these issues with my other cars, and my driving patterns haven't changed at all. Could there be something that's draining the battery that I haven't thought of, or am I really stuck with driving around Anchorage aimlessly for at least 20 minutes each time I get in the car?
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My 2000 Subaru Outback automatic, with 95,000 miles is intermittently stalling. No check engine light, no sputtering, engine temperature & oil pressure fine; it will just be running and then it isn't. It has happened with a 1/4 tank gas and with a full tank of gas. Primarily it has happened after driving around on a hot day, with some highway driving, city driving, running errands- so stopping for a while, then when I head home and gain altitude (another 2000-2500 ft), it will stall when I take my foot off of the accelerator to make a left turn, or go around a blind right curve, but not every time. When it has stalled once, it tends to repeatedly stall when I take my foot off of the gas.
It always starts right back up again with no problem. It happened once in town right after I filled up with gas, but didn't repeatedly stall after that.It has been to my mechanic 3 times and no codes come up with scan. The AF sensor (idle control valve) was replaced twice, throttle body cleaned (although not bad), crank sensor checked, fuel trim checked, wires, battery checked, hoses checked, reprogramming of ECU checked- not needed, no recalls/reflashes, nothing found. I don't want to end up stranded on a lonely mountain road with fires approaching, or getting broadsided when it stalls in a left turn.
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My Subaru Outback 2016 less than a year old has a right turn signal that works intermittently. I can't come up with a Rhyme or Reason why it works or not. From what people have told me the fog light is doing the same thing. The Subaru mechanics are baffled and can't replicate the problem.
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I have a 2000 Subaru outback (150,000 miles). Recently after starting, the car will feel sluggish or like it's pulling. When I come to a complete stop it will shake and feel like it's about to shut off... and recently it has been shutting off. Last night I changed the spark plugs, spark plug wires, and fuel filter... after that the car was driving worse. My check engine light is on and the code is for a knock sensor. Also there was oil on my spark plugs which I believe is an idication that there is a broken or leaky gasket. I am at a loss... would the leaky or broken gasket cause car the run sluggish and stall, would a faulty knock sensor cause the the same? I also need to get my rotors changed but I don't think that would cause any of this.
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So... I have a 99 Subaru Outback 5 speed that I love the hell out of. Anyway, recently my clutch pedal has started momentarily sticking mid return. The clutch appears to be fully engaged, but the pedal sticks, or hangs for a moment before popping the rest of the way up. Once, and only once so far, it stuck completely just for a moment before returning after being depressed again. I'm not sure how concerned I should be, and given that the car is new to me I'm still trying to familiarize myself with it.
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I have a 2004 Subaru Outback. This fall I started having intermittent problems starting the car. It would run like a champ, no problems. Then every once in a while when I would try to start it, typically happens after it has sat all night, it would turn over just fine, motor would catch, then the motor would quit running (almost immediately upon start). It is kind of like the old days when your carburetor was not adjusted quite right and you would have to keep one foot on the brake the other on the gas while stopped at a stop light to keep the motor running.
The first time it happened we added "heat" as we thought it might be water in the gas line somewhere. It started, then ran just fine. This winter the problem started recurring more frequently. We added injector cleaner, it seemed to work a bit, but did not solve problem. We took it to the shop, and they could not figure out what was going on as nothing is registering on the computer and the car would start just fine for them. Brought the car home it worked OK for a week or so, then started up again.
The motor would catch then would quit running almost immediately. We were able to get it running good enough to get it to the shop (kept one foot on gas at stop lights, etc so would not kill). My car has been at the shop for two weeks now. It finally misbehaved on their watch, and they replaced a sensor, but they are not sure it fixed anything. They are keeping it so see if they can get a better diagnosis.
My first thought was the gas pump, but they said they had never seen a subaru gas pump fail and usually when a pump goes out, it goes out. They thought it could be electrical, but not sure as the problem is so intermittent. I would like to get my car fixed and back home. It's a great car; when it is running it runs great. The shop we work with is very good, and they are reluctant to start just replacing parts if it is not going to fix the problem.
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My 99 Subaru Legacy Outback has an issue w/ the air/vent/defroster selections. The lights sometimes don't lite up and when that happens, the selection doesn't work. It sounds like the fan is working but the air is not coming out. If it's a vacuum leak, can I fix it by finding a leaky hose or is it an involved process?
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Having problem with corrosion of the tie down on a battery? The terminals are fine. It's just the metal plate that holds the battery in place with bolts. The paint has corroded off. I clean it up and cover it with dielectric grease. I have to do this every 4 to 6 months or so, because the corrosion keeps coming back. I had the same problem with my 2004 Subaru Legacy, and had to replace the battery holder as a result.
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I have a 2007 subaru outback ll bean addition with 67,000 miles. For the past year and a half my gas pedal has intermittently become unresponsive. The engine is running just fine but the check engine light and cruise control light start blinking and boom-no gas. After turning off the engine, the car won't start until the gas pedal has magically started working again. The dash lights continue to blink for several starts but then stop.
Prior to this problem, I have noticed that sometimes the console lights for the radio and AC blink and sometimes go dark at which point the controls are ineffective. As if this wasn't enough, just yesterday when trying to start the car, the engine was having trouble turning over with a rapid clicking noise. It eventually started but now the seat belt buckle alarm is out of whack and the speedometer displays "ER U1."
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All of the sudden the remote to my 2009 Subaru Outback stopped working. The car doesn't respond at all. I mentioned this when I had the car in for service and they tested my remote. They detected a signal that it was sending out so that means something is wrong on the car side and the remote appears to be functioning fine. Unfortunately I only have 1 remote (bought the car used). I didn't have them look any further into it because they admitted that they had no idea what the problem could be and it would take time to investigate. What the problem could be?
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What is wrong with her car. It is an 05 subaru outback 3.0. She bought it 4 months ago. A week ago the battery died at red light. It tested bad and was replaced. Then yesterday it died at stop sign. Jumped it and died in 5 seconds. Before dying, car would not rev. Jumped it leaving cables on for 5 minutes since battery was almost drained. She made it half mile back to office and coasted into lot. Battery tested good but drained and was fully charged. Alternator tested 7 times to be certain. We bought a 10A multimeter (our town has no 20A).
Tested for parasitic drain. No results. We took Alternator off and tested a couple more times. We took out non essential fuses to be safe. Nothing was left running. There was a phone charger that has been plugged in for the whole four months. She took it out for good measure. Starter tested good. 3 people said battery cables are good. They appear to be non corroded and tight imo as well. They checked fuel pump. All was well.
She wants to go on vacation for the 4th but is scared to try. Mechanic friend said wait until it happens again, go to o reileys and demand them replace the battery as it has to be bad even if testing good. I'm not sure of this is the correct approach, but what else is there? One online mechanic said a voltage test on electrical system is next step but only a few select mechanics even know how to do it such as one that specializes in electrical wiring or something like that.
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My friend has a 2003 Buick LeSabre 3800 with approximately 80000 miles. He complains that the car will die while he is driving. I work at a local parts store and have access to code reading scanner. We've checked the fuel pressure at fuel rail several times and is okay. The only thing that seems odd to me is that he says the tach will quit working. It dies like the switch has been cut off. He can wait, sometimes 10 to 30 minutes, and the car will restart. I had him to come by work when the car acted up so I could scan it. It gave crank sensor out of range, and indeed the tach was not working. I turned the car off to scan, and restarted. The tach was working.
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This is on a 2001 golf, 5 speed, ALH.
Just went for a drive the other day and the ABS light started to flicker on, and then it was accompanied by 3 loud beeps, which I understand is the ABS warning.
Then the gauges all died like I turned the car off, but the engine was still running. No limp mode, no stumbling, nothing.
The needles then bounce back to where they should be, and various lights on the dash flicker, oil pressure, battery, etc. Not any pattern to them, they all just kind of blink on and off randomly. Then it will stop and run fine for 20-30 minutes (longest I have driven it like this)
Sometimes when I put the key in the on position before starting it, the gauges will do the same thing, without the beeping, and it is like I am cylcing the key on and off several times, needles on the fuel and temp gauge bounce between zero and their actual reading (other gauges don't move because I'm at zero rpm and zero mph)
I have replaced fuses 11 and 15, checked battery voltage with the car off, idling and at 2000 rpm, 12.3 volts with the car off, 14.3 with it idling and at 2000 rpm
The cheap code reader at the parts store gave me a P1650 code, which is intermittent communication error on canbus (paraphrasing) which makes sense for the symptoms, but I know on these cars sometimes a totally different system in the car can interfere elsewhere.
I am going to check/clean grounds, what else should I be looking for?
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My Toyota Corolla, 2006 keeps dying after long periods of sitting. Coincidentally (?) the issue has only occurred on weekends, after my 8-hour afternoon work shift. The first 2 occasions it made a quick clicking sound when I tried to start it (6 and 5 weeks ago, respectively). I replaced the battery; it was old. Then, the same issue happened two weeks ago. I had the battery checked at the site of purchase, where they also checked the alternator. Both reps advised me the parts showed up good on their meters. It died again the next day. So, I had a mechanic check every fuse and relay in the car to look for a draw on the battery using an amp meter. Readings indicated no significant drop in current draining from the battery while any were unplugged. . . I don't use a remote control unlock button (one professional seemed to think this might be relevant), and I have checked to make sure no lights were left on, even in the trunk. (Also note - I have seen no drop in performance when driving vehicle, nor any change in air conditioning or light brightness). I'm lost where to take it from here.
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2000 Chevrolet 3500, rear wheel drive Fleetwood, 5.7 liter engine. Slightly over 200k miles on it. I bought it used on June 2nd this year. Bought it from a construction company and they take good care of their vehicles. They must have used it a lot on dusty roads. I made sure the air filter and brake fluids are OK.
June 2014, got new rotor and spark plugs, then after the engine quit on the road home, I had a sensor replaced somewhere in the axle, or transmission, an odd place. Now after 2.5 months of smooth operation, the 5 year battery died (it lived almost 6 years). I put in a new 84 month, heavy duty battery yesterday. Got in the truck to start it up and "click." The battery is doing its thing, lights up the dials and lights if necessary. I turn the key and pause a moment, I hear the fuel pump turn on. Then I turn the key and "Click." The engine does not make any effort to turn over. "Click." Nothing. There is a half tank of gas in it.
I suspect maybe a solenoid as part of the starter, maybe the fuel pump, maybe a blown starter fuse, or blown fuel pump fuse. Thing is they are square fuses and I can't see inside of them whether something is worn out.
We live 60 miles from a Chevrolet shop and maybe 50 from a generic shop. Having the truck towed that far will cost a fortune.
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My 2000 outback wagon has only 67k miles. About a month ago, the check engine light came on. I took it to an Auto Zone and although unfortunately I didn't write down the code, the person who checked the car seemed to think it was probably just a bad tank of gas. I ran through that tank of gas and filled up with premium gas. Light didn't go off until THAT tank was near empty. Filled up a third time and light remained off until tank was near empty and it came on again. It has not yet gone off. I'm not sure how many more tanks of gas I should run through! The car isn't running poorly so I thought the bad gas was a good explanation.
A side note: about 6 months ago I had to have the head gasket replaced. I argued with Subaru and got some extra work done in exchange for the head gasket payment since my car missed the recall by a few digits but I was obviously stuck with an inferior product. I'm hoping they didn't do an inferior job. Even though it was 6 months ago, it wasn't that many miles ago - you can see my the year/mileage on my car that I don't drive a lot. Does that gas explanation sound reasonable? Anything about a head gasket related?
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So here's the deal my '02 prius' traction battery is dying really fast. But here's the thing, it will charge fully and be fine for a few months and then one day Its like the battery says, "now I don't want to play anymore." and dies really fast and is a pain to charge even a little bit. I can even drive to work (at least half an hour away) and I can get to freeway speeds and charging 95% of the way and it will still be at a very low charge. Then after a while it will charge all the time while staying fully charged. I'm eventually going to replace the battery anyway but wanted to know if it sounded like something else, too.
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