Hi all... have searched the forum but haven't found anything similar to this. '98 carburated KS4 with AC. Recently, my right rear tail light/brake light went out. I assumed it was the bulb, replaced it with a new one, but it still didn't work. I also tested the bulb from the left tail light (which still functions on the left) on the right side, but it didn't work there either. Amber signals on both sides are fine. Fuses all look fine. Not really sure what to try as my next step... any advice would be appreciated!
There is a connector for the tail light under the bed that can deteriorate with age. One of mine basically turned to dust and the contacts had corroded quite a bit. They are a variant of some fairly standard 4 pole .250" connectors like these, but will probably be white/normal nylon colored instead of black. You can generally find compatible connectors on eBay/Amazon/etc.. I bought mine from Eastern Beaver (where this photo came from)
To close this off, you were right the corrosion in there was wild. I just used contact cleaner and dielectric grease to prevent future corrosion. There also happened to be a little wire tap on that particular light for the reverse beeper which was old and not tapped properly anymore. Cleaned up both and it’s all good now. Thanks!
Out of curiosity, exactly which connector did you buy on Eastern Beaver and how well did it connect to your existing connectors? There's two designs that look darned close to what I was seeing on my truck, but I couldn't quite put my finger on which one was going to be most similar. Both the Yazaki 250 connectors and the CNA Tang-less connectors look like they have same arrangement and locking tab, but the actual front openings where the connector shells look a little bit more like the CNA Tang-less. (At least, the 4-pin connectors for the tail lights and 6-pin connector for the truck bed sub-harness-the 2-pin connector is almost certainly the Yazaki connector.)
I replaced both sides of the connector as they essentially just crumbled apart. There was not enough of the original connector left to really do a full post mortem.
Entirely fair. It's the same case for me, I just figured I might be able to save myself some trouble down the line if I could source the same connector as original, that way a brand new tail light housing years down the line doesn't leave me/the next owner scratching their head and trying to figure out why they don't connect. I might just do sealed connectors all around since I have to replace so much and can't verify a correct fitment...
Yea, I am honestly surprised that Subaru did not go with a sealed solution from the get go, at least for the tail lights since they are so exposed.
Where exactly are you folks finding this connector. I have one behind each taillight that look good but still blowing the fuse. Is there another one I’m not seeing? Thanks
That's the one. The four pin connector behind each tail light. The original one on the truck will be white. Mine looked fantastic until I needed to disconnect it, and then it literally crumbled to pieces as I tried to unhook it. I've had plenty of connectors crack or have a big chunk break off, but never did one chip and crumble apart like it was just made of compacted dust.
