Removal of Heater Unit Cover??

[Palomino]

Hi,

I'm probably missing something obvious but how does the big plastic cover on the heater unit at the bottom of the dashboard, just behind the gear lever come off? I can't see any screws or clips and it moves about when I try and force it off but it wont budge. I need to get in there cos the heater is stuck on open. Its a 1989 2.1 watercooled.

Thanks in advance for any help

Phil

[1664]

It just pulls off but has a couple of retaining tabs that kind of hold it at the bottom of the horizontal section at the top. If it's stuck, grab it either side of the top section and jiggle it up/down/side to side while pulling at the same time. That's what I do at any rate; one side of mine is easy to separate, the other side's a right bitch....

[ghost123uk]

I need to get in there cos the heater is stuck on open. Its a 1989 2.1 watercooled.

As 1664 says, just pull and jiggle, no screws, however, your heater valve is not under there In fact there is nothing of interest under there. Your heater valve is underneath the front of the van, means getting on your back I am afraid

[Palomino]

Thanks both,

I thought there might be an open and close flap or something under there? We're getting a cold draft on our feet all the time and none of the controls make any difference although the draft becomes warm if we switch on the heater.

Cheers

Phil

[1664]

Not sure if you can access the flaps from there or not. The heater controls work like bicycle brakes, a stiff wire within an outer metallic sheath. Sometimes these 'kink' behind the heater sliders control fascia so when you move the slider the wire bends instead of moving along the inside of the outer sheath. The lower slider operates the foot well heater flaps (on a three slider set up).

[ghost123uk]

No you cannot get at the flaps easily that way

But as said above, it may not be the actual flaps themselves, more likely the cables behind the actual control panel where the knobs are and that is easy to get off, or even more likely the actual heater water valve (as mentioned above = under the front of the van) may be stuck or otherwise in need of attention.

Assuming of course that plenty of HOT coolant is getting up to the front ?

If I had this problem, I would check that valve is actually opening and closing, if it is I would then bleed the whole system (with heater set to ON) and see if that helps.

[Palomino]

Yep its the cable. Its kinked and the and appears to have snapped off. I'm hoping I can withdraw the old one easily and replace it with a length of piano wire without removing anything else. But of course nothing's ever that easy.

Chhers

Phil