Cougar

This same kind of problem happened to Pamike. Here is a link to the problem he had. The trouble seemed to just go away for him after some time. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=132256 It sounds like the ECU for some reason is not turning off the Main Relay when the ignition is turned off or the relay is latching on somehow. Removing the battery power breaks the cycle. The Main Relay is way up inside on the left side of the dash and in a brown socket. See if the light green wire going to the relay coil has power on it when the ignition is OFF and the trouble is occurring. If there is then the ECU may be causing the trouble. Make sure all connections to the ECU are correct. If the ECU is faulty you should be able to get a used replacement from a salvage yard for a reasonable price or get a repaired unit for a low cost compared to a new one.

If the coil isn't getting power to it then replacing the disty isn't going to fix that. If you don't have a factory manual to help you find the trouble I suggest you purchase that instead. Ebay is a good place to find one.

You stated that the ignition switch was ok but you still have no power to the dash, ignition, and other areas. Check the connector for the ignition switch and see if there is signs of a burned connection. That would be where the trouble is.

All the Subaru models I am aware of have two fuse panels. The Main Panel is located under the hood. When you see tabs marked like MB-31 that means it connects to the Main Panel fuses. If you see tabs like FB-20 that refers to fuses in the dash fuse panel. There are relays in the fuse panel also. You indeed did find a bad power connection when your meter showed a low voltage on the lead to the brake switch. It is so bad that is appears the load of your meter put on it caused the reading to be less than 12 volts. My info for a different model year shows fuse 12 also supplies power to the horn relay via a RY colored wire. If you have that wire also you will need to add it to the new fuse line.

See if the middle brake light works ok. If that works then try cycling the emergency flashers switch a few times. I think the brake light circuit runs through it. Also see if the flashers work.

See if the ignition system is working. If that is ok then check the compression.

Hi Ed, well I would have agree with you there if the battery is severely discharged, so good call. I'm not sure what the peak to peak voltage would be but the average AC voltage level still should be pretty low.

After reading post 14 again things look different to me and it now seems to me that the real problem you are having is due to excessive noise in the power bus system. You stated that the trouble is more pronounced when you have accessories like the wiper or blower motors are on and they can create noise on the power system. Clean the engine and chassis ground connections along with the battery connections to see if that helps. There may also be a noise filter that needs to be checked. If you have a good digital meter you should be able to measure the AC voltage and check the amount of noise on the bus. You can also see if things clear up while the engine isn't running. If the trouble is significantly less then excessive electrical noise is a good bet.

If you are still having problems with the accessories, like the wipers, I suggest you have the alternator checked out for AC ripple voltage while the engine is running around 1,500 RPM. From what you say, it sounds like the new alternator may have a diode problem.

The info I have for a 97 Legacy shows there isn't a fuel pump controller for the pump. One of the wires going to the pump is black and it ties to chassis ground. You stated earlier that there was 12 volts getting to the pump. Check the black wire and see if you have 12 volts there also. If you do that means the ground connection to the pump is open.

I agree. Disconnecting the battery while the alternator is working is a very bad idea. People get away with it but you won't do that on my car. Using a voltmeter to check the charging voltage will tell you pretty much all you need to know about the charging system. It can also tell you something that the other method won't tell you. You can check for bad diodes in the output by looking at the AC ripple voltage across the battery. If there is more than .1 volt of AC volts then the alternator needs to be replaced.

Subie pumps do fail fairly frequently and from what you stated about the relay it makes me think the pump is bad. You could apply power directly to it and see if that makes adifference. You say the relay was real warm and if the pump shaft is stalled that would draw a lot of current and heat up the relay. Again, I think if you replace the pump you will be good to go. There isn't a secondary pump so forget about that. There are two level sensors used in the tank for the fuel gauge.

It sounds like a fuse in the main panel under the hood is blown. Start your hunt there and verify power is passing through all the fuses there. If further testing is needed then move to the dash panel next and check those fuses.

If I remember correctly power for the dash lights comes from the left side headlight relay and then goes to a fuse in the dash fuse panel.

On the Loyale models it is critical that fuse 5 is ok. The horn is also on that circuit so that is a good way to check the fuse condition. Perhaps your model is the same way. Make sure you test all the fuses in the dash and verify that power is getting to both sides of them using the slits on top of each side of the fuses. If the fuses are ok then the next check should be the ignition relay. It supplies power to the ECU and ignition area.

AC ripple doesn't happen due to a problem with the voltage regulator, it is due to bad diodes inside the alternator. If the regulated 12 volt dc was ok then the regulator is doing its job and doesn't need to be replaced.

I agree. The negative leads to the chassis and engine need to be checked also.

The trouble you are having is due to bad diodes inside the alternator. You should never see more than .1 volt of AC voltage. The AC ripple can cause things to happen to the gauges and warning lights that don't normally happen when a normal DC voltage is present. Replace the alternator.

When the relay contacts build up a resistance heat is generated when the load is drawing current. Some heat may be normal due to the coil. The fuel pump most likely uses a controlled return to ground that may go through the ECU. If the ignition system isn't working the ECU will shut down the pump by opening the pump circuit ground connection. Have you checked for spark to the plugs. Check all the fuses also and make sure they are ok.

If you haven't yet cleaned the battery connections and the main chassis ground connection do that. If that doesn't help then start tracing the power feed, using a voltmeter, to the fusible links and see if the trouble is there. If that is ok then check the power lead going to the ignition switch from that point. It's a simple logical progression that will find the trouble. The fact that gauges changed when you turned the lights on may indicate there is a chassis ground problem.

So the bad power connection was at the FPCU and not the links. Verify the pump motor is getting full 12 volts to it when you rev the engine. If that is ok then there may be fuel line blockage. Have you replaced the fuel filter?

The trouble you are having is due to a bad connection somewhere in the main power bus. It could be a wire connection on the hot side or the ground side of the main power. Check the fusible links for a bad connection as that is a fairly common point of trouble like this. Also check the smaller power wire that comes from the battery to power the fusible links. Clean the main chassis ground from the battery along with the battery post connections. Another possible trouble is internal corrosion of a power wire. This usually happens at the battery connections but it can be elsewhere if the wire insulation gets damaged. The wire looks ok from the outside but is corrodid on the inside. It would help to have a test light probe so you could trace down the trouble spot. They are cheap to buy and a very good tool to have on hand for this kind of thing. Start the tracking at the battery then move on to the next connection until you find the trouble. The ignition will need to be turned on when you do that so current is flowing and the voltage drop acoss the bad connection is there.

Good deal, thanks for the update.

There should be a wire going to the gauges that also ties to a fuse and provides power to the gauges.

To confirm you have a fuel delivery problem see if spraying a little starter fliud into the intake will fire up the engine. If the problem is just with the fuel then the engine should fire up.