[subiesailor]

Burnt out bulb in the switch ignore it or if your feeling rich have it replaced.

Defrost for mirrors yes you covered that

Defrost for rear window yes you covered that

And front window HVAC defrost setting for the heater/ front window vents.

 

[Euchre]

The heated seats switch is a rocker. The light goes on either way, but it seems that the illumination bar (although it only lights on one side) is longer on one direction than on the other. Is this a low/high setting or is it the same either way?

Correct, the seat has a high and low setting. As noted, one of the bulbs is burnt out. You can replace or with a great deal of work, repair the switch for full illumination. Function does not depend on the light working.

Also I believe I've got about 3 different options for defrosting buttons: one is the mirrors (switch on the drivers side door), the second looks like it's got the rear windshield wiper along with the defroster in the icon and is next to the foglight switch to the left of the steering wheel, and the third is next to the air recirculate button on the main dash under the fan switch (just a standard defrost symbol there). I'm wondering about the difference between the last two is?

On door switch is mirror heaters, correct. The switch by the fog light switch is the wiper heaters. The switch between the AC and recirc buttons is the rear window defroster. (Sorry subiesailor, you missed on that one.)

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

my 03 only has a single light for both positions of the seat heater.

 

[RedGeminiPA]

my 03 only has a single light for both positions of the seat heater.

Same for my '01 VDC... It's on or off. Nothing different for either high or low.

 

[cmill1154]

my 03 only has a single light for both positions of the seat heater.

I would have thought this changed when they added the two-cup center console. Is yours an early or late build '03? My girlfriends '04 has two bulbs per switch, one for high and one for low.

2nd what Euchre said by the way.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

I would have thought this changed when they added the two-cup center console. Is yours an early or late build '03? My girlfriends '04 has two bulbs per switch, one for high and one for low.

2nd what Euchre said by the way.

I'd have to look on the door card I guess.

It does have 2 cup holders between the switches and the armrest.

 

[jp1203]

I would have thought this changed when they added the two-cup center console. Is yours an early or late build '03? My girlfriends '04 has two bulbs per switch, one for high and one for low.

2nd what Euchre said by the way.

That's weird. I'm almost positive my '04 just has one bulb other than the backlight. I think the switches are identical to the ones in my mother's '01 (which just has the one cupholder in the center). I'll have to double check.

Edit: I see exactly what 1 Lucky Texan does: Just one light that shows up for both high and low. My '04 was built in October of '03.

 

[boxterfan67]

My H6 wagon has the same rocker switches. Forward is high, rearward is low. Not worth replacing the bulb as the light itself is dim anyway. Mine is a 02 so it isn't too different, I wouldn't think.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

many times I've thought about adding a master cut-off for those switches. They accidentally get hit and it's not pleasant when the seats heat up on a Texas summer day. I think her and her mom's or friend's purses and sometimes reaching for/placing packages in the pass seat leads to them being hit. Still, very nice on those 20-something degree mornings. Kinda wish I had the feature in my WRX, my baby sits outside and it can be chilly for 1/3 the drive to work.

 

[jp1203]

many times I've thought about adding a master cut-off for those switches. They accidentally get hit and it's not pleasant when the seats heat up on a Texas summer day. I think her and her mom's or friend's purses and sometimes reaching for/placing packages in the pass seat leads to them being hit. Still, very nice on those 20-something degree mornings. Kinda wish I had the feature in my WRX, my baby sits outside and it can be chilly for 1/3 the drive to work.

Same thing happens to me--I'll somehow bump them when it's 90 and the seat gets awfully hot before I realize it. I love them in the winter, though...I almost never turn them off once it falls below about 45.

 

[jpcjpc]

Thanks for all the replies folks! From your responses, I can see that:
-Left side of steering wheel is for wiperwarmers
-center console is for defrosting in the rear (incl. rear side windows I think?)
-on the door is for the mirrors.
-rockers for the seat heaters: forward is hot, backwards is medium and the bulbs burn out. Good, needed to know that.
Also, totally agree about the rockers for seat heaters - I trip mine every time I go to put a coffee cup in the cup holder. Seems rather silly of a design.

 

[Euchre]

-center console is for defrosting in the rear (incl. rear side windows I think?)

Probably mistaking the window integrated radio antenna for a defroster.

 

[BrandonDrums]

In my owner's manual, the rocker switch settings for the heated seats aren't high and low, one is just "fast heating" and one is "normal heating".

I'm not sure if the end temperature is different based on that. My butt thermometer says there's no difference on my '00 OBW forward or back but now that it's cold I need to see if the warm up time is different.

 

[gerrshel]

I think every one has gotten the details covered ... not all models had the "cold weather" package ... heated lower windshield, heated seats, and heated mirrors. My '04 does and was listed as optional stuff. Only one light for 2 position heated seat switch. My '01 has none of the above. Also the '01 has radio antenna out of left windshield pillar, '04 is in the right rear glass.

 

[SE95]

Was it very common for Outbacks to come without the All Weather Package? I've only seen one Outback in person that didn't have it.

 

[jp1203]

Was it very common for Outbacks to come without the All Weather Package? I've only seen one Outback in person that didn't have it.

I've seen a bunch of first gen cars without it, but nearly every 2000+ that I've seen has it. For a few years it was standard, and for the rest I think it only wasn't offered in the base model. Same thing with fog lights--how many Outbacks do you see without them?

 

[SE95]

I don't think I've ever seen a 2nd gen Outback without fog lights. I saw a blue one at a car dealership once that did not have the AWP. It had a manual transmission too.