2010 Outback 110K miles. A/C works when car is moving, but stops blowing cool air when stopped. Suggestion on where to start?
Ted
Ted
A/C troubleshoot
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(formerly) 03 H6 OBW , (presently) 06 WRX Sportwagon & 2021 Honda CR-V
Joined
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19,212 Posts
this is typical of electric radiator fan failure.
Lucky Texan,
Is this a DIY repair, or something that is best performed by a Subaru Tech?
Ted
Is this a DIY repair, or something that is best performed by a Subaru Tech?
Ted
(formerly) 03 H6 OBW , (presently) 06 WRX Sportwagon & 2021 Honda CR-V
Joined
·
19,212 Posts
well, you are going to want to confirm you don't have a blown fuse or bad relay.
If you're uncomfortable with car repair (which can be quite different from car 'maintenance') any good mechanic should be able to fix this for you.
I just did a short search and couldn't immediately find help for this issue on a 2010. But, in a general sense, fans should come on , or, if they're 2-speed, should probably kick to hig speed whenever the a/c compressor is on. The ECU sends voltage to a relay to the fan to activate it. There are multiple ways this circuit can fail. Easiest is to first locate (lok in your manual and under the lid of the fuse boxes) the fuse(s) for the fan(s) and pull them and confirm (best with an ohmmeter) they are not open. If you can locate the a/c fan relay, and if there is another relay that is the same model, you could swap them temporarily to see if the fan comes on when the a/c is turned on. Another test involves using jumper wires directly to the fan's connector to see if it can be powered on. Also, I believe newer soobs may have a dedicated module for controlling the radiator and a/c fan function - not sure.
Bottom line is, a lucky DIY-er might easily fix the system - or quickly determine it needs professional diagnosis.
EDIT:
this thread has a chart showing the 2-speed fan functions; (maybe some other useful info)
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...essor-poor-ac-performance-check-ac-relay.html
If you're uncomfortable with car repair (which can be quite different from car 'maintenance') any good mechanic should be able to fix this for you.
I just did a short search and couldn't immediately find help for this issue on a 2010. But, in a general sense, fans should come on , or, if they're 2-speed, should probably kick to hig speed whenever the a/c compressor is on. The ECU sends voltage to a relay to the fan to activate it. There are multiple ways this circuit can fail. Easiest is to first locate (lok in your manual and under the lid of the fuse boxes) the fuse(s) for the fan(s) and pull them and confirm (best with an ohmmeter) they are not open. If you can locate the a/c fan relay, and if there is another relay that is the same model, you could swap them temporarily to see if the fan comes on when the a/c is turned on. Another test involves using jumper wires directly to the fan's connector to see if it can be powered on. Also, I believe newer soobs may have a dedicated module for controlling the radiator and a/c fan function - not sure.
Bottom line is, a lucky DIY-er might easily fix the system - or quickly determine it needs professional diagnosis.
EDIT:
this thread has a chart showing the 2-speed fan functions; (maybe some other useful info)
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...essor-poor-ac-performance-check-ac-relay.html
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