suBowen

Earlier posts suggested that they were Mabuchi motors, any of my research seems to bear that out.

Ok so I read all the other posts and was inspired to explore the possibility of repairing the original motors. Following the lead of others I split the housings to investigate, the cause of failure was quickly identified as corrosion. Apparently the plastic housing leaked and moisture was allowed to collect until it caused enough corrosion to interfere with the operation of the electric motors in the rear doors. After lifting the motor out of the plastic housing I carefully pried the two 'lugs' which were 'peened' over to keep the plastic cap in place on the motor. However the plastic cap and armature could not easily be persuaded to be separated from the housing and permanent magnets. I applied a couple of squirts of 'Blaster' loosening fluid, (WD40 would also work) and let it sit for 20 minutes. After removing the plastic cap complete with the armature and shaft out of the housing I could see the extent of the water damage. Corrosion had built up and effectively 'welded' the armature in place. After checking that the shaft could now turn in the plastic cap I carefully 'sprung' the two brushes back from the shaft and removed the complete shaft / armature assembly. Gently clean off all the rust residue on both the armature and the inside / outside of the casing housing the permanent magnets,: Be careful not to disturb any of the wire connections to the surfaces that mate with the brushes when installed using a small wire brush (the brass type is gentler) and contact cleaner. You will be surprised how well they clean up, afterwards reassemble the motors and test using a 12vdc source and a couple of probes that can fit in the slots provided. Sorry I forgot to photograph the cleaned up components. Once you have tested and have the results you like pop the motors back in their plastic housings and close the housings up again, I clamped them closed then taped the two halves together using construction type 'Tuck Take' which I find has a good strong adhesive. The photos show one of the two taped up, the other one was the same but I also used a 'zip tie' wrapped around the girth of the two halves for insurance we shall see which one lasts best. I should mention that before I reassembled the housings I actually drilled a small hole in the 'bottom' of the plastic housing where the motor sits so that if any water did get in it has a way to drain out again perhaps preventing a build up and avoid the same problem as before. Happy to report now that the door locks work like new again. :-) Final word if you want / need replacement motors they are readily available (you just have to wait for delivery lol) The motor was made by Mabuchi I believe and the part number is FC-280PC-22125-19D. You can find them on e bay or amazon or search for kysanelectronics.com they are based in California.

Hey Rooster2, thanks for that, I am with you on that, always seems like an awful waste of everybody's time and money to replace unnecessary parts, landfill, shipping ya de ya de ya. I will be searching out the 'artizan' who can still wield a torch and has a conscience. If I find such a gem I will post the location and recommend as deserved.

Good point, year 2007 and Outback 2.5L

I've been living with the problem for a while but I'd like to fix the central locking function of the two rear doors, where do I start?

What is recommended for replacing exhaust parts on 2007 2.5 ltr Outback? The 'Y' section between the mid muffler and the final L/R mufflers has rotted but everything else looks good.