Recall - Front Seat Wiring Harness Routing
NUMBER: WVC-13DATE: March 2007
APPLICABILITY: 2006MY Subaru Forester & Impreza
SUBJECT:
Front Passenger Seat Wiring
INTRODUCTION
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has determined that certain 2006 MY Subaru Forester and Impreza models may have been produced with an improperly routed electrical wiring harness.
That harness could have been pinched against the passenger front seat mounting bolt during production. If the wiring harness was improperly installed, an electrical short could occur.
There are two safety risks associated with this condition. The first is that the passenger's front air bag, which is connected to this wiring harness, could become disabled, in which case it would not deploy as designed in an accident and would therefore expose the right front passenger to the possibility of serious injuries. The second is that an electrical short circuit could, under some circumstances, cause a fire.
If an electrical short circuit occurs in this wiring harness, fuse # 6 (located in the fuse panel on the lower left side of the dashboard) will "blow", disabling the passenger front air bag. This could occur at any time and without prior warning. But once it occurs, the driver will be alerted to this condition by the illumination of the air bag system warning light on the vehicle's instrument panel. Occupants will also be alerted to this condition if the passenger's frontal air bag ON/OFF indicator indicates "OFF" even if an adult passenger is occupying that seat.
If fuse # 6 had previously blown and been replaced with no repair made to correct the underlying cause, there is a possibility that this wiring harness has already been damaged due to a short circuit. Under these circumstances, the new replacement fuse may not blow and a fire could occur at any time without warning. In Forester models, it could happen even if the ignition switch is in the "LOCK" (off) position.
Vehicle owners will be advised in the Owner Notification Letter that if they encounter a blown fuse, an illuminated air bag system warning light, smell smoke, or have replaced a blown fuse # 6 without correcting the underlying problem, to not operate the vehicle. They will be advised to contact the nearest Subaru dealer as soon as possible for guidance. In these cases, dealers should arrange to have the vehicle towed and repairs performed immediately.
This recall will involve inspection and possible repair of the front passenger seat wire harness. Please refer to the Service Procedure section of this bulletin for more details.
AFFECTED VEHICLES
^ 2006 MY Subaru Forester and Impreza
Potentially affected vehicles are identified in the VIN range chart below. Not all vehicles within the VIN range are affected. Prior to performing repairs, confirm coverage for potentially affected vehicles by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry in the Dealer Communication System (DCS).
OWNER NOTIFICATION
SOA will prepare and mail Owner Notification Letters to owners of affected vehicles on or around March 9, 2007.
A copy of the Owner Notification Letter is included at the end of this bulletin.
DEALER PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITY
Dealers are to promptly service all vehicles subject to this recall at no charge to the vehicle owner regardless of mileage~ age of the vehicle~ or ownership.
For affected vehicles sold after the date on the dealer's affected list, dealers are to contact those owners and provide them with a copy of the owner notification letter. They should also arrange to make the required correction according to the instructions in the service procedure section of this bulletin.
Dealers are also to promptly perform the applicable service procedures defined in this bulletin to correct all affected vehicles in their inventory (new, used, demo). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this recall is taken into dealer new or used inventory, or is in the dealership for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the service program correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
PARTS INFORMATION
Special Tools and Materials
^ Soldering gun and solder
^ Heat gun
^ 1.5 inch wide unwoven adhesive tape
^ Subaru Global Terminal Wiring Kit 1-47606
^ Electrical tape
^ Electrical shrink wrap tubing
SERVICE PROCEDURE
This Recall will involve inspection of the front passenger seat wiring for proper routing. It will also involve repair of the affected wire harness if the inspection reveals pinched wiring.
Service Procedure
The first part of the procedure involves inspecting the wiring harness for proper routing and possible damage. (There are two separate procedures, one for each different vehicle.)
If there is no damage to the wiring harness, no repair is necessary. If the wiring harness is found to be damaged, then follow the repair procedure.
Forester Inspection Procedure (See Impreza inspection procedure.)
1. Slide the front passenger seat to the rear most position to expose the front of the slide rail.
2. Pull up the seat slide rail cover from the center console side as indicated by the arrows.
3. Check visually and with your fingers in the area indicated by broken lines to confirm that the body wiring harness (for power to the occupant detection ECU) is not located and/or pinched around the seat bracket.
4. If the wire is found to be located properly (not pinched), reinstall the seat slide rail cover.
No further action is required. If the wire is found to be pinched, proceed to the "Wiring Repair Procedure".
Impreza Inspection Procedure
1. Remove the center console trim between the select lever and the parking brake lever. If necessary, refer to the applicable service manual for removal instructions.
2. Cut the cross section of floor carpet in the center and in front of the parking brake lever with scissors (as shown, below).
Note:
Be careful not to damage wires around the work area.
^ Pull up the floor carpet to inspect a section of the subject body wiring harness from the clamping point located behind the shifter console down to the front passenger seat slide rail as indicated in the photo to the left.
^ Check visually and with your fingers to confirm that the wire is not located around the seat bracket area as indicated by the arrow in the photo to the right.
The proper wire location (not pinched) is indicated by broken lines in the photo to the right, below.
^ If the wire was found to be pinched, proceed to the "Wiring Repair Procedure" section, below.
3. If the wire was found to be located properly (not pinched), no repair is necessary. Reinstall the floor carpet. Wrap the previously cut portion of carpet with 1.5 inch wide unwoven adhesive tape.
4. Reinstall the center console trim.
Note:
Be careful that the seat heater switch is not pinched by the parking brake lever during reinstallation.
5. Confirm that switches, including the seat heater switch, work properly.
Wiring Repair Procedure: Forester & Impreza
1. Disconnect the negative battery cable. Note: In the interest of customer satisfaction, please write down all radio preset stations prior to disconnecting the battery. The stations should be reset into the radio afier completion of the repair.
2. For Impreza models, proceed to step 4.
Forester Models only: Remove the center console trim between the select lever and parking brake lever.
3. Forester only: Cut a cross section of floor carpet at the center in front of the parking brake lever with scissors as shown.
Note:
Be careful not to damage wires around the working area.
4. Impreza and Forester: Remove the passenger front seat and disconnect the body wire connector afier pulling up the floor carpet.
Note:
Check if the wire is pinched at the seat rail and damaged.
5. Repair the wire according to the extent of damage as indicated below.
(1) When only the surface of the wire covering is damaged only: Wrap electrical tape around the damaged portion, proceed to Step 7.
(2) When the core wire is cut or damaged: Cut and remove the damaged section of wire, as illustrated.
(3) Peel the wire covering 5/8 inch (15 mm) from the tip of cut wire and expose the core wires, as illustrated.
(4) Install heat shrink tubing on one side of the cut wiring.
(5) Twist the core wires together so that they entwine each other. Be careful to ensure the tips of the wires are level and parallel. Otherwise~ the wire will break through the heat shrink tubing.
(6) Solder the twisted wires and activate the heat shrink tubing with a heat gun. Confirm that no frayed wires are visible.
6. Reconnect the body wire connector.
7. Attach the repaired body wire harness to the area directly rearward of the wire clamp with insulating tape to prevent the wire from interfering with the seat rail. (See photos below for location of the wire and tape.)
8. Reinstall the floor carpet. Wrap the previously cut portion of carpet with 1.5 inch wide unwoven adhesive tape.
9. Reinstall the center console trim.
Note:
Be careful that switch wires attached to the center console trim are not pinched by the parking brake lever during installation.
10. Reinstall the passenger front seat. (Install the seat slide rail cover on Forester model.)
11. Reconnect the negative battery cable. (Reprogram the customer's radio stations presets.)
12. Perform Seat Occupant Detection System calibration. (See applicable service manual.)
Note:
Impreza models have the bladder type system which will require re-zeroing. Forester models have the load sensor type system which requires re-calibration.
13. Turn on the ignition switch and confirm that the seat heater switches and the air bag warning light works properly.
SERVICE PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION LABEL
Type or print the necessary information on a recall identification label. The completed label should be attached to the vehicle's upper radiator support.
Additional labels are available through the Customer Dealer Services Department (CDS).
CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT AND ENTRY PROCEDURES
Credit to perform this recall will be based on the submission of properly completed repair order information. Dealers may enter the applicable claim information through their Dealer Communications System.
Inspect - Use the applicable claim submission information for inspection of passenger front seat wire harness.
Repair Wiring - Use the additional claim submission information for repair of the passenger front seat wire harness.
Disclaimer