Sound inside dash when I turn off the car.

In a pinch u can bend the contacts so they get fresh tracks to run on...

So which side do i need to go on. I tryed the passenger side and could not get the screw out for the glove box to come out. I tried the driver side and ther is a box right in front of it i can not take out. How the hell do you get to this part. I have a new one in hand and cant get to this dam thing. I sick of subarus now. Cant ever get any fingers in anywere on this car.

Never mind no one responds on here anyway. I got it all fixed brand new again.

Never mind no one responds on here anyway. I got it all fixed brand new again.

 

See that, you didn't need us to hold your hand, bravo!!! Now I just need to follow your lead and fix mine.

My car does this too.. before it went down I don't remember it trying to do so before.

I feel like mine has always done this no matter what temp ( I have only own an LGT for a year now )

 

sounds like morse-code tapping in my dashboard when i kill the engine. It does not last long though, maybe 2 minutes tops.

 

to be honest it doesn't bug me too much

 

(inb4 it gets worse)

OK, I finally finished installing new motor form Subaru. I couldn't get the whole cage off with the motor, so i just unscrewed the screw closest to the front of the dash, unscrewed the motor from the cage, bent the cage up enough that the motor could wiggle out.

Subaru part # 72131AG09A $67+ tax

Not really hard, just super cramped in there. Got it in, made sure it worked, buttoned everything up, thought all was good.

Wife calls me 5 minutes into her commute, the part works fine, but theres nothing but cold air coming out the passenger side. So I drove to her work, took everything apart and realized I had knocked one of the arms off of the dual climate control motor for passenger side. Put the arm back on and everything is golden now.

Where is this arm for pass side heat? I have this same issue. thanks

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Well, it's my turn. I'm definitely getting the gurgling noise from the top actuator besides the glovebox. I've already ordered this part (72131AG24A, ~$60 online) and will replace in the week or two to come.

 

However, I'm also getting some very heavy taps/knocks that I've traced down to the driver's side footwell against the center console. The tapping is quite heavy; I can feel it in the pedals, in the steering column and on the dash. I will investigate this a little more before I order any parts, but I think it is: (72131AG27A, ~$70 online). It seems like it might be the air mixing actuator for cars with dual-zone climate control?

 

 

Also saving this link for posterity: https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/109-gen-3-2005-2009/338257-07-hvac-mix-door-issue.html#post3912441

Edited October 5, 2018 by JF1GG29

^Can you tell if that tapping frequency changes if you change the air flow direction?

Mine may be more related to the hot/cold air mix. Changing modes does not affect the heavy tapping at all, but does impact the bubbling/gurgling sound from the other actuator.

 

... the sublime pleasure of keeping a 10yo car on the road.

 

However, I'm also getting some very heavy taps/knocks that I've traced down to the driver's side footwell against the center console. The tapping is quite heavy; I can feel it in the pedals, in the steering column and on the dash. I will investigate this a little more before I order any parts, but I think it is: (72131AG27A, ~$70 online). It seems like it might be the air mixing actuator for cars with dual-zone climate control?

 

Also saving this link for posterity: https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/109-gen-3-2005-2009/338257-07-hvac-mix-door-issue.html#post3912441

 

 

Yup. Originally I posted in this thread about my 2005 OBX. My 2011 Legacy is gurgling and knocking now. The knocking isn't all the time though. Just once in a while. Combine this with the oil consumption issue, the wheel bearing issue, the alternator issue, the PCV valve issue...in the 2015 OBX, and think we may solve all issues by transitioning from an all Subaru household to an all Toyota household. I hate to do that.

Hey guys,

 

I want to replace the same mode actuator. Likely doesn't work due to the common traces being worn out.

My question for the general public is the difference between the two part numbers

 

72131AG24A (says applicable for 2005 - 2009)

and

72131AG09A (says applicable for 2005 only)

 

is there a known difference (like the trace material or actuation stopping points) and has either worked for people that have replaced the unit?

 

I am getting unclear responses from subaru tech services when i call them

I didn't think that they updated the part. Are they the same part otherwise?

I'm leaning towards buying the 24A. Parts.com says both part numbers fit but tech services says only the 09A does for my 05. There's a $20 difference (doesn't bother me)

 

I am wondering what the difference is. Part of me wants to buy both and open them up, but at the same time I don't want to do that haha

I accenditally ordered an incompatible actuator, so there are some differences in the stopping positions.

 

If this is the first time it’s acted up, you can open up the actuator itself, clean and re-lube with some dielectric grease.

Do you know which actuator you bought that is different?

Motor-mix-driver

72131AG12A ---- 05 (no longer available)

72131AG27A ---- 05-09

Motor-mix-passenger

72131AG11A ----- 05

72131AG26A ----- 05-09

Motor-mode-select

72131AG09A ---- 05

72131AG24A ---- 05-09

Motor-recirculate

72131AG08A ---- 05

72131AG23A ---- 05-09

I accenditally ordered an incompatible actuator, so there are some differences in the stopping positions.

 

If this is the first time it’s acted up, you can open up the actuator itself, clean and re-lube with some dielectric grease.

 

 

 

 

This is what I did in both my 08 and 09 LGTs problem solved

Did anyone replace those things on the 5th gen Legacy?

 

One of ours is freaking out, pretty much non-stop now (silent only sometimes but goes crazy otherwise). Having read though this thread, it seems like most of the photos etc. are of earlier gen cars where there are two actuators on the central side of passenger aide. But if the following is true, it appears like 5th gen Legacy has two on driver side (central section), one on passenger side (central section) and yet another actuator on the passenger side (close to the door).

 

I guess the process is generally the same: I need to figure out which one is freaking out (I'm guessing one of the driver side ones) and then take the trim off from under the steering wheel to gain access. I am having difficult time figuring out what names of those parts are so I can find the part numbers?

 

http://forum.liberty.asn.au/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34980

 

Have a read, get back if anything is opaque re the parts process.

Basically use your VIN on the appropriate site, then search the parts.

 

I opened my faulty actuator and regreased it, nudged the wipers to new track.

The fault did return but due to the door tab needing to be reseated in the actuator cam (or vice versa).

 

The FSM should have details on hvac self test as well, if a haptic/visual/auditory test doesn’t suffice once the trim is removed.

 

Rough guess:

Mix adjusts temperature

Intake adjusts fresh air or recirc

Mode adjusts which vent combinations

Edited April 20, 2019 by bigBADbenny

OK so I undid the bottom trim today (under the steering wheel) and by using the car stetoscope that I have, was able to figure out that the driver side #2 "Air mix door actuator" is the part that is dying.

 

The problem is that this thing is so far up inside the dash and PITA to get to (there is basically no space for me to undo it that I can see) that I'm considering taking it to the dealer to replace. Sigh. (I dislike working on this car as it is all so convoluted and the shop manual does not really provide enough detail IMO).

 

Edited April 28, 2019 by bigboy292000

I have gone though the shop manual left and right and the only instructions that I see are:

 

Replace the air mix door actuator (driver’s). <Ref. to AC-54, REMOVAL, Heater and Cooling Unit.>

 

There is no other information on replacing the actuator, without removing the heather core; of course, I would not need to remove the heater core but to get access, AC-54 then refers to:

 

Remove the instrument panel assembly. <Ref. to EI-75, REMOVAL, Instrument Panel Assembly.>

 

Which basically means removing the front trim; starting with middle console, bottom trim, steering column, stereo system and the instructions actually go into removing the whole dash.

 

What is unclear is what I'd actually need to do to gain access to the actuator; I do not plan to take the heater core out (so whole dash does not need to come out). But I just don't see how I can get to this part without removing the steering column to gain access?

I replaced that actuator a few months ago. It died stuck in the full cold position, in winter, naturally.

 

 

You don't have to remove the heater core, but yes, the dash has to come out to access that actuator. Center vent/cubby assembly, center console & trim, stereo head unit & HVAC controls, drop the glove box & trim, drivers side lower & upper dash trim, instrument cluster, A pillar trim, all of that, then you can pull the dash.

 

 

I forget the exact order, but the shop manual is actually somewhat helpful provided you have the patience to follow the trail of info for each panel. Just think of it like a "choose your own adventure" where you have to navigate from one page to the next! It pretty well points out the screws that need to be removed, and they are not too hard to find when you're in there working on it. I had never removed the vent cubby or instrument cluster before, let alone the entire dash, and I did the actuator replacement in one day (several hours). Still need to do the mode select actuator (noisy but still works) but that one is child's play compared to the drivers' side air mix one.

 

 

Honestly, I should have at least called the stealership to get a quote on this job. It would have been worth a few hundred to have somebody else #@&% with it, but I was feeling masochistic and had no other plans for my New Year's Day this year.

It would also be my strong opinion that you should install a brand new part, rather than try to regrease or re-bend the contacts or do some other well-intentioned but cheap-ass solution to reuse the existing one, given the PITA of the surgery.

 

 

 

 

 

Couple of pics looking down through the windshield. Actuator is the part with the green plug going into it.

 

 

 

Honestly, I should have at least called the stealership to get a quote on this job. It would have been worth a few hundred to have somebody else #@&% with it, but I was feeling masochistic and had no other plans for my New Year's Day this year.

 

It would also be my strong opinion that you should install a brand new part, rather than try to regrease or re-bend the contacts or do some other well-intentioned but cheap-ass solution to reuse the existing one, given the PITA of the surgery.

 

 

Yeah that looks like a major PITA. Went to the dealer today and for my 5th gen Legacy (I think yours is a 4th gen, right), they quoted me 9 hours of work + a cost of a part for just about $1450 to get this fixed.

 

Yeah that looks like a major PITA. Went to the dealer today and for my 5th gen Legacy (I think yours is a 4th gen, right), they quoted me 9 hours of work + a cost of a part for just about $1450 to get this fixed.

 

 

 

Yes, mine is a 2005.

9 hours sounds kinda in the ballpark for a DIY job. Probably took me slightly longer in total, but a significant % that time was spent looking at the manual on my laptop to figure out what I had to do next, since I had never previously torn into it beyond what's necessary to change the cabin air filter (no easy access panel for that on early 4th gens). Gut feeling is it should take an experienced dealership mechanic quite a bit less than 9 hours. The actuator itself cost me $62 + s/h. There's a lot of stuff that has to come out, and I don't know how 5th gens differ on this, but none of it was particularly difficult. Find a free day and dig in.