Doing a complete power train and wiring swap from a 1998 Impreza OBS into a 2000 Forester and vice versa.  Everything is complete from the dash forward just need to do a few items from the dash aft. Does anyone have the connector pinouts and wiring diagrams for the non-SRS connectors near the doors?

Since I didn't get a response I just did a whole chassis wire swap to simplify things. Now it's time to address the electrical issue I had before the swap. The car ran perfectly until I shorted out the combo meter on the dash bar. Then a little puff of smoke. Ran fine for 20 miles then pfft...nothing.

 

I'm a little befuddled by this one... here are the symptoms.

 

1. CEL stays on after ignition is off.

 

2. Temp gauge "tachs out" past high when ignition turned on. (Temp sensor disconnected?)

 

3. Engine cranks but won't start. No fuel. (Fuses are good.  Still need to check FP relay.)

That's a job!

 

Even tough the Dash connectors are the same, the dashes are different.  if you have the OBS dash, I'd plug it in and see if your faults go away.

You swapped the whole dash harness and didn't look for the part that was burned up?

That was the perfect time to fix it because you could easily see what is damaged.

That's a job!

 

Even tough the Dash connectors are the same, the dashes are different.  if you have the OBS dash, I'd plug it in and see if your faults go away.

 

OBS combo meter was swapped as well.  Essentially the car is a 98 OBS in a Forester shell.

 

 

You swapped the whole dash harness and didn't look for the part that was burned up?

That was the perfect time to fix it because you could easily see what is damaged.

 

Visual inspection was done.  No burned up parts.

Magic smoke doesn't escape without something getting fried.

 

Can you narrow it down to an approximate area?

Behind the cluster? Behind the glove box?

Left side of the wheel right side of the wheel?

Directly behind the cluster.  The dash was removed when it happened so I could see everything.

Edited January 6, 201511 yr by NorthCoast

There are a few large connectors back in there that power comes through from the fuse box. Power for the fuel pump relay and main relay come through there.

 

Perhaps one of those has corroded and has burned the connector inside and shorted some pins. Those are very difficult to get to with the harness in the car.

It's not that bad since the dash isn't in.  Still not seeing anything charred and I'm getting power past all the relays.  I'll take a more in depth look this weekend.

You have power on the large wires going to and coing from the relays?

 

Then you'll need to look beyond those at the wiring that supplys power and ground to the ECU. I don't have a service manual for a 98 Impreza so I'm kinda flying blind on this one.

 

Somewhere you're gonna find some white/grayish power looking stuff on the tape around the harness or on one of the parts.

Did you swap the ignition switch? How about the wiring along the steering column?

Power to all wires going to the relays and beyond. I'll be triple checking all the grounds.  I don't have a USDM manual or FSM only the Aussie one which is almost useless. 

 

I didn't swap the ignition switch.  They should be identical but I'll check. Wiring along the steering column is good to go.