DIY: No Heat? Repair the Heater Control
01-04-2010, 07:06 PM
#176
If your ac is for sure broken. Then it wouldnt hurt to go over each of the 3 solder points. All 3 of mine were bad. It just looked like a metal rod going out of the circuit board. After i put solder on each one, there was a nice pool of solder going around the circuit.
Example
Example
You really want at least 75% vertical solder fillet in the barrel to have an acceptable connection.
The last couple temp control circuit boards I worked on had under 10% fillet.
So look at the topside of the circuit board to verify this before you reassemble everything.
Here is the page from the IPC document our factory goes by:
01-18-2010, 12:41 PM
#179
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is awesome. Saved me 400 dollars
Just did this DIY myself. I can't believe it worked. I suck at soldering. Never soldered a circuit board in my life. I soldered the 3 connections and put everything together and went to reinstall exepecting it not to work. WRONG!!
It works perfectly! One thing I had a problem with though was getting the stereo out. It wouldn't come out so I had to to take the face off with the rest of the unit still in the dash. It was either that or rip whatever wiring harness was caught in the back. Thanks for the DIY. I am so happy to have heat again. It's f-ing COLD!!
It works perfectly! One thing I had a problem with though was getting the stereo out. It wouldn't come out so I had to to take the face off with the rest of the unit still in the dash. It was either that or rip whatever wiring harness was caught in the back. Thanks for the DIY. I am so happy to have heat again. It's f-ing COLD!!
01-27-2010, 09:58 PM
#182
Has anyone had their temp controls reversed?
Mine are totally out of wack
Sometimes Heat is on the cold side (and vice versa), whether or not the ac button is pressed can affect if the heat is on
Sometimes it works like it should
Other time only the ac works
Did the ac test where you press the on button with the scan button and the first time through it passed and then when I got to 16 it dropped to 0 and stayed there on every setting.
Haven't specificaly read any of these symptoms on here before, but I am going to attempt the soldering next weekend.
Mine are totally out of wack
Sometimes Heat is on the cold side (and vice versa), whether or not the ac button is pressed can affect if the heat is on
Sometimes it works like it should
Other time only the ac works
Did the ac test where you press the on button with the scan button and the first time through it passed and then when I got to 16 it dropped to 0 and stayed there on every setting.
Haven't specificaly read any of these symptoms on here before, but I am going to attempt the soldering next weekend.
01-27-2010, 10:03 PM
#183
Registered Abuser
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has anyone had their temp controls reversed?
Mine are totally out of wack
Sometimes Heat is on the cold side (and vice versa), whether or not the ac button is pressed can affect if the heat is on
Sometimes it works like it should
Other time only the ac works
Did the ac test where you press the on button with the scan button and the first time through it passed and then when I got to 16 it dropped to 0 and stayed there on every setting.
Haven't specificaly read any of these symptoms on here before, but I am going to attempt the soldering next weekend.
Mine are totally out of wack
Sometimes Heat is on the cold side (and vice versa), whether or not the ac button is pressed can affect if the heat is on
Sometimes it works like it should
Other time only the ac works
Did the ac test where you press the on button with the scan button and the first time through it passed and then when I got to 16 it dropped to 0 and stayed there on every setting.
Haven't specificaly read any of these symptoms on here before, but I am going to attempt the soldering next weekend.
03-14-2010, 09:37 PM
#187
Having the barrel filled is more important than a perfect looking joint at the bottom.
So its good that you went ahead and added solder anyway.
03-18-2010, 05:29 PM
#188
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
radio cable connectors
I attempted to remove my radio following the excellent posted pictorial instructions. Everything work fine except I could not get the cable connectors apart. I know there is a tab I have to push in while removing the connector but I could not make it work. It is hard to see what side of the connector the tabs are on. Any suggestions or is there a tool I can use?
03-27-2010, 05:22 PM
#191
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Orange County
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You are the man. I just moved to AZ, and when I was in CA, I had no problem driving around with the windows down and the heat on low, but AZ is a different story. Took about 1/2 hour and made my commute SOOOO much better. Thanks, love this forum!
03-30-2010, 03:13 PM
#192
Registered
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
fixed my heat/ac last weekend. seems to work perfect now.
never had a single problem with this car until 48K miles/4 years period and after that, all of a suddent, flood gates are open.....have had about 10 issues in last 12 months
never had a single problem with this car until 48K miles/4 years period and after that, all of a suddent, flood gates are open.....have had about 10 issues in last 12 months
04-21-2010, 03:48 PM
#196
75shot55fueljets=GOBABYGO
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Posts: 142
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
B E A U TIFUL wow just been stuck with heat for 2 years didn't mind so much and after reading this for the hundredth time decided to buy a soldergun and go to work. 1 hour total time pretty easy overall. and works like a charm. thanks again dude great thread.
05-06-2010, 05:53 PM
#197
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Halifax.. Nova Scotia and everywhere in between...
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Had the out of control heater issue and "Thanks" for all the info on this site I was able to fill the dealer in on the problem and show them how to do the test...
Under my extended warranty...Yes...Yea!
Thanks again for all the info...and go Sid the Kid...Pen's
Under my extended warranty...Yes...Yea!
Thanks again for all the info...and go Sid the Kid...Pen's
05-10-2010, 09:51 PM
#198
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks ! Fix works perfectly
Regarding the bolt on the radio..
First find the two bolts on the right side..
Then look to your top right , there's the single bolt u need to remove.
Also, if u shine a flashlight through the hole by the ignition key
it shines perfectly on that one bolt so you know which one to remove.
cheers,
First find the two bolts on the right side..
Then look to your top right , there's the single bolt u need to remove.
Also, if u shine a flashlight through the hole by the ignition key
it shines perfectly on that one bolt so you know which one to remove.
cheers,
06-01-2010, 09:05 PM
#199
Hey,
Worked on a friend of mine's 05 RX8 and tried this fix on two different heater control units. Inititally his was stuck at 16. Now when I try either unit in the car after resoldering both, it cycles from 13 to 16 incrementaly (ie about every four clicks it moves up to the next number) I am beginning to think there is another part of the circuit affected (by the way I solder at my day job, so I'm sure the solder joints are good). Any ideas or maybe a wiring diagram for the plugs coming out of the heater control? I took resistance reading on the pot and they start at about 20 ohms and go up incrementaly to about 300 kohms, so the pot seems to be working and then I checked the output on the other side of the solder connections and got the same readings. Any help would be appreciated.
later
corvus
Worked on a friend of mine's 05 RX8 and tried this fix on two different heater control units. Inititally his was stuck at 16. Now when I try either unit in the car after resoldering both, it cycles from 13 to 16 incrementaly (ie about every four clicks it moves up to the next number) I am beginning to think there is another part of the circuit affected (by the way I solder at my day job, so I'm sure the solder joints are good). Any ideas or maybe a wiring diagram for the plugs coming out of the heater control? I took resistance reading on the pot and they start at about 20 ohms and go up incrementaly to about 300 kohms, so the pot seems to be working and then I checked the output on the other side of the solder connections and got the same readings. Any help would be appreciated.
later
corvus
06-24-2010, 08:26 AM
#200
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had the intermittent temp locking. Only Hot or Cold discussed in this thread. I was unable to verify the problem due to having an aftermarket stereo via the Metra Kit. Don't believe the Metra Kit is the problem since it worked just fine for over a year.
Now not only do I have the temp problem, but the blower will not kick on. The other controls work such as AC, Defrost and Recirc, I have a feeling the Solder fix will no longer work for me and I'll just need to replace the whole control unit.
What do you guys think?
Now not only do I have the temp problem, but the blower will not kick on. The other controls work such as AC, Defrost and Recirc, I have a feeling the Solder fix will no longer work for me and I'll just need to replace the whole control unit.
What do you guys think?