(Solved)Low Heat Help identifying ventilation control cables on 97

[Sparky 97Runner]

Can someone please tell me what the white lever circled in red does? It is located on the passenger side right above where a passengers left foot would be. The white lever is sheared off and missing on my 97 4runner and the PO cut the cable off where the straight red line is. I found the photo on the web, it is not my truck. AC works great but I've always felt like the heater was slightly lacking. I'm thinking this may be the problem. Has anyone experienced this lever breaking off?

 

[MaineRunna]

Can someone please tell me what the white lever circled in red does? It is located on the passenger side right above where a passengers left foot would be. The white lever is sheared off and missing on my 97 4runner and the PO cut the cable off where the straight red line is. I found the photo on the web, it is not my truck. AC works great but I've always felt like the heater was slightly lacking. I'm thinking this may be the problem. Has anyone experienced this lever breaking off?

Not sure, but I have a 98 heater box out and partially disassembled out back in one of my junks. I'll take a look at it tomorrow morning when I get to work and get back to you.

 

[sleepydad]

Can someone please tell me what the white lever circled in red does? It is located on the passenger side right above where a passengers left foot would be. The white lever is sheared off and missing on my 97 4runner and the PO cut the cable off where the straight red line is. I found the photo on the web, it is not my truck. AC works great but I've always felt like the heater was slightly lacking. I'm thinking this may be the problem. Has anyone experienced this lever breaking off?

this is a heater case out of a 2000 and I'm sure your 97 works the same. different color parts but...

I would guess you can fix the linkage, I have some evil ideas but there might be a problem with the open/close motion? maybe why PO wacked it off?

you should be able to spin the white plastic thing and hear that big flappy door open and close? if you can then I would think any way to fix the linkage and your good.

you should also be able to move the big flappy door back and forth and notice heat temp differences?

hope it helps, cheers

<a href="https://imgur.com/9ZfKbVf"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/9ZfKbVfl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

so I think is the blend door? I think.

open
<a href="https://imgur.com/UCgWu2h"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/UCgWu2hl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

1/2 close
<a href="https://imgur.com/GMT34QI"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/GMT34QIl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

100% closed
<a href="https://imgur.com/2jzn4B9"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/2jzn4B9l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

[Sparky 97Runner]

this is a heater case out of a 2000 and I'm sure your 97 works the same. different color parts but...

I would guess you can fix the linkage, I have some evil ideas but there might be a problem with the open/close motion? maybe why PO wacked it off?

you should be able to spin the white plastic thing and hear that big flappy door open and close? if you can then I would think any way to fix the linkage and your good.

you should also be able to move the big flappy door back and forth and notice heat temp differences?

hope it helps, cheers

I was able to look inside with a small mirror by loosening a few screws this afternoon. The big flappy door moves back and forth just fine. All of the white linkage moves good when I move the hot/cold mix lever and I definitely feel heat/cool temp differences. But it is the small white lever that is completely sheered off. What is the small white lever controlling when it moves in and out?

 

[MaineRunna]

It switches air flow between the heater core and the evaporator core

 

[Sparky 97Runner]

It must have broken off when it was diverting air away from the heater core. That would explain the low heat problem. Is it possible to remove the lever and door from a donor/used heater unit case and swap mine out? I was hoping to access mine by removing the AC evaporator. Obviously the worst case scenario would be to pull the dash and swap out the heater unit case with a good used one. Either way, it looks like I need a used heater unit case.

 

[Sparky 97Runner]

Here are two pictures of a heater box that I got out of a 97 in a junk yard. The first pic shows the small lever closing a small door which forces air to go through the heater core. If this small lever is broken with the door open, (like mine was) less than half of the air will flow through the heater core. This lever is in a bad spot and was probably broken by some passengers left foot or some gear stored in the passenger foot well. Also, I believe that this only pertains to early years 96-98. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about that. Anyhow, its nice to have blazing heat and I hope this helps someone doing a search in the future.