Electrical Problems..Need some Help.

[markjw]

1990 Legacy Wagon,AWD 5-Speed,180K..Bone Stock.

 

This wagon is new to me.It did drive home just fine,but it has some electrical issues.I've been trying to fix some of them just to make it road legal.

 

Here's a list of whats wrong in order of importance to me.

 

Rear turn signals do not work....Either side. The fronts work,but flash really fast.When I turn on the hazard button,still,only the front blinkers flash,but at the normal rate.

 

I have checked ALL the fuses a couple dozen times.Not just visually,but I have checked continuity as well. Of course,I have switched out the bulbs with new ones,too.Still no good.The sockets in the rear look really clean with no corrosion.

 

I have replaced:

-Illumi Con Unit.

-The related black box next to it. I belive this is the "Flasher".

-The little black box in the rear right tailight harness.The one that's screwed to

the inside of the lens.

 

 

I have checked the grounds,the ones I can find.Pulled um,cleaned um,still nothing.

 

Also,in case someone might see a relation,the other electrical problems I am having are:

 

-Taillights are Very dim.Headlights work good. High beams work too.

-No reverse lights.None...

-When I turn on the "virgin switch",only the front marker lights

come on.Nothing in the rear.

 

-Auto seatbelts are DOA.

-The "door ajar" lights have a mind of their own.

-fuel guage doesn't work

 

 

Basically,it's a friggin nightmare situation,but I just really wanna work out the blinker and taillight/reverse problems for now.I have been reading the board for two days,and I have some ideas for the other electrical problems,and I'll get around to those,but the blinkers are what's keeping me from driving this wagon.

 

Here's what I'm thinking.I think I wanna replace the fuse block.Maybe the hazard switch too. Anybody have any ideas for me?

 

 

 

 

BTW: The only lights that Really work in the rear,is the brake lights.The center brake light works fine too. And,like I said,the taillights come on,but they are dim. And that's it.

Edited July 2, 2010 by markjw
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[GeneralDisorder]

Sounds like you have a power supply issue to the rear. "Rear Harness" problems aren't unheard of in Subaru's. The wires run a long way and through some places that aren't ideal like the door jams, etc. They can get pinched due to improper installation and they can be exposed to leaks and spills, etc.

 

The fuse block is not something that's simple to replace - it's integrated to the harness in a non-trivial way and would either involve an INSANE amount of soldering, etc or the whole front harness has to be replaced. In any case I highly doubt you have a problem there and that can easily be verified by checking for voltage on either side of the appropriate fuses. Which is the first step in tracking down your problem. Blindly replacing parts is going to be frustrating and not effective since the problem probably isn't with a part but rather a section of bad harness - my guess would be somewhere between the passenger kick panel where all the rear harness connectors are located and the trunk where many leaks and potential problems exist. I've had shorts in circuits that were so difficult to find it was easier just to run a new wire from the rear harness connector to the back of the car - I had an '86 sedan with a non-functional fuel gauge that I solved by running a new wire to the sending unit and splicing it to the correct pin on the rear harness connector. I ran the wire alongside the existing harness loom and you could never tell that I addded it with the interior put back together.

 

Your door ajar indicators are indicative of the 90/91 models. You need to adjust the door latch on the body side. Loosen the two large phillips screws, smack the latch inward with a dead-blow, etc and retighten. I had the same issue with my last '91 and the previous owner had install a battery disconnect switch so the indicator lamps wouldn't kill the battery. . Same thing occured with my '91 SS - I've had to adjust the door latches on every 90/91 I've come across.

 

GD

[markjw]

I did put the volt meter to the fuse socket in the fuse block,the one labled "back/turn" It show's just under 12v...Another fuse socket in the block is labled "tail/clearance"..That one shows 10.4V...So,I have power to the symtems,but the power isn't reaching the lights in the rear...

 

I'll pull the Pass. side kick panel and take a look at those connectors.

 

Thanks..

[markjw]

Ok...I should have just asked two days ago where to find the harness plug that took the electrical current to the rear. I pulled the Passenger side kick panel,pulled apart all the connectors,and with a test light I found the wires that were leading aft for the blinkers.The two I was looking for were (red/white for the Pass. green/black for the Drivers side). They were hot intermittently, in sync with the noise of the flasher.

 

I plug that connector back together,move to the rear and unplug the connector going into that black box I replaced in the driver's side lens. I find intermittent current there as well. I friggin plug the harness back in,and I hear the flasher slow down to normal speed and the blinkers start working.

 

The taillights are a normal brightness now,too.

 

So,obviously the connector under the kick panel wasn't delivering current until I unpluged it and plugged it back in.

 

Thanks for the help,GD...

[Olnick]

Ain't it a great feeling--themost annoying little problem? But you tracked it down and now it's all good. Priceless! Congrats!