850 cabin temperature sensor cleaning

[scot850]

I often mention that cleaning the cabin temperature sensors on P80's is a good idea as they get full of dust and crud over the many years they have been in the car. Hard to believe the 850 with 2 above the front door grab handles can get dirty, but this is what both were like I pulled from a 93 850 GLT last week with only 90k miles on it!:

Sensor bulb

Fan from the side

After just a light clean with a small paint brush:

After a quick brush

After this I then further cleaned the units with IPA/Rubbing alcohol on a cotton bud and they came up even cleaner. That little red bead is what senses the cabin temperature for each side control on the ECC. I have seen the fans so dirty they can't turn at all!

To access these, you have to remove the grab handles by prying the covers off each end of the handle and then removing 2 x 10mm headed bolts. Next you have to pry off the plastic door surround above the door and carefully move the headliner out the way. It i hard to access the 2 x T25 screws that holds the motors in place and the wire harness. The harness is a push tab with a flat screwdriver, and it can take a little persuasion to get the unit out as it has a sticky gasket on it to hold it in place.

The front plastic cover just pulls straight out.

Neil.

[jreed]

Thanks. Would love to see photos / more details on the process of moving the headliner out of the way to get at the sensors... I've been cleaning them 'in situ' for years -- didn't think it was easy to pull the whole sensor out without damaging the headliner in the process.

[scot850]

It is not easy to remove as you rightly highlight. I removed these from a junkyard car. You have to be very careful not to damage the headliner as it does limit access.

Neil.