Bowline5

Three months ago I probably made the mistake of buying a replacement secondary air pump on ebay. Now I have the CEL coming on at random but frequent intervals, OBD reports no faults but when cleared the CEL stays off. Bench test of the pump shows it running slow, almost grinding to a halt, so a replacement pump is on the cards. BUT a suggestion from a Subaru specialist that fault code P0410 might come up if the lambda sensor is failing or has a wiring fault. The question is where on the car are they? Apparently there are front and rear ones, where do I have to get to to inspect them? Previous experience of other makes is that they are carefully hidden so that dealers can charge lots of workshop time just to get to them.

I have a 57 plate Forester XTE 2.5l Turbo with a recurring CEL fault in the secondary air system. I've spent a lot of time on the 'net learning about the system, when I set about checking the circuitry to find I do not have the wiring and components that all the forums and diagrams say I should. There is no Aircut2 relay in the box that should operate the left hand valve, the carrier is there but no wiring in it. Can this mean I only have the right hand valve? Surely not. The CEL fault is intermittent, I can clear it with the OBD scanner and a couple of days later it comes back. Sometimes the scanner reports no fault but if I choose the Clear Codes option it goes through the motions and the CEL stays off. What I am sure of is that the air pump itself is working, hence the deep dive to find the problem. All this faff just to fool an emissions tester once a year! Any advice or suggestions please.

Has anyone got a wiring diagram, or a link to one, of the secondary air system for my 57 plate Forester XTE. Given that the pump I just bought came out of an Impreza I'd guess that it's common to most models. The CEL came on last week, OBD code P0410 came up, the pump was not running. With a replacement fitted I now get the code for a relay fault but I've tested that and it works perfectly well. Going through the system with a meter I cannot get a voltage to the 50 amp supply into the relay. Is there a fuse somewhere in that circuit that got blown when the motor failed, if so where is it located? I found a heavy duty connector under the fuse box that led to the relay and was oiled up and full of gunge but cleaning that as best I can has not solved the problem. Any help or advice please!

Has anyone got a wiring diagram, or a link to one, of the secondary air system for my 57 plate Forester XTE. Given that the pump I just bought came out of an Impreza I'd guess that it's common to most models. The CEL came on last week, OBD code P0410 came up, the pump was not running. With a replacement fitted I now get the code for a relay fault but I've tested that and it works perfectly well. Going through the system with a meter I cannot get a voltage to the 50 amp supply into the relay. Is there a fuse somewhere in that circuit that got blown when the motor failed, if so where is it located? I found a heavy duty connector under the fuse box that led to the relay and was oiled up and full of gunge but cleaning that as best I can has not solved the problem. Any help or advice please!

Thanks for the suggestion, it's definitely an option but I haven't found anyone yet who'll do it for less than £300 which is a struggle. Half an hour under the bonnet today revealed a non-functioning pump, to replace that could be a used OE unit or a chinese copy from ebay. Thank goodness the car is still usable!

The dashboard of my 2007 2.5T lit up, engine management, dynamic stability and cruise control all on, so I get home, plug in the OBD and get P0410, secondary air. Some time on the web gives me information and advice and suggests that the first things to check are the fuse and relay but they're not identified in the manual. My local Subaru agent explained that when it identifies a fault the ECU automatically shuts down driver aids, so beyond no ABS or cruise control the car is safe to drive which is reassuring. Unfortunately they want £220 + VAT just to locate the fault so any suggestions as to how I can do this myself would be very welcome. Looking down the line a little, by groping below the intercooler I've located one of the valves in the system, I'm guessing the second one is down there somewhere and that if I have to lift the intercooler out to get to them I'll need to drain the cooling system, yes?

Glad that it worked out for you and I echo your comments about ease of work and quality of components in these cars, although it's apparently a four hour job to change the spark plugs in mine! I drove a MAN truck for a couple of years, better to use than the equivalent DAF, or Iveco, or Merc, but it's a feature of VW group to charge premium price for the cheapest bits they can find in the market, and make them as inaccessible as possible to boost chargeable workshop hours. Or am I being too cynical? Derek

It has taken me a while but I have found the bulb type. After much googling I found a name, after that it was ridiculously easy. Go to ebay, type "T3 neo wedge bulb" into the search pane and take your pick from filament, halogen or LED in a variety of colours. They come in different sizes, T3 is an 8mm base, 10mm (T4) and 12mm (T5) are also available for about £1 each Not all my switches have lit up so there may be a wiring issue to sort out, at least the first hurdle is cleared!

Judd, I'm confused, I went out yesterday evening and the front fog light switch lit up, panel light and in use light working perfectly, all I'd done to it was unplug it then plug it in again. The switch that I took apart, rear fog light, doesn't work any more so there's another job. There is a green bulb in there and there is also a warning light in the instrument binnacle to show it's in use, maybe the green bulb is for panel illumination but not working. I do enjoy a challenge! I said it was a nice clean example didn't I

It turns out Subaru decided not to invest in lights for these switches, at least not in 2006; maybe they have for later models. In use lights only in these.

Thank you Judd, I think I'll double check the wiring first before prising the switches apart. If it comes down to bulbs I will post the codes. It's not just the Japanese who fit awkward controls, I've had a couple of Audis where the heater controls are small, flush and at the bottom of the centre console - impossible to work without taking eyes off the road.

Back in the Spring I needed a mid-sized estate car, ideally not front wheel drive, and found a nice clean 2006 Forester 2.5 turbo (by **** it's quick!). A few nights ago I noticed that none of the switches in the lower panel were illuminated. The indicator lights, either on the switch or in the main binnacle, all work when the switches are pressed but in the dark it's pot luck finding the right one. It seems to me they should be background lit and it would be quite a coincidence if all four of them were hiding duff bulbs. I've had a look behind the panel, all the switches are individually connected, there's no common supply or common light anywhere, so I decided not to start taking the whole thing apart before asking advice. Does anyone know if the switch assemblies do contain panel lights, and if they do how do I replace the bulbs? Thanks Derek

I spoke with a dealer today about something else, turns out it's for the front parking sensors.

I just bought a 57 plate Forester and boy am I pleased with it. I had one of the first cars in the country back in 1978 and after all these years have come back to the badge. Below the steering wheel there is a round red rocker switch, I haven't found a reference to it in the owners manual yet and don't want to press it just in case. Can anyone give me a clue what it's for please?

I've just got myself an 04 Legacy estate, the 3l tourer model. I would like to upgrade the radio to a DAB/Bluetooth unit, does anyone know where I can source a replacement fascia panel? Plenty of on-line suppliers have the Connect2 unit designed for the 05 model but my heater controls are completely different, with a rectangular screen in the centre. Any suggestions very welcome.