2008 Legacy/Outback NO HEAT!

[DrewDoesBiz]

Winter is coming...and I have no heat.

 

It's a 2008 Subaru Legacy Outback (well, it's officially just an Outback, but it's exactly the same as the Legacy but with a much bigger booty). Coolant is fine, heater core is fine. Manual heat (not auto-climate). AC works, but only has 1 temp; COLD. I can't adjust how cold, and when I turn the AC off to try and use the heat, it just blows regular air.

 

I have tried to get into it to see what the issue was, and the wire that runs from the temperature knob up into the driver's side of the dash is connected on both ends and moves fine when I twist the knob.

 

I can't figure out how to access whatever it is attached to on the other side (up in the dash on the driver's side), but it's my understanding that it's the blend door actuator which is the thing that lets the air flow over the heater core to create the heated air. When I turn the temperature knob; I can see the wire move something on the actuator but that's it.. I can't tell if what's moving is doing anything because I can BARELY see it.

 

I'm viewing this from the bottom looking up because I only know how to remove the lower side panels of the interior (around the automatic shifter and to the left and right if the radio)..If I was able to get better access, then I might be able to fix it without a new part or paying a mechanic $400 just to take my dash off. I can't find anything that explains how to remove the upper interior (like the dash board) or anything that describes how to best access that part of the car. If anyone has a diagram on how to access/change a heater core, that would probably get me where I needed to be.

 

If anyone has any documents/diagrams/video links that would help, that'd be GREAT. If anyone has any other suggestions as to what it might be (other than the blend door actuator), I'm all ears. Like I said; winter is coming..and I won't be able to survive off of feet heat alone.

[4S-TURBO]

Have you had your airbag recall done?