Fresh Air Vent Repair Write-Up -->
05-03-2002, 07:34 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 219
Fresh Air Vent Repair Write-Up -->
I hope I didn't over-complicate it...I tried to make it as clear as possible. Post here if anybody has questions. Please feel free to put this on any of your websites, if you so desire.
Repair of Cabin Fresh Air Vent...
This feature is standard on the 3rd generation Nissan Maxima (1989-1994). It is a lever located on the left side of the cabin temperature control unit, next to the hazard lights switch, for both auto digital and manual climate controls. This feature is cable driven, which means that the manual lever, up being open and down being closed, controls a baffle in the ventilation system, to allow outside air to pass through the vents, even with heat or defroster modes on. Over time this baffle gets a little stickier, causing more needed force to be used when controlling the lever. The problem is that the cable is only attached by a small plastic loop on the actual lever, which will break if used often enough. Repair is not difficult, just a little time consuming. If I had to do it over again, it would take no more than 1 hour. There may be better ways to repair this, but this is how I did it.
Step 1) Remove the shifter trim, either automatic or manual transmissions, using a screwdriver or butter knife to pry up and remove.
Step 2) Remove the ashtray and audio/climate trim. There are two screws near the bottom to remove, and then the top pops out with a little force. Unplug the hazard switch and lighter to fully remove.
Step 3) Remove the trim piece between steering wheel and floor pedals. There are a total of 6 bolts. Remove the two screws fastening the trim for the rear defroster and rheostat controls. This will need to be pulled out of the way to slide the trim piece out in step 4. There are 2 screws on the center console, 1 on each side of the shifter to be removed. Lift the emergency brake handle to access a cover piece underneath, and remove those two screws. This will allow the center console to pivot upwards. Remove the trim piece underneath the glove box compartment.
Step 4) By removing all of the items in step 3, access to the final trim piece is now possible. This is the piece that the climate controls unit is connected to. There are 2 screws on the side, near the floor, and 4 more screws on the face of the trim piece. It will take a little patience to remove this piece, but it will come out.
Step 5) Remove the climate control unit from the trim piece.
Step 6) The lever is now accessible, and can be removed. There are 2 small screws which hold this assembly together. By removing them both it will disassemble.
Step 7) Repair methods will vary. Some have used epoxy to re-attach the broken loop. I chose to drill a new hole in the circular lever, and bend the cable a full 180 degrees, and loop through the new hole. The hole should be drilled close to the edge of the circle, but leave enough meat so it won’t break again.
Step 8) Reassemble in reverse order.
Repair of Cabin Fresh Air Vent...
This feature is standard on the 3rd generation Nissan Maxima (1989-1994). It is a lever located on the left side of the cabin temperature control unit, next to the hazard lights switch, for both auto digital and manual climate controls. This feature is cable driven, which means that the manual lever, up being open and down being closed, controls a baffle in the ventilation system, to allow outside air to pass through the vents, even with heat or defroster modes on. Over time this baffle gets a little stickier, causing more needed force to be used when controlling the lever. The problem is that the cable is only attached by a small plastic loop on the actual lever, which will break if used often enough. Repair is not difficult, just a little time consuming. If I had to do it over again, it would take no more than 1 hour. There may be better ways to repair this, but this is how I did it.
Step 1) Remove the shifter trim, either automatic or manual transmissions, using a screwdriver or butter knife to pry up and remove.
Step 2) Remove the ashtray and audio/climate trim. There are two screws near the bottom to remove, and then the top pops out with a little force. Unplug the hazard switch and lighter to fully remove.
Step 3) Remove the trim piece between steering wheel and floor pedals. There are a total of 6 bolts. Remove the two screws fastening the trim for the rear defroster and rheostat controls. This will need to be pulled out of the way to slide the trim piece out in step 4. There are 2 screws on the center console, 1 on each side of the shifter to be removed. Lift the emergency brake handle to access a cover piece underneath, and remove those two screws. This will allow the center console to pivot upwards. Remove the trim piece underneath the glove box compartment.
Step 4) By removing all of the items in step 3, access to the final trim piece is now possible. This is the piece that the climate controls unit is connected to. There are 2 screws on the side, near the floor, and 4 more screws on the face of the trim piece. It will take a little patience to remove this piece, but it will come out.
Step 5) Remove the climate control unit from the trim piece.
Step 6) The lever is now accessible, and can be removed. There are 2 small screws which hold this assembly together. By removing them both it will disassemble.
Step 7) Repair methods will vary. Some have used epoxy to re-attach the broken loop. I chose to drill a new hole in the circular lever, and bend the cable a full 180 degrees, and loop through the new hole. The hole should be drilled close to the edge of the circle, but leave enough meat so it won’t break again.
Step 8) Reassemble in reverse order.
05-03-2002, 07:52 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Tampa Bay, Fl
Posts: 605
Should check out my thread on an interesting heat problem and toss me some insight, since it appears that everyone else is too afraid to do more then glance at it 
Thanx for the write-up tho, I've wondered what it was, and how it works!
Thanx for the write-up tho, I've wondered what it was, and how it works!
05-11-2002, 12:53 PM
#4
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 10
Re: Fresh Air Vent Repair Write-Up -->
You sound knownlegable. I want to ask question on control unit. I had an electrical short on battery cable which blew my radio fuse and cabin temperature control unit. I have already disassembled dash and pulled out unit. First I can not determine if diodes could just be replaced or (2) I need to replace whole unit and (3) Where could I get a used unit. Any ideas?
Originally posted by Isaacm
I hope I didn't over-complicate it...I tried to make it as clear as possible. Post here if anybody has questions. Please feel free to put this on any of your websites, if you so desire.
Repair of Cabin Fresh Air Vent...
This feature is standard on the 3rd generation Nissan Maxima (1989-1994). It is a lever located on the left side of the cabin temperature control unit, next to the hazard lights switch, for both auto digital and manual climate controls. This feature is cable driven, which means that the manual lever, up being open and down being closed, controls a baffle in the ventilation system, to allow outside air to pass through the vents, even with heat or defroster modes on. Over time this baffle gets a little stickier, causing more needed force to be used when controlling the lever. The problem is that the cable is only attached by a small plastic loop on the actual lever, which will break if used often enough. Repair is not difficult, just a little time consuming. If I had to do it over again, it would take no more than 1 hour. There may be better ways to repair this, but this is how I did it.
Step 1) Remove the shifter trim, either automatic or manual transmissions, using a screwdriver or butter knife to pry up and remove.
Step 2) Remove the ashtray and audio/climate trim. There are two screws near the bottom to remove, and then the top pops out with a little force. Unplug the hazard switch and lighter to fully remove.
Step 3) Remove the trim piece between steering wheel and floor pedals. There are a total of 6 bolts. Remove the two screws fastening the trim for the rear defroster and rheostat controls. This will need to be pulled out of the way to slide the trim piece out in step 4. There are 2 screws on the center console, 1 on each side of the shifter to be removed. Lift the emergency brake handle to access a cover piece underneath, and remove those two screws. This will allow the center console to pivot upwards. Remove the trim piece underneath the glove box compartment.
Step 4) By removing all of the items in step 3, access to the final trim piece is now possible. This is the piece that the climate controls unit is connected to. There are 2 screws on the side, near the floor, and 4 more screws on the face of the trim piece. It will take a little patience to remove this piece, but it will come out.
Step 5) Remove the climate control unit from the trim piece.
Step 6) The lever is now accessible, and can be removed. There are 2 small screws which hold this assembly together. By removing them both it will disassemble.
Step 7) Repair methods will vary. Some have used epoxy to re-attach the broken loop. I chose to drill a new hole in the circular lever, and bend the cable a full 180 degrees, and loop through the new hole. The hole should be drilled close to the edge of the circle, but leave enough meat so it won’t break again.
Step 8) Reassemble in reverse order.
I hope I didn't over-complicate it...I tried to make it as clear as possible. Post here if anybody has questions. Please feel free to put this on any of your websites, if you so desire.
Repair of Cabin Fresh Air Vent...
This feature is standard on the 3rd generation Nissan Maxima (1989-1994). It is a lever located on the left side of the cabin temperature control unit, next to the hazard lights switch, for both auto digital and manual climate controls. This feature is cable driven, which means that the manual lever, up being open and down being closed, controls a baffle in the ventilation system, to allow outside air to pass through the vents, even with heat or defroster modes on. Over time this baffle gets a little stickier, causing more needed force to be used when controlling the lever. The problem is that the cable is only attached by a small plastic loop on the actual lever, which will break if used often enough. Repair is not difficult, just a little time consuming. If I had to do it over again, it would take no more than 1 hour. There may be better ways to repair this, but this is how I did it.
Step 1) Remove the shifter trim, either automatic or manual transmissions, using a screwdriver or butter knife to pry up and remove.
Step 2) Remove the ashtray and audio/climate trim. There are two screws near the bottom to remove, and then the top pops out with a little force. Unplug the hazard switch and lighter to fully remove.
Step 3) Remove the trim piece between steering wheel and floor pedals. There are a total of 6 bolts. Remove the two screws fastening the trim for the rear defroster and rheostat controls. This will need to be pulled out of the way to slide the trim piece out in step 4. There are 2 screws on the center console, 1 on each side of the shifter to be removed. Lift the emergency brake handle to access a cover piece underneath, and remove those two screws. This will allow the center console to pivot upwards. Remove the trim piece underneath the glove box compartment.
Step 4) By removing all of the items in step 3, access to the final trim piece is now possible. This is the piece that the climate controls unit is connected to. There are 2 screws on the side, near the floor, and 4 more screws on the face of the trim piece. It will take a little patience to remove this piece, but it will come out.
Step 5) Remove the climate control unit from the trim piece.
Step 6) The lever is now accessible, and can be removed. There are 2 small screws which hold this assembly together. By removing them both it will disassemble.
Step 7) Repair methods will vary. Some have used epoxy to re-attach the broken loop. I chose to drill a new hole in the circular lever, and bend the cable a full 180 degrees, and loop through the new hole. The hole should be drilled close to the edge of the circle, but leave enough meat so it won’t break again.
Step 8) Reassemble in reverse order.
05-12-2002, 06:49 PM
#6
Originally posted by davis4005
How do you know if it's broken?
How do you know if it's broken?
.Hey Isacam, nice writeup. Mine still works but that good info.
05-13-2002, 05:31 AM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 219
Originally posted by davis4005
Really? What a constructive response. Can you hear a flap opening or closing when you flip it?
Really? What a constructive response. Can you hear a flap opening or closing when you flip it?
Originally posted by Vscoggin
I want to ask question on control unit. I had an electrical short on battery cable which blew my radio fuse and cabin temperature control unit. I have already disassembled dash and pulled out unit. First I can not determine if diodes could just be replaced or (2) I need to replace whole unit and (3) Where could I get a used unit. Any ideas?
I want to ask question on control unit. I had an electrical short on battery cable which blew my radio fuse and cabin temperature control unit. I have already disassembled dash and pulled out unit. First I can not determine if diodes could just be replaced or (2) I need to replace whole unit and (3) Where could I get a used unit. Any ideas?
Originally posted by Taegost
Should check out my thread on an interesting heat problem and toss me some insight, since it appears that everyone else is too afraid to do more then glance at it
Thanx for the write-up tho, I've wondered what it was, and how it works!
Should check out my thread on an interesting heat problem and toss me some insight, since it appears that everyone else is too afraid to do more then glance at it
Thanx for the write-up tho, I've wondered what it was, and how it works!
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