Date:         Tue, 21 Nov 1995 21:38:51 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         smitht@unb.ca (Tim Smith)
Subject:      Re: Dashboard disassembly

>while my face burns red.  So the dealer wants a meager $12 for the part but
>wants $390.00 to install it. Gulp.  Being a reasonable guy, I thought I might
>tap some of this expertise and have a go at doing it myself.

Amazing what a $12 part really costs you!!

  Check your cable out carefully by pulling off the lever knobs and the fan
knob.  Then pry off the cover plate by sliding to one side a bit.  I would
bet that your cable has broken off near the lever, about in front of your
face, where there is a sharp kink. Usually the wire has kinked itself
elsewhere from binding when you pushed, it breaks at the nice sharp kink VW
put in when they made it, hmmm...
          If you can see the culprit, you may be able to do a splice job,
small brass tube over both bits of 'cable' (actually a fat single steel
strand) get a good soldering iron, flux, and bleed the solder into the
joint, watch where it drips!  I have NOT done this please note.
  Or you may be able to rig a new cable end on using a piece of wire looped
through the lever and overlapping the existing bit.  Make a small clamp by
drilling a 1/8" hole through a smallish bolt next to the head.  Stuff the
two new and one old bit of wire through the hole in opposite directions, add
a washer and nut, then tighten and you are done.  This is of course
adjustable.  I HAVE done this fix, it works fine.  Works on heater box
control flaps those those who heat with air and other gasses.
        The $390 is four+ hours VW labour for dash re/re, it'll take you 6-8
<g> so figure on a weekend if you are going in.  Free advice, lube the
blower fan motor if you are in there, they seem to have around a 6-7 year
life before they start to howl. In fact lube everything you see that moves!!
Especially the heat control cables!


>So, I'm looking for a recommendation of a book that will walk me through the

Big, green, spelled B-E-N-T-L-E-Y,  takes a wad of green to purchase too,
$60-90, you have no other choice, and it will pay for itself, eg:$390<g>.
Welcome to the fold, Tim Smith