Manuel climate control - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

coachgeo · #1 01-06-2005, 12:34 PM

Has anyone looked into creating manuel climate controls for vents. For example installing choke cable and knob to move the vents open and closed. Retrofit cable pulled vent controlls from other vehicles etc. Parts from a lawnmower hand accelerator cable may be usefull too.

Any electronic actuaters out there that can be retrofitted to open and close the vents?

Any ideas on how to rewire to turn the AC on and off with a switch bypassing the auto control?

SYRacing · #2 01-06-2005, 12:59 PM

I've pretty much had it with my stupid non-working climate controls..I'm going to put a ball valve on the fenderwell and select whether i want 100% heat or 0% heat...It sucks. The engine will be at 90C and I will only get luke warm air out of it!

You could use a simple switch (Double Pole Double Throw or DPDT)
use the wire from your climate control (the one that kicks the clutch on and off) on the common side of one of your contacts. run a new wire from the normally closed side of the switch on the same side you just installed the common. Then, run a wire from a switched +12V source to the common side of your other contact on the switch. Then run a new wire from the normally OPEN side of your switch to the clutch. This way when the switch is off, the clutch will work as normal with the climate control kicking it on/off. However, when you turn the switch to the ON position, it will be on as long as the switch is on. This is purely speculation, it may be a ground signal that is being switched and not a positive. Relays may also be required, unsure of what kind of current the compressor draws!! Remember to fuse it properly and you should be OK

Hope this helps!!

#3 01-06-2005, 01:20 PM

If you come across a Euro model 300d or most 240's they have a manual contol setup.
I transplanted the entire assembly from an 81 Euro to the ridiculous ACC that was in my 78 300D. Works well. Got rid of that haywire old mess.

Jimmy Joe · #4 01-06-2005, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Deis

If you come across a Euro model 300d or most 240's they have a manual contol setup.
I transplanted the entire assembly from an 81 Euro to the ridiculous ACC that was in my 78 300D. Works well. Got rid of that haywire old mess.

Congrats!
We would all love to hear about this transplant.
All I have heard thus far was that it was a nightmare to try...
Can you give us more info?

fahrgewehr2 · #5 01-06-2005, 01:28 PM

How hard was that to do? Guessing entire dash comes out, serious fabrication etc needed?

Any more info?

#6 01-06-2005, 03:14 PM

Yes, it is a very difficult job. Having said that, I do not believe it would be that difficult to do again, since I have been there.
Toughset part is to pull the dash. Once that is off remove the heater box, everything comes out. Pull the servo and all of those vacuum lines. By that time I can promise you will question your sanity and you will ask what have I done now?
The manual control set up came from my 81 parts car. It is a Euro model. It has a small and very good working control valve setup. I found that all of the parts would mount in the 78 that had the ACC, there were even holes drilled for the control valves to install. Same thing in the wasteland there under the dash. Lots of stuff there, but the heater control was easy enough to to just set in there are bolt into place. Had to figure out the electrical but the wiring was not that hard to adapt. Used the donor wiring harnesses.
The old dash could have been used, but went better with the donor car dash, it had the correct manual controls for the center vents, no the vacuum controlled vents.
The dash in the 78 was your basic cracking blue, the 81 had a much cleaner black dash. It went right into place.

fahrgewehr2 · #7 01-06-2005, 03:22 PM

Thanks for that info Old Deis. Unfortunately, what you describe is probably way beyond my abilities.

Wonder how long it would take a professional to pull off the conversion?

#8 01-06-2005, 04:00 PM

More $ than I would $pend.

R Leo · #9 01-06-2005, 04:07 PM

Old Dies,
What did you use as a thermostat to control the cycling of the A/C compressor?

#10 01-06-2005, 05:12 PM

The ac was dead with this car before I started the project, and around here it was not worth the money to replace the blown compressor and so forth to get it going again. Just don't get that warm. However, I believe the controls from the donor car would have worked. The donor car also had a non working ac. I could have sorted that out, it had manual controls also. The evaporator will disattach and reattach to the heater box under the dash with little problems. I could see no reason why the lines and so on could not all have been left in place when I removed the servo and the acc, then remounted with the manual controls, instead of the acc. But I am not an ac man at all. Liike I said, just not warm enough around here to get interested in ac repairs. Summer is just too short.

Old300D · #11 01-06-2005, 05:50 PM

The non-functional, crazy mess of a climate control is part of the reason I scrapped my "Old300D" for a 240D. It's got a manual heater/AC, along with the turbo engine, and I LOVE the car now.

#12 01-06-2005, 05:56 PM

You have a 240 with a turbo? Is it a transplanted 300 turbo, or what?

R Leo · #13 01-06-2005, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Deis

Summer is just too short.

Summer practically never ends here; I needed my A/C day before yesterday.

wolf_walker · #14 01-06-2005, 06:12 PM

I have actually been comtimplating this, but using some of the stock parts, vac control vent pods, etc. I just want manual control over temp and blower speed/vent position. I think some creative electrical work could do this.

In the next thirty years I might find time to do so..