1996 suburu outback

Yah it sounds like alternator. Check for loose belts and adjust as required. Put a battery test and alt test to the thing as c what u get.

BTW:

All cars come factory undergrounded. Check for ground straps motor to chassis, battery to chassis, battery to motor, trans to chassis and make sure they r all there if to many people have worked on it you are prolly missing some of those and good power comes from good ground not just an alternator. in a manner of speaking.

I'd say it's a definite maybe.  No, just kidding.  I'd also start with the battery and charging system.  You said your belt is constantly squealing.  You also noted you'll have to replace the rack and pinion.  I looked on www.autozone.com, and it seems you have the same belt for both the alternator and power steering.  That's probably the reason, or at least part of the reason for your problems.  If the alternator belt is slipping, the alternator can't charge to it's full potential, leaving your car in a weakened state.  We all know and have probably seen cases of things not working properly with too low a voltage.  I believe your running voltage is borderline enough for the electronic gauges and such until you turn on some accessories.  I think ihookitup4u has some good points.  Checking your grounds are an excellent idea as well.  If you go up to AutoZone, they can test your battery and charging system at no charge.  Pick up some belts while you're there.

Man, used cars can be such a pain sometimes.  You don't always know how many owners they've had, or what kind of maintenance has been done.  Give the vehicle a thorough look over.  Check the battery/charging system, belts/hoses, ignition components, tires/brakes, and flush all fluids.  This may take you a weekend, so grab a buddy.  Here's a useful site with some ideas of things to check:  http://www.autosite.com/garage/garmenu.asp.