Climate Control

Controller Removal

A question came up on the list regarding removal of the controller. Here's a blow by blow--

The center vent gets removed by pulling it straight out towards you, that is towards the rear of the car. It may or may not help to have the little damper mechanism in the open position. Just so it isn't full closed.

There's a "H"-shaped plastic trim piece that slides in around the vent, the radio, the HVAC controller and the switch plate below that. It needs to be carefully pushed up very slightly, and then pulled towards the rear of the car as you continue to move it upwards. It will help if you can press the sides of the center console back a little, allowing the two long legs of the trim piece to come out towards the rear of the car as it is pulled up and out.

Removing the radio first may allow a little more room to manipulate the bottom legs of that trim piece as you lift/pull it out.

Once that part is out, you'll see the screws that retain the HVAC controller itself, and also the screws that hold the little switch plate in. Remove the screws using a magnetic screwdriver, and you'll save some time fishing for them in the radio and the "ash receptacle" area.

There are two electrical connectors on the controller. They can be removed and installed as you extract the controller from the console, but it may be easier to remove the side panel from the console first. A screw next to the driver's seat, and the screw that attaches the underdash tray to the console are what holds the panel on. Either way, there's a large pin connector closest to the controller face on the left side, pins facing sideways, for the fan circuitry. The balance of the connection on mine is an edge connector on the driver's side toward the front of the car. Both connectors are just pull off type with no retainers or clips.

The little panel underneath has a multipin connector for the AC switch on mine, and a pigtail harness from the display reset and doorlock buttons that attaches to a harness plug in the forward right side of the console. The connector for the AC button pulls straight forward (towards the front of the car) to remove. It has no retainer or clips, and is therefore subject to accidental removal while installing the HVAC controller.

Installation is pretty much the reverse of removal. You will need to attach at least the fan connector on the HVAC controller before you rotate it in. If you don't have the side pane off the console, the other connector will need to be wrestled on first.

Several have noted that the "H"-shaped trim piece is fragile. The bottom legs end up being pulled up, bent back, and twisted slightly if the console pads aren't pushed back during removal. Even then, a well-aged part may be so brittle that it breaks off. I'm 50-50 in breakage. The good part of all this is the low cost of that part-- it was less than $10 new from Mark at 928 International, and he had it in stock when I dropped by. So before you go through the trouble of a glue job on your fragile part, consider a real replacement.

Hope this helps!

dr bob

Photos below courtesy of Kevin Jones:

Top View of Controller