Had a nasty electrical weekend with my 2008 Forester. The alternator fried, and my fuel gauge bulb burned out and my rear wiper motor did at the same time.

 

(Well, I can't find a fuse for the rear motor...ideas?)

 

Subaru says there are 2 different bulbs for the fuel gauge, yet when I pulled them they are all marked V-2 Toshiba.

 

Questions:

 

1. Are there really two different bulbs?

 

2. What fuse, fusible link, or relay controls the rear wiper motor?

Sounds like your voltage spiked and took out the weakest links.

 

There may be two bulbs, only one way to find out. If the bulbs are cheap enough you may think about replacing all of them (the internet is your freind).

 

Check the fuse box and see what else operates off that same circuit. If everything else works, then it is not a main fuse or fuseable link.

Yeah, I took the instrument panel apart - pretty easy.

 

Found one blasted bulb, replaced, all good.

 

Will pull the wiper motor in back and see what happened. I'll assume all Subaru rear wiper motors must be the same - I'll continue to cannibalize the Outback.

Yes pretty much. Before you do that do some trouble shooting. Make sure power is getting to the motor. Sometimes the harness though the hatch fails. A power surge may have helped a tired harness along to its death.