87blackimpreza

Same issue with my new-to-me hatch, no wiper, no heater. Everything else worked. Bench tested everything, it all works, hmmm. Pulled back the rubber flex from the hatch-body and found 9 wires, all but 2 are broken clean off. I think things must be grounded to the body pretty well other than through the harness, because the brake light and rear lock still worked fine. It's been covered before, but here's what I did ... 1. Ripped out ALL the carpet, trim, pillar covers, everything back there, all of it. Better access that way.; 2. Unplug the hatch wires at the connectors and wiper relay, they're all behind the taillight. Be amazed stuff hasn't shorted out and blown fuses. 3. Sliced the rubber boot lengthwise with a razor blade, pulled it out of the grommet holes. This exposes the broken wire bundle. 4. Finished cutting off the two wires that weren't broken. 5. Pulled the "body side" bundle (9 wires) back through the body, there's some electrical tape and a zip tie that need to be cut off. 6. This left the "hatch side" bundle sticking out, with about four inches of wire exposed. Just enough to work with. 7. Cut a half inch or so off the ends of each "hatch side" wire, they're brittle and work-hardened. Strip off a quarter inch or so of insulation. 8. Cut a half inch or so off the ends of each "body side" wire, they're brittle and work-hardened. Strip off a quarter inch or so of insulation. 9. Easier to work with the "body side" wires, in the hatch area, so started there. 10. Cut and strip the ends of 9 "extension" wires, maybe six or eight inches long minimum. Go long, you'll hide the extra in the pillar anyway. 11. One by one, solder and shrink-wrap the "extension" wires to the "body side" harness that you've got laying conveniently in the hatch area, then feed them back up through the holes and solder and shrink wrap to the corresponding "hatch side" wires. This will take a while, 18 connections. 12. I know, it's not easy to work in that little space up by the hatch, but that's what you've got to work with. I did two at a time, with a cookie break in between. It's a five cookie job. 13. There are two with the same wire code (blue/red stripe, I think). One is thicker than the other, look closely. Have a cookie. - PLUG EVERYTHING BACK IN, TEST AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WORKS - 14. Use wire ties and/or tape and/or whatever to rebundle the wires. 15. Pull the broken/splice wires down into the hatch so the "fresh" wires are in the danger/flex zone. Push with one hand at the hole in the top of the hatch, and reach into the bottom of the hatch and gently pull the bundle. Don't pull on the blue defroster wire, pull the grey bundle. Ease it back a few inches. 16. Finagle the "body side" wires the same way, but don't tie anything down too tightly, you want it to be able to flex and move around a bit. 17. Get the cursed rubber bellows back in place, that's the most annoying part of the job. But the bellows acts as a grommet to keep the wires from chafing and eventually cutting at the sharp holes in the body and hatch. 18. Re-seal the rubber so it doesn't let water down into the hatch and headliner, etc. I used self-fusing rubber tape. YMMV. 19. Double check the "body side" wires to be sure the body holes they're routed through won't eventually cut the wires. Tape and protect as needed. 20. Button it all up and you're done for another few years until your repaired wires break again. But it'll be easier to reach next time for the next guy. - WHILE YOU'RE AT IT - 21. Pull the rubber bellows off the other side, splice and repair the inevitably broken rear sprayer hose. That's why your hatch area gets wet when you try to spray the rear window. Don't try to mess with the funky connector near the wiper motor, it's old and brittle and you'll break it. Everybody does. Now that you've ignored me and broken that, and the little spring is on the ground, splice that, too.