Hello everybody, I'm an advid online forum user but my first time here at this cool site.  I fix most of my stuff that I can and I'm at a loss on my wife's old Subaru.  Two weeks ago the heater completely stopped working, stopped blowing and at first I thought my passenger turned it off.  I looked and it was still on at max setting.  A few jiggles of the controls and it turned back on, then it went off again.  It finally came back on and stayed on for most of the trip home and then turned off completely about a mile from my house.  I got it to come back on for a couple seconds one more time and it's been dead since.  What would be the problem with this?  I can't seem to find any information after conducting a search on here and on google.  No pictures, videos or other forums threads that match this vehicle and problem.  Any and all help will be beyond appreciated.  I just finished replacing the Mass flow sensor, knock sensor and plugs and wires and then I have a separate issue I need to look into with a knocking noise when I turn. 

Step one is to make sure you're not low on coolant or have air in the lines. Do a quick search on burping the system for a Subaru. Usually topping of the coolant a few times with short drives in between is sufficient. If the coolant gets low, the heat will come and go, shortly followed by the engine running hot and overheating.

I'll have to edit this post I think.  It stops blowing at all, no air movement.  Not a issue of cold air blowing when heat is on, it's a issue that no air blows at all.  Thanks for the reply though.

I'll have to edit this post I think.  It stops blowing at all, no air movement.  Not a issue of cold air blowing when heat is on, it's a issue that no air blows at all.  Thanks for the reply though.

Are you saying the heater fan motor is not working??

Yes, that's exactly right. The stopped and started then ultimately stopped.

Check the fuse for the blower fan. Probably a bad ground or the switch, but fuses are easy to check and cheap.

 

Tap on the motor with a screwdriver handle while its on to see if that makes it start working. If so, the brushes in the motor are stuck or worn out.

Good ideas, thanks. Where is the blower motor located?

Good ideas, thanks. Where is the blower motor located?

If like my Legacy, then it is behind the glove box. To access, remove the glove box, and glove box door. I think there are a few screws on the cover of the fan motor box. When I removed my cover, I found a lot of tree leaves, dirt, and crud build up, that had fallen down from the base of the windshield. I removed all the crap, and fan motor worked perfectly afterwards. Before, my fan motor had stopped working. That build up of crud could be your problem. More likely the problem, and not bad motor brushes. It is really a pretty easy do it yourself project. I hope you know what the heater fan motor looks like. If not...........ask us.

Edited January 16, 201412 yr by Rooster2

Passenger side of the dash to the right of the glove box. Look up from underneath and you should see it.

So after assessing and messing around if I leave the switch for air on 3 it works and all other settings it does not. Any ideas what that means?

So after assessing and messing around if I leave the switch for air on 3 it works and all other settings it does not. Any ideas what that means?

Just another indicator that the fan blower motor unit is filled up with old tree leaves and gunk. Just takes more power to rotate the squirrel cage with all that gunk in there.

Sounds like the resistor pack (if you search this forum, there are a few discussions about it) and it sounds like it is likely near the blower motor behind the glove box.  

I've replaced those a few Dodge vehicles for the same issue.  Excellent item to get from the salvage yard if you can snag one.  I think I did buy one at a parts store and it was fairly reasonable (just under $20).

 

I don't know those Imprezas as well, but I took a guess at the opposedforces diagrams and came up with this (check to see if it is right)...looks like part #20

http://opposedforces.com/parts/impreza/us_g10/type_60/climate/heater_system/illustration_2/

If that is the correct part (72024AA000) then a quick search via Google turns up prices from about $35-$75.  Maybe someone around the forum has one they will sell you, depending on the part that fits your car.