2002 Outback VDC (H6) - Help Me Find My Way Around

[Wayne Boncyk]

Hi everyone,

 

It has been years since I posted anything here, given that we traded our venerable 1996 Outback in on a 2014 model a couple of years back, and I had gotten to the point where I knew just about all there was to know about that old car.  But now I'm presented with a new problem, and I'm feeling kind of ignorant all of a sudden.  My daughter recently acquired a 2002 Outback H6 VDC sedan, and recently (after a turn signal bulb change) neither the turn signals nor most of the indicators on the instrument cluster are working.  I downloaded a service manual for the new old beast, and dutifully traced my way through the wiring, fuses and switches to the point where I'm 90% certain that the Ignition Relay is the culprit, but I can't find it on the vehicle.  The manual makes reference to a "relay block" where a number of similar relays seem to be aggregated, but for the life of me I can't find that anywhere.  Can one of you guys enlighten me - where can I find the "Ignition Relay" in this H6 VDC?  Gracias in advance!

Edited November 8, 2015 by Wayne Boncyk

[CNY_Dave]

Not sure if it's in the fuse/relay housing under the hood (left side when seated in car) or elsewhere.

[idosubaru]

i have that same car, unsure where that is. 

 

if the lights aren't physically working on the instrument cluster - then that seems like a blown fuse?

a relay wont' cause multiple lights not to work i don't think?

which indicator lights aren't working.?

 

as to the relay:

in addition to the fuse locations Dave mentioned under the hood, down below the dash, above the drivers left foot is another set of relays. 

there's a couple silver/gray colored relays there, one is the A/C relay, I forget what the others are. 

 

You don't think it's just bad contacts in the housing of the unit you replaced the bulb in?

 

Ocassionally breaks will occur in the wiring harness of the rear hatch where the wires come through the body and go into the rear hatch - bending over the years will fatigue, crack, and break the.  this is true of lots of cars, not just this one, i've fixed a few Subarus like that and a friends Nissan. 

 

if a fuse flew - that might be the cause.