Help! Blend Door Actuator

[mmarton]

I need a driver's side HVAC blend door actuator (Part # 72131AG12A), but it is discontinued.

 

 

Weird, because the two other OEM components on the passenger side are still showing available.

 

 

 

It looks like I'll have to scour the salvage yards but are there any other sources for hard-to-get parts? Can this part be fixed?

[Rusty9]

you may be able to take it out and clean the wiper contacts, but they are likely worn out.

 

72131AG24A might supersede it, as this is for the later models.

 

Otherwise the whole HVAC unit is like $400 72110AG07B

 

Confirm fitment with your local dealer, this stuff was for my 2008 dual, auto climate.

[csaari]

Actually, I believe that 72131AG24A is the vent mode actuator for the 2006-2009 cars.

 

72131AG27A should be the driver's blend actuator for 2006-2009.

 

There have been discussions about why there are actuators listed for the 2005 cars, and then different ones for 2006-2009, and nobody's ever confirmed or denied that they are interchangeable.

 

Well, I just found a thread on another forum where someone used 72131AG27A in place of 72131AG12A on an '05 Outback successfully.

 

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/2005-outback-in-need-of-driver-side-temperature-actuator.501527/

[Pleides]

Good luck with the replacement! I have to do my center one and I can’t get myself to tear the whole dash out to do it.

[jaylew]

I can confirm that it works. I put 72131AG27A in my '05 about 3 weeks ago. Temp changes as expected and best of all...quietly

 

The 2 actuators that are "easy" to get to are the passenger temp and the mode actuator. The outside air/ inside air and driver temp require dash out.

Taking the dash out honestly isn't hard

[mmarton]

Thanks so much for verifying. I saw post on the other forum but saw that it was an 05 Outback with the 3.0 six. I fell much better now. The local dealer said he can have a 72131AG27A in a day.

[Pleides]

I can confirm that it works. I put 72131AG27A in my '05 about 3 weeks ago. Temp changes as expected and best of all...quietly

 

The 2 actuators that are "easy" to get to are the passenger temp and the mode actuator. The outside air/ inside air and driver temp require dash out.

Taking the dash out honestly isn't hard

 

Sorry to bump this thread again, but it's getting on my nerves having hot air blow in my face every time I get in the car in the summer. How much dashboard has to come out on the driver's side? Is it basically removal of everything around the radio and under the steering wheel, or does the upper dash have to come out to do it as well?

[jaylew]

for the driver side the whole top of the dash needs to come out. That means, glove box out, under the steering wheel out, center trim around the head unit out. It is honestly not difficult, just time consuming. And if you already have the dash out, might as well replace the other actuators while you are there because that is when they are the easiest to get to

[Rusty9]

If anyone finds this in the future wanting to replace the actuators, the whole HVAC unit is about $400 and includes the heater/evap core and all 3 actuators already installed. Which is cheaper than buying all 3 actuators separately. 

72110AG07B is the part I used for my 2008 with auto controls

72110AG07A looks to be what was used for 2006-2008, but the "B" part replaced that.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Rusty9

[seanyb505]

Hm I think that may be in my future. Car takes a while to blow warm air, not even hot. 

[KZJonny]

22 hours ago, Rusty9 said:

If anyone finds this in the future wanting to replace the actuators, the whole HVAC unit is about $400 and includes the heater/evap core and all 3 actuators already installed. Which is cheaper than buying all 3 actuators separately. 

Got a part number for the system as a unit, if there is one?

Been a few weeks since any salt was put down here, and a few rains, so I decided to take the GT out for a sneaky evening drive….. no heat.

Summer car, so it doesn’t really need it, but ya know….

[Rusty9]

Yeah, sorry I should have included that in my post, which I just edited to show.

[KZJonny]

Website says it only fits 2006 and up, does not match 2005 Legacy.

Thoughts? I was't aware there were any meaningful differences between 05/06 in terms of HVAC, or really much of anything else.

This isn't top of my list, but hard to beat for the price, given it's less than the total cost of the actuators.....

[seanyb505]

I got 72110AG06A using a 2005 on heuberger's site. 6a, not 7a or 7b. 

Edited December 7, 2022 by seanyb505

[mmarton]

So you still have to take the whole dash out to do the driver's side?

[kzr750r1]

I had to press Heuberger to get all of the actuators. In the mean time bought another used low milage center section.

Have not gone thru the hassle of opening up the dash yet. Will probably wait for summer. Car still blows hot when needed... Just not where ya want it.

I'm just tied of hearing the actuators failing to park. Sounds like mice in the dash.

[Febreze Mee]

Funny how many of us are all in the same season with these cars. Age has it's draws. Thanks anyway for refreshing as these are literally next on my list of maintenance items to buy.

[Pleides]

I'd really recommend buying them ASAP. The aftermarket doesn't seem to produce them and Subaru seems to have decided to end production of common parts for our cars after COVID. I believe I was the last person in the country to get a certain exterior trim piece (I believe it was the driver window trim that seals the exterior against the window). You can't buy trunk lining trim anymore either.

[Rusty9]

oh for sure. I got the last few interior door panels for the spec.b. Nobody has inventory of the fronts so I'll have to transfer some trim bits. may have got the last 2 rears in black. the boxes they came in were certainly "fuckin old", taped and re-taped, yellowed stickers, dusty, and footprints on them.

I was kicking myself because I had all 4 panels in the cart for like a year or 2 waffling on "Do I reeeealy want to spend $1200 on door cards..." and then I went to order them and they were all "discontinued" so I had to call around the country to see if any dealers had any of them buried somewhere.

So we are at the end of production life for genuine replacement parts, especially weird/expensive shit that aftermarket won't make. That's usually 10 years after model production stops.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Rusty9

[kzr750r1]

One word. Dashboard.

Mine is a sticky mess and didn't get the memo about the recall till it was too late.

[Rusty9]

dashes still in stock! I just ordered one last week. my recall replacement dash cracked within 3-4 years...the last 2 years being garage kept. it's the same dash for the Outback so more likely to have them in stock for a while. 

sport subaru in orlando had $37 shipping where everyone else wanted $300+ extra to freight the thing. Just under $600 with tax and shipping.

[kzr750r1]

Ok good to hear. Has to wait. I'm still recovering from the motor rebuild this year and ZRX restoration last year.