Am I Missing The Red Heat Lever - Automatic Heating Control

[Mattlock18]

I've had my 83 SC for a few years now and only driven it in the summer when I don't need heat. I have the automatic heating control knob between the seats. The heat has never worked, but I now realize that I may be missing the red lever near the parking break. I had always thought the auto heat control meant I wasn't supposed to have one, but I've seen some recently with the auto control and the lever. Here are some pics from underneath my automatic heating control knob once I lifted it up. Can anyone tell me what I am missing (if anything) in my new endeavor to get heat this year. Thanks.

[Mattlock18]

Picture from back seat (others looking from the front).

[911obgyn]

No levers with auto heat. Servo moves the rod that connects to flapper valves.

[911obgyn]

You can see lever in last picture.

[1979-930]

Some models do have a manual red lever that sticks out the front of the plastic cover next to the e-brake lever. There will be a slot in the rubber boot for it.
Your main lever that controls the flapper does not seem to have the ball connection for the second arm that connects to the red lever.

You could just backdate the system and add a manual lever.

[Mattlock18]

Thanks for the responses. So, if I want to check to see if the servo is working, would I just take off the rubber boot and look to see if it lifts the lever when I turn the knob off of zero?

[1979-930]

Originally Posted by Mattlock18

Thanks for the responses. So, if I want to check to see if the servo is working, would I just take off the rubber boot and look to see if it lifts the lever when I turn the knob off of zero?

Yes. If you rotate the knob the motor should pull the lever. You can also try it with the arm disconnected from the lever.
One of the issues with my car was the cables were rusted in the housing. The heat exchange valves can rust closed too.
There are countless threads on diagnosis of this system if you search.

[rattlsnak]

Mine had a lever also. Can't remember when it changed to no lever but it was around your year model. If you look at the front of that box, there is a big rubber "grommet" where the parking brake handle goes through. If you had a handle, then there will be another slit in that grommet (to the right of the parking brake) where it would have came though. (of course, someone could have changed that also.)