Subaru Crosstrek Won’t Start Dash and Lights Flashing

Imagine starting your car on a beautiful Sunday but you only see your dash light flashing but the car is not starting, so the question arises why subaru crosstrek won’t start and dash lights flashing.

The most common causes of flickering dashboard lights and no engine crank in a Subaru Crosstrek are a faulty battery, corrosion on the battery terminals, and a faulty ground connection.

Subaru Crosstrek Won’t Start Dash and Lights Flashing Why?

A dying battery can be one cause for your dashboard lights flickering. The battery plays a key role in powering your car’s electrical system. If the battery isn’t working properly, it could cause the dash lights to flicker.

Flickering dash lights can indicate that something is wrong with the alternator. While driving, the alternator distributes electricity throughout your vehicle and recharges the battery.

Car Battery Is Dead

A dead car battery can occur for a variety of reasons. The most common explanation is that it simply needs to be charged. If your dashboard lights are flickering but your car won’t start, the first thing you should do is use a multimeter to check the battery level. A multimeter will tell you if the battery is in good condition.

Battery corrosion is a fairly common issue, particularly when the installed battery is old. Corrosion occurs when the battery acid reacts with the metal terminals, resulting in contact loss and reduced current flow. The dashboard lights may flicker if there is an insufficient current flow to start the engine.

Alternator failure

If the battery is in good working order, this could indicate an alternator problem. Because the alternator charges your car’s battery, you will have trouble starting it if it isn’t charging. Similarly, if your car won’t start and the dashboard is flickering, this could indicate that you need to replace the ignition switch.

Faulty Ignition Switch

A faulty ignition switch can sometimes cause your car not to start. Usually, this type of issue will cause the lights on your dashboard to flicker, but they won’t go off completely.

The ignition switch is usually responsible for powering up all of the electrical components in your vehicle, so if it isn’t working correctly, you will have problems starting your engine.

Ground Connection Problem

If the chassis or engine ground connection in your Crosstrek fails due to rust or corrosion, you will experience a variety of electrical issues, including clicking noises, flickering dashboard lights, and no start. To function properly, the starter motor and its solenoid rely on the engine’s ground connection. When the ground is bad, the starter solenoid may still work and make clicking noises because it has a low current requirement, but the starter motor may not turn the engine over because it has a high current requirement.

Checking And Fixing Car Battery

As the battery may be the main reason for subaru crosstrek won’t start dash and lights flashing. The first step is to use a multimeter to check the battery level. A multimeter will tell you if the battery is in good condition.

If you don’t have a multimeter, try jumping and starting the car. If you can start the car after jumping it, you should have the battery tested by a mechanic. These mechanics will run a full diagnostic on the battery to make sure it isn’t going bad.

Checking With Voltmeter

The simplest way to check the 12v battery in Crosstrek is to use a multimeter to measure the voltage. When fully charged, a healthy battery should have 12.6 volts or more. However, keep in mind that a volt meter will only give you a rough idea of the battery’s condition. A battery with more than 12.4 volts may not be able to supply enough current to start the engine.

Replacing Alternator

The alternator in your vehicle performs one critical function: it keeps your battery charged. Additionally, your alternator provides a little extra electrical power to ensure that each electrical system runs smoothly. Without an alternator, your subaru crosstrek won’t start dash lights flashing also battery would quickly drain and your car would stop. This includes no starting, running, or driving.

1. Disconnect the battery cables and turn off your vehicle.

2. Find the alternator and the terminals on its back.

3. Remove any terminal covers, followed by the bolts. It’s a good idea to use a bread twist tie or something similar to color mark which cable connects to which terminal at this point, as they’re often similar in size and location.

4. Keep a close eye on which terminal the battery wire is connected to.

5. Find the tension pulley. It will either be held in place with a bolt or pushed down with a breaker bar to loosen the tension.

6. Take off the alternator belt.

7. Remove the bolt that secures the alternator to the armature bar, which connects it to the engine.

Conclusion

There are numerous causes for your subaru crosstrek won’t start dash and lights flashing. Flickering dashboard lights in a Subaru Crosstrek when attempting to start the engine may appear to be a major malfunction, but in most cases, it is not a serious cause for concern. When looking for the cause, start with the most obvious and easily diagnosed causes: a faulty battery and a faulty electrical connection.

In any case, it is recommended that laypeople attend a workshop. A professional mechanic can quickly diagnose your no crank problem.