The right way to fit a heater control cable

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Middle29
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Re: The right way to fit a heater control cable

Post by Middle29 »

Maybe your blower is up the spout. Mine doesn't do anything on the 3rd setting but number 2 is pretty blowy...

The bottom lever you won't feel as it goes into the cabin at the back.

TOP LEVER: The "defrost" lever. This lever operates a cable that moves flaps in the air distribution box, increasing or decreasing fresh airflow to the windshield and front door windows. The air flows via the four air ducts on the top surface of the dashboard (numbered "1" and "2" in your owner's manual, page 45). The air controlled by this lever can be either cool or heated air, depending on where the second lever is positioned.

SECOND LEVER: The next lever down is the "heater" lever. It operates a cable that controls the heater valve(s). On air-cooled models, there are two cables that are about a mile long and go all the way back to the engine heater "flaps" on the heater boxes mounted to the engine, one on each side. On water-cooled models, this lever controls a single cable that is only about three feet long and operates a water "heater valve," located right behind the radiator cooling fan outside the vehicle (or right behind the glove box inside the vehicle on 1982 water-cooled diesel models). In either case, this lever controls the temperature of the air entering the vehicle.

THIRD LEVER: This lever operates a cable that moves flaps in the air distribution box, increasing or decreasing air flow to your feet. This air flows via an air duct assembly just in front of the gear shift lever. On some diesel models there is a false floor down the aisle way which ducts air to the rear passenger area. (On 83-91 water-cooled gasoline powered Vanagons, there is an entirely separate heater under the rear bench seat for the rear passenger area, the operation of which is described in your owner's manual on page 46.) The air controlled by the third lever can be either ambient or heated air, depending on where the second lever is positioned.

BOTTOM LEVER: This is the rear passenger fresh air control lever. This lever operates a cable that moves flaps in the air distribution box under the dashboard, increasing or decreasing fresh airflow to the rear passenger area. Fresh air that enters the air distribution box is diverted to metal ducts under the dashboard which conduct air to the right and left front door jambs. In the front left and right forward door jams there are rectangular gaskets that connect the doors to these ducts. There are still more ducts welded inside each front door through which air flows and exits out of the rear door jamb, through a funny looking plastic oval grill thingy with a furry seal around it. You can see this when you open the door and look just under the door latch. Then the air flows up inside the body section behind the front doors, and then rearward into the fresh air ducts along the roof in the rear passenger area. On camper models, the left steel duct under the dashboard is plugged so air can't flow through the left door. This is because, on campers, there are no air vents in the rear passenger area above the stove and fridge galley. You will find the oval grill thingy missing on the left door (see pic #1 below). I wish I had a dollar for every time a camper owner insisted on buying an oval furry vent thingy for the left door because it was "missing." It is supposed to be missing!

1990 Atlantic Westy Pop-Top... 1.9TD

Smcknighty
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Re: The right way to fit a heater control cable

Post by Smcknighty »

Useful thanks - the motor makes speed based noises but no significant amount of air at all

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ghost123uk
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Re: The right way to fit a heater control cable

Post by ghost123uk »

I'm not going to read back through this thread, but do you reckon your cables are actually moving the flaps inside the heater box?

Also, the flaps in my heater box were in a pretty bad way (when I stripped it to replace the motor). One of them had come off it's mounting / hinge and both of them had virtually no foam seal left. I used a mixture of grey foam stuck on with Evostick, and some of the foam draft excluder around the edges to fix them. Of course, you can't examine yours without a major dash out job :evil: but I guess you can look see if the arms on the box move in unison with the cables.
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here

Smcknighty
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Re: The right way to fit a heater control cable

Post by Smcknighty »

I'll have to take a bit more of a look. I assumed that the fan was just old and not up to much.

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steveo9007
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Re: The right way to fit a heater control cable

Post by steveo9007 »

Hi all,

I am after the black covers that go on to the sliding levers, anyone able to know of a source where to get these from.

Many thanks

* Found - seems like they are in abundance on the net *
1985 RHD Pop Top Autosleeper, 1.7D KY Engine 4 Speed ALD Gearbox (Bertie)

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