How do you repair the driver's door power window switch in a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback?

Answer 1

You need to buy a new switch. Unfortunately its an assembly with all window switches and the lock. Mine cost $160 at the local dealers. You should be able to get a cheaper price online or perhaps on eBay, if there's no rain/snow in the forecast.

Then you need to take off the whole door panel. There are three round plastic plugs on the door panel, two have screws under them. You can pop them off with a knife or small flat screwdriver. Then there's a triangular piece at the top front (or else a tweeter). I had a tweeter and everything just pops off, a medium flat screwdriver is great here. Next get a flat screwdriver in between the panel and the door and find a place where it is just snapped in, then snap it out. You need to go all around the door and snap these out. Try not to mange the panel. Once it's loose you can lift it up. Then there are three electrical connectors, for the light in the door, the window panel, and the lock switch. They slid out easily for me. Finally the whole panel should be free. I laid it in the grass and unscrewed a lot of similar screws until the window switch molding came free of the door. Then some more of those screws attach the new switch. Screw the switch back as it was, connect the wires and put the panel back in place, starting at the top. If you have a tweeter wire there is a little indentation for it. I had mine all back together when I noticed I had a part left over. It's a white thing that just clips on the top of the door. I found the marks where it had been clipped.

Here's another description, you ought to be able to find more descriptions of taking off the door panel on the net. The window switch part is easy.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/printthread.php?s=&threadid=14910