Several electrical accessories in the vehicle, such as the fuel injection system, horns, starter, and fog lamps, use relays to transmit the electrical signal to the component. Relays use a low-current circuit (the control circuit) to open and close a high-current circuit (the power circuit). If the relay is defective, that component will not operate properly. Most relays are mounted in the engine compartment fuse and relay box. There are also some relays mounted on or near the passenger compartment fuse box, but they're not visible until you remove the knee bolster. If you suspect a faulty relay, simply remove it and test it using the procedure below. Or have it tested by a dealer service department. Defective relays cannot be repaired; they must be replaced with a new unit. Most of the relays used in these vehicles are normally open relays. Two of the terminals are the relay control circuit and connect to the relay coil. The other relay terminals are the power circuit. When the relay is energized, the coil creates a magnetic field that closes the larger contacts of the power circuit to provide power to the circuit loads. To test a normally-open relay, use an ohmmeter to verify that there is no continuity between terminal No. 1 and No. 2 when the power is disconnected. Then verify that there is continuity between terminal No. 1 and No. 2 when the No. 3 and No. 4 terminals are connected to power and ground. If the relay fails the above test, replace it.
Posted by SubaruPartsDeal Specialist