Plastic heater Lever behind Dash

[Gn-Krazzie]

How the hell do you replace this little sucker ??? The little plastic pivot pin has broken off in side the heater box . I was thinking of drilling the pin out ??? But you would need a very small right angle set up to get in behind the glove box. There must be an easier way than this !!! please help me, its been like this since i purchased my car three years ago and its driving me nuts, I Need heat controls. Its one of those piss ant jobs that needs to be looked after. I think this is a common problem with G bodies as the Lever isn't very heavy duty. Please forward your procedure for this repair. TIA

 

[Steve Wood]

As I recall, I grabbed it, lifted it up and turned it and it comes right out...the new one goes in the same way...hardest job as I recall was reconnected the cable...but that was not bad, either.

 

[Gn-Krazzie]

There's nothing to grap, its broken off flush with the top !

 

[Splwubs GN]

You know what.. I HAVE THE SAME FREAKEN PROBLEM.. WHen i turn the air on the or heat, there is bearly anything there.. SO i move it manually and here comes the air flow.. But mine is broke off flush as well.. I cant figure how to fix this either since its so thight in there..
Need help as well

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

i was about to email you about this then i seen this so here goes..

if it is broke off flush just shove it on in it wont hurt a thing laying in the box.

the lever has to be turned all the way in one direction to pull up out of there .

its a round hole with a slot down one side and the shaft has a tap sticking off of it at the end that has to slide up that slot to come out.

i can go check which way it has to be turned to line the tab and slot up.

i'll put it up in a lil while gotta get back on the job in the garage.

 

[Splwubs GN]

I have just put it there.. But there is no air flow when i use the heat.. SO i slide the bar to hot and then it gets screwed up again. Then if i want air.. Forget it. I have to undo the glove box and get my hand in there and push the lever manually.. Then the air flow gets to where it should be.. I would rather replace this piece.. I am going to goto the junk yard and look in buicks. I have seen them before when i was there.. Just didnt know how to get them out.. Plus i want to remove my broken one.. But i dont know how i am going to do that.

 

[Steve Wood]

GM #3037629.


Red told you how to push it into the box...if you want to take it out, rather than that...get a wood dowel and some super glue...glue the dowel to the stub and lift and turn to pull it out.

 

[Gn-Krazzie]

Thanks Steve & Red i will give your suggestions a try

 

[Steve Wood]

If the end is really uneven, you may have to use a gel superglue or some very quick epoxy...just a little dab will do you...be careful with the super glue-particularly the thinner faster setting versions, you don't want it to run around the shaft....I know this from too many mistakes on model airplanes.. LOL

 

[Turbo Dog]

Steve or Red-

I may have a related problem. I don't get a "blend" of hot and outside (cool) air when I slide the slider lever on the temperature control. If it is slid all the way to the left (cool setting) and I am in "vent" mode, then I get outside cool air. However, if I just slide the slider a smidgeon to the right, then I get hot air. In other words, there is no blending of the hot and cool air. I was told to remove the glove box to reach whatever was broken. Am I experiencing the same problem? How can I fix it? Thanks!

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

good one..

not hard to see at all .

you can open the glove box and look behind it with a flashlight and slide your lever back and forth and you'll see it moving .

its a V shaped plastic piece at the end of the cable so when the cable pushes it to the right it in turn pushes a levr foward and its on a pivot. if its moving around instead of pivoting then it is broke.

hope you can understand what im saying its kinda hard to explain.

if you cant see behind the glove box good enough like that you can unhook it so it'll swing down without taking it all the way out.

 

[Gn-Krazzie]

Does anyone know the number for the plastic heater control lever behind the dash. I did a search and came up with 3037692 , i punched that into gmparts direct and came up with an invalid part#. I think its one digit short.

Calling all heater Guru's !!!!

On a second note:

How do i access & inspect the vacuum operated Hvac control valve under the heater box.
Do i access this from inside the car under the dash ??
I can see where the vacuum line runs down beside the passenger fender to the control valve ( I assume). i have this wierd situation , i have a second vacuum line that comes back up beside the passenger fender and feeds to the right side port / wastegate solenoid. My wastegate is connected tuner style. I am not sure why the hvac would be connected to the wastegate solenoid unless its to prevent a code from occuring or something.

 

[Steve Wood]

go back and try the one I gave you....looks like you transposed the last two numbers...

 

[Gn-Krazzie]

okay cool that worked thanks steve, what about part 2?? any thoughts on that ?

 

[Steve Wood]

Wow, that is strange...that is bleeding boost into that line with the solenoid does it's job. Not sure what line that is.

I think you can see the other diaphram under the dash.

What is very common to go wrong with the controls is the vacuum switch on the back of the control head comes apart....costs about ten bucks to buy a new one....not too big a pain in the neck to fix it.

 

[Gn-Krazzie]

yeah i know it does seem very wierd to me !!! . i really have no clue why its like this. Thats why i want to access the control valve so i can confirm that the second vacuum line is indeed connected to it.

BTW thanks REDS HOT AIR your idea of pushing the broken lever stem into the heater box works perfectly. Just popped right thru!!

 

[Steve Wood]

I will look at the lines tomorrow and try to help you out.

I was thinking that there is one line that runs from the engine compartment to the interior and another that comes out of the interior to the heater cut off valve under the hood.

 

[Roc87]

Allright

I've had that plastic elbow sitting in the glove box since last august when the stock one broke off flush against the box! I've been dumping everything out of the glove box while driving around, just to move that lever manually all this time and I could just push it in the box? Cool, I doubt if I would have ever messed with it had I not read this thread.

Thanks

 

[BJM]

Mine broke last summer. I fixed it this way. I assume the actual bellcrank (90 degree arm) is okay. I took a 29 cent 2" right angle steel bracket for home repairs cut one leg off halfway leaving one hole to create a new pivot with a metal screw. I placed the remaining long leg on the heater case. I attached it with 2 self tapping screws. The arm is exactly where it used to be only .25" higher in the car. Only Superman could break it now.

 

[Gn-Krazzie]

hey if works BJM all the power to ya. I am
a bit of a perfectionist though I was considered fixing the plastic heater control lever 3037629 by drilling it out and putting a pin thru, but is all that work worth it ( i think not ). i just got back from the dealer ( ordered it ) $ 23.00 Canadian so everything should be working early next week . Dont ask me how they went from 13.00 Us to 23 Cdn.
Thats the fun of living in Canada i guess.

Steve: i was able to get the factory/dealer drawings when i was there showing the heater box and all controls, still can't clearly see how that vacuum line runs. It does show two lines that run from behind the glove box down thru the fire wall. When i look at my car ( behind glove box ) i do see these two colored lines. I assume that one connects to the passenger side vacuum line ? Is there an additional control valve under the heater box ? I am thinking no! The drawings don't really show the vacuum lines in this area. The drawing shows the vacuum ball mounted beside the AC accumulator/dryer so it may be a composite of other model cars