I thought I'd ask before I start taking things apart....
Twice now I've had no heater, or rather the climate control does not activate the heater valve, I've checked and it moves freely and can be turned on by hand, the temp selector does nothing, the fan speed does work but nothing on auto, A/C works and comes through cool but not icy cold. Next time I use the Ace all is well, freezing to melting hot. Any ideas?

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 13 Dec 04 02:41

Is the fan running in the little cabin temp sensor under the dash?

- (#14538) david miller, 13 Dec 04 05:39

Yes working - I can tell as it is getting noisy again!

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 13 Dec 04 06:07

Further to that. I don't know if the fan was working when auto wasn't, I'll have to wait to next time to check.

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 13 Dec 04 06:23

hi i need to change the reverse lights in the lucida and i don't know how to prise the panel off without breaking it. thanks for any info.
ben





- (#14538) ben, 16 Dec 04 10:21

Ben,
You should have started a new thread.
If the lights are similar to the Townace you remove the vent panel in the rear door interior trim. This gives access to the bulb holders.

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 31 Dec 04 01:55

The auto system either works or it does not.
When not the little fan is also off.
When on I can have normal auto heat control, or it is full on hot, or slow speed cold. When it's on the hot or cold mode, the temp slider does nothing, the manual selection of fan speed works. So on hot I can turn the fan off to cool down, or on cold I can select high to demist.
When it does nothing I still have the fan speeds and luke warm air.
Selecting A/C loses fan power, de-selecting gives the off mode but with fan.
I think it's pointing to the temp sensor, but I'm open to suggestions.

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 31 Dec 04 02:19

Hmm. 50:50 or phone a friend? We don't have any schematics for climate control, do we? Well, I'd probably try to find the supply and output wires on the sensor, and attempt to monitor them to see what happens when the fault occurs.
Supply with no output probably confirms the sensor as duff, supply disappearing during the fault condition would send me scurrying under the dash towards the controller and it's fuses/ relays/ breakers...

You could also pull the sensor apart and give the fan a bit of a clean, just in case it's stopping and letting the actual sender do something odd.

- (#14538) david miller, 31 Dec 04 03:28

thanks for that.
as is busy at work i popped out with some computer hard disk cleaner (not available in the shops!), iso-prop something or other - computer operations have locked it back up!
anyways, turned on and just a cool breeze. a short squirt in the lever slots and whizz bang full fan and warm, trip round the car park and it got hot, lever the temp down and it got cool, back up and hot. parked up stopped and restarted, nothing, squirt again and back to normal.
must be a dry/dirty connection in the dash control, or is my toyota just toying with me?
i've been going to change the upper bulb in the dash unit for almost 3 years now, looks like the time has come!
otherwise it's back to the sensor/relay/fuse/any other connection etc.......

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 31 Dec 04 04:36

Iso propyl alcohol - still got some from my brief stint in a mainframe complex. You should be able to buy this commercially. There are other products around for electrical dry/dirty joints as well, possible carbon tetrachloride based. Nothing in the screwfix catalogue or such?

- (#14538) Ian Dunse (Derbs), 31 Dec 04 07:48

Maplin are good for stuff like that. IPA is a pretty standard head cleaner, switch cleaners are a bit different, most having a touch of lube in the mix...

- (#14538) david miller, 31 Dec 04 11:26

Ok one step forward two back..
Had as much apart as I could see, cleaned (forgot the damm bulb when I replaced the control!) and lubricated. Not a problem with the controls nor the footwell unit - I dis-connected the cable to the water valve and all works fine. Connect back up and it don't move, well it starts then cuts out, works with manual help. the other end of the cable does not go under the floor pan but hooks onto a flap to direct air flow, this is very stiff to move. Can't find the connection end for the cable going out to the water valve, the valve itself is free and easy.
So has anyone ever got down this flap(s), have any idea where the other end of the water valve link goes?
I can disconnect the link from the CC unit and operate the water valve by hand, A/C works fine like this, but would prefer to either fix the flap, not got the time to take the dash aprt at the moment, or do a link by passing the flap connection.
The hot and cool box don't help by being in the way, such is life! MoT on Monday also!

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 23 Jan 05 04:34

No idea, Clive, as mine didn't have CC. Seems like there's very little info in the EPC for it too.

Is there any info in the US manual? I'd guess that getting to the flap will likely mean pulling the coolbox, dash and heater box :-(
Might be worth trying to spray some lube in the right general direction...

- (#14538) David Miller, 23 Jan 05 06:31

Cheers David you sure know how to cheer a guy up!
I had thought that way, but am drawn to the idea of bypassing it and going to the valve direct. I think when just using med to high heat it's ok, cool or A/C the flap grings to a halt. I can only get a blind finger tip to the lever, let alone any spray, perhaps whipping the glove box out may shine some light on it?
Nothung in any of tha manuals not even the Russian one!
My son said that when I selected cold he used to hear a flap close, just like the one on re-circ/external air lever. I guess the spigot has dislodged/snapped at the up point?
The joys of 15 year old cars, but I won't let it beat me!

- (#14538) Clive (Bristol), 23 Jan 05 08:59