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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 10 of 14

#90 of 139 Battery fine but won't start by subachan

Jun 13, 2008 (10:19 pm)

Our 99 Forester took me uneventfully on an errand this morning, and when I came home I may have left the parking lights on but it shouldn't matter since they are set to turn off when the car is off.
Later in the evening I tried to go somewhere again but it wouldn't start. All dash lights seem strong and normal, I can hear the fuel pump start, but absolutely nothing happens when I turn the key. No dead battery "ka-ka-ka" sound, nothing. I put a voltmeter across the battery and it seems fine. All the fuses are fine. Do you know what might be going on? What kinds of devices are there that prevent the car from starting unless ___ is engaged/disengaged, etc? Could the starter relay be suddenly kaput?
Thank you!

#91 of 139 Re: Battery fine but won't start [subachan] by ateixeira

Jun 18, 2008 (6:52 am)

Replying to: subachan (Jun 13, 2008 10:19 pm)
Auto or manual transmission? Do you have your foot on the brake?
 
Also make sure the parking lamp isn't on, it's the switch on the top of the steering column.

#92 of 139 2001 Forester--Electrical and other problems by dryfly

Jun 19, 2008 (2:59 pm)

This is for 2001 Forester, 94,000 miles
2 electrical questions: Recently left turn signal flashed extremely quickly. Continued to do so after I pushed turn indicator to right then left. This 'effect' went away after a couple of days. What gives? Next, my cell phone charger for car won't charge anymore. Same charger works in other cars. (this one plugs into lighter receptacle). Fuses or the receptacle?
Off and on for past 2 months, my check engine light goes on then off. Sometimes if
I vent the gas door it goes away after a couple of days. Many times, if it is hot (anything over 65 F in Oregon), it will go on. Sensor bad? And how to check? Could it be related to E10 requirement in Oregon?
Service people want to do 90,000 mile maintenance. Because I had new clutch plate done, all belts are replaced. Now want to do rest. But $150 for replacing
spark plugs? And over $600 for the rest?
Had oil change done today. Forgot to ask about checking the warning light. Now service guy says it will cost $68 just to check the output. Am I getting screwed?
Finally, he says that my CV seals are cracked and need to be replaced right away. For $400?

#93 of 139 Re: Battery fine but won't start [ateixeira] by subachan

Jun 19, 2008 (6:11 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jun 18, 2008 6:52 am)
Manual, and the park lamp is not set to stay on, but the problem has been solved! It was simply a loose wire to the starter motor. Thanks for your help.

#94 of 139 Re: 2001 Forester--Electrical and other problems [dryfly] by subachan

Jun 19, 2008 (6:17 pm)

Replying to: dryfly (Jun 19, 2008 2:59 pm)
I can't answer all your questions, but the turn signal blinker unit will be twice as fast when there's half the load - meaning one of your turn signal lamps must be out.
 
As for the cost of fixing stuff, I think you just need to shop around a little. Is there a local vendor review website like Yelp where you are?

#96 of 139 Powerlock malfunction on 2006 Forester by mtnman73

Jul 09, 2008 (6:30 am)

The power locks on our '06 Forester have been acting funny. The doors have been taking turns not working when we click the lock button on the remote or on the door. For a while it was the rear passenger door, then it was the front passenger door, and currently it is the driver side door. So basically when we click to lock the doors only 3 out of the 4 doors will actually lock and the problem door has changed twice now while the previously unworking power door locks have regained function. Anyone seen this before? Hope my post made sense.

#97 of 139 Re: Powerlock malfunction on 2006 Forester [mtnman73] by jhapper

Jul 19, 2008 (11:24 am)

Replying to: mtnman73 (Jul 09, 2008 6:30 am)
My 2006 Forester just developed the following problem. My drivers door cannot be remotely locked or unlocked. My tail gate door cannot remotely be unlocked - it will lock remotely. My passenger doors can all be remotely locked and unlocked.
I took the car into Wolffe's in Langley yesterday and they told me that I need to replace both drivers door and tailgate locking mechanism modules.

#98 of 139 The lock saga continues by jhapper

Jul 20, 2008 (3:38 pm)

Following on from my message on the door locking problem.
Yesterday, just after 1:00pm the car finder horn sounded off. I first thought that my wife had maybe inadvertantly squeezed her remote, but no, both keys were hanging on their respective hooks. I picked up my key and went outside - by this time the horn had stopped sounding off. I tried using my remote and found that, now my driver's side lock could be unlocked and locked with the remote. The tailgate remained in it's failed to default position of locked.
I will update this forum if anything else changes.

#99 of 139 2006 Forester door locks by jhapper

Jul 24, 2008 (10:06 pm)

Following on from my previous message, this is what happened next:-
All day Saturday the drivers door could be remotely locked and unlocked.
On Sunday it reverted back to being unresponsive to both locking and unlocking with the remote key.
This continued until yesterday. As background, after I returned from the service at Wolffe's my driver side window would not fully open.
Anyway, yesterday I operated the driver side window and it almost stopped where it did after the service, but there was a banging noise from inside the door and the window kept going down to it's fully open position again.
When I got home, guess what?. The drivers side door locked and unlocked with the remote once again.
Can anyone figure this out?
The tail gate still will not unlock with the remote.

Messages Page 10 of 14

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