Write-Up: Fixing HVAC Climate Control Lighting

DEMonte1997 wrote:

On the bottom cushion there weren't any hog rings. There is a seam that goes around the outer edge of the leather cover that tucks into the bars under the seat (just folds around the bar and the seam grabs it). If we were to take the leather all the way off the seat (including the back part) that would have been more involved with the hog rings. Bill said you can just pull the rings off with pliers and reinstall them.

Bill is correct.

Albertj

My Climate Control Display has finally faded - started fading, then would come back - now nothing. Have read all of the threads, but nothing so far gives me a clue of where to start. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Oops - 97 Riv Supercharged

Pull the dash and get the unit out. When it's out, you will see two really small hex head screws on one side of it. Get those out and it should pull apart. You'll see two boards inside the unit. You want the power board. There are pics in the writeup on this site of which one went bad. Follow those instructions and check the solders between the resistors on that board. Most likely, you will see a spot where the solder isn't any good. Either reheat that solder or add some new solder to that spot.

I'm sure someone else can add further insight to what I posted.

HTH

Thanks - that is what I thought I probably had to do. Also there is a rebuilt one on ebay for $80 shipped, so will go that way if I break it or mess up the board.

Thanks again............

No problem Al. Also check this thread: https://rivperformance.editboard.com/for-sale-f22/nice-looking-climate-control-on-ebay-for-not-too-much-t7120.htm

I posted a used one that seemed pretty cheap. I think another member bagged it for ~$30-$40. I just purchased a used one as well in that price range from ebay and it worked perfect.

Eldo wrote:

Well, I guess next time around you can try resoldering the joints yourself. If you have a soldering gun or iron, it's not difficult at all, because you're already starting with solder in place, you just add a little more rosin-core after the original stuff melts.

I didn't know that it could be just joints when I fixed mine, because I did it before I joined this site. I spent about the same, $50 for 2 used units on eBay, and combined the parts to have the correct outer case, an unscratched lens, and a couple of new buttons to replace scratched ones (a woman's fingernails, no doubt.) When I read about it on here, I kicked myself for not thinking about solder joints in the first place, but at least I was able to do a one-day swap this way...

Is there a write up for this?

All the buttons on the right side of my unit are not lighting up. I'd like to fix that and since I'll have the dash out to do the radio install this is a great time to do it.

VJD2 wrote:

Thread hijack...sorry.

Is there a write up for this?

All the buttons on the right side of my unit are not lighting up. I'd like to fix that and since I'll have the dash out to do the radio install this is a great time to do it.

Not to be a dick, but have you looked in the Write Up section.?
I just did and found it.

Rickw wrote:

Not to be a dick, but have you looked in the Write Up section.?
I just did and found it.

Yes I have looked plenty of times but I have not read every single one. Usually when a problem occurs with the car I use the fabulous search button and problem solved(most the time).

I'll admit at the time I posted last night or should I say early morning (2am ish) I was being lazy, didn't think to search.

Sorry about that.

I know "A picture tells a thousand words" But maybe a few words from you would be equal to a thousand.!

What board is this and what just got re-soldered. I feel like I walked in at the end of the movie.!!!

Rickw wrote:

I know "A picture tells a thousand words" But maybe a few words from you would be equal to a thousand.!

What board is this and what just got re-soldered. I feel like I walked in at the end of the movie.!!!

lol sorry, i figured everyone would know with it being in the HVAC display write-up. its the board in the HVAC climate control, the points that had to be re-soldered were for the display screen that dims. i was wondering how i would know what to solder when i was pulling it apart, but trust me, youll know. the first pic shows what it looks like from a distance, you can tell where it got a bit hot by the discoloration of the board. the 2nd and 3rd pic show the failed solder points up close, its pretty obvious that the connections are shit. the 4th and 5th pic show what those contacts look like without the solder, i tried to just re-heat and re-use the solder, but it didnt melt like it should. i decided to just remove the bad solder and use some new stuff. the last 3 pics show the board with the new solder.
took me less than 30 min start to finish, that includes removing and installing the climate control.

97 park ave wrote:

I tried to just re-heat and re-use the solder, but it didn't melt like it should. i decided to just remove the bad solder and use some new stuff.

DEFinitely... The old solder should be knocked off, sucked up or solder-wicked. Then, the wires and pads should get sizzled with a little flux (electronic, not plumbing!), and then new solder applied.

i didnt use any flux, i didnt have any

97 park ave wrote:

i didnt use any flux, i didnt have any

...and did not need it although it would have been nice to have.

Just about all electrical solder sold at retail has a rosin core, such core provides needed flux. However, it's better to clean/burnish old connections then flux them first with a little elctronic flux paste. Result is better connections. (Plumbing flux is acid, great on copper pipes but tends to insulate wire and traces, so you have to use electrical flux which is a rosin.)

By the way - your connections "beaded" which tells me they are incompletely adhered to the copper traces on the board. You could possibly knock them off using a screwdriver sideways against the bead. Which by the way I would not do, causes other problems. Those connections will last a (long) while, though. You're lucky it's not a multilayer board - those have connections *in* the hole not just on the surface of the board.

If the display gets dim again at least you'll know what's up and you can pull the HVAC head again and do the repair differently. However - if enough of the flux is in the hole in the board it is as likely as not that when that thing reheats on a long trip the adhesion will at first improve as solder reflows on the trace. After a while, perhaps a long while, of long reheat/cool cycles it will reopen.

Someday soon I'll have to pull mine and look at the circuit and connections, maybe I can figure out why it's heating up in the first place. (or maybe not)

I am not sure Radio Shack sells the electronic flux OTC anymore (may not be that popular) but regional/national supply houses (Allied, DigiKey, Staunton) will. I don't keep any; in practice what I do is clean the traces and wire with a Dremel bit (using just the bit, not the tool chucked up in a Dremel) and the flux in the solder is enough.

albertj wrote:

97 park ave wrote:

i didnt use any flux, i didnt have any

...and did not need it although it would have been nice to have.

Just about all electrical solder sold at retail has a rosin core, such core provides needed flux. However, it's better to clean/burnish old connections then flux them first with a little elctronic flux paste. Result is better connections. (Plumbing flux is acid, great on copper pipes but tends to insulate wire and traces, so you have to use electrical flux which is a rosin.)

By the way - your connections "beaded" which tells me they are incompletely adhered to the copper traces on the board. You could possibly knock them off using a screwdriver sideways against the bead. Which by the way I would not do, causes other problems. Those connections will last a (long) while, though. You're lucky it's not a multilayer board - those have connections *in* the hole not just on the surface of the board.

If the display gets dim again at least you'll know what's up and you can pull the HVAC head again and do the repair differently. However - if enough of the flux is in the hole in the board it is as likely as not that when that thing reheats on a long trip the adhesion will at first improve as solder reflows on the trace. After a while, perhaps a long while, of long reheat/cool cycles it will reopen.

Someday soon I'll have to pull mine and look at the circuit and connections, maybe I can figure out why it's heating up in the first place. (or maybe not)

I am not sure Radio Shack sells the electronic flux OTC anymore (may not be that popular) but regional/national supply houses (Allied, DigiKey, Staunton) will. I don't keep any; in practice what I do is clean the traces and wire with a Dremel bit (using just the bit, not the tool chucked up in a Dremel) and the flux in the solder is enough.

yea i know i shouldve probably used flux and the solder job wasnt the best, but like i said it took 30 min. if i had to fix it 10 more times throughout the life of the car it wouldnt bother me because its so easy. the solder beaded because i used more than i probably should have, it looked like the other solder connections on the board when i first did it but i didnt like how you could still see the wire in the solder so i gave it some more, resulting in the bubble you see. i hope it lasts long like that, so far so good.

As I said the connections will last a long while; I would not sweat it.

Albertj

I've got a few out on mine as well that I need to fix. Does anyone have a picture of the board with the bulbs on it?

albertj wrote:

As I said the connections will last a long while; I would not sweat it.

Albertj

Is that another plumbing reference/double entendre??

J. Chris Davis wrote:

I've got a few out on mine as well that I need to fix. Does anyone have a picture of the board with the bulbs on it?

this isnt for the bulbs behind the buttons, this is for the digital display that shows the exterior temp., fan speed, etc.
if i have time this weekend ill pull mine and show you how to get to the bulbs.

Yeah, the bulbs on my Fan up/down went out last year....it's annoying. Haven't had a reason to dismantle the dash yet....

Abaddon wrote:

Yeah, the bulbs on my Fan up/down went out last year....it's annoying. Haven't had a reason to dismantle the dash yet....

If you have the space to do it getting the dash apart is more of a time sink than a hassle. Helps to open both doors to maneuver the panel and to have something (small plastic food container with lid) to hold all the clickety little fasteners you have to remove to get it out - cause if you lose any it will likely squeak when you reassemble.

Albertj

Got mine apart and ordered the bulbs. Found the 7382 bulbs from a place in Florida called Bulb Town. Here's the link for them. http://www.bulbtown.com/7382_MINIATURE_BULB_BI_PIN_BASE_p/7382.htm

Finally got the bulbs from bulbtown. They are physically alot larger than the originals. So these will not work since they will not fit.

I believe you need the Radio Shack "Grain of Wheat" bulbs.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103780&cp