Car is a 2005 Forester 2.5x

 

The switch on the right that controls where the heat comes out is messed up.  It started when it would not go into defrost.  Now, heat kind of comes out everywhere, but the switch barely controls it.

 

I noticed the whole switch clusters for sale on EBAY... Will this fix my problem and is swapping out the whole cluster difficult for a beginner?

 

Thanks!!

Edited February 15, 201412 yr by 802climber

I admit to being fairly ignorant of Foresters. One thing to consider is if the car has a cabin filter and how dirty it might be. But, honestly, hard to know how that might affect vent selection unless some debris is blocking a 'blend door' or something.

Not as ignorant about them as I am!

 

I have not ever had it apart yet, and I don't know how it functions beyond the switch cluster, like if there is a problem with the "blend door" or whatever connects the switch to the "blend door"... I do know it all looks like flimsy plastic.

 

I have located a cheap switch cluster.. Maybe I will just order that, and see if it helps.  Is the swap pretty easy?  It just looks like pulling the bezel and plugging up a couple wiring harnesses..

Edited February 15, 201412 yr by 802climber

This is usually a problem with the diverter flap in the air box. On the electrically controlled ones there is a way to reset the motors that control the position of the flaps.

 

They use what's called "stepper" motors. The motor moves in steps of about 1/4 turn at a time and the control unit keeps track of how many steps are commanded vs how many total steps it takes to move the flap all the way from end to end, to determine which position the flap is moved to. But if the flap is obstructed (leaves, loose insulation, dead mouse, etc.) the motor trys to turn and can not, but the control unit still counts each command, and the flap gets out of sync with where the control unit thinks it should be.

 

First make sure the air box is clear of crud/leaves/ etc, if you can. These are not usually easy to get into being under the dash the way they are.

Then try resetting the flap position.

 

I think there are instructions in the owners manual to reset the flap positions. If not you will need to find a Service manual for your car and look there. Someone has a link to a site that has Factory service manuals for almost every Subaru, hopefully they will post it.

Edited February 22, 201412 yr by heartless

Thanks for the information but this is a manual control not electric...........

Then its cable operated, and you should be able to watch the cable move on the diverter lever on the airbox while you turn the knob to the different positions.

Pop the cable off of the diverter lever and see if the lever moves freely by hand. Then turn the knob and see if the cable moves the same distance as what the lever moved when you moved it by hand.

Thanks, I will try to get it apart and try what you are talking about.  What could the fix be other than replacing the knob cluster?  All I know is the knob feels seriously messed up when you try to use it.  And that really is all I know about this subject. 

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by 802climber