Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 15:54:20 -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: <032301cb3410$1fd3b3c0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
So Scott, you are telling us that replacing the OEM valve will do no good, that it is the cable that needs attention.
Being new to this beast, I had no idea that maintenance of this type was necessary. On most automotive heaters, the lever on the dash directly controls the heater coolant valve, no cables involved. I'll take another look, boy it's tight in there. Have to remove the instrument cluster, huh? May be getting into more than I want to tack myself. Do I really need to remove the cluster, or just the cover? Thanks, DMc
---- Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
> just about every vanagon I see needs this simple adjustment/repair on the
> heater control cable.
>
> why it screws up -
> it's a dumb design basically ..
> when you increase temp , ( Moving temp lever right ) you are pulling the
> inner cable out of the outer one.
> When you move the lever left, you are pushing the inner cable back into the
> outer one.
> The arrangement is such that there's almost an inch and a half of inner
> cable that needs to be bushed back into the outer cable from the full 'hot'
> position.
>
> that cable is either going to slide back into the outer cable, or it's not
> going to, in which case it kinks.
> Then your heater valve is always stuck on a little.
> If that cable would get spray lubed once a year, or once every 5 years
> even, it might not happen.
> The geometry of the lever and cable doesn't help either quite.
>
> the repair is remove instrument cluster and ash tray ..
> and carefully straighten out the bent temp control cable with a needle nose
> pliers ..
> and spray lube the cable and levers generously.
>
> for the deluxe repair ..
> undo the 7mm screw that holds the cable in the bracket there ..
> and unhook the cable from the lever ..
> lift the cable up so you can gravity feed a high quality spray lube down
> into the cable...
> then straighten the bent part, run the cable in and out a buncha times until
> it's really smooth.
> but it all back together and adjust.
> that'll fix it.
>
> Remember, it is always wrong to service, lube, or adjust anything on the
> entire van before it ceases to work at all.
>
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jake de Villiers" <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 11:28 AM
> Subject: Re: trip out west
>
>
> > 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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