Cougar

I would check for any codes in the ECU and see if the MAF sensor is ok.

Your welcome. Your not the first one to do that.

It looks like you've really done it now. Check the park switch on the top of the steering column.

You can check the bulb for continuity using a ohmmeter before you put it in the circuit or apply power to the bulb to test it.

Welcome to the board. Check out Ebay doing search for Subaru SVX service manuals. They will have what you want. If not now, you shouldn't have to wait long for one to show up. They will have factory manuals also and recommend you get one of those sets. There may be about 4 manuals to a set that will cover everything about your car. Here is a link to one for a CD manual. They have different years available also. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUBARU-SVX-Repair-Service-Workshop-Manual-1993-93-Guide_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6762QQitemZ8012427775QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

Here is a link to a site that may be able to help you. For a small charge they may be able to provide you with the info. http://www.tune-town.com/technical.asp

Do you have a second key you can try?

Submage: In case you are still working on this problem I think I may know the cure to the problem you are having. I wanted to make sure I understand the problem correctly so I don't lead you the wrong way. After reading your posts again the way I understand the problem to be is that the low beams work ok but the high beams do not. If this is so, and you have tried a new light in the socket (it was previously mentioned to make sure that the proper model bulb is installed, model 9004) to make sure that the high beam filaments are ok, then the problem would have to be with the high beam ground wire connection which is a red/white wire. There is a dual sided 8 pin connector (F64) under the dash near the drivers door that the wire passes through. It may be that the problem is there. To prove it you could tie the R/W wire at the light socket to a good ground and see if the lights turn on. If that works then try tieing the R/W wire to ground at the light switch. If the lights don't work then check the R/W wire at that connector if you can find it. There are a lot of connectors in that area. If you can't find the connector you could run another wire between the light connector and the switch to fix the problem.

Good photos PJX. Thanks.

You may have a problem with the main battery cable to the starter. They can get internal corrosion at the battery connection and cause this kind of thing. You can verify this by checking the voltage of the connection at the starter when the problem is occuring. If the voltage drops low when the key is turned to start then the cable is bad or the battery connector is at fault.

Ok, let's see if you have power getting to the headlights. Set your meter to read DC volts. Then put the common lead of the meter to a good ground and the other probe lead to the red wire of the right side headlight. You should have power there. If not then you should check the red fusible link. It may be blown or have a bad connection. You may be able to save a step by checking to see if the fusible link is ok first. Chances are it is bad.

One thing good to know is what the condition of the battery is in. It is a good idea to also replace the battery when replacing the alternator if the battery is more than 4 years old. The battery should also be fully charged when putting it in. If the battery is low on charge then the alternator will have to act like a battery charger. This puts more load on it than normal and can cause the problem you are having.

I agree that the factory manuals are the best and once you use one you'll see why. Here is a link to a seller on Ebay that may be able to help you. I would contact them by using the "Ask seller a question" feature and see if they have a set you can purchase from them. It will be money well spent if you can get a set. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-Subaru-Impreza-Factory-Service-Manual-Set-Vol-1-8_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6762QQitemZ8032161990QQrdZ1QQtcZphoto

It sounds like the wiring to the park switch in the motor is backwards. The problem may be in the selector switch though.

With all due respect to 85Sub4WD, I don't recommend using the advice on checking the resistance of the headlight wires with power on. One of the 3 leads has power going to it when the lights are on and one of the first lessons on learning to use a multimeter is never measure resistance with a meter when power is applied to the circuit. If you have an analog meter you may damage it, at best, blow a fuse in it. Instead of measuring resistance of the wiring you can measure the resistance of the bulb filaments to see if the bulb is good. Remove the connector from the light and measure across each of the filament leads. Since they are tied together it won't matter what leads you choose to measure across. The resistance will be real low on both leads. You most likely are going to find out one section is open. To learn how to use your meter you should be able to do a search of the net to find out some info. I would purchase a book that covers the subject also. Knowing how to use one these real important in my book. You will wonder how you got along without it before.

Wow. That story is enough to make a grown man cry.

Say whaaat?

Once again it is the simple thing. Glad you got.

My Mitchell info agrees with what you say and doesn't note any connector inbetween the two points. I would gess there has been a cut made to the wire somehow. You could purhcase a set of factory manuals or a CD copy off Ebay. A factory manual will have the info you need. To me they are 'priceless'.

What I mean is this. The filaments in a bulb are the small pieces of wire that glow so brightly and make the light. There is a high beam filament in each light and I suspect that both lights have a burned out (another way of saying the filments have opened up or become disconnected from the outside contacts) high beam filament. You are correct in saying current stops flowing in an open circuit. It is the same as turning a switch to 'off' (it opens the circuit). In a closed circuit the current can flow. Don't worry about being a newbie. You will pick up things real quick. Especially if you like it.

There should be a check valve in the fuel line to keep the fuel from backflowing towards the tank. If the valve is leaking then that could cause this problem to happen. A leaky injector could also.

It sounds like you have a good maunal for reference and if so I assume it doesn't show a connector in between the fuse panels. If that is so then the problem is most likely at one of the connections that appear to be good. Have you made sure they are really good by using your meter? I would check for voltage by piercing the wire insulation near the connections.

If the connection to the light is ok and the bulbs are good then I would check the switch next. They are usually mounted in the transmission case.

Good deal. Glad you got it fixed and thanks for the feedback.

I would check to see if a connector to the lights got partially disconnected when the battery was installed. Check around in that area and if there are some connectors there I would try pushing them together. To check relays with a meter you will need to leave them in the circuit or power them up with a power source. A basic relay is usually used to turn on a high current circuit from a low power switch. It is a electric switch that has a coil of wire in it to magnetically close or, sometimes open, contact connections. The most common problem with them is the contacts get dirty and cause a bad connection. Checking a relay with a meter it is about the same as a checking a normal on/off type switch except you have the coil circuit included to make the relay function. The switched contacts will either be open or closed depending on the relay condition. Lets say the relay is switching 12 volts on or off to a light that has a common ground point, as vehicles do. With the meter set to measure volts and the meter common lead is tied to ground, the meter will show 0 volts on the switched side of the relay when it is off. When the relay is on, the meter will show 12 volts on the switched side because the contacts are now closed and making connection to the power source, and the light turns on. Another thing that can happen to a relay is to have the coil open and that will disable the relay. You can measure the voltage across the coil to see if that is ok when the relay is supposed to be activated. To see if a coil is ok usually measuring the resistance of the coil with no power on, or the relay removed from the circuit, will verify it.