I think its been stuck in "warm" since I got it  Just now tried the A/C and you can feel the cool but the heat is mixed in with it.  Shut A/C off and its definitely heat.

How does this work?  I'm still in the cable days for heat control.

until you get into dual climate, most cars have 3 'flaps' with electric servo motors/controls. A flap/door for fresh/recirculate, one for defroster, and the one I think stuck or failing on your car us usually called the 'blend' door I think. FSM or some diagram from an image search might show you it's position in the car.

I have the FSM but didnt actually see how to access it, or much about it at all.  I have learned that it is a cable operation. Its just one, not both sides of vehicle.  I'm just trying to figure out exactly where it is and what I need to remove to find it.

[edit] I found it in the manual.  Now to figure out how to check it without tearing all apart....yet.

 

Edited May 31, 20214 yr by opus

To answer my own question for others maybe needing it:

Take all of the center console apart.

Take the piece off where your gas pedal foot rests

Take off the lower piece under the steering wheel.  It houses your ODB port.

Lay inverted, resting your head on the brake pedal.  Look up towards the radio and you will see the cable attached to the knob control.

Best of luck..... 

1 hour ago, opus said:

Lay inverted, resting your head on the brake pedal.  Look up towards the radio... 

Ah yes, the Zen of Automotive Maintenance.

Both control cables seized in my forester when it was about 10 degrees out, with the heat off of course.

(In snowy weather I cool the windshield before parking and leave the heat off to help keep it cold)

I ended up putting 2 small holes in the dash with stiff wire coming out, the wire connected to the doors.

On 6/2/2021 at 5:01 PM, CNY_Dave said:

I ended up putting 2 small holes in the dash with stiff wire coming out, the wire connected to the doors.

Years ago I had a Ford Aeostar, one of the worst vehicles I ever drove in snow. It was rear wheel drive, with a very light back end. I had to have it since it had a rare manual transmission with the 3.0 V6 engine. The heat was always weak, warm not hot. I did the same on the top of the dash because for some reason the blend door never fully opened to the full heat position unless I moved them manually.

 

On 5/31/2021 at 6:40 PM, forester2002s said:

Ah yes, the Zen of Automotive Maintenance.

forester2002s - I wish I still had my 2002 Forester S.