Cougar

You should be able to bypass the switch easily enough. I kind of doubt that it really is the problem though, but I may be wrong. Hopefully the mechanic verified that it was really the switch at fault and not just guess. If the switch ends up being ok then you should check the fuse and AC relay that are on the right strut tower under the hood.

So now you know that there is about a 2 volt difference between your gauge and the actual voltage at the battery. The difference may get a little worse as more load is added but at least you are aware of it now. Follow Kaz's good advice as the idle should be kicked up a little when the AC is turned on. It is the drop in the alternator RPM that causes the voltage to drop. Some alternators are able to charge better at lower RPM's, yours isn't one of them. There may be a bad diode inside it that is causing this. It may be good to have the alternator load tested at a shop to see how much power it can produce and check for a problem.

Your welcome.

I don't think being able to hear the noise is a good sign. I would replace it ASAP.

My '97 manual shows it to SBF-2 which is in the main panel under the hood. It's a 30 amp fuse that is next to SBF-1 which is to the right of the fusible link, if the link is to your left side. The fuse supplies power to the fuel pump through the fuel pump relay.

"The door ajar light is bright and strong with the ign on accessory, but when the key is turned to start, the light dims badly." Josh, It is the statement above that makes me think there is a problem in the wiring to the ignition switch. You may be right though, you usually are.

It seems you cleared the short by working with the door. The wires may be damaged in the harness somewhere. Does everything work when you try to use it? If there is something not working now I would guess that was where the short was. As far as the door switch, it may be in the latch mechanism.

NorthWet, You may have been thinking of the post that DJCRACKER made on 07-13-2005, 06:04 AM. He talked about a puff of smoke coming from his ignition switch. I understand about the memory problems. Sometimes I wonder about mine.

Usually the accessories are turned off when the key is in the starting position but I am not sure about your model. The problem may be with the ignition switch or in the wiring to it from the battery. Check the fusible links for a bad connection also. The power to the accessories is supplied by the smaller wire going to the positive battery connection. I would check the solenoid wire from the ignition switch in the start mode to see if you are getting 12 volts to it. It sounds like you may not be. If so, check the wiring as mentioned above needs to be done.

Your welcome for the help. Let us know what you find out.

To find a bad ground connection using the voltage drop method is easy to do. A good ground connection basically has zero volts of drop between the negative battery post (the reference point) and any other ground point on the car. When there is a bad connection to ground then that means there is resistance at the bad connection that shouldn't be there. The current in the circuit the ground wire is making the return path for has to pass through the resistance of the bad ground connection. The added resistance will cause a voltage drop across the bad connection and will cause some of the supply voltage to be taken away from the device that is supposed to be on. It is this voltage that you are trying to find. A good connection would be like a measuring the voltage across a piece of wire, which has no resistance, so there is zero voltage drop. Your voltmeter in the dash is showing you there is a problem at idle at least. The meter should never get below around 12 volts though there may be some normal voltage drop between the meter and the battery to account for some of the loss. I would check for a problem with the wiring by looking at the voltage directly on the battery posts and the alternator output. They should be real close to the same and over 12.2 volts at idle with little load. Check the voltage with the AC on then and compare readings. If you have 12 volts there and the dash meter reads around 6 volts, then the trouble is in the wiring between the battery and the gauge. The problem may also be with the meter itself.

It sounds like the warranty is over now unless it is extended. To see if it really is the starter you can check the voltage to the small wire going to the starter when the key is turned to 'start'. If there is voltage there then the problem is the starter. If it isn't, then it is most likely the inhibit switch causing the problem.

I would check to see if you are getting any voltage to the sensor using a meter. You may also be able to ground the lead to see if that does anything on the meter. The problem may be the wiring to the sensor or the gauge itself.

If you have an ohmmeter handy you should be able to figure out which leads are what pretty easily.

My manual for a '97 model shows the fuseholder under three connectors going to the dash. It should be near the end of the dash on the drivers side. It's a 20A fuse.

5 flashes is for manual trannys.

I think there are fuses for those things in the power distribution box under the hood.

It could be the solenoid contacts causing this but I think the car is too new for them to be a problem yet. Using a test probe light on the solenoid connection to the ignition wire will tell you if the voltage is getting to the solenoid or not when the key is turned to the start position. My hunch is the problem is with the inhibit switch. It may be in the console with the shifter, or in the tunnel under the floor.

Connecting both sets of connectors with the engine running should clear any stored codes.Code number 7 means it is a, AT and meets Federal and Canadian standards.

If I remember correctly the black ones are for getting the trouble codes and the green ones are for doing diagnostic troubleshooting. Here is a link that gives the code descriptions. http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/ If you don't have any spark, the most common problem is with the CAS not getting signal to the ECU for some reason. Be sure to check the fuses, especially #5, or see if the horn works since it is powered through that fuse.

Hopefully the market will support reopening the local dealership under new and better management.

You could check to see if there is a bad connection at the fuse and relay for the compressor. They are on the right hand strut tower. It could be numerious other things also, including low refridgerant. You may need a service shop to look things over. To me, AC is not optionial where you live.

The ignition switch sounds like it has a bad connection and that may be what is causing the voltmeter fluctuations. Your voltage problem may also be due to the alternator. If the ignition switch is not the problem I would check the output lead with a voltmeter and see what it reads. If the alternator is ok then check the fuseible links for a loose connection. If you don't have a voltmeter I recommend you get one. You can make checks with it to determine if the device is a real problem or not. Saving you money on replacing parts needlessly.

It seems there is a low resistance to ground somewhere on the line. The problem is, where? If there is any kind of wiring additions or changes to the lighting I would check that first. You may be able to see which leg the fault is by replacing the fuse with a brake light. The light will be in series so it will limit the current to a safe level. Check the running lights and see if you can find one that is dimmer than the other like it. If there is one, then check the wiring on that leg. It will be dimmmer due to the fault near it.

Your welcome for the help. The only thing I can think that may have happened during the first readings is the scale on the meter was locked to a low value instead of autoranging, or on a high scale. When the reading went too high, then it would look like an open with the 'OL' reading. Nice choice of meters by the way.