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Dual Zone HVAC control diagnostic/ radio lighting problem

180K views 95 replies 56 participants last post by  gocampingnow 
#1 ·
Hi guys I did a search but could not find a answer , our 08 outback with 33k on it has had a problem for about a year now, every now and then the radio and the hvac control lights will go out ,usually not coming back on till the car is restarted later on ,or the next morning. it hasn't done it in about a year ,now the lights flash on and off at a constant rate instead of going out all together,then the next day everything is fine, by the way the radio still plays and the heat still works except the radio volume will not adjust and the heater controls won't function,weird problem, I have read other posts on this, has anybody figured out what's causing the problem?, any help would be great as my dealer is useless, claiming to never heard of such a problem,and I have to do something quick,get the extended warranty or trade the car in,Craig.
 
#2 ·
update!

The problem turned out to be cold solder joints on the main pc board in the stereo,
(not the front panel,the power for the front panel comes from the stereo) in the center of the board is a torroidal core,a round ferrite core with wire rapped around it ,on the solder side of the board the flash soldering done at the factory was poor in the center of the board,about 6 joints were the problem,resoldered them problem solved!,Craig.
 
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#3 ·
The problem turned out to be cold solder joints on the main pc board in the stereo,
(not the front panel,the power for the front panel comes from the stereo) in the center of the board is a torroidal core,a round ferrite core with wire rapped around it ,on the solder side of the board the flash soldering done at the factory was poor in the center of the board,about 6 joints were the problem,resoldered them problem solved!,Craig.
Did you by any chance take pictures of this?

I have the same problem with my 98 but it is only on the HVAC controls. The lights will go out, but I can still turn the fan on and the AC on. But when I go to change the direction of airflow, the buttons press but nothing moves. So what I used to do, for about 2 years now, was that I would hit the center dash and everything would come back on, but now hitting it doesn't solve the problem anymore.

I was thinking about buying a new HVAC control panel (~$190), but if that won't fix it, I'm not going to bother.

Thanks,
Andre
 
#4 ·
The 1998 is a different dash,but I have replaced bulbs in the ones you have,
fixing the lighting in the controls,I don't know about the other problem though, maybe someone else will chime in , Craig.
 
#8 ·
Yes you are soldering the foil side opposite of the components,if you find the core (looks to many people to be a transformer)in the center area of the board, the parts in the center of the board look heavier duty than surrounding parts,look on the opposite side of the board (foil side),and you should see some cold solder joints,sorry I didn't take any pictures,if you take it apart and take a picture I can point you in the right direction,Craig.
 
#9 ·
I have an 08 OWB and have the same problem; took it into the dealer while still in warranty and they couldn't find the issue. It happened this morning (it happens in when the weather is in the 50s), so I'm going to video tape it and bring this post.

Thanks!
 
#19 · (Edited)
Radio/hvac control lighting prob.



Did you have success with videotaping and fixing this issue? I know it was a year ago, but I need to fix it now!
Thanks.........


I read all the comments in the blogs similar or the same as my problem with radio/HVAC not working. I recalled someone saying they tapped on the 3 button, and that got it to work again. So today I just thought I'd try by pounding at the whole radio area with my hand. I really didn't think it would help. But when I got back into my car after an appointment I drove to without heat or music-- IT WAS WORKING AGAIN!!!!! Yay!! I hope it stays working again for a while. Obviously a loose connection somewhere in there!
 
#10 ·
Just experienced this exact problem on my 2007 H6 Outback. The lights on the radio and hvac went off and all the controls stopped working. Curiously, each unit continued doing whatever it was doing (radio playing and heater operating) at the time of the failure and couldn't be turned off. I found that light pressure on the front panel in the vicinity of the "3" button made it come back on. It works now, but now I'll know what to do if it happens again or gets worse.
Thanks for posting this solution.
 
#32 ·
I had a similar problem described in this thread (no controls worked anymore, but were frozen in place at their previous setting). I'm in a 2006 Outback with the 6CD radio.
Out of desparation I tried the trick that was posted above (back in 2010) to apply pressure below the "3" button. It worked. I laughed my way home. Thanks to the person above who figured out this trick.
 
#11 ·
Did this fix work over the long term?
This issue of the flashing and non-working controls began happening to our car about a year and a half ago with the dealership providing no assistance whatsoever. It began happening after a road trip where after a fill-up, all of the dashboard indicator lights came on and began flashing. The car started and was running fine, but the service staff at our dealership said the car was unsafe to drive. They then did nothing when they received it from the towtruck and within days, the flashing began.
Most of the time it would blink for a short amount of time and then seemingly correct itself. Now, it just doesn't work at all. If the lights flash it is usually for about 3 seconds and only once every few drives. This is now a major issue as we have moved to Arizona where we might want A/C control. The last time it started flashing I adjusted the temp so we can maintain some comfort level in the car if it is hot, but that means a constantly running unit whether I want it or not.
Fortunately I have steering wheel controls and can adjust the radio off of kids music!
I was going to call the dealer tomorrow to see what they can do, but it's a minimum three hour drive I and I don't want to go without a specific fix.
I've also read in other forums where people have had the entire A/C-Radio unit replaced by Subaru even out of warranty due to a service bulletin and Subaru going back to the unit manufacturer directly for replacement. Anyone else aware of this? I don't want to do the fix myself and then have them tell me they won't replace it...
Thanks!
Thanks!
 
#12 ·
I'm having the same issue with my 2007 Outback. Car was purchased in Dec. 2006. Flashing started Jan. 30, 2010 (40 days after the 3 year warranty had expired...although the car only had about 15,000 miles on it at the time). Battery died shortly thereafter. Car was OK for a few months after the battery was replaced, but then started flashing or totally cutting out again. Took car to my personal mechanic. He noticed the connection to the positive terminal battery was a bit corroded. He cleaned and sealed the connection. Things were fine for a few weeks and then problem started again. At his advice, I've taken the car to my local dealership and am now pitching a fit, starting with the dealership and slowly working my way up to SOA. The car only has 22,000 miles at this point and has been meticulously maintained (although by my mechanic and not the dealership, which seems to be a strike against me in their eyes...never mind we purchased two cars from them in the same year). I have not been able to find a Subaru service bulletin on this issue. However, Honda is experiencing a similar issue with their PCBs. Initially they would replace the boards if the customer specifically requested "goodwill consideration." Now, they have issued a service bulletin that covers the boards for 7 years or 100,000 miles. Wish Subaru would wake up and do the same thing!
 
#13 ·
I have filed a complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration regarding this issue...citing the inability to defrost front/rear windows as a visibility safety hazard. Complaint number is 10360944 and should be available online in two business day. I've included the text of my complaint below. I would strongly encourage anyone else having this issue to also file a complaint with the NHTSA at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm.

**********

Audio/HVAC controls flash or cut out altogether. Problem started intermittently in Jan. 2010 at about 15,000 miles but has now become consistent as of October 2010 at about 22,000 miles. When controls are acting up, not only does the panel not display properly, but also fails to respond to any adjustments. Not being able to adjust the audio or climate control is an inconvenience. However, not being able to defrost front or rear windows when needed is a safety hazard. Problem has been reported on Subaru forums (for example, http://legacygt.com/forums/showthre...ate-control-3459.html?p=2220291&postcount=114 [see #114 and #137, in particular] and http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...-08-o-b-radio-hvac-control-lighting-prob.html). Problem seems to stem from a poorly manufactured circuit board. Honda has a similar issue with poorly made circuit boards, but has issued a TSB that now covers these units for 7 year/100,000 miles. It would be nice if something similar would be issued for Subarus as owners experiences with dealerships have ranged from then never hearing of this problem before and not being able to correctly diagnose it to having it be a known issue that they work with SOA to promptly address at no expense to the owner.
 
#14 ·
I will be curious as to how this turns out. I've been having this same issue for the last month or 2. Sometimes if the radio is off it will turn on by itself. I know german cars have electrical gremlins, but a Subie shouldn't.

Update. I called my local Subaru service dept and they said they have not heard of any issues like this. Typical. I am going to email SOA and see if I get a response.
 
#16 ·
I have the same problem on my 2005 h6 llbean (w 6cd changer). I've had the radio / AC controls flicker before- but they would go back to normal. today (first warm day after a long winter) all the lights are off. the on/off button for the stereo works, so I can turn the radio on from the panel- and using the steering wheel controls I can control the stereo. However the AC controls are stuck, including the defroster. I'll take the car to the dealership and see if it can be covered under extended warranty. I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Radio/hvac control lighting prob.

Hi, this is the problem with my 05 Subie. There are no lights on radio, fan controls are off, and stays at most recent setting. Actually I can hear sound coming from the speakers with key off. Have you found out anything more about a solution? I may need to have my radio taken out to check the soldering. If my radio is still running(nothing more than a fuzz noise) AND my rear defroster is staying on with the ignition off I may end up with a dead battery. What can I do about that if I can't resolve the radio/hvac problem?
 
#21 ·
You know it's been quite awhile since I repaired mine,it still works great,the area I believe was affected was between R713 - D705,but I think I was looking at the radio from behind,it was to the right of center when I was looking at it,generally look at the board for bad/cold solder joints,(my circuit board was slightly discolored in the affected area). I should have took pictures! , Craig.
 
#22 ·
The affected area has the Torroidal core on the opposite side of the board,its a round looking ferrite core , wrapped with wire,(copper colored wire around it I think) I think it's the only one on the board,it's towards the center of the board, Craig.
 
#24 ·
I usually identify the bad solder joints using eye velopes ,as I go over the board I mark them with a sharpie marker,coming back later to resolder them,
I usually use a solder sucker to remove the ones that look really bad,solder wick can be used also,most can be touched up without desolder and resoldering them, I didn't find any problems in the front display area, but you might check it also, Craig.
 
#25 ·
I had the same problem this morning. Car has been running fine, no electrical issues or problems. Traveled for a few miles and everything worked. Came out of the store, started the car, and the radio and HVAC controls were off and could not be turned on. No sound out of the speakers and no fans blowing.

Since it was raining, and in the 30's, I had to crack the windows to prevent fog. I was thinking that maybe it was a fuse problem during the drive.

Out of frustration, I tapped on the 'Eject' button a number of times and everything started working again... odd.:confused:
 
#26 ·
Thank you for the help...at least I am not alone!

This has started to happen more and more frequently on my 2008 H6 LLBean. I have the 6CD changer and the radio and heat work...I just can't control them very easily as they units flash and show me the radio station/heat settings for a few seconds at a time.

I purchased the extended warranty on the vehicle so I would be covered, I am just so frustrated with the car I want it to keep working for the next few months so I can get a new (read different brand) car. The transmission is vibrates and shudders constantly, it rattles underneath like heat shields and now the radio. Oh, and Subaru says everything is perfect and I should be happy with it.
 
#27 ·
Yup - happened over the weekend with my '08 3.0R LLB.. Radio/HVAC illumination began to occasionally flicker on and off during a road trip.

So I stopped at my local Subby dealer yesterday, and described to the service manager what was happening. I also explained that I had researched a bit online (even name dropped Outback.org) and that I read that the problem stems from an improperly soldered area of the power circuit board, and seams somewhat common to the 6 disc changer head unit of Gen3 Legacy/OB models.

He said since I have the extended warranty, they will simply replace the audio/HVAC dash unit with a new one, and ordered it on the spot. When it comes in, they'll ring me up for a quick service visit.

Hopefully the replacement will not have the same issues. If it does, I'll likely remove and repair the solder area myself - but since I paid for the extended warranty, it's only fair to give Subaru the chance to make it right first.

I've not had any other issues with this car and it sucks to have a minor issue to deal with, but things break/go bad. I did have to have the transmission replaced in my '06 2.5i due to the 'shuddering' issue - but that too was covered completely under warranty.

In both cases, I was well taken care by Subaru, and by the service department at my local dealer. (Kudos to Welsh Subaru of Limerick)
 
#28 ·
Okay, got me this morning while driving: It's raining in Boston, 64 degrees.
I have 3 favorite stations that I alternate on the AM,FM1,FM2 mode control. Mid drive, I've been on multiple channels, stuck in traffic, I punch the button without looking, nothing happens. It continues with the current station
I look at the radio, all displays are blank. None of the radio dash buttons (except power) respond. The climate display is also blank.
The steering wheel controls do respond (2009 OB Limited) but nothing on the display. I tap on it in a few places, nothing.

Give some people have got this to clear by restarting, just before posting, I went back out and started my car... The displays lit, the "Subaru" startup display appeared and the radio started playing. It didn't show a station at first, but did when I pressed the mode button.

Somehow I don't want to power cycle my car when on the highway.
The car is 37K miles, but I'm 3rd owner. I am knowledgeable in electronics.

I've searched around here, and it seems that there are two PC boards in this unit, the display/controls and the main. One person claims that tapping near the "3" button got a response. That seems like a potential connector problem between the two boards. "unit5alive" says it's a bad solder joint on the main board in the power for the display. That seems consistent with a complete display & control failure. (I presume the steering controls attach to the main board though a different path)

Therefore, it seems prudent to pull the unit and inspect the inter board connections (clean, tighten, possible conductive lubricate) and look for component solder problems near this torroid.

Soo.... what do I have to do to disassemble this unit down to those boards?
I've seen dash disassembly around here.
Any particularly good links for an 09 Limited AT?
What do I have to do to pull the radio/HVAC controller?

Dave.
I am suddenly reminded of the time I disassembled and cleaned my 98 OB radio after an ice cream cone in the dash cup holder dripped melted ice cream into the tape deck. :eek:
 
#29 ·
What do I have to do to pull the radio/HVAC controller?
Well, it's pretty much pulling the center console trim, the armrest and trim around the shifter. Then the panels on the side of the radio unit. I service manual really helps out here, but once you see it all apart, it's not so bad.
The radio involves taking the front face off and then diving in from there.

update: I lucked out and ended up finding a used radio/hvac unit for like $75 that works great!
 
#31 ·
About two years have passed since I first had the HVAC problem and it seemed to resolve itself. Now the radio has died (everything looks like it's working on the display, but no sound from any audio source) and it doesn't look like it's coming back. It went through a few days of intermittent operation, usually working better on warmer days.
Just for fun, I pulled the radio out of the car and took a look at the circuit boards. I was able to see the area where others have found bad soldering, but it looked OK to my untrained eye, even under magnification.
I also pulled off the front panel/circuit board and didn't see any obvious problems there. I did note that the two power connectors that connect the front panel to the main circuit board were directly behind the areas of the front panel around the "3" and "4" preset buttons -- the area I pushed on and saw the lights flicker.
I was hoping that taking it apart and putting it back together would fix the radio, but no luck.
I think I'll start looking for a replacement unit now that I know I can easily remove/replace the old one.
 
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