Electrical problem causing battery to die?

HALOHALO

MEMBER
SUBARU

I have a 1997 Subaru legacy GT with 61,000 miles on it.

I think I'm having an electrical problem that may be draining my battery. There's a clicking noise that seems to be coming from under the steering wheel area & the dash lights (i'm not sure what this is called--where the odometer, spedometer, etc are--this whole area) are flashing as is the glove compartment light--they flash in time to the clicking. This happens even when the key is not in the ignition!

My battery has died twice now in the past 12 hours & I just got it replaced but it was only after that that I realized this clicking/flashing lights problem. Also, the parking lights are on all the time even though that parking light switch on top of the steering wheel is turned off (so the red is showing). Since this happens even when the key isn't in the ignition i'm worried this is going to drain my battery again before I have time to get it looked at. It's evening right now so it will be at least another 12 hours or so before I could have anyone look at it.

does anyone know if there's something I can do to make this clicking/flashing lights stop at least until I can get it looked at so my battery isn't drained overnight?

i don't know anything about fuses, fixing cars, etc

2 Replies

PSYLOSYFER

MEMBER
24 POSTS

Follow the clicking to a little box (relay) unplug it and see if the problem goes away, if so replace the relay with a good one, (also its a good idea to see what DOES"NT work with the relay unplugged so that you will now what it controls, So if whatever it is (fan, door dinger, etc.) Quits working you will have a place to start when trouble shooting.

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Sunday, March 18th, 2007 AT 4:09 AM

SCUBARU

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71 POSTS

The clicking noise is the keyless entry system /alarm being tripped even if you didnt know you had one. When the battery was disconected without the system being reset this is what it does. If you dont have the keyless entry remote you will need to locate the valet swith and depress it with the key turned to the run posistion. The valet switch will be a small micro push botton type switch that is suppossed to be mounted on the drivers side kick panel. But lots of the Installing techs at the dealer didnt bother and would leave it taped the the keyless enrty module harness. Which will require standing on your head under the dash board. Also you can remove the fuses in the harness under the dash for the keyless IF you can identify them. You also should see a yellow sticker by the battery under the hood explaining this to you as well. Hope that helps and happy hunting

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Monday, March 19th, 2007 AT 11:15 AM