I'm not sure what to do.

Preparing a new heater box for my car. I've disassembled the whole thing and 'adjusted' various pivot points, and re-lubed. The flaps are now all loose and move freely and easily. I have a set of blend motors that are all now working to go in along with it. The gears in each one are fine - no stripped teeth or broken bits. Now, I don't see the box binding up again and thus causing the gears to strip, but I'm not sure about the potentiometers... I did try replacing one with some I had, but either I damaged the replacement fitting the rotor/gear or it just wasn't quite right, but it didn't want to work properly at all after that. Put the original back in and it was fine... so I currently have a set of three working motors to go in, but for how long...

£162 for a new set of three Valeo motors from Island4x4... I really don't have the money to blow on them between now and taking the dash out. Do I risk it?

They're the same as the ones used on Citroen XMs. When they failed on the XM it wasn't because the pots wore out but because the commutators wore down and made them draw too high a current.

and they are the same ones on a Peugeot 406. Should be plenty of them in your local scrappy.

Should be able to put new pots in them and have them all running properly...

What model pots did you use? Can't remember if I sent you a couple ages ago or not...

You did send me some pots - I managed to damage one enlarging the hole for the rotor, and the second seems to read fine on a meter and on the nanocom from 0-90ish%, but I cannot get the hevac to behave when its in place. On power up it moves all the way to one direction before going all the way back to the other and then just stopping for good till next power up, when it repeats. Doesn't register a fault, and will not calibrate. Was pulling my hair out with it before I gave up and put the original back in, which just works... and calibrates no problem.

Concern is though I've already replaced one of the actual motors (with a used one from a blend motor that had broken cogs), how long all three have left is anyones guess. I suppose I should try and find the cash and just stick brand new ones in if I'm worried. I do not want to be taking the dash out again after this any time soon... nor do I want to cut the ducts to replace them if I had to. Currently have an unmolested ductwork system - I'd like to keep it that way.

Do it once, do it right...

Given the work involved in changing them on a P38, i couldnt face fitting used ones.

The one that powers the heater matrix blend door went wonky on my Audi A4, however on that, its accessible just by removing a bit of the centre console and contorting yourself in the footwell for an eternity. Audi wanted about 200quid for one, so i took a punt on a used one, and touch wood, its been fine. However even the used one for the Audi was 20odd quid, and given you can buy all three, new, for £160 i think i'd be just doing the lot!

I think I will just order a new set and be done with it. With nice free moving flaps they should last a long time I hope!

Sloth wrote:

I think I will just order a new set and be done with it. With nice free moving flaps they should last a long time I hope!

I married a woman with nice free moving flaps but she didn't last long

If I was a mod on the other site, I'd have to delete that and ban the member that posted it. But I'm not and I won't, it just caused me to laugh out loud! (sits back and waits for more smutty comments regarding posting free moving flaps.......).

I'm married to a woman with powerful free moving hands, that holds me back even thinking about moving flaps (she reads minds too).