1996 850GLT Driver Side Heat Stuck ON

[osmium]

Last night was a bit chilly, so I turned up the heat.

Today, heat is coming out on the driver side, regardless of the position of the dial.

There no flashing lights on the ECC. Flows go where they are supposed to the selector is moved.

From other posts, I see the "blend door" may be the culprit.

Where is it located? I can't tell from my Haynes book. Is it possible to get at it without removing the dash?

Thanks,

-Os

[scot850]

Do you get cold air on either side? Could be the fresh air inlet flap is broken. This is accessed by removing the glove box liner. Right behind it you will see the motor. At the age of your car, the operating arm becomes fragile and often break so you get no cool air into the car. The arm is relatively cheap.

The other flap that tends to break is the flap that runs across the front of the air system behind the radio, but inside the heating system. This can be accessed by dropping the under dash tray. The motor is on the side of the center section. Check when you adjust the ECC unit that the flap is actually turning. There are 2 issues. As the flaps get older the rubber seals can become sticky. The additional torque on the square section at the end of the flap shaft driven by the motor cracks and the motor turns, but the flaps don't. You can use some glue and a small pipe clamp to hold the end of the shaft tight so the motor will turn the shaft. I haven't had as new an 850, but on my 93 with ECC, you can remove the end of the heating unit where the shaft is and replace the flap on the RH end which has the plastic drive on it. Don't know it the part is still available, but you used to be able to buy that separately. The other end of the shaft for the drivers side cannot be bought separately. You have to buy the whole heater box. To replace it requires pulling the dash out of a car at PnP and hopefully finding a good flap and then doing the same on your car to replace it. If you go that far, look at the A/S evaporator and possibly replace while you are in there if it is the original.

Neil.

[osmium]

The passenger side operates normally.

This has happened in the past. Usually corrected itself when the dial was set to the lowest temp and the car restarted. Not so today.

Thanks for the info.

-Os