My HVAC has been getting increasingly reluctant to change temps and the passenger side is now stuck on Hi. Given that it's simple to remove the unit, how hard is it to do whatever Marty did 5 years ago to make the buttons work again? Or is there anyone in the market doing replacements?
Cheers!
Are you thinking of martys switch pack repairs? I've not seen an article about hvac button repairs but I'm a newbie! My hvac buttons seem to be sluggish (to me) but I've nowt to compare them to.
Got to remove mine at some point to do the Rippon thing, works fine except when the weather is cold and damp.
I have the same thing with the damp causing the HEVAC screen to dim out - but I use that as a measure of how many dessicant packs I need to put in the car :)
Yes, my buttons are not really working now. Some are OK but the temp down button for both sides is almost impossible activate now, and the passenger side is now stuck on Hi. It's a shame as the aircon is working a treat and I'm getting a nice 17degrees in the driver's seat!
I guess Richard will know the answer : o) but otherwise I cd take a look at one of my spares at the weekend and see if the switches look like fixable - the rotary switch is just copper contacts, so possibly the temp switches are the same "technology". Do you have a wood surround on the HEVAC unit? that can interfere with the buttons if it is not completley lined up
HEVAC screen dimming is either the power, or could just be as easy as replacing the backlight bulb. You're sure you haven't simply pressed the dimmer switch without knowing (slider on the LH stalk) ? I'd just hate for you to start pulling things apart to find it was an easy fix
As Rob assumes I know every little item on the P38 I thought I should check and confirm. I had a feeling the buttons weren't the same as the ones in the window switchpack so had a look at the HEVAC ribbon strip repair document on Marty's website (http://p38webshop.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=71). I had a feeling the switches behind the buttons were the same as on a TV remote and the picture on page 5 confirms this. Take it apart as for as that picture, then lift up the membrane, clean the pads on the bottom of the membrane and the tracks on the circuit board that the pads bear against with alcohol and put it back together.
Thanks Guys :)
The unit is a Marty refurb so it already has an LED and the Zebra strip. The dimming is very much related to dampness so I can only assume some characteristic of the screen is affected by that. It's no big deal as it basically serves as a reminder to keep the interior of the car dry to prevent mould!
Due to my 3D printing habbit I have a lot of 99% IPA so I reckon this job should be within my reach. Famous last words 🔚
Well that only took two years :)
https://eatlard.net/index.php/s/ZP4pjqtTwiByLwi
and here's a little Marty Memo: https://eatlard.net/index.php/s/m4zBr7BSd5jgE95
Miss you, Marty!!
Oh, and I do have an intermittent cheque book light.. so there's that too. Luckily it goes out on longer journeys (on restart).
For ref, here's a video with a decent description of the tear down/rebuild. It's not directly related to the buttons but there is a nice shot of how they're meant to look!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzt_GTnLyAo
I used used 99.98% isopropanol and some kitchen roll to clean off the copper contacts under the rubber membrane as advised by Richard. All buttons now working!