Technical Heating Flow Valve Access

[portland_bill]

Whilst I thinnk a parking ticket is possibly a bit big to get inside the heater, other stuff does. The pollen filter will catch such things coming in from outside, so even dead leaves will stop there. Stuff can fall into any vent, but needs to be small enough to get past the vanes in each outlet, unless a small person has been left unattended some time in the car's life. Holes will be filled, I understand.

Does the vent flap have some sort of seal around its edge? Last time I was inside a heater, (early eighties) they all had a foam edge. Foam can swell if damp, so any leakage of the heater matrix, can later lead to flap stiffness, so needs checking of course while you're in there.

There have been a few posts about these failures, not seen a diagnosed cause yet. Is it just fatigue of a marginal component, or was there something else we can try to alleviate before a failure? If the answer becomes apparent, it would be appreciated. Thanks, and good luck.

I'm guessing that the heater can be dismantled in the car, just won't come out past the metal crossbar. A horrid job cramped inside, you have my sympathy.

 

[eamonnc]

Success of sorts.

Ive taken off the lower dash, underneath the dash

[I've had to remove photo link as it's my 1st post]

that thing in the centre controls a flap. the one on the left controls the vents to the foot well. the one on the right I assume controls the flap through the heater matrix. I know this because

A. the spindle is broken off
B. It actuates when I turn the temperature down, and not when i use the vent controls..

so now a question of repair. hopefully epoxy will fix it. but we shall see.

Useful photo, I also have zero heat.
In the photo, does “the one on the right” mean the one with the white plastic attachment? Mine looks the same. Should the “broken off spindle” be seen in this photo if it wasn’t broken off? I don’t know what spindle is being referred to. None of this turns when I up the heat temperature buttons from 16˚ to 32˚. Above 32 to HI, the white plastic cranks clockwise. Below 16 to LOW, the white plastic cranks clockwise. When I select a different vent, screen or foot-well, the white plastic turns clockwise. If I turn the a/c on, there’s no movement of the white plastic. Surely this just a vent actuator, not a heat flap one. Surely something should be cranking the heat flap by degrees between 16-32. I can’t see it at this actuator and I can’t hear anything elsewhere.

 

[DaveMcT]

The issue is that the actuator moves but the spindle to the flap valve breaks off so the flap stays put. It's further confused by air pressure moving the now floppy flap.

Remove each actuator and look at the spindle behind.

 

[Wazzzer]

I think it was 1mm steel

 

[benj111]

Useful photo, I also have zero heat.
In the photo, does “the one on the right” mean the one with the white plastic attachment? Mine looks the same. Should the “broken off spindle” be seen in this photo if it wasn’t broken off? I don’t know what spindle is being referred to. None of this turns when I up the heat temperature buttons from 16˚ to 32˚. Above 32 to HI, the white plastic cranks clockwise. Below 16 to LOW, the white plastic cranks clockwise. When I select a different vent, screen or foot-well, the white plastic turns clockwise. If I turn the a/c on, there’s no movement of the white plastic. Surely this just a vent actuator, not a heat flap one. Surely something should be cranking the heat flap by degrees between 16-32. I can’t see it at this actuator and I can’t hear anything elsewhere.

Sorry, could have been clearer. the one on the right side of the dash, in the drivers footwell. its identical to the one you see in the centre of that picture. that picture is taken on the left side of the dash, in the passenger footwell.

 

[benj111]

I think it was 1mm steel

ok. I suspect mines stuck then. might have to get busy with the dremel :-/

thanks.

 

[eamonnc]

Thanks for the replies over the last two days, much appreciated

I haven't had time to look under the dashboard again since Saturday, I should be able to do so tomorrow, Tues.

 

[eamonnc]

I got the actuator off from the UK driver side, the heater flap and there’s a plastic stub that’s snapped off the heater flap. No sign of a metal spindle, just plastic. Is that possible? I’ve messaged Small Car services (as recommended by Portland Bill in the 2nd post of this thread) to ask what sort of repair he could do to give me back normal heating control. I don’t know if the flap is stiff or stuck at the moment. I’d have to drill into the plastic and try and turn it to find out. I don’t want to drill into the centre where the stub has snapped off if there’s a spindle there, so would like to know mine doesn’t have a spindle which is how it looks to me.

I do have an issue with the actuator but will mention that later.

2005 Panda 4x4

 

[Kbroth66]

Hi pal sorry for hi jacking your thread but I’m having same issues with my daughter 500 twin air and wondered if you managed to sort out the fix?
Cheers

 

[Wazzzer]

The whole assembly is a soft plastic - no metal spindle as standard; this is the issue.

The black part you find in the middle of the white cog on the actuator is the stub while turns the cold/hot air flap as required so you can see why this breaks after all the years of stress.

 

[portland_bill]

Small Car Services might be reluctant to tell us all how he fixes these.
I'm wondering is cutting a slot in the end of the flap spindle with a tiny disc on a dremel, then connecting this to the actuator with a washer might work. If it doesn't, things will of course be worse.
The repair kit on eBay seems to replace the flap and add a metal spindle, but of course requires the heater out, or at least dismantled, so not the repais that SCS do.

 

[varesecrazy]

There are LOTS of these threads around .. as the heater box is common to 500 and panda.. and very similar in all the puntos for last 15 years

Somebody used a small 6mm - 1/4 in hex bit


On a 1990's tipo I drilled and tapped.. to add a steel screw as a spindle

 

[DaveMcT]

My suggestion is drill into the spindle through the broken stub and fit a steel or brass spindle. Lock it into place with a split pins.

 

[benj111]

Just to feedback as to what I've done.

I went with Wazzzers idea of melting a piece of metal (i used a metal pen clip) into the heater end. then i epoxied the other end into the motor assembly. the half gear piece pulls off the motor assembly anyway so that the motor can still be replaced if needed.

for alignment, mine was cold so I whacked the aircon down to minimum before disconnecting the flap motor.

i don't know how people are getting drills and stuff in there, theres barely line of sight.

I was going to cut it open, but between not knowing where the heater matrix pipes are, and the alignment of the flaps, i thought better of it. so if anyone has a delve, some photos would be useful.


Anyway Its been working ok for me over the christmas period, so a success?