Heater Cables

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FlatbedPilot

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I'm having problems with the heater in my 2004 TD5 which isn't good at this time of year. Firstly, the fan only comes on at the max setting on the lever but it seems to be going quite slowly. Secondly, there is a cable which is also actuated by the fan switch which is jammed. It just bends when you move the switch rather than sliding the cable into the sheath. What does this cable do? I can see the cables going to the heater from the controls on the right of the dash and they work OK. I can't see where the cable from the fan control goes though. It's the cable in the picture below connected to the bottom of the fan control. Mine is still fitted. I got this picture from the 'net.

defenderheatercable.JPG
 
Resistor network. I'm pretty clueless with electrical stuff. Is that something separate from the switch or is it part of the switch? It looks like the switch makes two contacts at the bottom of it's travel to two electrical connectors. Now that I've had a mess about with it both connections seem to work but the fan only comes on in two modes - super slow and slow. The variable speed part doesn't work at all. I just get a pathetic dribble of air from the vents whatever everything is set at. The cable is mystifying me. Two cables emerge through the bulkhead and go to the heater. These are connected to the sliders on the right of the dash and both work fine. The cable connected to the fan switch does not seem to go through the bulkhead. I can't see where it goes as it disappears into the bowels of the dash and is mostly hidden by all the wiring. It must do something, but what?
 
my bad - Defender doesnt have a resistor network..... might be worth you reading this thread though, :)

or consider one of these.

It appears that the cable just operates a flap to control the amount of air going thru the matrix. The switches are just operated at the end of the lever travel. It sounds like your blower fan might be almost seized - a common problem.
 
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You do not have variable speed.
The other cable goes into the lower dash and operates the flaps.
If you take off the plastic air ducts in the lower dash, one each side, you can see and touch the flaps that this cable operates.
Pita to sort out seized flaps.
 
I'm having problems with the heater in my 2004 TD5 which isn't good at this time of year. Firstly, the fan only comes on at the max setting on the lever but it seems to be going quite slowly. Secondly, there is a cable which is also actuated by the fan switch which is jammed. It just bends when you move the switch rather than sliding the cable into the sheath. What does this cable do? I can see the cables going to the heater from the controls on the right of the dash and they work OK. I can't see where the cable from the fan control goes though. It's the cable in the picture below connected to the bottom of the fan control. Mine is still fitted. I got this picture from the 'net.

View attachment 136066
The outer sheath of the cable should be clamped under the green clip, or was that dislodged when you removed it?
 
All sorted now. So the cable on the fan switch is connected to a flap on the side of the heater which varies the amount of air blown through the ducts. I couldn't see that earlier. I managed to free the cable by operating the flap directly and it now moves freely again. It was stuck in the closed position, hence the pathetic airflow.

The cable is securely clamped to the switch, the photo I put up was just one I found on the internet for for reference.

As for the fan, now that the flap is free I can hear and feel the airflow a lot more now so it seems to be working fine.

Sorry to bother you all and thanks for the input.
 
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