My heater control box has gone mad

[RUSSELLM]

Right then, last week, my battery died a death. Now I'm not sure if it was the old battery dying, the new battery going on or purely coincidence, but my heater control box has gone mad.

The car came back on Friday, with the air con stuck on, but the blue light wasn't fully on, it had a dim glow to it.

I popped back to the garage on Saturday to see if they'd accidentally unplugged the heater control, but they hadn't been near it. On opening the panel, the heater control fell on the floor. Mike the mechanic, he's not in a group , pushed the ribbon back in & it started working, sort of.

The cold air fan doesn't work, but the hot air fan is making the heater controls go through a weird cycle.

Press it once = Air con light illuminated
press it again = Hot & cold air blow with air con light on
press it again = Heated rear screen & air con illuminated
press it again = Hot & cold air & heated rear screen
press it again = Air con light illuminated.... etc etc....

I think it's possessed.

I only caught a quick glimpse while he was fiddling around, but there appears to be two sets of connectors which have been glued in.

If I manage to unplug these will it, drop the power off to the box & reset it ?

Are there any psychics out there, that can communicate with my car ?

Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 14th May 09:48

[southendpier]

RUSSELLM said:

but the blue light wasn't fully on

hmm, they all do that don't they? Cerbera dim blue light?

RUSSELLM said:

If I manage to unplug these will it, drop the power off to the box & reset it ?

Be worth seeing if you can get a replacement first. I think the cable replacement on the heaters is a beeeatch.

[RUSSELLM]

No, the blue air con light is bright & shiny when it's on.

But it seems to have developed a faint glow.

Unless I turn the hot air on, then it lights up fully again.

[jbvipercerb]

I had some wier faults with the heater and air con, in the end the screw that holds up the under dash panel was through the ribbon, bridging the wires. I roughly stripped the copper strips back and soldered them together.
If the ribbon is ok maybe the ribbon has been plugged back on in the wrong position ie. not on all the pins, or upside down? Its worth a look.

[RUSSELLM]

Thanks, I'll have a look after work.

How do you get the panel to drop by the passengers feet ?

What's holding it up ?

[jbvipercerb]

From what I remember you need to pull out the mat off the floor, then the toe board will just pull out from the bottom, its hooked up on the inside of the bottom of the dash.
Once these are off you can see the heating control box, plug and ribbon. Ensure the ribbon is over all the pins on the plug, if thats ok turn the ribbon upside down it will fit both ways.
Hope this works

[Mr Freefall]

RUSSELLM said:

Right then, last week, my battery died a death. Now I'm not sure if it was the old battery dying, the new battery going on or purely coincidence, but my heater control box has gone mad.

The car came back on Friday, with the air con stuck on, but the blue light wasn't fully on, it had a dim glow to it.

I popped back to the garage on Saturday to see if they'd accidentally unplugged the heater control, but they hadn't been near it. On opening the panel, the heater control fell on the floor. Mike the mechanic, he's not in a group , pushed the ribbon back in & it started working, sort of.

The cold air fan doesn't work, but the hot air fan is making the heater controls go through a weird cycle.

Press it once = Air con light illuminated
press it again = Hot & cold air blow with air con light on
press it again = Heated rear screen & air con illuminated
press it again = Hot & cold air & heated rear screen
press it again = Air con light illuminated.... etc etc....

I think it's possessed.

I only caught a quick glimpse while he was fiddling around, but there appears to be two sets of connectors which have been glued in.

If I manage to unplug these will it, drop the power off to the box & reset it ?

Are there any psychics out there, that can communicate with my car ?

Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 14th May 09:48

There are two problems here.

1) The bolts that go through the housing are also the heat sink plates. These get all corroded up and that could be your problem. But, be warned, the box is a very very poor design, and if you pull it apart, you in for a bit of a messy job.

2) The two-circuit board that are resting on top of each other in the casing are joined by some small resistors, that sometime fracture. If one of these have, then you will need to solder this snapped one back together. Unless you are an expert in the DIY solder game, and get the right resistor, do not try and remove, just simply repair.

Once you have done this, then plug is all back together (be careful and the two leads can be revered and plugged back in the wrong way by mistake) at try it out again.

I have had mine apart twice, one in the middle of last winter, when I really needed it, and secondly after the ECU was removed, the cables were pulled and broke another connector, so I had to do it all again.

These are very fragile boxes. But I do know where you can get reconditioned replacements...

Mr F

[ancol]

sounds like the ribbon may have been fitted 180 deg out

[RUSSELLM]

Yep, cheers guys.

Horizon fitted the battery, and from there place to my house, isn't the greatest road surface in the world, and that led to the heater control box coming away from the ribbon.

There was no velcro on the box, so I guess the ribbon was holding the box to the car.

Anyhoo, as prescribed, the ribbon was put in the wrong way round, but it's all sorted now, and I'm a happy, hot / cold, bunny

[ancol]

bloody hell russ that dosnt bode well for me and my cerb then, mines going in friday for service hope it dosnt shake to pieces on the roads round cradley

[RUSSELLM]

Hi Andy.

From Rowley I have to negotiate A little island in "Old hill", and the road surface is like the "big one" at Blackpool.

On the return journey, I turn out of Mike's estate & go up the hill. Just before you go under the bridge, there's an almighty hole in the road.

Look out for that mother

[ancol]

cheers for that advice russ i will try another route back to wolvo then