Another autoheat question - one lever?

nah325i · 10-08-2012, 09:05 AM

I know that there are a million threads on the stupid autoheat system (I have read most of them) but I need some help. I have an 84 ROW car. It has auto heat with ONE lever. Everyone says that the system for 84 should have no red levers - well I have one. What does it do? It looks like it has a cable attached to the bottom of it and a place for a rod (a little ball socket) on the upper part but there is nothing attached to the ball. I have no heat, footwell heaters turn on when I turn the autoheat knob, the engine fan runs if I jump power to it but the wiring to the engine fan is all hacked up so I don't know whats going on there. I need to know if the engine fan turns on based on pulling the red lever up or if it is only controlled by the autoheat knob. The Bentley only shows the system with no levers and my owners manual is in french and shows two levers! It would be great if I can rig the manual red lever to open the flapper and turn on the fan, I don't care if I only have one fan speed. Thanks!

Skip1 · Skip1's Garage

Hi,

Expect you've already read my Auto Heat Query thread at
Auto Heat Query

I also have an '84 ROW, so that's a good start.

That said, could you take a picture of lever and the ball / socket aspect of the problem? Within the autoheat console between the seats there is a servo that rotates to actuate several microswitches as well as opening and closing the flapper boxes just forward of the engine near the wheel wells.

On my system, the rear engine fan is controlled through the console switch, but also technically through the large relay on the left of the engine bay (normally behind a small plastic shield).

Also, if you can take a picture of the wiring harness pieces you're referring to, it may be useful.

nah325i · 10-08-2012, 02:05 PM

Yep I've read your thread and it was helpful... I will try to take a pic and get it up. I also realized that both cables were disconnected at the flappers. Moving my one red lever or changing the setting on the autoheat does not move the cables. Do the cables actually have a physical connection to the autoheat mechanism? If so I will take it apart and see why they are not moving - I can probably hook them up to the one lever for manual use.

Skip1 · Skip1's Garage

On my system, the servo has a ball which fits into a double socket ended rod (you can see one end in the enclosed picture). When you turn the auto heat dial on top of the console, it begins to rotate, forcing the rod against a second lever mounted within the hand brake construct (fixed onto the handbrake hardware - right hand / passenger side) behind a small plastic cover on the side of the console. This secondary lever is connected to the two cables which find their way to the flapper boxes.

One of my pictures

shows the lever / rod I'm referring to. If you don't have the servo / ball system, it could be that someone / or OEM for all I know, uses the levers to open the flappers, and the console to actuate the fan system. How many numbers on your switch? Mine goes to 10 (ROW - Germany car), but I believe the US / CA models go to 3. On mine, only higher values actuate the footwell blowers, otherwise it's only the engine blower.