I think maybe my heater control valve works after all. It just has confusing labeling. The top of the casing has two words written on it. Closed is written on one end, and open is written on the other. One would assume, or at least I did, the when the lever is pushed toward the word closed, the heat would be cut off. Well apparently that is not the thinking of the company that made this valve.

When the lever is pulled towards the end that says "open" it will get to a point where it entirely covers the word "open" and all you can read is "closed" at the other end from where the lever is. At that point it seems as if the heat is in fact being cut off. I kind of discovered this by accident. I can of course simply remember that the lever on the dash works backwards, or can buy another valve for $22 which has the reverse orientation. I hope I am right about this. I have been under the impression for at least a year that the valve simply did not work because it would blow hot air when the lever was moved to the cold side of the dash panel. Last night when test driving the car, it was pushed over to heat, (because it was cold outside), and it was not producing much heat. When I moved the lever to "cold" the air got warm. Let's hope.

I hope this means something to you guys. I could not get my wife very excited about my discovery when I got back last night.

Sam

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Nice discovery!


Any way you can pull the valve and look through it while working the lever?

You actually mean she have no interest in heater control valve lever operation problems? Jeez, women!

Olaf

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Aspenized

Yes I could. That was the plan, but so far I have just been too busy/lazy to do so. The discovery that maybe it works just kind of pupped up. The fancy underbody pan has no provisions for reaching the drain plug, and the pan was removed to add the trans cooler, and is off now. If I have half a brain I will make an inspection opening/trapdoor before putting it back on. I have an idea for another post I am about to make.

Sam

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Well, I don't know what I was smoking, but during a drive today I could feel no difference in the heat with the valve moved in either direction. I have more work to do here. Until I get this sorted out, the AC will be ineffective as the flow of hot water through the heater is the method used to modulate the temp in AC mode.

Sam

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I called Classic Auto Air, and found out I have placed the valve in the wrong heater hose. It seems illogical, but it is supposed to go in the cool, return, water pump side of the line. It seems putting it on the hot, block outlet side destroys the seal in the valve. A new valve is in the way. We will see if changing it will fix things. I am optimistic.

Sam

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