Heater/Blower issue

Turns out the passenger side heater/blower just stopped working properly.

 

With the heat turned all the way up, only cold air trickles out of the defrost vent, upper vents in dash and floor vents. With the fan cranked all the way up, air still only barely comes out. Vast temp and force difference between driver's side and passenger side.

 

The driver's side vents/heat all work normally.

 

Anyone ever have this problem before? Any guidance would be appreciated.

considering it's been a month and a half, I doubt anyone cares

 

but it turns out to be a faulty heater core

 

they swapped it out for free and it works like a charm now... not to mention my feet aren't always frozen when driving the car in winter

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29682

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29682

 

 

I tell ya, it is a hard site to search though

my car was actually the first car in the country to have this problem. my car was in the shop for just under 30 days. how long did they have your car before they swapped in the heater core?

my car was actually the first car in the country to have this problem. my car was in the shop for just under 30 days. how long did they have your car before they swapped in the heater core?

 

two days of diagnosing the problem - they figured it was the heater core by process of elimination.

 

then two more days (the next week) to swap it out

I have had this same problem, but it is very intermitent. I have only had it happen twice so far, both times I have just shut the car off for a minute and then it works again?? Good to know that this is a possible solution, even though I don't want to know how much a new heater core would cost.

^^ I cant tell you how much it cost... mine was done under warranty when the car was 3 months old.

Mine was under warranty also (less than 36,000 miles)

 

but I can imagine it would have been quite spendy... labor alone was about 6 hours according to their books.

 

what a difference though, I tell ya - I never really complained about it but my feet would be frozen in the Winter when driving... even with the heat turned all the way up and the fan set to "4" blowing only out of the floor vent(s).

 

now, with the heat turned all the way up and the fan set to "1" blowing out of the defrost and floor vent my feet are quite comfy

I have the same exact issue with the defroster blowing cold air on the passenger side. That's not my only problem though. My windows also get fogged up due to what smells like antifreeze in my cabin. It smells lovely. The defroster doesn't clear any of the windows and I have to wipe it off to be able to see. I went ahead and bought a heater core after talking to a few mechanics and reading yours and Robes thread. Its just a matter of getting that bastard installed. How much was labor for you guys? for just the heater core install (without diagnostic labor costs)

I have the same exact issue with the defroster blowing cold air on the passenger side. That's not my only problem though. My windows also get fogged up due to what smells like antifreeze in my cabin. It smells lovely. The defroster doesn't clear any of the windows and I have to wipe it off to be able to see. I went ahead and bought a heater core after talking to a few mechanics and reading yours and Robes thread. Its just a matter of getting that bastard installed. How much was labor for you guys? for just the heater core install (without diagnostic labor costs)

 

Like I said mine was all done under warranty so I have no idea really. I can go look at the invoice and see if they listed labor hours.

 

All I know is that is was an ordeal

 

And an update. everything seems to work fine now except when I have the blower set on defrost/floor (which is the setting I most use). If the heat is all the way cranked up - it works like a charm... and in fact with the new heater core the heat is very hot. However if I drop the temp. dial to half-way or slightly more than half-way, the air out of the defrost comes out freezing cold, while the dash vents on the far left and right crank out hot air as if it's still in the "hottest" setting.

 

Got to bring it back to the dealer

I am taking mine to a reputable automotive air conditioning servce shop. They warranty the work 6 months and the guy stressed the importance of making sure the dash is taken off carefully. He quoted me $350 on the high end but said said it would realistically take 4-5 hours of labor. The cabin filter will be replaced as well. Last week, I bought the heater core and cabin filter from king of parts/fred beans subaru, so I didn't have to pay ridiculous prices for parts. The smell in car is the biggest concern for me. Coolant is toxic. I will let you guys know if it fixes the problem. :fingers crossed:

Mine has not done that since I posted, but mine also never smelled like coolant in the car.

^ from conversations with a few different mechanics its a very likely scenario to get a leak in a faulty heater core and it get blown into the car through the vents.

I've always wondered why my passenger side vents dont blow out air as hot as the driver's side vents. It's not "cold" though, just luke warm. The cabin still heats up comfortably, so I've never sought out to fix it.

 

Good to know it's the heater core, but I was hoping it would be a cheaper/easier solution. With summer coming up around the corner, I'll probabaly wait until next year to do anything about it. Or until the wife complains about the temperature, which she has not yet.

Update: Well it turns out that my problem was in fact the heater core. When I went to go pick up my car, they showed me the heater core that came out and it had some yellow caked up substance in the center of it (antifreeze maybe?). It was just not working properly for whatever reason. But now with a new heater core and cabin filter, everything works great again. I have real heat for the first time all winter and my windows don't fog up anymore. First thing I did yesterday was take it to have the interior cleaned up to get rid of the smell of antifreeze. That's gonna take some time unfortunately. So, if your heat isn't working but your fan is still blowing air, its definitely a faulty heater core. Plan on spending $350 in labor to have it replaced.

I check out a brand new 2008 Legacy 2.5i automatic with Touring package, like it but have some issue with the blower as follow:

1. everything works perfect with blower set to face (first setting from left) and face/floor (second setting from left), both settings with no air coming out from the deforest (wind shield) vent.

2. however when set to floor only (third setting from left) the air come out from both floor and deforest (wind shield vent) almost equally; ie. not giving enough air to the floor (possibily result with "cold feet" in winter).

Anyone experienced that problem, and how to resolve this issue?

Thanks

+1....

 

Hot air comes out of the Driver's and Passenger's side dash vents and defrost like normal. The Driver's and rear floor vents work great too. But the front passenger's floor vent barely blows anything...if anything... and it's not hot air at all. like a diverter/actuator is stuck or something.

Maybe this is why mind blows a few degrees cooler on the passenger side?

Going to get my heater core flushed next week in hopes it corrects the problem and negates need to replace the core ($$$ in labor).

Going to get my heater core flushed next week in hopes it corrects the problem and negates need to replace the core ($$$ in labor).

 

Some things just shouldn't be burried deep in the dash.. like the heater core.

has any one else had any more problems with their heaters ?