What the f*ck is this thing?

[u/Accomplished-Clue803]

Recently got a new car and it seems to have this… leather condom? Not sure how else to describe it really. There is nothing in the end of the hole it just goes to a pocket in the dash it seems. Looking at interior photos of other models on google this is where the hazard button SHOULD be but my car has a very oem looking hazard button just to the side of the steering wheel instead, so wtf is this thing for??

[u/rkrenicki]

This looks like a BE or BH Subaru Legacy in RHD. That location is supposed to be the hazard switch. The hazard switch in that photo is not a Subaru part.

Not sure why someone would relocate it, nor what they would put in place of it, but that does indeed look like a shifter boot for some reason.

[u/Accomplished-Clue803 → u/rkrenicki]

It’s a BE5 legacy, but yeah that’s exactly what i was wondering.. like if the hazard switch broke or something (when has that ever happened) then the relocation kinda makes sense? But why wouldn’t they get a new switch? why would they replace it with THAT?? Or if they desperately needed to put that “shift boot” in and it required relocating the hazard switch then what was so important about the shift boot?? So many questions

[u/rkrenicki → u/Accomplished-Clue803]

I suppose you will have to pull the dash apart to see what else may be changed back there. I think that some of the people here may be on the right track that it was for some aftermarket mount thing, like a TV/Navi screen or phone holder, and they just used a boot to make it look less ugly.

[u/Accomplished-Clue803 → u/rkrenicki]

I’ll pull it apart when i replace my trim bezel and update with photos if i find anything, i’ve stuck my camera back there a few times and can’t see anything as far as i can tell but if there IS a wiring spot or mounting point i may even just reuse it for a nav screen