JimJamie

My 1999 Forester usually starts ok. Once in a while nothing happens when I turn the key. I unhook the positive lead on the battery, put it back on and the car starts. However there is a soft buzzing sound from the dashboard after it starts. For some reason there is a six inch wire hanging from under the dashboard. It has a tiny button on the end of it. I push it in with a nail or a pen and the buzzing stops. The car is fine for a few uses then will not start. This car was my dad's. He says it has something to do with the anti theft feature. He is 89 and can't remember who installed the wire and button or why a real fix could not be done. The only Subaru dealer he uses has no record of the vehicle.

On my '06 Subaru Outback LL Bean sedan, the high beam is represented by a blue dashboard light on the upper right side, which still works. The headlights are represented by a white/green light on the lower left side. The headlights work but the dashboard light does not. Moving the left hand stalk one click turns on a light on the upper right, above what will be the blue high beam when I push the stalk forward after having moved the stalk two clicks.

The low and high beam lights work, but the dashboard headlight indicator does not turn on when I turn the lights on fully. I know in some cases unusual activity by certain dashboard lights indicate a problem. Is that what is happening here? I noticed this right after I had front end work done at the local Subaru dealer. "Front lower bushings" at $211, and "Sway bar in links" at $189. Any connection to the dashboard light problem?