Date:         Tue, 24 Jun 1997 12:08:33 -0600 (MDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jack Reed <jack@nts.gssc.com>
Subject:      Re: VANAGON digest 1403

> From: mholser@Adobe.COM (Malcolm Holser)
> To: vanagon@lenti, rj@sportsx.com
> Subject: Re: Fuzzy Gasket
> Message-ID: <199706232143.OAA14519@natasha.>
> 
> I'll try this one.  The Vanagon (and I presume Caravelle) versions had
> vents in the upper rear cabin area for fresh air.  There are four levers
> on the dash control.  The fourth (bottom) lever opens a fresh-air flap
> at the bottom of the heater unit.  This allows air to travel through a
> metal channel in the dash (which makes it a bitch to get to anything
> under there, through the doors, up the door posts and through to the back
> vents.  The Transporters all seem to lack this lever, flap, gaskets and
> vents.  The early Westfalias were built from Kombi models, and also lacked
> these.  Later Westies were built from "Camper" bases, and this feature was 
> on these.  I have only seen the vents on the passenger side, and the
> driver's side probably does nothing (I don't have a late westies, so please
> correct me!).  The passenger versions have vents on both sides (two per
> side in the rear).  I am busy adding these vents to my doublecab, but have
> not started to change the heater unit to one with the proper flap.  The
> DC has fixed rear windows (as does the Kombi) and really *needs* the
> ventilation.  
> 
> The blue lever on the lower doors does not connect to this system on any of
> my versions.  It is also not covered in my owner's manuals.  I have no idea
> what (if anything) this contraption does!  I am a believer that VW never
> spent a cent they did not have to.  Anybody know what the blue lever does?
> My '80 is in the Bay Area so I can't check, but I thought the function of
> this thing was covered in *that* owner's manual.

Just to add my $0.02, there are 3 levers on my 81 Westy.  The top lever
controls defrost or feet heat, the middle is the temp control and the
lower controls the flap that directs heat past the vent between the seats.
Hope I've confused everyone now, since we all seem to have slightly
different systems.

Jack