3rd Gen Heater Control

[Andy W]

After months of trying to get to the bottom of my dodgy heater, I have come to the conclusion that it must be the actual controller that is dead. It will only work at either end of the scale and not in the middle ie. only gives out red hot or freezing cold air. All linkages are correct and functioning properly. It appears the controller is not sending out any signals to the dampers etc, when you ask for anything but hot or cold.

Does anyone know where I can get another controller from? (Toyota will charge the earth)

I think the 3rd Gen is different to the 2nd Gen with the addition of climate control etc.

Anyone know of a 3rd Gen being s****ped.

Andy

[komodo]

heater issue

Hi Andy,

sorry to hear of your dilema, this is exactly what has happened to ours two days ago!

Either cold or very hot, no in between!. Did you find out any more info, reply?

regards

After months of trying to get to the bottom of my dodgy heater, I have come to the conclusion that it must be the actual controller that is dead. It will only work at either end of the scale and not in the middle ie. only gives out red hot or freezing cold air. All linkages are correct and functioning properly. It appears the controller is not sending out any signals to the dampers etc, when you ask for anything but hot or cold.

Does anyone know where I can get another controller from? (Toyota will charge the earth)

I think the 3rd Gen is different to the 2nd Gen with the addition of climate control etc.

Anyone know of a 3rd Gen being s****ped.

Andy

[BUSHWHACKER]

There must be a valve somewhere in the coolant hose that goes to the heater, maybe this is cream crackered or the control that operates it?

[komodo]

Cheers for info,

could be a bit crudded up?, I may try a flush through and see if this helps? unless this has been done before and is definitly electrical?

regards

komodo

[Morr]

Can't help you in scourcing a replacement, but if you do get one, I'll buy your old one from you, I damaged the internal latching mechanism on my aircon button when changing the leds, so could swop out the button from your old unit.
Not much help I know, but may help offset the cost of your replacement unit.

[Andy W]

There must be a valve somewhere in the coolant hose that goes to the heater, maybe this is cream crackered or the control that operates it?

There is a valve which is controlled via a cable from the main damper control unit. This works fine but only moves when the hot / cold slider is either full on cold or full on hot. Any in between position does nothing to the valve.

It looks like I'm going to have to either wait for a 3rd gen to be s****ped or just take it to a main dealer as it has me completely stumped.

Like I say aircon works fine, all dampers move but I can only have complete cold or complete hot?????????

Andy (either cold or sweating!!!)

[BUSHWHACKER]

Strange. Have you checked to see if the cable isn't come loose from it's fixings somewhere? It sounds as though the cable is 'flexing' and not moving the valve.

[windsurfman]

Strange. Have you checked to see if the cable isn't come loose from it's fixings somewhere? It sounds as though the cable is 'flexing' and not moving the valve.

Had a similar problem. The cable was flexing when the electric motor (which is activated by the heater slider control) was trying to pull or push the cable.

The electric motor is situated at the bottom left of the heater unit. If you ease back the carpet and plactic cover in the passenger foot well you should be able to verify by looking at the motor and cable as you slide the heater control.

[jimbob_steele]

I've had something similar, and fixed it myself!!

Look at plastic by your left knee. There is a small grill. Behind this grill is a small thermistor. (A temperature sensitive resistor.)

There is a plastic tube (bit like a vacuum hose) which should be present over the thermistor. It sucks air from the cabin, through the grill, onto the thermistor. This tells the aircon/heating how warm/cold the cabin is.

If the tube has fallen off (perhaps because it was nudged when messing with the radio for example) then you get exactly the symptoms you describe.

You can take a few screws out (not sure exactly where, but easy to find with a torch) and get to the back of the grill. I used a strong cable tie to keep the tube in place.

Everything now works great!!

Cheers - Jimbob

[Andy W]

Well Yesterday I stripped the heater control to bits, de-soldered the potentiometer (variable resistor) that controls the heating. Stripped the potentiometer to bits, cleaned all the internals, put everything back together and it still don't work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will have a look at the tube thingy tomorrow morning after I've unblocked the drains. My youngest daughter (3) has taken to flushing things like 20 paper towels or pairs of socks down it !!!!

Andy

[komodo]

Heater Controls

I have exactly the same problem. Hot or cold with nothing in between. Fine in very cold or very hot weather.

Did you get it fixed. I have changed cable but did unblocking valve work?

[Treefrog166]

heater

took my dash to bits trying find the pipe thingy! the vent in the panel is there but inside is a large black box elec wire comming out of it no sign of the thing described! gen 3 3ltr 96 model, any tips or any clues?????

[arklite]

3rd Gen Heater control

Hi
I know this is an ancient thread but did anyone find the solution?

My '96 SSR-X has this exact problem; I found the thermistor and removed cleaned and put it back with a fixing on the tube, but still have no adjust ment between extreme hot or extreme cold. So went to Toyota and got a new sensor for 32 quid installed it last week &
surprise! surprise! Theres still no adjustment.

Any helpful advice would be eargerly excepted, specially as its turning Artic now

A

[markp2]

I have a similar issue, but mine is with the fan control slider. 'Auto' position doesn't work and neither do any of the intermediate slider positions so the fan is either off or on full blast.
I'm not sure what controls this. When I have some time I was going to take the unit apart and clean the contacts but would be stumped after that.
Any help welcome.
Mark

[tonupteabag]

Hi Mark, Take the control unit out from the dash, take it apart (it's pretty simple) check all the circuit board for dry joints and/or broken tracks, it sounds more like the control unit is gubbed though, hopefully it is just something simple as a broken circuit or dry joint mate..