2004 Subaru Outback High Beam light failure

REBOWSKI

MEMBER
2004 SUBARU OUTBACK
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
105,000 MILES

Hi,
I have bought this car recently and besides good engine/transmission I have few issues with this car one of which is high beam light. I do not have it. Electrically everything looks correct (relays, fuses, bulbs), head light switch is turning off (when pushed toward dash) low beam lights but high beam lights remains off as well as high beam indicator on dashboard. Also I cannot blink with high beams if pull switch toward driving wheel. I have noticed that someone removed half inch of insulation from headlights cables (both lamps) and I removed remains of some alien cables. My major concern is that something get burned, naked cables obviously where touching each other, but all fuses in the box are O.K. Relays as well. Other headlight functions are still O.K.
Question is what has been burned?

3 Replies

MIKE H R

MECHANIC
3,094 POSTS

Check to see if you are getting voltage to the headlight high beam if not check the two headlight relays under the hood. If you have daylight driving lights then there is a seperate relay for them. You say someone disconnected the wire going to each high beam. Were they burnt or just disconnected. If burnt see if you can follow the wire back to the relays. If he just clipped them that tells me that there must have been a problem with the light switch. Use a static tester one that connects to the ground and lights when you touch a wire that has voltage it lights. I am enclosing a diagram that has the lighting system. You might have to download it with paint and enlarge it to see it better. If you have daylight running lights the circuit is not much diferent except for the daylight lights relay. Let me know and I will download it and send it to you. This diagram will give you a idea of how the lighting system is routed.

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Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 AT 7:56 PM

REBOWSKI

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Thank very much for the answer. I have day lights and they are working fine, I have low beam lights as well. I do not know where is the relay for that light. Both relays under the hood seems O.K. I took them out one by one interchanged them. Without one them left or right light was off (low beam). To precise my observation about both head lights. Cables coming to the both headlights were used as source of electricity for something else or to provide electricity to high beams. Protective shields were removed on half inch on all three cables both sides and I have found remains of alien wires on it. All of them were unprotected and highly possible touching each other. My conclusion was that something must have been burned in high beam circuit due to shortcut. But none of the fuse of or relay I know about is broken. I have heard that some of the relays are located under the left driver side kick panel close to the fuse box behind coin pocket and one of them is for the high beams. But I'm sure about it. Thank you for the diagram but it is low resolution that I cannot zoom it. I would appreciate bigger version.

Regards
Greg

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Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 AT 11:05 AM

2 LINSEY

MECHANIC
287 POSTS

Hi rebowski,
We hope you got all your issues figured out with your outback. Thank you for using 2CarPros. Com. We appreciate your donation and look forward to helping you in the future.

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Monday, April 5th, 2010 AT 4:15 PM