2001 Subaru Outback question

When the car starts up it takes about a minute for the radio and the windshield wipers to start working, any ideas why this would be? I'm thinking maybe the battery is old and needs replacing.

Reply to
stonej
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I don't know this car in particular, but I'd be looking for a bad ground, a sticking relay or a switch (ignition) that's not operating properly.

New cars ("New" meaning 1998 and newer) have more intregrated electronics, so I'd bet a "module" is causing the problem.

Radio should not need any kind of 'warm up'. Motorola got out of the business a long time ago! :)

Reply to
hachiroku

Any idea on how a bad ground, sticking relay or switch that is not operating properly would cost to fix? Is this something that should be done by a Subaru dealer or would most auto repair places be able to deal with it?

Reply to
stonej

Well, I'd start hunting it down myself. Electricals can be FUN (yeah, right...) and it could take hours, unless you find someone who's encountered it before.

If you have a DECENT S00b dealer in your area, or an independant S00b garage (there are two real good ones around here) you might be able to pick a brain at one and get a hint.

Obviously, it's something common to both circuits!

Reply to
hachiroku

Here are the schematics for the audio and front wiper systems, power and ground distribution.

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Perhaps someone can used them to find the common items between the two systems and troubleshoot your problem

Good luck,

AS

st> When the car starts up it takes about a minute for the radio and the

Reply to
AS

I actually enjoy looking at wiring diagrams, so I took a gander for you. Here is what I noticed:

Looking on the power distribution file, page WI-20 and 21 show that the loads we are interested in are FB30 and FB31. If you then go to page WI-19, you will see at the bottom of the fuse and relay box, they both sit side by side. If you go above the box, you'll see that they are both fed by E7. I am not sure what E7 is, but it's probably a pin designtioin on the box. I think there is a wire coming off of this that might be yellow (because of the Y on the diagram). However, something important to notice is it looks as though that wire quickly traces back to the accessory side of the ignition switch. The loads off of the accessory side are FB28, 29, 30, 31, and 38. These are all located in the chart on pages WI-20 and 21. The wire splits off between the ignition switch and E7 to also go to a fuse that feeds FB38, which is your rear wiper. So you can isolate the fault a little bit to just E7, or the stretchof wire feeding it if the rear wiper works when the font wiper is not working. If it also doesn't work, then the fault is before that split. It might be in the ignition switch. Perhaps it isn't making a good connection when in the on position, but after a bit of vibration from driving, it connects. I don't know. P{erhaps a swift smack on the steering column if it doesn't work. If that does produce a working wiper and radio, it might be the switch. But hopefully this helps more than it confuses.

Bill

Reply to
weelliott

E7 is the terminal in position 7 of the connector E (or B158), as shown at the bottom of the page. These connectors are located at the bottom of the fuse box. It is possible that the connectors need to be disconnected and put back in place for the problem to be solved.

Good luck,

AS

weelliott wrote:

Reply to
AS

It also shows that they are grounded in the same place...

Reply to
hachiroku

I had a Toyota that had three bulbs in the taillight, and what looked like an aluminum strip providing the grounding. Whenever they got wet, no brake lights or turn signals (funny, it was a Jap car, and used the brake lights as the turn signals. Very unusual, unless it was a "modification" for North America...)

Reply to
hachiroku

LOL!

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The lighter was under a cover on the dash.

Reply to
hachiroku

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