Electrical Gremlin

[Dewey]

So, as a lot of you know, I sold my car just recently, but it is still having some electrical problems. I have definitely narrowed it down to somewhere near the cabin fusebox. Hopefully it is as simple as replacing the fusebox, but since they run around 150-200 dollars, I was hoping that someone might have one laying around that I can borrow or buy just to see if that might be the source of the problem.

I know this isn't exactly as common as having spare tires or exhaust parts lying around, but I thought I might give it a shot.

Just so everyone knows, the problem is that the car loses power to all the crucial components intermittently. When in the "ON" position normally the CEL should be on, and when the power is lost the CEL does not turn on. I noticed the fuel pump does not get power either, because I cannot hear it turn on when this happens. Also, the power will not randomly come back on. I have to press, wiggle, or hit the interior fusebox in order to get the power back. Sometimes the power only stays on for a few seconds. When this happens, the car WILL still turn over, but since the fuel pump does not get power, the car does not actually start. Everything else that is electronic in the car still turns on. (Headlights, dome light, stereo, cluster etc.. excluding the clock. But, that POS has never worked right.)

If anyone has any feedback or a fusebox let me know.

-Chris

P.S. If any of that sounds jumbled it's because I have been writing a paper for 10 hours, and I am very tired of typing.

[Dewey]

Bump I need help

[Dean]

Unless the Subaru fuse block is different than every other OEM one I have seen, a new one will be pretty much a hunk of plastic with places for the the ends of wires with female spade/blade lugs to go.

A new one is not going to fix any wiring problem as it won't come with wires, you will have to move all your wiring over into it.

Unbolt the existing one and find the problem or pay somebody to do it.

[MPREZIV]

The wiring plugs into it with a handful of big multi-pin connectors tho Dean. They don't clip directly into the fuse box. It's got tons of pins/soldered connections inside. It's very possible that one of them is loose.

By your description Dewey, you're going in the direction. If there's no loose wires in the plugs, (as well as corrosion/breakage) or loose/damaged plugs, it seems that your problem is *inside* of the fuse box, since you can get it to come back by hitting it.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

The wiring plugs into it with a handful of big multi-pin connectors tho Dean. They don't clip directly into the fuse box. It's got tons of pins/soldered connections inside. It's very possible that one of them is loose.

By your description Dewey, you're going in the direction. If there's no loose wires in the plugs, (as well as corrosion/breakage) or loose/damaged plugs, it seems that your problem is *inside* of the fuse box, since you can get it to come back by hitting it.

Are there actually bulkhead connectors on the side of the fuse box and it is a PC board inside or are their wires coming out and connectors down the wires a ways? I'm not saying the FB internals are simple, but if it is the later and assuming the back comes off it, a loose connection or frayed wire should be an easy find.

Pins pushed back/out of connectors are also a common gotcha that a whack can cure. Checking those as Cory says and shoving them back together well may fix it.

Either way, you should be able to pick the whole thing up from a dismantler would be my suggestion if you don't want to pull it apart.

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Dean

Are there actually bulkhead connectors on the side of the fuse box and it is a PC board inside or are their wires coming out and connectors down the wires a ways? I'm not saying the FB internals are simple, but if it is the later and assuming the back comes off it, a loose connection or frayed wire should be an easy find.

Pins pushed back/out of connectors are also a common gotcha that a whack can cure. Checking those as Cory says and shoving them back together well may fix it.

Either way, you should be able to pick the whole thing up from a dismantler would be my suggestion if you don't want to pull it apart.

Thats what I'm going to do. Tomorrow I'm going to take the fusebox out and check the internals. It is a PC style board inside. It's ridiculous how they can charge so much for it though.