Do Impreza's have a “ground switched” headlight system?

[Arnie]

I want to install an upgraded headlamp wiring system from Auto Bulb Depot and they have two versions, one for standard and one for ground switched systems. Which do we have? The site gives suggestions to test for it but I am lazy and don't have an automotive test light.

Can anyone provide some info?

[North Ursalia]

Every electrical system I've messed with on a Subaru has been ground-switched, so I imagine the headlights would be no different.

Brian
AIM: captaindamorgan ICQ: 84483950

http://www.northursalia.com
Come See The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator!

[go go go]

Power is always there.
Lo and Hi-beam terminal goes to ground.
I learned it when i HIDed my headlights.

[Arnie]

. . . and I thought that Subaru would be "standard". So I guess I purchase the ground switched system wiring harness, hm? Thank you much for the info.

[Arnie]

I got the harness from Autobulb and the install was easy enough. I ran stock 55/60W bulbs. It ran fine in low beam mode and the occasional blip to high beam. On my first foray into an extended high beam use (20 minutes) I smell something burning. I dip down into low beam and they are out. I pull into a service station to check the bulbs and install new ones. Low beam still out. Hm. I reinstall stock wiring and the low beams now work. I asked Autobulb if there might be someting weird here and they replied with:

This is exactly the type of problem using the wrong type of harness
(ground switched vs. pos. switched) can cause and it can be intermittent. That
is why it says on our web site that you MUST perform the test. If it's a
defective harness, we'll be happy to replace it but we've yet to see that
happen (there isn't much that can go wrong with them). Please do the test
and get back to us.

So this gets me to thinking, do we really have ground switched? Did they send me the wrong harness? Did it just blow and was defective?

Once again, any help is appreciated.

[Imprezer]

go go go, please explain exactly what do you mean. Maybe that is the reason my HID's aren't strarting everytime.

[go go go]

Imprezer>
here's how to hook the HID.
This is the familiar socket of H4.
The red code from the ballast goes to the right terminal, which is positive.
The black code from the ballast goes to the top terminal. This one is the ground for Lo-beam.
The empty terminal on the left is the ground for the Hi-beam. I don't have anything connected here, since my HID don't have Hi-beam.

As you see, The 12V power is always supplied to the light. The light lights when the switch connects either Lo or Hi to the ground.

I hope it made a little clear.

Arnie>
I don't know anything about the product, is it just a heavyduty harness or is it something like CATZ zeta-system which amplifies the voltage?
I have no clue what is going on. You might wanna check if you are supposed to use a stock bulb or need a special bulb for it. I remember CATZ zeta system required special bulb for it.

[Arnie]

Just all the heavy duty wires and two relays. Its for use with H4 bulbs up to 90/100W bulbs. But nothing specialized like the Catz, I guess. Any H4 up to that power rating would work. It basically plugs directly into the existing wiring on the left side, the battery and ground. The packaging says its for Toyota, though I can't read the model because its in Kenji. Do they also have ground switched systems?