Thread: Goals for todays workday

Loads of photos please, and good luck. I'll be on the same path soon

Stop the clock. Done. Solo. With approximately one thousand four hundred interruptions from my three kids under 9.

I have a lot to say about it. I took photos, but many didnt turn out very well. I think I can describe things well enough. I learnt stuff.

Details after dinner and beer.

Originally Posted by glenhendry

Start time: 4:37am.

That's 5 hours before I get out of bed!

I had a significant notion of blend motor replacement wrong in my head. The bible on rr.net here, is excellent, largely due to the efforts of our own Ron, but it misses out a part, the routing of the new motors and harnesses.

I put this off for so long because I had previously not been able to work out how to get the cigarette packet sized blend motors into their positions through the gap between the console frame and heater box. The gap was not big enough. I wanted to install the entire set of three blend motors that I bought in one piece without cutting or mangling them. Trying to push the motors forward (towards the bonnet), they wont fit through the gap between console frame and heater box. The obvious answer I came to is to remove the pins from the connector plug ONLY for the left hand temp blend motor. Only then can you push the two right hand wires (with the connector plug still attached) from front to back (towards the back seat) starting from where the blend motors are eventually positioned. The connector and wires can fit through the gap that the motor couldnt. Its a hard fit to get the connector down behind the horizontal metal bar runnang across the heater box (see pic here and here), but some gentle levering give you the space you need to get the old connector out and the new connector in.

Then you do the same for the left hand side, then route all cables into the console area behind the radio and hevac (from blend motor position towards the back seat, front to back) and reattach the 5 pins from the left blend motor back into the connector.

Pulling the pins from the connector plug is described in RAVE, but awfully. The plug is nothing like the picture. I used a multimeter probe to 'unlock' each pin from the connector. It was the right size, length and strength. To unlock the pin, you push the probe from the bottom, into the large hole associated with the pin, not the small hole, as that is for the data in the HEVAC connector. You have to push it in a fair way, and then it still takes some effort to pull the wire and pin out, I used needle nose pliers to grip the wire. Dont forget to unclip the top top rails from the connector itself as these hold the pins in.

As for access. The left hand side (passenger on RHD vehicles) is easy. Rip out the glove box and gbox surround. Then the vertical duct is definitely in the way, but it is FAR easier to rotate to get it out of the way. Disconnect the top of it as per RR.net pic, and then disconnect the bottom of the vertical duct from the centre console duct and push it forwards, towards the firewall to give you access to the blend motor. Getting the heater flap in the correct position for the blend motor gear to engage is tricky as you cant easily move the blend motor gears by hand, and I wasnt game to force it.

For right hand side access, Heath and I have had an ongoing disagreement with Ron about the removability of the vertical duct on the right hand side. I dont like to disagree with Ron in general, but that duct doesnt come out without the dash coming off in my opinion. After doing the left hand side I totally agree with him, for the left, but for the right hand side it needs to be cut. Thankfully, a rope saw and some duct tape and all is good again afterward.

It took me about 12 hours, but I did other mods too (see the result here). I added the heated seat HEVAC control, and I moved the LPG/petrol switch from on the switch panel to inside the cubby box, and I installed a "EAS compressor on" light in the spare slot on the switch pack along side the "start engine off dual battery" momentary switch.

Now maybe someone can help me, why do I still have the exclamation mark after replacing the blend motors?! I have hot and cold air, and good air distribution. Perhaps I have an existing fault registered that needs to be cleared?

Also, I installed a new HEVAC control with heated seat buttons. The button lights up, but I felt no heat in the seat after 5 minutes. There is no difference in the connectors in the HEVAC unit, and since I believe we have heating elements in the seats, I wonder what I am missing. Wiring to the seats?

If you give it a crack in the next few weeks while I still have it fresh, buzz me on 0414 678 888 if you need to bounce something off me.

Good work Glen.

I would have dropped in if I had read this earlier !

Looks like you've given it a good clean up as well, looks like new !

Dave

Excellent write up Glen.

Heated Seats in Brisbane... what the?

I'm guessing there is still a persistent fault in the HEVAC that hasn't cleared. If it is just the blend motor calibration fault, it should clear once the motors sort themselves out.

Cheers, Paul.

Silly question, have you put relays in for the heated seats? I notice the vacant space in my relay box for them?

Cheers
Keithy

Originally Posted by Keithy P38

Silly question, have you put relays in for the heated seats? I notice the vacant space in my relay box for them?

Cheers
Keithy

Not silly, genius. I havent checked. I will do tonight.

My box is pretty chock though. Even if there is a gap, I reckon we will have to be pretty lucky to have the wiring underneath it hey?