Hi, This is my first post and I just bought a 93 Legacy. One thing it does is that when I push the off, bilevel, heat, or defrost bottons a clicking noise begins and the vents continue to only blow out of the dash. I looked in the dash and the clicking seems to be coming from the heater assembly. Any ideas what is wrong. Thanks.

1. Its a foreign object in close proximity to your fan. At high speeds, the fan sounds fine... slow it down and it will sound like cards on your bicycle spokes... (remember when you where a kid?... the card thing !?)

Could be a leaf or some other debris.

 

2. More Expensive... Sometimes fan motors wear out and the bearings can make a clicking type noise, or the (wire) windings break away and strike the motor housing...

 

Either way, you need to pull the motor. You will find the problem. Once it is out, spin it by hand. If you hear the clicking noise, get your wallet out...

The fact that the airflow stays in one place and doesn't give you floor or defrost would indicate that the flaps that direct the air are stuck. That might be the clicking you hear. Leaves or other clutter would usually change tempo with the fan speed.

Check for obstruction of any pivot arms or the like under the dash that would control the direction of air movement. Not sure but most of that stuff may be on the passenger side.

The mode door acuator motor might be defective ,it is on the heater matrix on the left side just above the accel pedal

Try cycling the modes as you look under the dash ,it should rotate the lever and adjust the doors in the heater matrix

If it just sits there and clicks, the gears inside the motor are probably stripped

Also there is a wiring harness that goes by the motor with a tie-strap that holds it matrix , the end of that strap can jam the motor so make sure it does't interfere

Hope that helps

SEA#3

I just searched for info because I think you guessed it right and sure enough. Consumer Reports said that one problem of the 92-94 Legacys is that there is a clicking noise caused by the heater mode door actuator. They said it can be fixed by installing a new resistor in the wiring harness. I am going to try that out and see what happens.

 

The mode door acuator motor might be defective ,it is on the heater matrix on the left side just above the accel pedal

Try cycling the modes as you look under the dash ,it should rotate the lever and adjust the doors in the heater matrix

If it just sits there and clicks, the gears inside the motor are probably stripped

Also there is a wiring harness that goes by the motor with a tie-strap that holds it matrix , the end of that strap can jam the motor so make sure it does't interfere

Hope that helps

SEA#3

Does anyone have an idea of where I could get info on how to replace the resistor in the wiring harness of the heater mode door actuator?

my 90 legacy has done this also and while I can't help with the resister ?? I have found that slapping the dash while its clicking usually gets it to stop and go to the position I have selected. I also never use the off button, just my 2cents

It is definitely the Heater mode door actuator motor. It is not able to move the levers to change the air flow. I took the motor off and the levers freely move when not connected to the motor. Now I just have to find a new motor to install. Thanks for the help.

I finally got the heater mode door fixed. It turned out the motor was fine. What happened though was one of the levers that was attached to the motor was hitting the plastic case it was mounted to and getting stuck. I filled away the part it was hitting and it works great. I hope this can help anyone else who is having the same problem. Before replacing the motor make sure it isn't getting stuck.

Hi, This is my first post and I just bought a 93 Legacy. One thing it does is that when I push the off, bilevel, heat, or defrost bottons a clicking noise begins and the vents continue to only blow out of the dash. I looked in the dash and the clicking seems to be coming from the heater assembly. Any ideas what is wrong. Thanks.

Hi Eric, I have a 94 legacy with the same problem. I don't think that anything is stuck in there, but it's possible I guess. I have done a little web research and found that 92-94's have a problem with their "Heater core: A clicking noise caused by the heater mode door actuator can be fixed by installing a new resistor in the wiring harness. "

I don't know where the new resistor goes or where to find one. Maybe with two heads working on this problem we can figure something out.

I'll keep you posted with what I find,

Jason

Hi Eric, I have a 94 legacy with the same problem. I don't think that anything is stuck in there, but it's possible I guess. I have done a little web research and found that 92-94's have a problem with their "Heater core: A clicking noise caused by the heater mode door actuator can be fixed by installing a new resistor in the wiring harness. "

I don't know where the new resistor goes or where to find one. Maybe with two heads working on this problem we can figure something out.

I'll keep you posted with what I find,

Jason

ok, sorry, you aleady found that out.

 

Jason