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Wagons beware - tailgate electricals


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ho--hum........same problem for 2005 Legacy wagon....no backup lights and everything else checked out....I found at least 3 other wires on their way to seperation...

Oh well.....fixed now.

Thanks to whoever found this out originally.....just saved me a lot of time!

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  • 2 months later...

wow, i got hit by the wire bug too... 3 wires cut, 2 wires showing bare... looks like the wire insulation can't take the bending?

 

my tail light was out and couldn't find the problem. until i popped the boot loose. my wires got sliced at the chassis side boot. not sure if you guys had the same issues. i just popped the boot off the bottom and slid it up. also, make sure to be aware, the bottom side boot has a leg that is wrapped into the loom. so when you pull the boot it pulls the loom. it stretches good, but i would assume try to not cut it on accident.

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I'll give you guys a hint. You may want to pick up some Permatex black silicone adhesive to seal the bottom of the grommet. Mine was leaking water into the cargo area.

 

I used a tooth brush to clean the area after pulling the grommet up, put a good coat of sealant there, put the grommet back in and put a coat around it. Used the GF's blow dryer to cure it.

 

No leaks after the heavy blowing rain storm we had last Friday.

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

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305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

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  • 1 month later...
yes the harness is easily changeable about 30 min job.

 

the wires go over to the rear dome light 1 ground screw near the rear dome light. then the wires gow down right behind the right brake light and there are 3 plugs un plug those and pull the wire up so you can access the dammaged areas with out cutting the acordian boot.

 

Frank, if you have a few minutes, could you explain in a little greater detail the entire procedure for fixing these wires ? It looks like you're talking about completely disconnecting one end of the harness and pulling it through the accordion boot, so you can splice repairs into the wires without messing with the boot. But WHICH way are you pulling the harness thru the boot ? I assume you're also having to pull back the head-liner at the rear, so you can access the wires where they go into the boot ? I can't see how if you just disconnect the harness at the rear dome light and the right tail light ass'y that you can then actually pull the harness through the boot. Very confused - please help !

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^ pulled the right pillar off and there are 3 plugs there. done have to pull the whole headline down just the rear portion, its not that hard just start taking things apart,

Now that's thinking out of the boxer!:lol:

fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader

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the wires go over to the rear dome light 1 ground screw near the rear dome light. then the wires gow down right behind the right brake light and there are 3 plugs un plug those and pull the wire up so you can access the dammaged areas with out cutting the acordian boot.

 

I think the attached picture starts to make this make sense. It looks like the main harness to the rear of the car does not come through the roof (as I somehow was assuming) but to the taillite(s) instead. So I think Frank is talking about unplugging D33, D34, and D35 from the right rear taillite area, and then D37 and GB-10 from the rear dome lite area (just needing to pull back the headliner a little). Then you'd be able to pull the harness a little ways INTO the tailgate and get to the damaged sections of wire and splice a fix in place.

 

Since somehow Subaru managed to find wire that could not survive repeated bending of opening/closing the tailgate, I wonder what's a good way to find some wire than would survive better. It's kinda ridiculous that this is a problem - my 1997 never had ANY such problem with the tailgate wires (until the engine self-destructed last year).

temp.pdf

Edited by RustyShackleford
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  • 2 weeks later...

Yep, it was a broken wire (keeping my rear wiper from working). I just pushed some 3-conductor stranded stuff (I had lying around) through the boot. Two to spare. If more than two more break (or maybe if any do) I'll just cut the entire harness on each side of the boot and pull however many wires (10 ?) through there and reconnect.

 

Shameful quality. Subaru becomes more American every day !

 

Folks, PLEASE do as I just did, and go to http://www.nhtsa.gov and file a complaint. It takes 5-10 minutes. You will need your VIN. Hopefully there's a good chance that Subaru will issue a recall if enough of us report our experience. I said that electrical, lighting, and something else (safety equip ?) were the affected components and entered the following description (probably best not to copy it verbatim):

 

Rear wiper ceased functioning. The problem was due to broken wire(s) in a wiring harness that passes through a rubber accordion boot between the car body and the tail-gate (near the right-hand tailgate hinge). Many of the other wires, affecting upper brake light, license plate lights, backup lights, and tailgate latch/lock, were frayed and were replaced due to imminent failure of the above listed components. Research at an online forum for Subaru owners showed that many other owners (of 2005 and 2006 Subaru Outbacks) have experienced similar failures due to broken wires in this wiring harness. I suspect that it is an under-reported problem. I believe that Subaru should be asked to issue a safety recall notice.
Edited by RustyShackleford
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I'm a little confused about why there are two (2-pin) connectors that seem to go to the tailgate latching/locking mechanism, connectors D46 and D47, called "rear gate latch switch" and "rear gate lock actuator" respectively. I guess the latter is the one that locks and unlocks the rear gate, so what does the other do ? Is it just a signal to the BIU that the rear gate is not properly shut ?

 

EDIT: Never mind, figured it out, that's exactly what D46 is - to actuate the "room light" etc.

 

I'd like to make a list of the wires in the problem harness, so I can quickly fix the problems if they continue to crop up (which I assume they will).

Edited by RustyShackleford
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I'd like to make a list of the wires in the problem harness, so I can quickly fix the problems if they continue to crop up (which I assume they will).

Ok, so here's my list - of the wires that pass through the rubber accordion boot near the righthand tailgate hinge on a 4th generation Outback wagon. I made it from the vacation pix, so not sure if it exactly matches what's on the car (or on a model later then 2005 at least) - but it should be close.

 

black: ground

purple: license plate lights

brown: high-mounted brake light

light green: rear wiper power

blue w/ white: rear wiper logic (for parking ?)

yellow w/ green: rear wiper logic (for parking ?)

red w/ blue: rear window defogger

brown w/ yellow: backup lights

light green w/ black: tailgate switch (grounded when gate open ?)

white w/ black: to tailgate lock actuator

light green w/ yellow: tailgate lock actuator

Edited by RustyShackleford
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  • 1 month later...

+1

 

Thanks to all that generously offered information on this issue, saving me many hours of diagnostic time. I just got through replacing the (14) wires going through the rear hatch's passenger side rubber boot on my wife's 2005 Outback wagon. The symptom was no power to license plate lights.

 

At first, I was skeptical of broken wires since all wires were wrapped in electrical tape and flexible rubber. After much head scratching, I finally cut off electrical tape in the area just above the body's boot connection point and voila, found the broken wires. I also found ten (10) additional wires with cracked insulation and/or conductors which clearly would have broken completely (and soon). From the feel of the wire, this appears to be a problem with the insulation hardening over time and causing insulation and, eventually, wire breaks. Subaru did a very nice job of protecting the wires, but the wire insulation properties didn't hold up over time.

 

I fixed it by splicing in (14) ~ 6 inch lengths of 18 gauge stranded automotive wire using insulated "butt" connectors. I performed the splice so that the butt connectors could be wrapped up (with electrical tape) and tucked inside the hatch metal work, and tucked underneath the headliner on the other side. I had a good quality ratcheting crimper and "Ideal" wire stripper which made the job do-able (it took about three hours), but it was still a mild PIA (labeling wires, banging fingers, etc.) In hindsight, it might be worth taking it to the dealer and complaining to see if they'd fix it for not too much money.

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Thanks to OP, very much!. I drive a RHD Legacy wagon in Asia-Pac and lost rear locking and rear wiper. On inspection, thanks to this thread AND after spending $150 at a dealership who fixed nothing - I found 5 severed wires. 4 on the right side and 1 earth wire (black w/red dots) on the left side.

 

So everything is back to normal except for the backup lights - and I cannot figure out why they are not working. I think I might need to get a Volt meter perhaps and check the current?! Any other ideas?

 

I am pretty sure my solder and wire connectivity is OK. I sealed all my joins with heat shrink tube... :)

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I have a 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5L Turbo Wagon. I have had electrical issues since the get go. The headlights blow out at regular 6 month intervals, no matter the brand. The rear wiper stopped working, and I had to repair the wire that went through the rubber accordion boot. About a year later, it stopped working again, and I haven't yet fixed it again. The backlight level adjusts itself randomly. There has been random flickering and just general overall wonkiness in the front panel and radio. The AM radio reception is nowhere near where it should be.

 

Recently, the gate lock stopped working, and today, I noticed that the brakes lights were also non-functional.

 

After confirming that the gate lock actuator was functional using a 9v battery, I pulled the boot up and found this:

 

http://tomtec.ca/wires/wires1.jpg

http://tomtec.ca/wires/wires2.jpg

http://tomtec.ca/wires/wires3.jpg

 

Gee, I'm pretty sure I know what the problem is...

 

First off, thanks for the wire colour list.

 

Secondly, I totally agree that this is a MAJOR safety issue that Subaru should take responsibility for. I am going to go lodge a formal complaint, as Rusty suggested. I suggest more people do the same. This issue needs to be addressed, and the only chance of the ever happening is for owners to make enough noise!

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  • 2 weeks later...
In hindsight, it might be worth taking it to the dealer and complaining to see if they'd fix it for not too much money.

Folks, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a complaint to the NHTSA:

 

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

 

It will take you 15min, tops, I PROMISE.

 

If we all make enough noise about this, we'll get our cars fixed for free. And we'll be doing a giant solid to all those Subie owners out there, folks who may not be as mechanically-sophisticated as us, who are having problems, don't have a clue what's going on, and may be paying big bucks to get some shop (who may not have the information we do either), to diagnose and fix these problems.

 

What Subaru has done here is an inexcusable lapse of quality control, and they should be made to fix it.

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its pretty much a sure thing every wagon will have this issue..

any one know if subaru made some sort of revision in the later years?

Now that's thinking out of the boxer!:lol:

fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader

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