Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 14:52:38 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: trip out west
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimWQ-h5RqhJioM9w+ZOkiZ8F0cvm2CFqkufuVpP@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Jake, you know if we drive these beasts we're supposed to be creative in handling all the oddball things that go wrong ;-), he said with a smile. DMc
---- Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dave, just replace the OEM heater valve or have it replaced.
>
> End of problem...
>
> Jake
>
> On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 10:40 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > I appreciate all the responses concerning the heater. It is somewhat of an
> > ordeal to drive in the heat of the SW with the heater running. Closing the
> > vents doesn't keep absolutely all the hot air out.
> >
> > So, I took out the cover below the heater controls and in front of the
> > shifter. Lots of wires, pipes, and presumably cables running through there,
> > along with heater hoses. Good access point, thanks for the tip. Now, I
> > can't tell which conduits in there are cables. No cables are visible,
> > everything is inside conduits of some sort. Most of the things are
> > electrical wires, some look like they convey fluids (two small metal pipes
> > that might be brake fluid related?) in addition to the coolant hoses. I can
> > barely see the slider that controls the coolant valve for the heater, and
> > when I operate it, I can't see anything move except the slider itself. I
> > cannot see what it is connected to. I squeezed each conduit that I could
> > squeeze with my fingers while operating the slider, and could find nothing
> > that moved that way, either.
> >
> > Could it be that a kink in the cable is unlikely, that in my model ('91) VW
> > had fixed that problem by putting the cable inside conduit so that it would
> > run smoothly? Which is more likely, that the cable is broken, or that the
> > valve is bad. I am not contortionist enough to reach where the cable would
> > connect to the slider and reattach it if it is broken there.
> >
> > So, what that is in there is or contains the cable to the heater valve?
> >
> > I did see that this would be a good access point to put clamps on the hoses
> > so that the coolant would be shut off, or to put in an auxiliary valve. The
> > problem with the auxiliary valve installation is that one would have to get
> > down in there to turn the heater on or off. In this climate, one does not
> > always want heat even in winter (or at least I don't, since I am almost
> > always embarked on some outdoor sort of activity and dressed appropriately
> > when I drive the van in winter). But I suppose in winter one could leave
> > the heater on, and just use the vent control to keep the hot air from
> > flowing in -- that wouldn't be the same problem it is when the outside
> > temperature is 100 F +, and ANY warm air intruding is problematic.
> >
> > Thanks, David
> >
> > ---- george jannini <georgejoann@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > > Re, heat control...
> > >
> > > >> It now won't turn off, so we had to shut the heater vents for the
> > > entire trip home. Any simple fixes? No, of course not. The valve is
> > > stuck open, and can only be gotten to by removing the dash. I
> > > probably won't tackle this job myself, and so will pay considerably
> > > for it. <<
> > >
> > > This is pretty easy to diagnose by yourself.
> > >
> > > You might have a kinked cable, happened to me way back when, and is
> > > fairly easy to access by yourself from underneath the dash. Remove
> > > the cover that's in front of the shifter (fingers into the
> > > grilles...pull) for access.
> > >
> > > The heater valve itself is underneath the bus- drop the spare tire
> > > and it's easy to spot. Make sure it's closed all the way. If it is
> > > and you still have heat, and assuming the cable's adjusted properly
> > > and not kinked it'll need to be replaced.
> > >
> > > Geo/ATL
> >
> > --
> > David McNeely
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
--
David McNeely
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