Help!

[bratgrl]

Car died on the way to work this morning, charge light is on. Car starts but will not stay running. Just recently have been having issues with headlights flickering on and off, but if you touched the fuse box, they would come back on and work just fine. Checked today and the plastic part of the bottom terminal on the bottom connector on the fuse box is melted and brown looking. I hate electrical issues:mad:!! I would appreciate any suggestions or help anyone can give. Thanks in advance,

Bobby.

[ninefourteener]

I've noticed my car did the exact same thing..... my fusebox doesn't look "burnt", but things tend to come ang go when I jiggle the fuses.

 

I also had a problem with my fuseable link (the smaller wire coming off the positive side of the battery. I just replced it with some 10-gauge wire and a 40-amp circuit breaker... cost me about $6 at Autozone.

 

I'm looking at replacing my entire fusebox for the same reason... just so I don't have to deal with this anymore.

[Subruise]

you also might want to check for shorts and make sure your alt. connections are tight.

[bratgrl]

you also might want to check for shorts and make sure your alt. connections are tight.

 

Okay, I will admit it, I am a typical female when it comes to electrical stuff. Not a clue how to even start looking for a short. Mechanical I can do, electrical, I am totally . Good idea to check the alternator connections though. Thanks.

[Subruise]

shorts (well the obvious ones anyway) are easy to spot..... when you are checking the connections, trace the wires back a bit and make sure they arent damaged. also wiggle stuff around with the power on to see if you get smoke. If you do, theres your short. Splicearoo, and you are fixed

 

 

 

Rob

[bratgrl]

So, I went and talked to the people that worked on this car last year when I gave the motor a bath and fried the alternator (and a bunch of other stuff, DOH!), and they said something about a fuse that is under the dash, not by the fuse box and all those other wires, but over towards the passenger side. Is this true? If it is, any clues as to where I start looking for this "elusive" fuse? Behind the radio, or what?

I won't have them work on it again, because when I got the car back last time, they had pulled vent hoses and stuff under the dash loose, and didn't put them back together, and just grabbed and pulled the plastic vent for the passenger side out and tore the screw holes so they zip tied the damn thing back in. Real professional right? And the owner tried to tell me that the car was torn apart when I brought it in. Yeah, whatever.. (It was not by the way.)

Anyway, rant over....can someone give me an idea? Or the first person with $1000 can have the car and all the stuff that goes with it, including the electrical demon

[Caboobaroo]

I'm willing to bet there's an issue with the alternator or the external voltage regulator. While cranking, the fuel pump gets direct power to fill the bowl on the carb but the instant you let off the key and the vehicle is running, the fuel pump power comes from the alternator (or the VR but I can't really remember). Once its started, the fuel pump won't run and the engine will run for a few seconds or until the bowl of the carburator is emptied.

 

I thought my old '78 Brat had some weird issue and turns out my alternator crapped out on me. I found out after I had stripped the car:mad:

 

I also had a headlight issue. Its real common for the main power that comes into the fuse block for the headlights, burns right at the connection and causes no lights. Mine didn't give me any warning, just no lights one night. Just ran a new power wire on top of the harness from the battery to the back of the fuse block (or maybe it was the headlight switch?).

 

 

Damn CRS:lol:

[bratgrl]

I talked to a local Subaru wizard (Roger) about my problem with the headlight fuse thing. He's an older guy that is VERY knowledgable about these older Subies. Roger told me that he recalled that "back in the day" there was a recall for this exact problem. And that Subaru had a part to fix it. He actually thought he still had one in his toolbox!!

But he looked and said he must have used it on another car at some point. He then suggested I talk to a Subaru dealer Parts person and have them check and see if the part was available. So when I went to order my new fusible link, (none of the junkyards had the right one), I asked the gal about this. She called Subaru of America's Tech line, and to make a long story short, yes there was a recall, and yes the part to fix it was available. But, (always a but isn't there?), it did not apply to Brats. Only 2 door hardtops. Is a Brat not a 2 door hardtop... Sooo, I had to pay for the part myself. It cost me a whopping $3.50 and another $1.50 to have it sent 2 day delivery, and she faxed me a copy of the service bulletin with instructions to repair it. Pretty cool huh? She told me that the guys in the Tech shop, especially the older guys, were wondering how I found out about it, and were totally amazed that there was someone out there that even remembered it. Roger's my all time hero now.

For you local people, Roger works at GT Automotive on 10600 south in South Jordan. Really nice people there, and very, very helpful.

For any of you that are interested, the part number is SPS 801 630, and I can get you a copy of the bulletin if you would like it. Just let me know.

Bobby

[Subruise]

seeeee..................and you were gonna sell off that fine piece of machinery

good to see its goin

[bratgrl]

seeeee..................and you were gonna sell off that fine piece of machinery

good to see its goin

 

Well, let's not celebrate too soon.

I haven't got the part yet, but I am hopeful. After that, I am still trouble shooting the "I don't want to idle after I'm warmed up" thing. It went away for quite a while, but now it is back. I am going to take off the EGR valve and clean that up and see how it goes from there. The anti-dieseling solenoid is working so I know it's not that.

And then,,,,from there I need to figure out why she's making this strange growly/grindy noise from the engine. Back when she would idle, it all of a sudden would start making a noise like it was trying to grind up something through an auger. Kinda like the ice maker in your fridge when you are getting crushed ice out of the door. It only does is for like 30 to 40 seconds and then it stops. Doesn't do it all the time, it is a very random kind of thing.

Very strange..

[ninefourteener]

^^^ Pm'd you about that document

[bratgrl]

^^^ Pm'd you about that document

 

Pm'd you back...

[edrach]

For any of you that are interested, the part number is SPS 801 630, and I can get you a copy of the bulletin if you would like it. Just let me know.

Bobby

I'm interested. Can you scan the bulletin and send it to me (edrach@spamcop.net). Maybe copy and paste it into the USRM for future reference.

 

I'm glad it fixed your car's electrical problem.

[Uncle Ed]

I need to figure out why she's making this strange growly/grindy noise from the engine. Back when she would idle, it all of a sudden would start making a noise like it was trying to grind up something through an auger. Kinda like the ice maker in your fridge when you are getting crushed ice out of the door. It only does is for like 30 to 40 seconds and then it stops. Doesn't do it all the time, it is a very random kind of thing.

Very strange..

 

Bobby

Use a 3' length of hose to hear where the sound is coming from, alt, water pump, power steering pump, starter. Sometimes it may not be real loud, but may still be grinding enough to hear it through the hose.

 

Ed

[bratgrl]

I'm interested. Can you scan the bulletin and send it to me (edrach@spamcop.net). Maybe copy and paste it into the USRM for future reference.

 

I'm glad it fixed your car's electrical problem.

 

I haven't tried the part yet. So I am still only hoping at this point that it will fix it. I am camping and sending this from my iPad. Isn't technology wonderful? So I won't be picking up the part until Monday.

I also wanted to let everyone know that I read the part number wrong. Should have put on my glasses I guess. It is SPS 801 650 not 630. I will get that bulletin scanned and posted in the USRM and e-mailed to those that requested it. Should be able to do that on Monday also.

 

Uncle Ed;

Thanks for reminding me about that trick. My dad used to do that. I had completely forgotten about it. I am getting all the bugs out one at a time. Hopefully she'll be up and running soon.

Thanks everyone for the support and advice.

Bobby

[bratgrl]

Okay guys, bad new... The cool easy fix part will not work. The headlight switch end will fit, but the fuse box connectors are different sizes. The connectors on the new part are smaller than the old ones so they won't plug together. : Guess I'll just run a new wire with an inline fuse and be done with it. Sorry to get you guys all excited and then throw cold water on you.

Matt and Ed I will still send you the copies of that service bulletin so you can have it for future reference.

Bobby

[bratgrl]

I fixed my headlight issues I was having, but the little beast still didn't want to run correctly or charge the battery. I drove myself nearly insane truing to figure it out. So i gave up and took it to the repair shop. Roger (the subaru genius mechanic) found my electrical demon. An exorcism was performed, and....."this car is clean"...LOL (google "Poltergeist" for those of you that don't get it).

It was hiding in the wiring that runs from the driver side to the passenger side under the radiator. The wire insulation had gotten damaged and water had gotten in and corroded the wire completely until it split in two.

That may explain why she ran so crappy when the roads were wet. Also the brand new V/R that I had put on thinking that was the problem was bad out of the box. So he put my original old V/R that was on the car when I bought it back on, and it works just fine.

Anywho, she is up and running like a champ.

[biffanyus]

:banana:

[bratgrl]

Anywho, she is up and running like a champ.

 

I take it all back. The little beast is just trying my patience. Ran great for a couple of days, and now it doesn't want to idle smoothly.

I am 'bout ready to say "uncle" and throw in the towel. I really must be getting old, because it's just no fun to work on this car anymore. All it does is give me a headache.

Maybe it's time to pass it along to someone with more patience and energy than I have.

[bratgrl]

Okay, this car is really getting on my nerves. Driving to work this morning, rolling along the freeway at 70 mph, everything is fine, then blehhh! All of the sudden the car acts like it has no power. I don't know exactly how to describe it. It just kinda bogs down really bad.

So anyway, I get off the freeway and into a hotel parking lot, and it is just running like crap. Doesn't want to idle by itself, have to keep feathering the gas pedal to keep it running. Goes on like this for about 5 minutes. Then it starts running okay but not great, but good enough so that I can get back on the road and to the parking lot at work which was only about a mile and a half away. WTF?!?!?!?!?

Any ideas what I should check?