Tach and speedometer stopped working (intermittently) yesterday

[mickytrus]

   It is rather frigid  these days.     (Hello)

  Car was warmed up,  on the highway and I notice speedometer bouncing up and down. Then it just quit.

Tach and speedo dead.    It came back on 15 minutes later....

Today,     I get a call. Not only is the Tach and Speedo not working, the car is also hesitating.

Rather Frigid these days!

           So   this   alternator that I have in the car, ever since I got it, (probably at least 6 years ago) always when the car starts

and it is below 32f  the brake lite and alternator light are on....  until the alternator spins for a while do these light go out.

It appears that the alternator doesn't produce output when the thing(alt.) is cold. [just  a piece of side note(additional info.)]

Thanks, Mcky

[mickytrus]

Additional Info:

       After Tach and Speedo stopped working ten minutes later there was one hesitation and twenty seconds later another  hesitation

So during these hesitations and the car just wanting to just die, the heater and radio were also not working.

 

The driver continued to rev the motor just to keep it alive   down shifting...   big puff of smoke.. right there on the

highway....    and then problem  went away.   and continued driving to destination.....

           Started it up after leaving destination and the vehicle performed without problems.....

  

[forester2002s]

Flakey ignition-switch?

[mickytrus]

That is a really good guess.

The best price I got on one is, like 140.   I have been starting it with a screw driver.

(It has been downhill ever since, The key would not go back to the release position.Key would not come out of the cylinder)

[I had to pop out the cylinder; (used it like this for a while)  then the little shaft that the lock cylinder engages with became( discombobulated)]. 

(that too was removed, deeper and deeper I go, to spin the pup, and then it was always in lock position, so 

Had to unbolt it and zip tie it up.

 I guess I should break down and get a new switch.

Just the idea of coughing up the dough for it.(sorta angers me).

 

Suggestions?   thanks, Mcky

 

 

 

[brus brother]

2 years ago I was in Lake Placid NY overnight -30F
Alternator screamed like a banshee in the morning.

Went into local  Autozone and clerk said to wait til noon when temps return to tolerable.

Followed his advice and all was good after a late breakfast.

Before jumping to conclusions, I suggest pancakes and bacon.

[lmdew]

Self-serve yard and pull one.  Pretty cheap!

Go in and drill the bolts out.  Put in standard bolts when you bolt it in.

[mickytrus]

Second to sunny side up, bacon is my favorite vegetable.

  It is tough sluethin' problems that others are in the midst of. 

Yeah,

 So I drove the car around, afterwards, later in the eve, no such events occurred.(that is because the Banshee went adrift)

The next eve, while the Banshee was amidst, The evening was dark and I ran the lights, It was sooo cold, ten + miles and still

the Banshee was afoot. Upon reaching the destination and still  red lights blaring on the console, the car began not idling well.

It was the heat under the hood while sitting, that finally warded off the Banshee. Car came to life, I put the heat on, let it run

for awhile; parked. 

      I will have to call around and see if I can get an  ign. switch  from a self serve yard. Be nice to put one in. she deserves it.

I never used to let the car off the leash while the banshee was amidst.  That day the car was driven away without me thinking

about it. And that day, about ten miles later was when the car was hesitating.(due to the radio and heater drawing the bat.)

So I guess if I was to throw some money somewhere, it would be an alternator at some point, just to make driving more 

pleasurable and convenient.

         Thanks all, Micky

[Stelcom66]

I can't offer any technical advice, but I wonder what is the model and year? Sorry if I missed it. 

[lmdew]

www.car-part.com

good source of original used Subaru parts.  Don't get an aftermarket alt.