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2000 Subaru Outback Please help.

Tiny
YUMS88
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  • 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK
Electrical problem
2000 Subaru Outback 4 cyl All Wheel Drive Automatic

I have a problem with the electrical system in the car, it started when about a week ago I got into my car and my sound system would not turn on. Its an aftermarket sound system that was working perfectly before this. After about an hour or two and turning the car on and off the stereo turned back on but all my settings were reset, I then noticed the tripometer was also reset as well as the clock. I also noticed that the lights inside the car would dim. I checked the battery with a load tester and it is good, I checked all the cables in the back of the stereo and they are good, I checked the ground onto the vehicle and it is good. Now 2 nights ago I got a new problem the stereo wont turn off at all, I take out the keys and the stereo is still running, but I figured out that if I take out the clock fuse then the stereo turns off. The stereo will only work if the fuse is back in, no matter if the car is on or off. Everything was working good until this started happening, I have checked all fuses and I have no idea what it could be. Oh and last night while driving the the gauges and stereo would turn on and off, the wipers started to move and spray without me pressing anything. Please help is this a computer problem or what.
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Sunday, February 8th, 2009 AT 3:36 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
RACEFAN966
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I think that maybe you have a relay problem. It might be the interupt relay. It is on a bracket just to the left of the fuse box. This relay powers the security module and that goes to the lights and so on. If you have a digital multi meter I can have you run a test to verify weather or not it is good.
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Monday, February 9th, 2009 AT 10:19 AM
Tiny
YUMS88
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Ya I have a digital multi. What do I do? There is a line of about 3 relays just below the fuse box that is in the car is this what you are talking about?
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Monday, February 9th, 2009 AT 12:22 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
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Ok it should be the one in the middle and you will need to remove it and check continuity between terminals 1 and 2 if it has continuity then check the same between term 2 and 6 if it has continuity then you will make a jumper wire and put battery power to term 4 and ground term 1 and then check continuity between 2 and 6 it should not have continuity. This done with the relay itself and removed. if any of the readings are different then discribed above then the relay is bad and needs to be replaced. Here is a pic of the relay for the term numbers. Get back to me with what you find.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/249564_Graphic_38.jpg

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Monday, February 9th, 2009 AT 8:03 PM
Tiny
YUMS88
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Ok well the relays that I found underneath the fuse box all have 4 contacts, and there is 4 of them. There is nothing to the left of the fuse box. Where else can I find this relay? I checked the repair manual for my vehicle and it shows me that the interrupt relay is to the right of my main fuse box under the hood, but the only thing to the right of it is my tire, unless it is somehow hidden in the body, I tryed looking under the main fuse box and nothing there just the wires that go to the inside fuse box. The last place I will check is inside the car to the left side of the pedals I see wires going into there, I will try to open it up and see maybe it is there, but I havnt seen anything yet.
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Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 AT 12:49 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
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It tells me that the interrupt relay it behind the left side (drivers side) of dash inside the car. There is two relays side by side one is the security horn relay the other is the interrupt relay, then there is the horn relay on the other side so it is the one in the middle. I will include a pic in hopes that it helps.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/249564_Graphic_40.jpg

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Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 AT 10:06 AM
Tiny
YUMS88
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This is the same diagram that I have and i cannot find it. ive looked everywhere, even behind the air vents, i have not found any relays that big. I have attached a picture of what i see when I open the drivers side.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/314778_02112009044_1.jpg


the black thick cables at the top are from my compustar alarm system which is working fine. and the row of relays at the bottom is what i was telling you about, all of which have 4 contact points not 6. If you can please help me, ive been to many mechanics and specialist and no one can help and they all say go to subaru, who also have no idea but will charge an arm and a leg to do the same trouble shooting i have done.
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Friday, February 13th, 2009 AT 8:42 AM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
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Ok if you look at the three relay's and then there is a green one to the right that is the bank of relay's that they are refuring to. The black one in the middle of the three together is the one we want to test.
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Saturday, February 14th, 2009 AT 12:52 PM
Tiny
YUMS88
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This relay only has 4 terminals not 6 as you described above with the diagram. I have checked this relay to see if it works, but only by simply passing a current through it.
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Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 AT 12:29 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
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Ok does it have power to it? It maybe that we have the wrong relay as this is difficult without the vehicle infront of you you know. Is there any other relay's up behind that bundle of wires that you can see? Why are the blue and white connectors unpluged from the fuse panel? Get back to me and we go from there.
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Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 AT 10:17 AM
Tiny
YUMS88
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More mysterious things happening constantly. To this day when I turn off my car I need to pull the radio fuse for my stereo to turn off. Yesterday it turned off on its own when I pulled the keys out, but then I heard a motor running, it was the windshield sprayers, I didnt press anything and didnt have any fluid and it wouldnt stop until I put the key back in, finally I had to pull out the windsheild fuse for it to turn off.
On another note the blue and white cables were disconected so I can look behind the fuse panel, there are no other fuses that I can see behind or around the panel.
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Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 AT 3:47 PM
Tiny
RACEFAN966
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Ok if you pull the relay closest to the green one in the pic does the horn still work? If it does then there is another relay center deeper in the dash otherwise the middle is the interupt relay. Let me know what you find so we can find this interupt relay ok. Wow found another place the that relay might be. Ok just below the plastic that wraps the column there is a two wire connector and near that connector there is a relay that has a bracket and is attached to the column that relay is the one we are looking for. I wish I could save this pic and send it but it won't let me do that. It is on the left side of the column right next to the two connectors. Let me know what you find.
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Thursday, February 19th, 2009 AT 11:00 AM

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