2008 Subaru Outback Trailer Wiring

[Byron Kinnaman]

A friend just bought a new 2008 Subaru Outback and is trying to figure out how to connect the trailer wiring. Both of us have did a bit searching and information isn't forthcoming.

[Marv]

Byron,
On my 05 Outback, a harness was included with the Subaru hitch I installed. The harness was totally plug-and-play EXCEPT the connector to plug it into is hidden! It was behind the panel in the far-left corner. As I recall, the panel also had a 12V power outlet installed on it. The connector you want is behind the panel, tied back to its main harness with break-away tape. You have to reach in with a long tool and force the tape to break. Then the connector will fall down into view below the panel.

Overall, it's a 30-minute job: 29 minutes to get at the connector and one minute to connect it.

Try subaruparts.com and subaru-parts.com (two different websites) for the parts.

Marv

[Byron Kinnaman]

Marv,
Thanks for the reply. Apparently that access panel is missing in the 2008. Either they moved it to some unknown place or you have to remove the entire inside panel.

[Marv]

That seems odd. AFAIK, the 08 is not a redesign from the 05. It shouldn't be much different in those areas. That panel might look different but I bet your connector is hiding in the same place.

I am assuming that you have the harness and don't know how to connect it. One of the Internet Subaru parts wholesalers (can't recall which one) posts the installation instructions for many items it sells on its website. You might find what you need there.

If you don't have the custom plug-in harness for this vehicle, you might want to consider it. It has a converter to combine the turn and stop functions, and it draws power from an external source to prevent overloading the lamp circuits.

Marv

[Byron Kinnaman]

My friend does have the custom plug in harness. Just can't find where to plug it in.

Thanks

[Ed Felker]

Bryan:

Don't have an Outback -- but have a Forester and Subaru is pretty standard in how they do things. On my Forester, you lift the fuzzy trunk cargo liner and look toward the right rear tail light assembly. There should be a connecter back there on a cable probably wrapped in a type of plastic tape. That's what you are looking for. There is a harness you buuy that plugs into that connector. You run the harness up through a hole in the center of where the spare tire is stored -- there should be a rubber plug in the hole for you torun the cable through. You can buy the cable from etrailer.com for about $29 -- Subaru will chage about $100 for the same cable.

This only gives you a 4 pin cabability. If you are going to use electric brakes you'll need a 7 pin connector. You can get them that the 4 wire conector plugs in to -- but that only gives you the lights. You are going to have to run wires from the driver's side interior for the signal from the brake controller (installed separately) and the charging circuit for the RV battery while the trailer is plugged in to the connection.

It's not hard to do yourself -- an RV place will probably charge about $300 for a brake controller, wiring it in, and running wires back to the 7-pin.

If you don't need electric brakes and are just looking for lights -- the description in the first paragraph should be good enough.

Did a search on etrailer.com. Here is the website. It shows the harness you need and where the connector is located inside the car:

http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?S...tegory_Code=VWH

But this was for an Outback WAGON -- if he has a SEDAN then there is no connector back there and the harness has to be hard-wired (this is where it starts getting more difficult). See this link:
http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?S...gory_Code=ELEBF


Ed