Heater control question

[Mel0]

So it seems that my fluid film lube job has been progressively getting the job done. My temp knob is moving much more freely it seems by the week. More free than it has in years.
I recall spraying at least five or six pivots and slides in the works from both the left and right sides of the center dash console.

Hey Skid,

Been trying to solve this same issue with my hot/cold knob since I bought my runner. Same clicking and it seems to be stuck somewhere in between hot and cold. By that I mean it doesn't seem to fully engage in either position so the cold isn't quite cold and hot isn't very hot. So before I break something I figured I would ask about what you actually did to improve the situation. Where are the "pivots" that are gummed up exactly are they within that whole cluster of under the glove box?

 

[SkidPalace]

Haha... This thread seems to be the gift that keeps on giving in the holiday season as the temps get colder.
To be honest I haven't really haven't noticed my controls gumming up too badly in quite a while... and it got into the low 20s the other night coming home from the Pats game (sorry guys from Denver :laugh.
My lube must have crept into the right places because it has stayed somewhat free since then.
I would trace that cable from your temp selector back to the blend door and carefully lube each pivot joint you can find. I used Fluid Film because it is safe for plastic and it has this way of spreading out and getting all over everything.
I may have just gotten lucky, but it is working.

 

[Mel0]

After fooling around with knob and cable in passenger footwell I think I have found my problem! The cable that runs from the heat control knob seems to be seized up a bit. When I manually push the white gear thingy that the cable connects to I get the full heat and full cold dampers (or whatever) to engage. I'm stoked my heat/a/c seem to be functioning well! Heat is WAY warmer than before but may still be due for a core flush at some point. So, it looks like all I need to do is either remove the cable and run some oil through it or just replace it. Looks like the part number for me is 5590935120-airmix damper control cable. It looks fairly simple to get to, removing the center control cluster and possibly the glove box. When I get around to doing this I'll post how it went and maybe even take a few pics...hopefully it will help someone else out.

 

[Mel0]

Ok, I fixed it, and it was pretty easy. There is a cable that runs in plain sight under the dash of the passenger footwell. That thing controls the "blend door", and is adjusted when you turn the temperature control knob.

My entire cable had gotten knocked loose from a little metal bracket that clamps down on the sheath and holds it in place.....so instead of just the inner cable sliding in the sheath and moving the blend door....the whole cable was moving when I turned the knob, so nothing was pushing on the blend door to move it.


For people that are experiencing stiff knob turning: either the cable is not sliding in the sheath smoothly, or the blend door is all gunked up. Getting the blend door contraption out might be a pain...I dunno...I didn't have to mess with it. But that's what makes it hard to turn the knob.

I have no idea how I over looked this the first time, you beat me to it....:doh:

 

[atalarico]

I hear you guys like resurrecting old threads...so here I am!

I've been having this issue for a few years now but never really been able to fix it. To be fair, the most I've done is tried fiddling with the cable from the temp control slider down to the white plastic actuator in the passenger foot well.

Does anyone know how exactly you're supposed to adjust this thing? I mean, are you supposed to disconnect the cable, set the temp all the way to warm on the slider, flip the white actuator until you can hear the blend door close all of the way, and then reconnect everything?

It's weird because if I have my foot on the gas, it's always blowing hot if I need the heat. If I am idling in traffic or coasting, the temperature gets noticeably colder. If I crank the temp selector all the way to hot, it just cranks out hot air no matter what, but it's just too hot. It's like it's either all the way on or just not.

 

[Garcia9876]

I have a 99 4runner 3rz

This week my heather knob temperature switch it gets stuck it it’s hard to move. My question is what type of part it needs to be replaced I don’t want to take to the dealer to fix it.

 

[Jalfaroc62]

My actuator does not move

Hi, when I turn the knob to hot temp, the white arm on the actuator below the passanger front does not move, I allready chance the actuator and I have the same.