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Blower motor - location, access, and check


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Hello! I'm new to the board but I'm on my 4th Subaru. I have a 2005 Legacy Wagon and the blower motor sounds like Darth Vader with Asthma. I think there is either something stuck in the fan or the fan/motor needs to be replaced. It has had a special ''whir'' ever since I bought it at 60k miles, but now it only blows at the highest setting and is too noisy to tolerate.

 

I need help to know how to access it to investigate. I'm envisioning either removing the entire dash or taking yoga in preparation to climb under the dash upside down. Any help? Thanks in advance!

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OK, I'm working on it today. What appears perfectly clear in print isn't so much in practice. Step 4 says, "loosen screw to remove blower motor", with a couple of ambiguous arrows. Cute, but it's not coming out and I'm worried about the PS airbag taking me out. Any suggestions? Does anybody have anything a little more specific? Appreciate your help!

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I'll answer my own question in case someone else is working on it later. There are 3 screws on the bottom of the unit that hold the blower motor and fan assembly in place. They are star or straight slot. You can't access the back screw with the assembly in the car. To remove the whole assembly there are three attachment points. The bottom two are easy, the top one is up behind the wiring harness. A 10MM socket will get it started. I used a flex head ratcheting box wrench and about a hundred 5 degree flicks to remove it. After battling it to get it out (not sure if I'll get it back in!), I removed the blower and fan. The stealership wants $250 for a new one and it's not service-able. If I could just lube the shaft or bearings it would still be fine! Looking for a used one now...

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Evidently yours is different from the one on my '02 Forester. I was able to take all three screws out just day before yesterday, and the fan was all full of leaves. The low setting was louder than the 3rd setting before, but it's pretty silent except on high now, not to mention better airflow.

 

Make sure you pull out the filter and clean it out while you're at it.

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