Cabin Heat

[Mstock3]

Hi,

I have just bought a 1998 5 dooor RAV and whilst fiddling on the way home found that I cannot get any heat into the cabin. The fan operates, I can redirect the air flow but cannot control the temperature. It would appear that this has been an ongoing problem as the knob on the end of the temperature arm falls off and the actuating arm can be pushed back into the slot (trust that make sense). When moving the arm friction can be felt but it has no affect on the temperature. I have lifted the bonnet and felt both of the heater matrix pipes as they enter the car and both are hot to touch. Is this just a simple case of a defective control unit or detached cable and if it is how easy is it to replace?

Help greatly appreciated

[anchorman]

You have to grovel a bit!

Go round the passenger side, get on your hands and knees and look up the back of the glove box. Just to the right you will see the levers on the heater that the cables work. One of them is the hot/cold control. If you move the levers on the heater and see which isn't moving. You can then move the other by hand and also figure out which end of the cable has come adrift. Just have a look you will see what I mean.

[Mstock3]

Anchorman,

Thanks for your help see what you mean by grovel a bit, how do you get bruises on the back of our hands, just try and fix the temperature control cable and lever on a RAV4!!!!

Found two faults, firstly the one of the plastic brackets that retains temperature level onto the pivot point was broken - meccano strip and self tapper fix that. Then found that the cable outer sheath was not being retained at the control end - bruised hands, new anger management course, wire and small washer fixed that.

Bodge'r'us but it worked. Will source a replacement and get one of my kids with small hands to install.

Many thanks again

[anchorman]

I like to see some improvisation!

Its warm in the car now???