Hi, i just picked up a new 90 legacy and im having an issue with the guage lights. when i bought the car they didn't work and i noticed there was no fuse in the fuse box so i put one in. the lights worked for a little bit then the fuse blew. im stumped and just need a place to start.

 

Peter

i would make sure it is the correct fuse first.....look on the cover to confirm......i have seen instances where "bob" at the local garage didnt have a 15 amp fuse and just stuck a 7.5 in there.......

Check your tail lights also, a lot of vehicles fused the instrument panel with them so that you would know if they were not working. If they are not you possibly have a bare wire hanging under the car somewhere that is grounding out every now and then.

 

Jim

You are going to have to check all the paths tieing to the fuse. Having a wiring diagram would be of great value here. I suggest you purchase one or try getting some info at your local library.

 

One thing you can do to help locate the problem is to use a ohmmeter tied to the gauge side of the fuse connection and ground. This will show the resistance of the circuit and you can see the resistance change as you disconnect suspected wire paths to the problem. Since this ties to the dash there may only be one wire for this. In that case you will have to most likely disconnect and remove the cluster and then inspect it for a problem. You could also remove the main harness to it and see if the problem goes away then.

If your is like my 1997 you have a little black box that controls the dash lights. Look to see if you have any aftermarket aguges or radio in the car. If you do disconnect the lighting from the rest of the car.

 

SUbarus are wired in loops for the dash lights. By tapping into this loop and going to ground through a bulb, it makes a short. This short blows out the illumination controller, which in turn will blow out any fuses (been there done that).

 

That illumination controller isnt cheap, so make sure there are no improper lights in your system.

 

nipper

thanks for the replies guys. i repaced the fuse again and so far its working.. i do have an aftermarket stereo but i wired it using factory plug adapters, the same way i had in my 91 with no ill effects. i'll keep my eye on it and check for any exposed wires.