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2002 Outback legacy power outlet problems

cireleahcimcireleahcim Member Posts: 2
edited July 2014 in Subaru
I have a 2002 Subaru Legacy Outback and the cigarette lighter/power outlet is not working. It just stopped. I checked fuses under the hood and below the steering wheel. I have no other electrical problems what so ever. I have no clue what is going on. Can anyone shed some light on this problem for me? Thanks!!!
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Even if the fuse doesn't look blown, swap it out. Some times you get hair line crack and you can't see it.
  • cireleahcimcireleahcim Member Posts: 2
    I have swapped out the one for the cigarette lighter or the one that I understand to be that with out any luck...
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Fuse #4 to the left of the steering wheel looks to control both the cigarette lighter and the outside remote mirrors. If the mirrors still work, then the fuse is probably OK. At that point, you probably lost a wire to the back of the lighter/outlet itself.
  • jpedenjpeden Member Posts: 3
    This is a stupid simple question for anyone that knows cars, but I'm not one of those folks so please help me.
    I need to know what kind of parking brakes my 2002 Subaru Legacy Outback has. Are they a cable system that engage the rear brakes, or are they some sort of brake that is applied to the drive shaft or transmission?
    I would have assumed the former, but was told I need to find out for sure and I have no idea how to determine which it is.
    Thanks very much in advance.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    edited June 2010
    No legitimate questions are stupid! And welcome to the Subaru Boards!

    The 2002 Outback (Legacy based) uses a combination brake in the rear - two completely separate systems built into one assembly. If you look thru the spokes of the rims, you will see that the rear service brake is a disk, as is the front. But if you look closer at the center hub section, you will see that the 'hat' is larger in the rear than in the front. That larger center piece is actually a cable operated miniature drum brake.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Not a stupid question at all given in 2010 the parking brake became an e-brake.

    So the post above mine applies to 2009 and prior Outbacks.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Has the actual method of braking changed, or have they just substituted an electric motor for the hand lever or foot pedal to 'apply' the force to the cable operated parking brake?
  • jpedenjpeden Member Posts: 3
    The most important fact I needed is that it's a cable system, not a pressure brake that clamps down on the driveshaft or transmission. Maybe I should explain the situation that is driving my question. My son is learning to drive. A driving instructor that is teaching him has a car equipped with passenger side accelerator and brakes. Of course my car is not so equipped. But, he said I should take my son out to practice in-between lessons, and that I would be able to use the parking brake to stop the car if my son lost control...provided that the parking brake was a cable system. He said that if it were one of the other types (which Outbacks apparently had at some time in the past) that using the brake in that way would damage them.
    I'm just trying to ensure that the system is a cable system rather than an "independent" braking system. At least I think that was the term he used.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    I think at one time 'hill holder' used by Subaru with some manual transmissions may have been a driveshaft clamp, but that is not the case on the '02 Outback.

    I understand what your instructor is attempting, but let me say that it is a crude substitute at best.. The problem is that a rear parking brake is not very effective on a moving vehicle. Weight transfer forward means that the front brakes do 90% of the stopping in a normal situation. Even locking up the rears with the parking brake will mean an extremely long stopping distance if the service brake is not applied. If the gas is applied, it would completely overwhelm the rears brakes alone. Worse yet, skidding rear tires can result in a loss of control, with the back end even coming around (oversteer). Lastly, this is very hard on an AWD system. The center differential can take quite a beating if only one half of the brake system (rears only) are applied hard. "Handbrake turns" can be done in snow or ice in an emergency, but again, it is very hard on the drivetrain.

    Net: this is a last recourse type of maneuver, and not something you should do on a routine basis.
  • jpedenjpeden Member Posts: 3
    Thanks very much. That's the information I was looking for. We weren't going to do very much of the parking brake solution...maybe 4 or 5 trips around the parking lot of the school across the street. It's just something the instructor said would be good to do between his sessions with my son...just so he doesn't lose the feel of driving between lessons.

    But I don't want to damage the car in any way and if doing this has even a chance of messing with the AWD, I'm not going to do it.

    Maybe I should go rent a car.... :^)

    Kidding....probably.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    To be honest I'm not sure.

    I did the rear brakes on my 98 Forester (drums) and my dad's 02 Outback (disc), but I haven't worked on any of the e-brake models yet.
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