Heater question-URGENT
Discussion
I've just spent thousands--Yes, THOUSANDS !!--getting the heater on my '97 V8 fixed (new matrix) Hadit back not a month and the hot/cold knob and distribution knob felt a lot stiffer than before. Used the heater for the first time today and after only a few turns, the hot/cold knob has stopped working ! This means that it is almost certain that the cable has snapped. Question is this: Has anyone ever had a heater cable snap and has anyone ever replaced one ? I need to be armed with this information urgently so as I can use it when I confront the (Lotus main) dealer who replaced the matrix. Thanks !
In my car the cable actuallt melted though and then bacame one with the outer housing. How it got this hot i cant even imagine. I just bypassed mine and just turn it on/off a few times a year when the weather changes. But looking at whats involved this should take a relatively skilled mechanic who has never seen an esprit before about 2 hours. A good lotus mechanic can probably bang it out in a hour flat.
toyroom said:
No, I can see it and it's snapped !
John,
Is it snapped right after the clamp, just where the turn-knob mechanism is ? There are two screw-clamps one for the inner cable-wire and another one for the outer sleeve. This cable likes to snap right next to the clamp. if it is like this, just remove a bit from the outer sleeve and reinstall it. My S4s also liked to do this quite regularly ...
Marcus
This happened on my S4s 96 model this year. You shouldn't need a new cable. Take the panel of and also the nut holding the heater knob. It's best to take your stereo out too to give you more space to work.
Push the heater knob through the casing and you will then be able to retrieve it through the stereo hole. Now you can work on it.
There is enough cable to cut back the outer plastic part and refix the solid steel centre to the clamp. Undo the clamp and remove the broken bit.
Now cut back the outer plastic using a craft knife. Do use pliers or wire cutters as you may cut the centre.
Now reattach the cable to the clamp and also the outer cable to the outher clamp.
If you are unsure how much to cut then measure the broken piece and this should be how much you need to cut off the outer cable.
The whole job including taking the stereo and panel off takes abotu an hour.
You mentioned that you can see the broken cable so this should only take you 20-30 mins.
Hope this helps,
Dave Walters
ps. A tip for operating these type of heater controls, turn slowly NOT fast and sharp movements as the inner cable is brittle and will snap the same as last time
Push the heater knob through the casing and you will then be able to retrieve it through the stereo hole. Now you can work on it.
There is enough cable to cut back the outer plastic part and refix the solid steel centre to the clamp. Undo the clamp and remove the broken bit.
Now cut back the outer plastic using a craft knife. Do use pliers or wire cutters as you may cut the centre.
Now reattach the cable to the clamp and also the outer cable to the outher clamp.
If you are unsure how much to cut then measure the broken piece and this should be how much you need to cut off the outer cable.
The whole job including taking the stereo and panel off takes abotu an hour.
You mentioned that you can see the broken cable so this should only take you 20-30 mins.
Hope this helps,
Dave Walters
ps. A tip for operating these type of heater controls, turn slowly NOT fast and sharp movements as the inner cable is brittle and will snap the same as last time
Yes indeed ! I was born in Walton, live in Widnes and work in St Helens. Whereabouts do you live ? What car do you have and.... can you do me a favour? Run your engine up, set the heater on cold and fan on full and direction to windscreen. Now, is the air coming from the binnacle vent a bit warm whilst the other is cold ??? The dealer has fixed the heater with this being the only anomaly. Could the air be getting heated by the water pipes as they pass into the matrix ? Presumably the valve is shut as the other vent is cold !
The problem is warm air from the driver side windscreen vent and cold air from the passenger windscreen and both footwells when the heater is on fully cold. See the other heater urgent thread for the answer (well the nature of the problem anyway) Your car will be different anyway 'cause it's post 1998 and will have an electically operated valve.
I know what that problem is, I once found a spare hose on my S4s and thought it had fallen of the heater. Found a spare port on the heater and plugged it in. It all went pear shaped, I was getting hot and cold out of different vents when I didn't want it. Check to see if they have put the hoses on the right ports!
If you are unsure then pop the car over to PNM in Wallasey and they will sort it out for you. They are 2 mins from Wallasey tunnel 0151 630 6101 ask for Pete.
>> Edited by superdave on Monday 28th November 09:59
If you are unsure then pop the car over to PNM in Wallasey and they will sort it out for you. They are 2 mins from Wallasey tunnel 0151 630 6101 ask for Pete.
>> Edited by superdave on Monday 28th November 09:59
See other heater thread for part of the answer. The valve isn't closing fully when the heater is set to fully cold and the hot water in the pipe to the matrix is heating the duct to the driver windscreen vent whilst the matrix itself is cold due to the draught from the fan, hence, a trickle of hot water means hot inlet pipe and driver side windscreen air duct but cold matrix and cold passenger windscreen vent and both footwells. I know the ducts are all in the right place because I put them there after the dealer had put them in the wrong places !!!
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