Hi, guys.  Sorry.  I know this is a repeat topic but the info I've found is confusing me.

I have a 2002 Forester S, just bought it used.  The fan toggle bar-switch has not been sliding smoothly from the get go.  Now it's stuck in the high position, blowing air at high, not able to move the switch back down to 3, 2, 1, or off.  Another symptom, I'm able to move the switch towards 3, but not all the way to 3, and the fan will stop.

 

Since I'm not able to even move the switch between positions, does that mean it's a problem with the switch, and not the resistor?  Or would a resistor malfunction cause the switch to stay stuck in position 4?

 

...and how do I fix this?  I'm buying the repair manual this weekend.

 

Thanks for the help.

find some switch cleaner, CRC or other brand and spray in there?

 

not to familiar with Foresters - could some coffee or a milkshake have been spilled in there?

I haven't tried that, but based on how hard I've tried moving this switch, I doubt it's a matter of something sticky getting in there.  I'll try some cleaner anyway. 

 

I've tried moving it while pushing in, pulling out, twisting the knob a little, etc.  It's not so much stuck on 4 as it is I can't get it to move to 3, 2, 1, or off, because I can move it that smidge to get the fan to turn off (thankfully). 

 

I'll try the cleaner, but any other suggestions out there?

brendanr279,

 

http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Forester/

 

The above is a link to a free service manual for the Forester. Find your year and click until the download stage. Everything is there for the car. Takes 10 minutes to download. Its a gold mine.

 

In your case, the switch has locked up, and may be able to be fixed, simply by removing it from the dash and taking it apart. The dash bezel  pulls off, remove 4 screws, pull the HVAC control unit out about six inches and reach in behind to disconnect the wire harness and any control cables (if there are any).

 

At that stage you should be able to dismantle the control unit enough to free it up, or at worst just hit a wrecking yard and get a used one to pop back in the dash. Good Luck!

i think the temp blend (temperature control hot/cold) is a cable and could have additional failure modes, but for the fan speed i think that's just the unit itself.

 

just get a used one and swap it out. they're easy to replace and dirt cheap on ebay, find one close buy to expediate shipping

www.car-part.com

 

but yeah you could probably disassemble it and get it working again. if you leave the blend door to HOT and give the fan 12 volts you can have heat while you diassemble and play with it if that's your goal.

Edited January 8, 20179 yr by grossgary

So it's definitely the switch itself.  But disassembly wasn't as easy as I hoped.  The cables connecting all the adjusters are really interfering.  How do you disconnect those?  I can't see an easy way and the manuals don't get that specific.