heater tap control

johnbird · Post by **johnbird** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:29 pm

put this job off until today as my back was killing me yesterday.was a little reluctant to do it this morning too...
i got the kit out kneeled down by the sill and thought i would see if i could move the mechanism with my hand before i started dismantling things.
fairly easy to slide your hand up behind the console and to my surprise the mechanism was right there straight away and moving freely as you like. i can have hot or cold ,ive set it to the midle for now. when i move the control knob you can feel the cables moving but there is no control over the flap.is it possible my problem lies in the taughtness/non locating/broken knod(oh er matron......) so to speak?i dont want to get the whole car in bits to discover the knob is my problem...........

Mothman · Post by **Mothman** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:47 pm

The fan on my motor would not workuntil recntly, turned out to be a bad earth. However did dismantle the whole unit on my scrapper and i wonder if the bit of wire attached to the spindle thingy that your heater knob pushes into has become detached. Does the heater knob over run or turn too easily or just seem slack? If this is the case then this is what may have happened. I looked at it all and it did seem a bit difficult to reattach it. Maybe it would be better to turn it up by hand for the winter and reduce it for the summer. If you take the heater, fan console out, take care not to lose any of the clips from the fan directors as these will have to come out and there is a very small circular bit of bright metal that regulates the fan speed that if you loose will stop the fan from working, found this out the hard way. Good luck.

Andy

johnbird · Post by **johnbird** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:57 pm

if you move the arm manually with your fingers there is a corresponding change of direction in the knob.its not a positive action though.i get the feeling the wire is sticking or perhaps snagged somewhere? the knob will move but returns to roughly the corresponding place i leave the arm at manually. i really dont fancy blundering about blindly behind the dash. i checked the antifreeze today as part of my weekly maintenance of the fleet and it was a lovely clear orange colour.the service history appears pretty faultless so im not convinced the car has a furred up tap now? i guess my procrastenation is avoiding the inevitable strip down and inspect/repair. the weather is poor and my back is killing me.........

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:34 am

This is a reply that I got from Chris - Doc Chevron - a couple of years back when I had a similar issue.. maybe this is helpful?

Ah the tap.... Right...
It's fiddly as fuck on a RHD drive car, but MUCH easier on a LHD car, so you're laughing! (Ish)
First thing to do is release the bowden clip that secures the operating cable to the tap, the cable runs up to the control knob on the dash for hot / cold.
Disconnect the inner part of the cable from the swing arm, then soak the metal plunger that disappears into the plastic body of the tap with penetrating fluid (a good fluid, not shite like WD40), then go to the pub and have a few jars.
After leaving it for 3/4 hours get your hand round the back end of the metal swing arm and gently move it up and down. It will not want to move, dont force it, but keep applying gentle but firm pressure, after anywhere between 2 minutes and 3 days it'll move a greater distance in both directions, keep going untill full movement is achieved, then reattach the inner part of the cable. Hold the outer part of the cable against the tap body and refit the bowden clip, I find it easier to use a long bar to press on it rather than using hand pressure alone.
Then gently work the control knob on the dash back and forth and you should find full use is available!
Never failed yet, just a bloody long process sometimes!

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:59 am

I notice the essential part:

then go to the pub and have a few jars.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:09 am

/\ that's the only bit I've done so far!
I've got this problem on my 16v which had been bodged with a piece of wire sticking out into the passenger footwell in place of the infinately more convenient knob.

johnbird · Post by **johnbird** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:53 pm

so basically doc is saying that the inner cable is sticking in the outer sheath? sounds pretty feasible to me.thanks for that,john.

Post by **docchevron** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:00 am

no no, I'm saying undo the cable from the tap before working the tap!
It's never the cable that sticks, but the tap itself, either through gunge inside the unit or, if it never gets moved usually, the linkage can seize like.

johnbird · Post by **johnbird** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:27 am

my only confusion is that when you work the flap with your fingers it moves very easily and smoothly.if the cable was sound i imagine it would cope with the resistance im feeling.you are wholly more experienced in these matters than me so i will probably have to make plans to remove the panel to access it.is the grey panel by the left knee a part of the whole dash? it looks it.there doesnt seem to be enough room to access the mechanism by simply removing the steering wheel cowl assembly?

Post by **docchevron** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:07 pm

wait, what flap are you moving? the arm on top of the tap??