Disclaimer: Forgive me, I know not what any of the parts involved are actually called.
I am reasonably certain of how it works though, because it's common sense. My blower wasn't working, so the AC wouldn't turn on, and it's hot in Louisiana, so this became a priority. I'd checked all the relays and every wire I could find and all the plug-ins and the fuses. Surely, since the blower won't even turn on, there must be something missing behind it?
I thought I'd share my discoveries and this journey with this board, in case anyone else runs into a similar issue. The most difficult part of this job was getting the dash off.
I take that back, the most difficult part of this job was getting the dash back together not crooked.
Anyway, it's this flange thingy. You'll notice that it has that clip that comes up?
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The clip that comes up on the flange thingy obviously snaps right in to this Pac Man shaped thing. Easy peasy!
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Not so. When I went to clip it in, the plastic half of the clip disintegrated on me.
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Not surprising, actually; I know old stuff falls apart sometimes, especially exposed to the elements. The Scarab sat up at the previous owner's house for several months in the Louisiana winter and into the late spring. Hell, the dip stick tube also fell apart on me when I tried to check the oil for the first time. (Hilarious.)
So I glued it in there! I'm using Gorilla Glue Epoxy, which cures quickly and is one of my preferred epoxies for holding tiny things together like this. Your mileage may vary of course, and the clips may actually end up holding up for you.
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Long story short, I let the glue cure, put the knobs back together and plugged it all back in, put the key in the ignition and turned it to ACC... and hurray! Two year old dust and insulation blown in my face!
(I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn't break anything in trying to do this and all of the other controls still appear to work, and all of the lights still come up.)
If this solves your problem, at least take a small bit of comfort in knowing that in the very worst you'll either have to spend $3.00 on a tube of epoxy, or $150-250 USD on a new blower switch, since it seems that there's nowhere in the entire world that can you buy any singular part of this thing without having to buy the whole assembly. Or maybe check a local junk lot.
I'd also like to credit this thread over here for helping me figure out and find exactly what tiny piece was messed up, where it was supposed to go, and what it was supposed to look like when it got there.
I am reasonably certain of how it works though, because it's common sense. My blower wasn't working, so the AC wouldn't turn on, and it's hot in Louisiana, so this became a priority. I'd checked all the relays and every wire I could find and all the plug-ins and the fuses. Surely, since the blower won't even turn on, there must be something missing behind it?
I thought I'd share my discoveries and this journey with this board, in case anyone else runs into a similar issue. The most difficult part of this job was getting the dash off.
I take that back, the most difficult part of this job was getting the dash back together not crooked.
Anyway, it's this flange thingy. You'll notice that it has that clip that comes up?
The clip that comes up on the flange thingy obviously snaps right in to this Pac Man shaped thing. Easy peasy!
Not so. When I went to clip it in, the plastic half of the clip disintegrated on me.
Not surprising, actually; I know old stuff falls apart sometimes, especially exposed to the elements. The Scarab sat up at the previous owner's house for several months in the Louisiana winter and into the late spring. Hell, the dip stick tube also fell apart on me when I tried to check the oil for the first time. (Hilarious.)
So I glued it in there! I'm using Gorilla Glue Epoxy, which cures quickly and is one of my preferred epoxies for holding tiny things together like this. Your mileage may vary of course, and the clips may actually end up holding up for you.
Long story short, I let the glue cure, put the knobs back together and plugged it all back in, put the key in the ignition and turned it to ACC... and hurray! Two year old dust and insulation blown in my face!
(I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn't break anything in trying to do this and all of the other controls still appear to work, and all of the lights still come up.)
If this solves your problem, at least take a small bit of comfort in knowing that in the very worst you'll either have to spend $3.00 on a tube of epoxy, or $150-250 USD on a new blower switch, since it seems that there's nowhere in the entire world that can you buy any singular part of this thing without having to buy the whole assembly. Or maybe check a local junk lot.
I'd also like to credit this thread over here for helping me figure out and find exactly what tiny piece was messed up, where it was supposed to go, and what it was supposed to look like when it got there.
