Hello all! I've got a 1976 DL 4-Door Sedan with the 3-Speed Auto that is giving me some trouble. I just purchased the car, replaced the fuel filter only to find out that the cold seemed to have killed the battery. I just replaced the battery but can't seem to get the high beams, turn signals, radio, heat, and fan blowers to work. And, to be honest, I'm sure I'm forgetting something. I think it might have something to do with the fuses. The only issue with that is the metal fuse box top with the correct fuse layout is missing. Does anyone have one for sale or that they can post a picture of or tell me what fuses go where? I purchased brand new 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 amp glass fuses in anticipation of needing some. Another concern I have is with the NAPA fuel filter I got. It isn't see through, but does have a "+" sign on one side. I'm not sure what this means, but is the "+" supposed to be pointed toward the passanger compartment or away from it? Lastly, according to the previous owner, the interior map light bulb is out. Does anyone know what type of bulb I would need? I really appreciate any help I can get with this. All of it is very new to me and my biggest concern is that I might mess something up.

if the new fuses dont change anything, first thing i would check is the ground from the battery. you should have a large cable to the engine and a smaller one to the fender well or somewhere on the body. old cars are notorious for  for bad grounds and a bad ground can cause all kinds of trouble even for us gear heads. if the body is not grounded alot of things inside wont work. second is the positive terminal from the battery to the contact terminal. from there all positive power is distributed. check for corroded or frayed wires heading to the firewall. also check the fuse slot contacts. the fuse should fit snug and not twist with your fingers. they get hot and warp causing them to lose  their rigidness and cause a loose contact with the fuse. you can simply squeeze them together with your fingers until the fuse pops in snugly. try sanding the insides of the fuse slots if they look dirty. some things only work through the alternator and voltage regulator so make sure they are both good. my lights will fail if my regulator goes bad. good luck

the fuel filter is directional. i have not seen a plus sign yet but i would imagine that would be the front or towards the carb. they usually have an arrow to show the correct path from the tank to the carburator.. fuses are as follows: 1 is top and 8 is bottom...

1 Headlight high beam 15 amp

2 head light low beam 15 amp

3 tail lights and license plate

3  turn signals, backup, rear defrost

5 ignition, start, fuel pump

continued because of my fat fingers

 6 clock, hazard, stop, horn 14 amp

7 wiper, heater  radio,lighter 25 amp

8 light switch 25 amp

 all are 15 amp except 7 and 8 which are 25 amp

you can use the 10 amps in the 15 amp slots or 15 in the 25 if you have to as the only thing you can harm by doing so is the fuse. DO NOT put a higher rate fuse than is required as the fuse will not do its job and the wires will fail instead.

Thank you so much! And when you say top to bottom, is #1 closest to the passanger compartment or farthest from the passanger compartment? And just to confirm: I'll need five 15 amp fuses and two 25 amp fuses?

i have a 78 and 79 subaru so mine are top to bottom...maybe not the same as yours then. might be mounted different but i cant say. there are others here with your car so maybe wait until someone else responds. sorry

if anything you can always load all with 15 amp fuses and see if things work. just dont use any 25 amp for now. that will get you going until you find the right order.

No worries! I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me!

You want to check the fuse box itself is grounded properly too.

 

The order is the same for your 76 as the later models , box and cover same but maybe blue and black.

Usually filters have arrow on Side or Top to indicate flow.

 

And those bulbs are easy enough to find.

Thanks Psychotic Subathusiast! I was using an old Chilton repair book that was accurate for model years up to 1974, which I thought were similar enough, so I'm not surprised I ran into some issues. And I will be sure to check the fuse box ground as well. I'll also check the filter again. If I don't find an arrow on the filter its going back to NAPA. Lastly, how do I remove the dome/map light in the car? Is it simply a matter of unscrewing it? The last thing I want to do is break something in this car as I know some parts a rather scarce.

name is moosens but I understand how you saw that ..... Paul works too.

 

That dome light cover just pops off. Use a fine blade straight head or just your fingers as you gently squeeze it to release the cover.

 

I have some low mileage parts still from a real life old lady car 76 GF two door. I have that fuse cover for sure and plenty more. You car was almost mine. Lol !! Enjoy it !!!

 

You can always try me here or email moosens at yahoo

Oh , and I have a bunch of original factory fuel filters in their Subaru boxes. I also have some new old stock for your car like tail light lenses and side markers etc.

Hey all! I wanted to up date you all the progress of my repair.
-Interior Light: No change, haven't gotten to it yet.
-Fuel Filter: I finally noticed the arrow and correctly installed the fuel filter.
-Fuses: Here is where things get interesting. The help that I got from my fellow old Subaru owners definitely set me in the right direction, though with some slight variation. So, my high and low beams, horn, dash lights, radio, wipers, and washer fluid sprayers now work. Unfortunately, my turn signals and hazard lights still don't work and I'm not sure if my reverse, brake, or license plate lights work or if my cigarette outlet and rear defroster works.
Here are the specifics so far: Spot #1 is closest to the passanger compartment and as the numbers ascend the spots move away from the passanger compartment.
#1) Headlights - 10 amp
#2) Headlights - 10 amp
#3)?????
#4)?????
#5) Ignition, Start, Fuel Pump - 15 amp
#6) ?????
#7) Radio, Washer Spray, Wipers and Heater - 25 amp
#8) Light Switch - 25 amp
 

Edited December 10, 201411 yr by NotAWRX

Post some pics.

Of the car as a whole or of just the fuse box/engine bay?

Any and everything

It's a rather nice example. Especially for the northeast.

 

There are pics out there already somewhere from the previous owner.

 

But yeah , show the car. We know what the fuse box looks like.

Will do! I have only taken one picture so far, but the car was featured in an article (http://bringatrailer.com/2010/12/15/clean-and-weird-1976-subaru-gf-sedan/). It pretty much hasn't changed since the article was written. It does need a little bit of work, but not much to make it a show quality car. Give me a few minutes to figure out how to post the picture.

I'm having trouble uploading my picture. As soon as I figure out what the problem is I'll upload my picture and begin to take more detailed pictures.

Edited December 10, 201411 yr by NotAWRX

I'm having trouble uploading my picture. As soon as I figure out what the problem is I'll upload my picture and begin to take more detailed pictures.

You have to use a secondary photo sharing website like photobucket

I'm having trouble uploading my picture. As soon as I figure out what the problem is I'll upload my picture and begin to take more detailed pictures.

You have to use a secondary photo sharing website like photobucket

Hey Everyone! I wanted to post an update regarding the fuses. Spot #1 is closest to the passanger compartment and as the numbers ascend the spots move away from the passanger compartment.

#1) High Beams - 10 amp

#2) Low Beams - 10 amp

#3) Turn Signals [According to the Haynes Manual this fuse also handles: Backup Lights, Cooling Fan, and Thermoswitch, whatever that is] (I also found that anything from 10 to 30 amp fuses work. But I felt that 15 amps would be the safer route to go) - 15 amp

#4) Side Marker, License, Tail, and other Various Lights - 10 amp

#5) Radio, Washer Spray, Wipers, and Heater (I'm still not sure if mine works...) - 15 amp

#6) Ignition/Start Switch and Horn - 10 amp

#7) Key/Warning Buzzer and Door Switch [According to throw Haynes Manual this fuse also covers Hazards (mine do not work), Map Light, Cigarette Lighter, Clock, and Stop Switch] - 25 amp

#8) Light Switch - 25 amp

***There are a few things that I think should be noted. For starters as either routine maintenance or as a step in trying to solve a potential fuse issue the connector prongs should be cleaned and adjusted, just as bertmann73 noted. I used a fine grit sandpaper and thoroughly went over each prong. Secondly, having a manual is great, and I think the Haynes Manuals are very good (I also use one of my 1994 Mazda Miata), but they seem to leave a lot to be desired in the way of fuse amperage. My experience was that what the fuse slot did was correct, just not the fuse amperage. I hope this helps! I'll be sure to double check my work over the next couple of days and post any changes to my findings here. And thank you all again for the help and pointing me in the right direction!

Hello again everyone! I have some free time coming up and I wanted to tackle the Hazard light issue. They do not work at all and was wondering if anyone had a similar issue and could point me in the right direction?

get your self one of these, chase the electrical gremlins from the bulb and work your way back to the battery.

post some pics of your car!