30 replies to this topic

[slartibartfast]

TBH, it's probably the same removal procedure for the other end.

If you've already broken your existing cable maybe it would be beneficial to get a replacement one then you can study the ends for reference purposes before going further?

That may be my next move, but I have not yet worked up enough courage to find the price from Ford.

 

Is the one for sale on ebay fixed price, or auction, as that may be cheaper than a cable on it's own?

 

 

 

I have now found the one on Ebay, and it's £50

Thats a bit too rich ror me, I paid £15 for mine off Ebay plus postage, and I don't need 3 heater conrtol panels!

[Stoney871]

As I'm in the same boat as you I'll probably buy a new cable too.
Surely even for ford it won't be that expensive. (famous last words)
If I could find one on eBay I'd be on it like a shot.

[slartibartfast]

We might have a bidding war if one comes up on fleabay.

 

But seriously, I rang my local Ford dealer, and typically, they said there were 2 different cables listed for my car, one at around £11 and one at around £24

 

I know which one I hope it is.

[Stoney871]

We might have a bidding war if one comes up on fleabay.

 

But seriously, I rang my local Ford dealer, and typically, they said there were 2 different cables listed for my car, one at around £11 and one at around £24

 

I know which one I hope it is.

I bet i know which one it will end up being though.

[slartibartfast]

I won't be looking to change my heater controls over for the next few weeks, due to an upcoming trip to Australia.

 

If anyone wants to chip in with information about how to remove the cable with the green collar whilst I am away, please do so

 

Cheers.

 

Phil..

[Stoney871]

Went to my local stealers today to order a spare control cable so a/ i can experiment before touching the car, and b/ knowing me, i'll bust the original one in frustration when attempting to remove it so a spare will be handy. 

They quoted £24 and it's at least 5 days delay for order as apparently the parts supplier for Ford is on strike at the moment.

[slartibartfast]

You did guess right about it being the dearer one!

 

I look foreward to your conclusions, so when I gat back from holiday in April, I will hopefully know how to get the bugger apart without more damage than I have already done.

 

Cheers.

 

Phil.

[Stoney871]

Right, update on the cable conundrum.

Picked up a spare cable from my local stealer and did a test fit on my upgraded heater control, I can confirm that there are no clips or notches on the end of the cable that goes into the control other than the cog type splines and a flat area that lines up with the shape of the hole.

 

 

Photos of the cable and both ends showing clips/lack of clips-

 

 

 

 

 

 

No resistance whatsoever when fitting and removing the cable-

 

 

If your cable won't pull out all i can suggest now is that it's jammed and needs wiggling and fettling on a flat surface.

 

I can also confirm that the part is called cable assembly - heater, is finis number 1329658 and costs £20.42 plus VAT.

[slartibartfast]

Thanks very much for the info and comprehensive pics.

 

So if you were to fit this cable, what would hold it in, and stop it coming away from the back of the air direction control?

 

Mine is going to remain hidden inside my dash untill I return from my holiday, but when I last tried to remove the cable, I could pull it away, but there was something pulling it back, the further I pulled it away, the stronger the resistance became. and if I let go, it would ping straight back in on its own. Because I could not see what was pulling it back in, I was not brave enough to pull it so far back that I could see the end.

 

I have no explanation for this, and it's very strange.

[Stoney871]

Was the unit unscrewed from the dash?

It could well be just the springiness of the cable resisting bending and causing the cable to push back in.

If it was still attached, try removing the unit and see if the cable then comes out more easily.

It would certainly seem that the only thing holding the cable into the socket is the springiness of the cable itself and the angle it sits at through the dash.

[slartibartfast]

Was the unit unscrewed from the dash?

It could well be just the springiness of the cable resisting bending and causing the cable to push back in.

If it was still attached, try removing the unit and see if the cable then comes out more easily.

It would certainly seem that the only thing holding the cable into the socket is the springiness of the cable itself and the angle it sits at through the dash.

 

I undid the screws holding the unit in, but it did not want to move easily, at that point, I tried to remove the cable, but encountered the problems mentioned. Due to the short length of

 

the cable, I think it would have to be removed before you could move the unit much. Your explanation of the cable pushing it back in, rather than it being pulled back in, makes a lot

 

of sense. I now feel rather stupid if this is the case, as if I had been brave enough to keep pulling the green connector back, it seems it would have popped out without any problem or damage!   I imagined that there would be an inner and outer part to the cable, and it was an inner part that was holding it in.

[Stoney871]

Hopefully the job will be easier now.
If I get a couple of days to myself this week I'll swap my parts over and then we'll know for sure once and for all.

[slartibartfast]

Hopefully the job will be easier now.
If I get a couple of days to myself this week I'll swap my parts over and then we'll know for sure once and for all.

 

Ok, so I wasn't going to tackle this job till after my holiday, but now I have the info you very kindly supplied, I was itching to try it. I had a couple of hours free this morning, plus the sun came out, so I thought lets give it a go!

 

I now have a plaster on my thumb, and 3 little bits of black plastic that have come from places i cannot find, but the job is now done

 

Once I had removed the radio, I pulled the green collar back as far as it would go, but it was hitting the bulkhead, and needed pushing/wriggling to get it all the way out, and as you said, it is just being pushed in by pressure from the cable at the other end. Then I disconnected the temperature control cable, this was much easier having a spare unit in my hand, as you can then see where to push with a short screwdriver or similar to disconnect the clip that holds the white plastic cable guide. It was then easy to pull the end of the cable off, and the smaller wiring connector came off easily. Unfortunately the bigger electrical connector did not want to come out, and this turned out to be the hardest part. In the end I broke a bit off the connector on the end of the wiring loom, and lost some skin off my thumb, but it still would not come out. In the end I used brute force and a screwdriver as a lever to get it off. Reasembly was a doddle after that, and the electrical connector is so tight a fit that the missing/broken clip does not seem to matter, anyway it's all sorted now.

 

Any questions? please fell free to ask.

 

Cheers.

 

Phil.

[Stoney871]

Good drills sir.
A mod isn't a mod unless some swearing and blood is involved.
Just looked at my Haynes and they do say to cut the tabs on the electrical connector.

[slartibartfast]

Good drills sir.
A mod isn't a mod unless some swearing and blood is involved.
Just looked at my Haynes and they do say to cut the tabs on the electrical connector.

 

I think the Haynes manual is refering to replacing the fan speed control within the unit, if you look on the back, there about a dozen tabs that if you cut them, you could then remove the fan speed control switch, but I may be wrong.