I posted this in the NASIOC forum but figured I'd ask for local insight.

Basically, my instruments and lights (DRL included) are dead in the morning when I get to my car.

Here is what I've found so far:

1. It isn't a connection problem...I've checked each connection to my instruments twice and they are tight and splice free.

2. I've noticed that it ONLY happens when I park in my home parking stall (time parked doesn't seem to affect it).

3. It might be a moisture problem maybe from the A/C condensation water or something. Also, because my instruments go ON after I drive it around for a while or leave it parked at work and start it when I go to grab lunch.

4. I say this because my home parking is the only one that has a slight backward tilt...maybe the water is somehow leaking into somewhere that it normally wouldn't.

5. Or at least that's what I thought...I tried experimenting with leaving the A/C off last night and then parking it...same problem happened regardless of A/C condensation.

SOOOOOOOOO basically I have absolutely no damn idea what to do next...I've unhooked the battery and it works right now but I'll have to wait till I get to my car to see if the stuff goes down again. Yes, it sucks but I might have to go to the dealership and get charged like $300 to fix it.

LOL if you see a silver WRX Sedan driving around town at night with only parking lights...that would be me!

 

Clarification...HEADLIGHTS don't work...instrument and interior lights do work.

I DO know that my instruments aren't getting any signal/power when this is happening and that I hear the headlight relay go click when I try to turn them on but get no light.

Also, I get a CEL once in a while when the instruments spring back to life.

I feel that it is most likely a SHORT but haven't a clue what the cause is...have checked wiring behind the guages and near the ECU.

 

if you have installed any aftermarket stuff check for loose ground wires. my buddy zack had to unscrew a ground wire when he put his cold air intake on and he didnt tighten it down enough when he put it back and he had a problem similar to yours. he ended up paying 750 for labor because it took the dealership 6 hours to figure out the problem and they determined that it was his fault so warranty was no good. 750 for something as simple as a ground wire. good luck bro.

 

Damn...750 IS A LOT!

OK...will look for any loose grounds.

Bought it used so I have no idea what was on the car.

 

Ugh....I looked everywhere that I could think of to find that loose ground and to no avail.

Also, I got word from someone on the NASIOC forum that it might have to do with moisture getting to an exposed wire...that sounds about right but I can't find the durn wire. THIS SUX!

Guys, I am going to seek professional help at this point because it's driving me crazy!

WHO IS THE most reputable subaru maintenance place that you've been to? It's an electrical problem so please don't sat Jiffy Lube

 

OK NEW INFO...

talked to Augie at 5 Star Subaru...he said that it might be due to my aftermarket alarm draining the battery. I'm not sure what to think of that but I'll see if leaving my alarm off tonight will alleviate the problem...I mean it COULD be that but why not everything being off and not just the instruments and headlights?

BUT then you could also question why a fuse isn't blowing if there is a short circuit...as far as I know everything that connects to the positive side of the battery has a fuse right?

Seems a bit far fetched...but I'll try anything before I go to the dealership.

 

DAMNIT...my roody pooh problem is happening again!

The only thing different from normal that I did with my car is shoot water at the undercarriage while washing (shot from the rear...he he) on wednesday...DAMN YOU CAR!

Ha ha ha...I am convinced that my car doesn't like my home parking spot cuz that's the only place it does it at! DAMN YOU CAR!

 

try backing into your spot tonight. if you always park normal and it happens, if you park backwards you should be able to tell if its moisture or not. if it still happens when you park backwards, then i would think it to be a loose ground or something like that. good luck man. hope you get it fixed. L8R

 

Yeah I've been trying the backwards thing and it worked for a while...will now park forward.

He he did the grounding mod along with an Optima Yellow Top and it solved it for a while...oh well, perhaps my car is mad at me cuz I took off the shiny red aftermarket BOV.

DAMN YOU CAR!

 

I really doubt your alarm is draining the battery... but yeah 04sleeper is right, just back it in

 

I have been...we'll see!

 

yea like i said just bacl it in to my parking spot. i'm sure it will be happy there.
good luck man. hope ya get it woked out

 

Hah...gonna park it forward and fool it!

 

OK GUYS...so thus, we are now into the SECOND month of my ongoing struggle.

Thus far, the only thing that I've learned is that every hunch I come up with is wrong...WRONG WRONG WRONG!

1. Tried the parking it at different angles thing and that's inconsistent.
2. Thought it might be my key cylinder so tried different ways of inserting r turning the key...that didn't work.
3. Talked nicely to my car and told it how much I loved it in the morning...that didn't work.

My new observations:

1. Fairly consistently happens in the mornings after my car has been sitting for 8 hours or so. Car is thus cold.
2. Everything comes back after I drive to work, let it sit for a couple of hours and come back.
3. Once and a while I get a CEL because of this (I had mentioned it in another thread)...but it goes away before I can get the car somewhere to read the CEL.
4. All I know is somewhere along the electrical path that tells the guages and headlights to go "on" there is a snafu...I hear a relay clicking near the ECU when I try to turn on the lights but I believe that it is the DRL Relay behind the glove box.

AAAAAAHHHHHHH! If not for this I would be totally happy in my life with no worries at all! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


MY NEXT THING TO TRY:

1. Check the relay that is involved in this electrical path...Joe you wanna take a look?
2. Do relays just fizz out like fuses or can they intermittently fail like this?

 

Okay. Couldn't find my meter. But if you got one I could take a look at all of them later on this week. Let me kno.