Owners of other Subaru vehicles such as the Outback, Impreza, Legacy, XV Crosstrek, WRX, BRZ, SVX, Tribeca, Exiga, Trezia, Levorg and Baja may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The Forester has standard mini blade electrical fuses that can be purchased at any auto parts store, Walmart or also online at Amazon.

No tools are needed to access and replace any of the fuses or relays.

A white plastic fuse puller tool should be included on the engine bay electrical block.

The primary fuse and relay electrical box is located on the far right (driver) side of the engine bay just behind the 12V automotive battery and in front of the shock tower.

Push in the two tabs near the front left (passenger) side corner of the fuse box to release the retaining clips.

Gently lift the cover up and off the top of the fuse box.

Turn over the cover to view the fuse location diagram and to access the spare fuses in a variety of amperage ratings.

There is also a fuse location diagram in your owner's manual.

Lift the fuse puller tool out of its socket.

The interior passenger compartment electrical block is located behind an access cover on the bottom left (driver) side of the dashboard close to where the driver's left knee would reside while driving.

Swing down the hinged cover.

An optional step is to pull the cover straight out to separate the plastic hinges.

Squeeze the end of the fuse puller tool to open the jaws.

Place the jaws over the old fuse you'd like to check or change.

Pull the old fuse straight out of the socket.

If the thin metal bar or "band" inside the translucent plastic center part of the old fuse appears to be burnt or broken, the old fuse is most likely "blown" and should be replaced with a new fuse.

If the metal strip in the middle of the old fuse appears to be intact, the old fuse is most likely still good. Since new fuses are so inexpensive, it should still be replaced as part of your electrical problem troubleshooting process.

Lower the cover over the top of the fuse box and push it down into place.

You should hear or feel the retaining clips "click" securely into place.

Double check that the fuse box cover is securely attached.

If you suspect that a faulty relay is the cause of your electrical issue, the simplest way to diagnose or resolve the problem is to simply replace the relay.

If you have a multimeter tool, you can test the old relay.

To remove the old relay, just pull it out straight out of the socket.

Swing the hinged cover closed and pop it back into place.

Test the electrical component that you were having issues with such as the horn, radio, headlights, 12V power outlet, window wipers, power driver seat, interior lights, tail lights, A/C system or power windows.

If you are still having the same problem, there might be a shorted out wire somewhere or the electrical component itself needs to be replaced.

For more, please check out all of my 2014-2018 Subaru Forester DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.