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Subaru Forester Electrical/Lighting Issues

139 messages,  Last post on Oct 02, 2011 at 9:44 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Lights, Electrical, Wagon

Messages Page 2 of 15

#8 of 139 Subaru Forester 2006 electrical short by delucar

Nov 10, 2006 (2:54 pm)

Hello
I am brand new to this forum--sorry for the length of the post but it's an extremely odd occurrence. I bought a 2006 Subaru Forester X in July of 2005 (brand new, only owner).
A couple of months ago we had a fuse short out which my husband replaced with the Subaru spare fuse (yes--it was the correct fuse). Two days ago, we drove the car to work in the morning, I got back to it about 10 hours later to see a third of the passenger side floor BURNED, the inner console burned to the point that the plastic on the right side of gear shift was completed melted (you can nearly see underneath the gear). It melted so much that it approached the dc lighter box (below stereo). It seems that the root of the fire/meltdown came from underneath the passenger seat where I'm told the main system board is located. I did not dare turn on the vehicle and am still dealing with Subaru of N. America to determine what is going on. I was wondering if anyone has heard of this sort of thing happening. The entire front area is completely smoke damaged (all uncovered interior is now smoke colored and all exposed plastic/glass is smoke covered). I don't think it was a fire because there was a newspaper right on the passenger seat completely untouched. Also---we DO NOT smoke on this vehicle. Any suggestions would be great. I am really upset about this because I LOVED my car. I had no problems for the first 13 months of owning it.

#9 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester 2006 electrical short [delucar] by terry92270

Nov 10, 2006 (4:50 pm)

Replying to: delucar (Nov 10, 2006 2:54 pm)
Well, rare occurrences happen.
 
I hope you reported the fire and damage to your insurance company! If not, please do so. Once they are involved, any car manufacturer repairs the damage far more promptly.
 
I had a crack appear in my sunroof, same car as yours. They told me it must have been a foreign object hitting it. I took it to my AAA office, and they called Subaru, and they repaired it as soon as they received the replacement glass at the dealer. Seems the insurance company had documented many reports of the exact same fault, in the same place, rear left corner, from other Subaru owners.
 
See, the Insurance Industry operates a computer database of all such "odd" and not-to-odd occurrence's. Makes it much harder for the car companies to claim they don't know about such things, or they are the owner's fault.
 
I totally agree with you about loving my Forester. Keep us posted on what happens, please!

#10 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester 2006 electrical short [delucar] by ateixeira

Nov 16, 2006 (9:14 am)

Replying to: delucar (Nov 10, 2006 2:54 pm)
Electrical short sounds about right. Wow. First ever I've heard of such a report on a Subaru here on Edmunds.com. Wild.
 
Obviously take it to your dealer but also call 800-SUBARU3 and ask them to open a case number for you. Ask them for a loaner car while all the repairs are done, and tell them you want replacements for all the items damaged by the heat, including the center console panels affected.
 
The dealer will do the work but the 800 guys basically monitor your case to make sure you are taken care of.
 
-juice

#11 of 139 Subaru Forester Lighting by jbur1

Nov 16, 2006 (11:57 am)

My 2003 Forester has a backlight that burnt out behind one of the circular temperature control knobs. I'm surprised it failed already unless it is just a bad connection. Has anyone ever tried to replace one of these? How difficult is it to replace? Was it worth the time to do it?

#12 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester Lighting [jbur1] by terry92270

Nov 16, 2006 (12:04 pm)

Replying to: jbur1 (Nov 16, 2006 11:57 am)
I cannot stand instrumentation lights out, it bothers me so much, I eventually tear into the dash and replace it!
 
As for the light, sometimes a bad one comes along, and that's why its annoying, because we all take for granted they will last a dozen years, and most do.
 
If you have never been into the dash panel, or installed your own radio and sound systems, I really recommend that you bite the bullet and have the dealer do it. Those areas are so jammed with wires and crap, unless you really know what you are doing, it can sometimes end up with an expensive repair when they have to trace down something mistakenly pulled loose or shorted.

#13 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester Lighting [terry92270] by ateixeira

Nov 16, 2006 (1:06 pm)

Replying to: terry92270 (Nov 16, 2006 12:04 pm)
A light on the right side of my Miata's stereo is out, and I agree it's annoying. Probably easier to replace the whole unit! The CD skips anyway.
 
-juice

#14 of 139 Dash Light by paisan

Nov 17, 2006 (4:20 am)

They aren't replacement bulbs though, they are usually cold solidered units and are a pita to replace, it's a dealer replacement item probably cost around $100 or so.
 
-mike

#15 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester Electrical/Lighting Issues [pf_flyer] by rebecca8

Dec 17, 2006 (3:49 pm)

Replying to: pf_flyer (Oct 23, 2006 7:12 am)
I have a 2003 Subaru Forester with a headlight challenge: The driver's side headlight is very dim. Its not the bulb or the power going to the plug; both bulbs have been changed (and interchanged!) and the power to the plugs checked. I haven't found any information on the web re: problems with the headlight/wiring harness...but found this forum. Anyone familiar with this type of problem?

#16 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester Electrical/Lighting Issues [rebecca8] by once_for_all

Dec 17, 2006 (6:54 pm)

Replying to: rebecca8 (Dec 17, 2006 3:49 pm)
Rebecca, if it isn't the bulb, or the power to the bulb, or the connection between them, the only other things that might be worth checking is the alignment and the outside and inside glass condtion.
 
John

#17 of 139 Re: Subaru Forester Electrical/Lighting Issues [once_for_all] by subearu

Dec 17, 2006 (7:58 pm)

Replying to: once_for_all (Dec 17, 2006 6:54 pm)
I don't recall if each headlight has a fuse, but check those perhaps as well. Back when I had my '87 Sprint, I had a similar dim headlight that ended up being the fuse for that one.
 
-Brian

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