Need help with my air vents!

[sawyersmith]

It's finally gotten cold enough here to use the heat to defrost the windshield. This is the first winter I will have had my 3G so haven't had to use the heat just yet.

On my 1hr drive home last night, I was experimenting with the heat controls after they didn't quite seem to work right. I have the push button controls.

The only things that don't work right are the "HEAT" setting and the "HI/LO" setting.

The HEAT setting partially redirects the airflow to the floor. It doesn't seem to be full force air coming to the floor, but there is some warm air moving down there. The center dash vents began to blow air that was sort of typical room temperature air and the side dash vents remained almost fully warm while this setting was selected.

The HI/LO setting doesn't seem to do anything that I could really tell. Nothing changed.

The rear window defroster works great if that's at all relevant here.

Any idea where to start troubleshooting here? The VENT setting works as it should with all dash vents getting fully warm, the Defrost setting works as it should aiming all warm air to the windshield. I can get the car drive-able with the windshield clear and the vents warm, but would like all the options to be fully operational if it's not something that's too difficult to fix.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

[ShiRen]

Don't try to rack your brain on the vent settings, they don't make much sense. The temp dial is what gives you heat obviously, the heat vent setting blows air on the floor, I don't know what else it does. I don't know what options you have on your hvac, but the standard system can not shut off the upper vents, some can only shut off the middle vents with a manual switch, maybe some were electric... idk. It makes me wonder how some of these cars were sold with auto climate control, but its seriously better not to wonder.
It does not sound like there is anything wrong with your vents.

[sawyersmith]

Don't try to rack your brain on the vent settings, they don't make much sense. The temp dial is what gives you heat obviously, the heat vent setting blows air on the floor, I don't know what else it does. I don't know what options you have on your hvac, but the standard system can not shut off the upper vents, some can only shut off the middle vents with a manual switch, maybe some were electric... idk. It makes me wonder how some of these cars were sold with auto climate control, but its seriously better not to wonder.
It does not sound like there is anything wrong with your vents.

Oh, ok. Thank you. I had no idea.

I haven't had to use the heat before now so didn't have anything to compare it to.

Sounds like they're just a little wonky in general then.

[ShiRen]

Some old car HVAC controls are ancient knowledge lost to time.
I think I checked my owners manual at one point and I don't recall it telling me anything useful. I do not have the push button style, but setting the lever to heat is basically hi/lo

[Oldblueaccord]

There is a fuse related to the the HVAC. its in the box under the dash. If its out the HVAC system kinda defaults to defroster only and none of the push button lights go on. Youll here alotta blowing with the fan but no real air action.

I forgot the number of it but I think its 10 amp.

[sawyersmith]

There is a fuse related to the the HVAC. its in the box under the dash. If its out the HVAC system kinda defaults to defroster only and none of the push button lights go on. Youll here alotta blowing with the fan but no real air action.

I forgot the number of it but I think its 10 amp.

Just went out and checked the fuse diagram but don’t see anything related to the HVAC. Is it maybe listed under something else?

Side note, sometimes I can move the key a little bit and the lights will go off, but it’s really uncommon. It doesn’t seem to change how the vents work though so I don’t know if that matters.

[Oldblueaccord]

It's fuse number 5..10 amp but it does get power from ING post 2A and if the switch contacts are worn it may not be operating correctly.

[sawyersmith]

It's fuse number 5..10 amp but it does get power from ING post 2A and if the switch contacts are worn it may not be operating correctly.

Thank you so much for that. Will check it as soon as I get home.

[ShiRen]

It sounds like your vents are moving and operating fine, so don't be alarmed if the fuse is fine

[Dr_Snooz]

There is a lever between your center vents. If it's up, it will let in cool outside air. If it's down, it will not. There are also two levers in the driver's side footwell area that control air flow to the side vents.

[sawyersmith]

There is a lever between your center vents. If it's up, it will let in cool outside air. If it's down, it will not. There are also two levers in the driver's side footwell area that control air flow to the side vents.

The lever on the dash doesn't seem to really do much, though I haven't tried it under various vent selections. Will experiment more with it here in a few minutes.

Where are the levers in the footwell? Any pics?

[Oldblueaccord]

On the drivers left low..two sliders. I forgot about them too! They operate the left and right far dash vents.

You may want to make sure the "heat" slider is opening the water valve under the hood 100%.

[sawyersmith]

Ok, I had completely forgotten about the two levers! So those definitely open and close the side vents.

Only thing that doesn't make sense is that when set to heat, cool air comes out of the center top vents. The lever between them does not close it off.

It's not as cool as the air outside, but is nowhere close to as warm as the air that comes out as heat.

Any idea where to look for that or is that just normal? Usually it'll be ok but the few days we have where it gets down into the single digits, it would be nice to not have to offset a cool vent blowing out of the dash lol

I'll probably just leave it set to "vent" in that case since when it's set there, hot air comes out. But if it's not acting right, I'd like to fix it. Just not sure if that's how its set up to be or not.

[Oldblueaccord]

Well I never had mine in northern climates much but when I did the heat was also sub par for me. Even here in the south I usually run it pretty hard at like 30F.

The heat valve is first it needs to be wide open.

The cars actually temp needs to be up to normal, either with a new thermostat coolant top off or you might have to experiment with cardboard piece in front of the radiator to get the temp. up. I do that on several vehicles I own even here in the south.

maximum heat would be, temp slider all the way right, the button on REC. Recirculate the inside air. Middle vents the switch down which outside air off.

The box that moves the air around is under the dash on the passenger side. Might stick you head down there and make sure the lever on the box is moving when you manipulate the buttons. Possible leaves and junk have jammed everything up. its a small motor and makes kinda a cool little mechanical sound.

There is also a "sealing band" that hooks up the box to the main vent trunk, the foam around it goes bad and makes a pretty big leak. A little sticky foam insulation fixes that up.

id recommend wool socks....:sad2:

[sawyersmith]

Well I never had mine in northern climates much but when I did the heat was also sub par for me. Even here in the south I usually run it pretty hard at like 30F.

The heat valve is first it needs to be wide open.

The cars actually temp needs to be up to normal, either with a new thermostat coolant top off or you might have to experiment with cardboard piece in front of the radiator to get the temp. up. I do that on several vehicles I own even here in the south.

maximum heat would be, temp slider all the way right, the button on REC. Recirculate the inside air. Middle vents the switch down which outside air off.

The box that moves the air around is under the dash on the passenger side. Might stick you head down there and make sure the lever on the box is moving when you manipulate the buttons. Possible leaves and junk have jammed everything up. its a small motor and makes kinda a cool little mechanical sound.

There is also a "sealing band" that hooks up the box to the main vent trunk, the foam around it goes bad and makes a pretty big leak. A little sticky foam insulation fixes that up.

id recommend wool socks....:sad2:

I cant really explain it, but it just started working right out of nowhere. Probably hasn't been used in 20 years and just sticky?

Anyways, I guess all it needed was a little use!

[ShiRen]

I guess I didn't understand earlier some of the vents were blowing different temps lol. So you have controls for the center vents and the controls by your knee (lucky, my car is basic af). I guess one of them could have been open to outside air and was stuck yeah. I am not 100% sure how those are routed.
Idk, my heat isnt too bad, but I do need to seal up the hvac. I will say, if the blower motor isn't blowing hard you might look into replacing your a/c evaporator... think of it as you cabin air filter and it probably looks like it has eaten a whole rat right about now. I cleaned my evaporator and it was not fun, but I have special freon in mine and I did not want to recharge it.

[Oldblueaccord]

Well I never had mine in northern climates much but when I did the heat was also sub par for me. Even here in the south I usually run it pretty hard at like 30F.

The heat valve is first it needs to be wide open.

The cars actually temp needs to be up to normal, either with a new thermostat coolant top off or you might have to experiment with cardboard piece in front of the radiator to get the temp. up. I do that on several vehicles I own even here in the south.

maximum heat would be, temp slider all the way right, the button on REC. Recirculate the inside air. Middle vents the switch down which outside air off.

The box that moves the air around is under the dash on the passenger side. Might stick you head down there and make sure the lever on the box is moving when you manipulate the buttons. Possible leaves and junk have jammed everything up. its a small motor and makes kinda a cool little mechanical sound.

There is also a "sealing band" that hooks up the box to the main vent trunk, the foam around it goes bad and makes a pretty big leak. A little sticky foam insulation fixes that up.

id recommend wool socks....:sad2:

https://www.3geez.com/forum/restoration-custom-fabrication/140380-air-box-door-reseal.html?highlight=Heater+motor

ole Snooze famous write ups!

[Dr_Snooz]

We paid extra for the giant Photobucket watermark across the photo SMH. I actually went over there a couple months ago to move all my photos off, but they wouldn't even let me access my library without paying money. I figured, "I guess you guys want to host them for free forever then" and moved on to my next project. Good grief.

[Oldblueaccord]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rvkUulbGbA

[Dr_Snooz]

The title of that vid should be "Hidden Mysteries of the Climate Control System Revealed!"

[conozo]

I think heat also runs full hot air to the rear seat vents which are under the driver and passenger seats. Hi-Lo also has air toward the rear seats but not nearly as much.

[ShiRen]

I wish it would just tell you these things in the gosh dang manual. I don't have any of those fancy buttons or switches on my dash, and also my top vents blow hot air lol