Who's put an early heater control panel in a late car?

[fonzooorooo 10]

I assume it's not simple, as everyone'd be doing it - but I haven't found any references....

 

I had some short term success with the usual direction control failure by doing a bit of plastic welding, but that's failed now and my daily B3 passat's suffered the same fate.

 

A lad's breaking a mk2 locally, so I'm planning to grab the controls off that (which are the same as early 'rado, right?) and have a play - it'll either work or it won't(!) but any info' be handy!

[davidwort 0]

you'd need the centre console trim and ash tray and vents, not really worth it, but if you can find a Passat control (88-95) then you can use parts from that to repair a late Corrado unit

[Jim 2]

It's a part we could really do with getting remanufactured :(

 

Wonder if VW Heritage could lean on Classic Parts? I'd certainly order a set of controls if they were reasonably priced as mine are well past it.

[diarmaid16 1]

There's heater controls on classic parts but presume these are are for lhd? 191819045A

[Kevin Bacon 5]

If the heater dials are repeatedly breaking, you need to replace the Bowden cables, and in particular, the bottom one that controls the feet / windscreen / face vents.

[fonzooorooo 10]

Sounds promising then - I'm thinking more in terms of the B3 than the 'rado to be honest - using the mk2 levers and fascia then making up a trim panel if necessary. ...

 

Both cars (both over 170K miles) had broken direction controls when I bought them - I've only tried to fix the 'rado one (which I got about 6 months out of before my repair failed) ... The cables feel OK.

 

So the 'rado cables are the same early to late then? (checking I won't need the cables off the mk2)

[Jim 2]

There's heater controls on classic parts but presume these are are for lhd? 191819045A

 

Good spot. I'll check the parts catalogue and see if they're "sided" .. think they are unfortunately :(

[Jim 2]

Just to confirm they are sided, and the RHD version of the part has a number of 536 819 045. The LHD one (on VW Classic Parts) is 535 819 045.

[swiftkid 1]

I've actually been looking into this, the main failure I have found is the directional cog, in particular the underneath of the bottom cog where the runner snaps on the later mechanism.

 

I have thought about 3d printing but need to fund out about cost, when I get chance I'm hoping to design the cog a little stronger and see the cost then maybe see if anyone is interested

[Jim 2]

3D printed material doesn't seem to be as strong as the 'cast' type plastic that stuff like the heater controls are normally made from so not sure how durable that would be. But I do have the details of a good 3D printing company (who I used to do the speedo binnacle covers) if you want their details to try and get a prototype run of anything made up.

[swiftkid 1]

That would be great Jim. I'm not sure on the strength of 3D printed parts but if you look at the cog it has a track where the arm pin runs in, as far as I can see there isn't really a reason why this can't be a solid piece with the track cut in it as opposed to the track runner extruded allowing it to snap off.

 

I have been kindly offered a replacement cog however seeing how many people have problems with directional part of the heater, it would be nice to get some made up seeing as heater controls seem to be fetching 3 figure sums now!