Mdarius

I'll answer my own question in case someone else is working on it later. There are 3 screws on the bottom of the unit that hold the blower motor and fan assembly in place. They are star or straight slot. You can't access the back screw with the assembly in the car. To remove the whole assembly there are three attachment points. The bottom two are easy, the top one is up behind the wiring harness. A 10MM socket will get it started. I used a flex head ratcheting box wrench and about a hundred 5 degree flicks to remove it. After battling it to get it out (not sure if I'll get it back in!), I removed the blower and fan. The stealership wants $250 for a new one and it's not service-able. If I could just lube the shaft or bearings it would still be fine! Looking for a used one now...

OK, I'm working on it today. What appears perfectly clear in print isn't so much in practice. Step 4 says, "loosen screw to remove blower motor", with a couple of ambiguous arrows. Cute, but it's not coming out and I'm worried about the PS airbag taking me out. Any suggestions? Does anybody have anything a little more specific? Appreciate your help!

Not sure on Subaru's, but on my Land Cruiser (you know, same country of Mfg...maybe similarities) when a tail light goes out the Park Pawl, horn, and I think turn signals stop functioning. This is intentional to let the driver know the light is out. If you don't read the manual you think you have a serious issue. I replaced the bulb and everything worked again. Since this is intermittent it's probably a short or loose bulb, tough to trace, but it might help you track down the short. Good luck!

I have a lead foot and little self control. I tried the turbo and let wisdom overcome folly. This is also why I have old Land Cruisers with tractor engines instead of a V8. We must know our limits, mine is under 130 Horse Power.

Wow! Ask for a penny and get a dollar! Thanks! Page AC-27 is magic.

Hi! I used to be on this site a little, but I can't remember my old username or the email address I registered with, sooo...I'm back with a new login. The problem with Subaru's is that if all you do is drive them, they don't typically present enough problems to warrant spending a lot of time on a site like this. I love to contribute where and when I can. I have owned 4 Subarus, 3 of them back to back since 2003. >My first was a '91 Justy 4 door. It fought a valiant fight, but after 3 major accidents it gave up...or rather, I gave up. (T-boned on the passenger side, sandwiched at a stoplight, and finally rear-ended a parked Bronco at 25 MPH) >Next came a '93 Legacy sedan, front wheel drive. It was a great commuter. I got pulled over, running late to get to work and when I looked at the speedo it was coming down past 130! I sold him at 190K miles for $500 to a college student who still drives it today, 5 years later. > It was immediately replaced by a '98 Forester. Not my favorite Subaru product. It was taken out by an F350 at a stop light. I was turning left and the other driver t-boned me at the A-pillar going 50 MPH, only 10' of braking. I was able to back the Forester off the road even with the front wheel folded under. No injuries, but the Suby was totalled and I got more for it than it would have sold for prior to the accident. A testament to safety and reliability! > I replaced the toad with an off-lease 2005 Legacy Wagon. It's been a great car and perfect for how we use it! On a personal note, I have 4 kids, they have 3 snakes, a crested gecko, and an American Akita. I also own a '95 Land Cruiser which is more of a hobby and a 1984 Land Cruiser which is more of a project. I'm married to Superwoman and I love the outdoors. I am a Supply Chain Project Manager, and a Six Sigma/Lean geek. The most stable things in my life are my job, my Subaru, and my Wife...not necessarily in that order. I look forward to the forum!

Type of Wrenching: Shadetree. I can fix it almost as well as I can break it. How long doing it: 20 years as my cars need it. Other skills: Shade tree plumber, electrician, and framer (Home repairs), Supply Chain improvement and project management, Toyota Land Cruisers, and Snakes.

Hello! I'm new to the board but I'm on my 4th Subaru. I have a 2005 Legacy Wagon and the blower motor sounds like Darth Vader with Asthma. I think there is either something stuck in the fan or the fan/motor needs to be replaced. It has had a special ''whir'' ever since I bought it at 60k miles, but now it only blows at the highest setting and is too noisy to tolerate. I need help to know how to access it to investigate. I'm envisioning either removing the entire dash or taking yoga in preparation to climb under the dash upside down. Any help? Thanks in advance!

Here in Salt Lake City there is a Don Aslett cleaning store. They rent an Ozone generating machine for about $20 a day. The ozone machine replaces oxygen with Ozone, killing everything, including bacteria, wherever you place it. If you put your car in your garage and put the Ozone machine in the car for a couple hours I'm betting you'd have a bunch of dead mice. They'd rot where ever they died, so you'd have to deal with that, but rent the Ozone machine next week and do it again to kill that smell. The dealership should have an Ozone machine also, but the enclosed space of your garage is going to help. I don't know if it will work, but for $20 I'd try it on my car. Good luck!