Heater cable wanted

[sue68]

I hope I am posting in the correct place.
I need a cable for my heater control. The turny knob that controls the heating doesn't any more I have a 1996 long wheelbase transit. Any help welcome.
Sue

[CamperVanBeethoven]

Check you don't have the same problem I had. Is it stuck on full?

What happened with mine was, I knew it had a problem with being stuck on full. If you put it on full, it wouldn't go back down.

Eventually, the problem was figured out. The cable was not properly attached at the flap end. So, when you pulled on it to turn it full on, it slipped off. Then it could never push it back down again.

I ended up tying it in place with a bit of copper wire.

Now, if your heater IS stuck on full, open the drivers door and stick your head in next to the pedals. Look up and to the left from the clutch (assuming yours is RHD) and you will see the lever to operate the heater flap. Look at this thread ... there's a picture

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=179572&p=1531491#p1531491

Pull it down and that will close the flap and bring it back to cold. That will at least stop you sweltering if you do need a new cable until you can get a hold of one

And if it's come off, you can see on that picture what it looks like and what you're looking for ...

They're solid wire. I'd find it unlikely it's snapped. It will have just come off somewhere ...

[sue68]

Thank you. It isn't stuck on hot. The garage left it on hot (as it was cold at the time) The garage said I needed a new cable as they can't fix it but I can't find a replacement at present. The knob sort of turns but not reliable.

[Noctule]

In my experience the problem hasn't been the cable but the sliding gear that pulls and pushes it. If I remember correctly, detach the control panel as best you can by taking the radio out and undoing the two screws below), then through the radio hole squirt the sliders with some brake cleaner to shift the old grease, and spray it with white grease to lubricate.

Mat

[wole]

[CamperVanBeethoven]

In my experience the problem hasn't been the cable but the sliding gear that pulls and pushes it. If I remember correctly, detach the control panel as best you can by taking the radio out and undoing the two screws below), then through the radio hole squirt the sliders with some brake cleaner to shift the old grease, and spray it with white grease to lubricate.

Mat

Once you have done it once, it's quite daunting first and second time but now I've done it about eight times, taking out the whole centre console isn't that hard and makes it FAR easier to get to the heater flap control and see what's occurring.

You REALLY need one of these to make the job easy. Mine came with a screwdriver kit that cost a tenner.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/152397900693

If you have airbags, disconnect the battery just in case an accidental short makes it go BANG in your face. If you don't know if you have airbags, you might want to do that as a precaution.
Undo the covers that cover the top and bottom around the indicator/lights stalks.
Torx bolts hold in the stalks. 2 each side. Undo them and just let them drop down.
You now see 2 cross head screws in front of you, undo them (this is where the flexible bit comes in very useful).
Then, there are two at the top of the instrument cluster recess, if they are still there. Stick your fingers around and find them by feel. They may not be there anymore, because it might be like my van and they are long lost Undo them, and then the plastic shroud that surrounds the clock can be lifted out of the way. It may require slight bending, but will slip over the top of the steering wheel.
Now, remove the stereo and the ashtray. Two large headed screws hold in the ashtray, remove them.
Then, remove the two screws that hold in the right hand side of the centre console.

You're almost there

Pull gently on the right hand side of the console, and push down a bit firmly on the top RH corner, the first plastic tab it fits into will pop. Repeat going around ... light pull, and firm pressure from the top. From memory there are 5 or 6 places it's held in place all around. But once you pop out the top ones, (2 or 3 of them) you can lift it up to undo the bottom ones.

Just work your way around, with care, and it will pop out. Disconnect the clock. Sometimes, that is tricky depending on how the wire is routed. There are also 2 ducts that lead from the blower to the vents. Once the console is out, you can pull them out and put to one side.

You now have pretty much complete access to the back of the heater control. As complete as you can get without taking out the whole dash

[sue68]

Thanks for all the advice. Being a 70+ female I feel this is beyond me. Is there anyone nearish to Bristol who would like to play? I'm willing to pay.
Sue

[CamperVanBeethoven]

Thanks for all the advice. Being a 70+ female I feel this is beyond me. Is there anyone nearish to Bristol who would like to play? I'm willing to pay.
Sue

I'm afraid I'm at the other end of the country. Or in another country, depending how you look at it...

Hopefully someone's around there and could help out ... Sorry!

Or if you've got any younger relatives who are into fixing cars and know their posterior from their middle arm, you could show them this thread and see if they can figure it out...?

[CamperVanBeethoven]

Just bumping this in case anyone around Bristol can lend a hand ...

I'll be around Bristol not next Monday, but the one after (26th) but having just spent a week at Glastonbury I'll probably just want to sleep and not fix vans

[sue68]

Just bumping this in case anyone around Bristol can lend a hand ...

I'll be around Bristol not next Monday, but the one after (26th) but having just spent a week at Glastonbury I'll probably just want to sleep and not fix vans

Thank you for your help. Unfortunately I had daughters ) If you want somewhere to sleep you are welcome to park on our drive. It's flat and secluded.
I don't understand why my garage said I need a new cable if the problem is the fixing? They are usually pretty good.
Sue

[CamperVanBeethoven]

Just bumping this in case anyone around Bristol can lend a hand ...

I'll be around Bristol not next Monday, but the one after (26th) but having just spent a week at Glastonbury I'll probably just want to sleep and not fix vans

Thank you for your help. Unfortunately I had daughters ) If you want somewhere to sleep you are welcome to park on our drive. It's flat and secluded.
I don't understand why my garage said I need a new cable if the problem is the fixing? They are usually pretty good.
Sue

No technically minded grandsons? (Or, of course, sons-in-law...)

I'm not saying the garage are wrong. I just find it unlikely that the cable could ever break (the force needed would break all the plastic bits first ). There is an adjuster on it, that could break. But it's more likely that unless they put in the 1-2 hours labour to take the dash out and put it back in, that they haven't actually seen the cable and it's just come off at one end or t'other...

[sue68]

I have the wrong friends and relations ) You have been very helpful thank you

[caseadrian509]

I came at this problem from a different angle I got a 15mm isolation valve and 2 bits of pipe and fitted it to the heater pipe in the engine the one that comes of the resawer closing it when to hot opening when cold just make shore it's open when you refill it

Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk

[sue68]

Thank you