I have used TYC replacement parts and they have been fine - not specifically radiator fans, but they do make radiator fans. I checked and TYC does sell in Australia/NZ.

I have used their headlight, and blower motors. OEM is better, but TYC is fine.

TYC is Taiwan, not China.

 

Sorry if not clear, I'm referring to the interior A/C fan, not the one attached to the radiator.

 

Ok I have used TYC interior A/C fans - they are a blower type - squirrelcage.

 

Squirrell cage...??? Ok. I dig that. I was thinking "hamster wheel with motor attached"....

What is TYC..?

 

TYC Genera - Premium Automotive Parts

www.tycamericas.com

 

The supplier is likely Denso, and actually exact same part is shared with some models of other makes. The problem is that the fan rotates in opposite directions between left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles. Inexpensive parts available in the US market will not fit. There has been a couple of threads about it.

 

Can you point me towards these threads..??

I'vee seen enough examples of people fitting the blower in LHD vehicles, but can't find a RHD example to confirm/refute the LH or RH spin theory.

However a local auto elec here who tried a generic online example found the polarity was reversed (allegedly, hearsay from parts agent) so I am not unconvinced...

Apparently the OEM part no. AFAIK is 72223AG01A but I'm guessing this is for LHD cars.

Is there a different part number for RHD cars and how would we determine this?

I'm totally guessing, but the numbers on the actual fan motor body I suspect are OEM manufacturer batch numbers, as they are all different from what I've seen, even going off second hand versions from wreckers that show the original car is in fact a MY2005 Outback in RHD (i.e. the image I saw was from a local to me Australian based wrecker picking apart AU market '05 OB.)

Haven't found a pic that has the same number as the one off my car, attached for ref to OP.

Any clues on what the OEM part number for RHD OB might be..??

Or if this is even true..??

 

I can't load this page - not sure why http://www.tyc.com.au/

 

Just so you know, this is what comes up on Amayama: link

 

I found that link and a few others stating this is the correct part # for the RHD market blower. Tx.

 

OK, so I admitted defeat and ordered a second hand part from a QLD-based wrecker. Double-checked via email that it was quiet, no noise, and working as it should, and pulled the trigger.

Arrived yesterday, took to auto sparkie today.

It was different to the one in the car.

Same overall shape, squirrel cage same diam, same height, but motor casing at rear wider and taller.

Approx 7mm wider and 10mm taller.

The plug to connect the blower on the harness was also smaller and a different shape to the socket in back of the motor casing.

We hot wired it using some copper connectors the sparkie had in stock, to test it, and it was fine. Probs 20% quieter than the old one. Which bizarrely was dead quiet (to naked ear) when powered up in footwell, but noisy and rumbling when installed under dash. Go figure. We tried moving things about under the dash but there was no sign of anything rubbing or whatever. Just weird.

Checked the 'new' one as quiet in footwell, and then installed temporarily in dash, still quiet.

So sparkie spliced into harness above OEM plug (which now doesn't fit) and wired in a set of connectors that would fit the male pins on the 'new' blower. Re-tested. All good. Everything fits. Though there is almost zero clearance between blower motor and undertray.

[We left the OEM plug in situ in case I ever need to swap back to the 'genuine matching' motor, which I kept as a spare.]

Sparkie charged me AU$60 for half hours work (though it took him an hour).

Wrecker charged AU$95 for part, freight included.

$155 vs $525 from Subaru + sparkie to fit.

Calling that a win.