Dashboard Vents

[Jim Craik]

Early today I was out for drive and it was fairly cold. I rarely use the heater, but today I did, I turned the controls to put heat into the footwell area.

Later when it warmed up, I tried to change the controls back to the dashboard vents, and nothing happened. No amount of fiddling with the controls will give me air through the dash vents.

Does anybody have any thoughts?

 

[Seymour Snerd]

Early today I was out for drive and it was fairly cold. I rarely use the heater, but today I did, I turned the controls to put heat into the footwell area.

Later when it warmed up, I tried to change the controls back to the dashboard vents, and nothing happened. No amount of fiddling with the controls will give me air through the dash vents.

Does anybody have any thoughts?

Those functions are controlled by servos in the A/C unit that is within the "fake" oil tank. Diagnosis requires removing the fake tank (two 6 mm bolts/nuts in the aluminun straps at the front), Swing the straps back (may bind at their hinges at the top rear and try to bend; they're very soft) Then you lift the "tank" off and set it aside. Now you have in front of you a big black plastic box with wires and hoses coming out of it, held down&back by a couple or three phillips head sheet metal screws in a little stainless steel brace at the front. Remove the screws. Then you can easily lift up and flip over etc, the black box subject to the flexibility and length of the freon hoses. Also there is a two-wire harness that runs over to the RHS where the individual wires plug onto a couple 1/4" terminals. Might as well disconnect that at first because you'll probably pull it off anyway. Take a photo. There are four male terminals there but IIRC the two you don't use are smaller. Also it doesn't matter which wire goes to which large terminal because it's just a switch.

At this point you can probably see one or more of the servo levers. If you turn the system on you ought to be able to make each one move by rotating the controls on the door. I think there are three (up/down, temperature, and defrost). I believe there are two in the black box and one in the footwell, but suspect the one in the footwell controls a water valve and hence the temperature. So I think by elimination you can tell which one is the up/down one and hopefully see why it's not moving. Probably it's jammed against some kind of mechanical interference.

When you're putting it back together consider discarding the stainless brace and instead installing a couple ~3/4" hardware store rubber bumpers at the top front of the inside of the aluminum "tank". This will allow the aluminum tank, when fastened down, to push the black box back against the body where the three air holes are, thus doing a much better job of sealing it to the air holes. This makes R&R much easier because the little stainless brace and screws are a pain to work with. Also consider installing Rick Muck's excellent foam rubber seals around those air holes in back.

 

[Jim Craik]

Geez Alan, thanks!

That's quite a comprehensive discription, I'm very impressed. Thanks again!

 

[Seymour Snerd]

Geez Alan, thanks!

That's quite a comprehensive discription, I'm very impressed. Thanks again!

Just a matter of repetition; I've had that thing in and out so many times the bolts are starting to wear. :laugh:

BTW I corrected on error above: the servo controls are temp, up/down and defrost. Not sure how recirc works; it may be a fourth servo.

I have a similar/same problem: one of mine strains and clicks when I operate it. Keep thinking I should get the damned thing licensed before I worry about that....

 

[Jim Craik]

Alan,

As you know, today is an incredably beautiful, warm day, I went out for a drive, started it up the the dash vents came on............way cool and way cool

I think for now, until i dig into the problem, I'll just leave them as they are. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Seymour Snerd]

Alan,

As you know, today is an incredably beautiful, warm day, I went out for a drive, started it up the the dash vents came on............way cool and way cool

I think for now, until i dig into the problem, I'll just leave them as they are. Thanks again for your help!

OK, when I get into mine you should come over and observe the surgery. Still waiting for Calif. BAR to call.....

 

[Jim Craik]

Sounds good!