I have a 98 outabck that has had a consistent battery drain going on for almost a year. I have had numerous mechanic's activity and free testing as well as a new battery put in yet it still drains.???

Asked by tomatogirl Jan 27, 2017 at 01:04 PM about the 2000 Subaru Outback Base Wagon

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I bought this outback a year ago and after a few months I had to start jumping it every so often. Seemingly random draining. After a jump only got me halfway to work and I got another jump I heard clanking around in the engine, limped it until it died a 1/2 mile from there and had to get it towed to my mechanic. They said head gask. blew and put in a new used engine. Got it, parked it, 2 weeks later no juice, again. New battery...same problem. Fuses, fine. Autozone test most recently, alternator not charging. How did my mechanics not know that? I am thinking electrical short from staying locked longer than overnight? Woke up thinking is it my lights phantom draining--I rarely turn them on or off as the engine does that for me...??? Help!

2 Answers

Use a multi-tester to find the battery drain ------ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYUoXApI89Q

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90's Subies alternators' internal voltage regulators are infamous for becoming intermittent, and "forgetting" to charge at idle. Highest incidence of failure is during a hot summer inner-city crawl with the AC on...yech. A rebuilt alt is only just north of $100 and a 1/2 hr install, so go for it. Subsequent re-failure rate is still high, however. These alts didn't get fairly bulletproof until the mid-noughts.

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