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heating in my GL not working...


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my heating in my GL isn't working...

is thare a common or a known problem in the heating system in subaru (GL 86' 1.6 L 2WD)

what can i check to see if thare's a problem....?

it's geting cold here so i must fix this..

 

 

barel.

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1st thing to check is coolant level. If it's not sufficient the hot coolant won't get to the heater.

Does the heater fan blow?

Does the engine get to operating temp? Too cold a thermostat can make a big difference in cold weather.

Feel the heater hoses when the engine is warmed up and the heater is set for heat to see if coolant is flowing, if they stay cold the control valve may be bad/stuck.

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THere's ceramic coated "resistor pack" down by the heater fan.If the switch was only working on 3 or 4 then that's typically the cause.You'll see the ceramic has all worn off or is crumbling in a major way.

 

If you get no switch action at all but can hear the vacuum when you push a button(Def.,Heat,BiLevel,A/C) then you want to check the relays under the dash on the far left(driver's side).THere's 4 of them,all the same but for different funtions.The heater fan relay on my car was the one on the far left with small blue and ?? wires going to it.You will find it easier if you take the fuse box down(no need to unplug,just remove the screws and let it hang).THen you can reach the relays.The ones with the thicker black wires are not the ones you want.Wish I could remember the colors of the wires but they are thinner for the fan.

 

God luck,stay warm.

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Hey moosens,

I have an 84 dl wagon ea81.Do these releys still apply?My blower quit working tuesday and then mysteriosly started back up as i was trouble shooting it yesterday.I decided to replace all the burned out dash bulbs and other gremlins as I was already in there.Put it back together and start her up and guess what... the blower motor quit again.So tomarrow after work I get to tear into her again and try to find out why.My instincts,before hearing of this relay,was that the blower motor brushes were going south.Do I also have the famous variable resistor in my heater curcuit.none of my manuals show one?

 

Luckily I have another 84 wagon for parts so I have all the parts to swap out.

 

Thanks guys off to bed.

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In my Sub (listed below) the heater fix turned out to be super-easy: a bit of WD-40: the knob on the dash that is supposed to adjust the temperature of the incoming air wouldn't turn. After tearing up into the dash I found out that the flap that is supposed to open and close simply rusted onto the fixtures in the "closed" position!

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Does your heater work after running water through it?

 

Interesting pictures,

Your old Subaru is a mess. It looks like somebody was hurt in the accident, are they OK? How did the damage happen?

That car has some intersting chrome trim around the fenders, do you know if that is factory Subaru stuff or a aftermarket accessory?

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Barel, you *definitely* want to flush that cooling system, more than once, if it was that bad.

Install a flush/fill T connection in the heater hose for a positive flush.

Look for a super flush that you leave in for several hours of running time.

I don't bother with the drain plug on the radiator, they are usually stuck anyway. Just loosen the lower radiator hose.

Be sure to remove the thermostat when flushing, then re-install while driving around.

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