1STLGT Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 I will have to check this out on mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinlman Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Fixed mine about 4 months ago. used a chopstick to feed wire through. no problems since Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faded1004 Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/rear-wiper-wagon-139692.html?p=4217666#post4217666 Figured I'd link these two threads. 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aracheon Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 RTV... is there anything that stuff CAN'T do? I've been meaning to pull the rear door apart and check my wiring as a preventative measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozeRS05 Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 My buddies gf has an 06 OBS and her rear wiper isn't working. I asked her to check if the gate was locking and all her lights were working. Potentially another model with the similar issues? EB's Subaru journal - 2005 LegacyGT Wagon & 2014 Forester FB25 (2008 specB - RIP) IG@legacygtliving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 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 ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_ster Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 ^ 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! fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) 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 February 5, 2013 by RustyShackleford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_ster Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 should get a recall on that Now that's thinking out of the boxer! fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 should get a recall on that Well, to be fair, it was pushing 200K miles and was very close to (but not AT) the timing belt change interval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 (edited) 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 February 19, 2013 by RustyShackleford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 One of my non-cyberspace Subaru buddies asked me if I attempted to contact SOA about fixing the wiring harness before I ratted them out to NHTSA. Which I didn't. But I'm wondering if anyone else here did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) 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 February 21, 2013 by RustyShackleford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) 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 February 21, 2013 by RustyShackleford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjg Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 +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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaroo99 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_ster Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 ^ you could have a blown fuse Now that's thinking out of the boxer! fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elf Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyShackleford Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozeRS05 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I just submitted a complaint. EB's Subaru journal - 2005 LegacyGT Wagon & 2014 Forester FB25 (2008 specB - RIP) IG@legacygtliving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Elf, great picture. Hope you can send that to them. 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_ster Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 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! fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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