Pete,

It can be done on a SD. I did it last summer. Pulling the passenger side console cover, the center vents, the stereo, ACC, small hands and some patience will do the trick. It is my second favorite modification. The 2.47 differential being the first, but it was quite a bit more expensive.

Tom

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1993 300TE
1984 300D
1984 300SD
1976 BMW R90S

nice, Tom. So tell me, do you remember where you fastened the wire or whatever it is that you used? Are the center vents hard to remove? I know that everything else is easy. I even have the small hands, a blessing that I never knew I had until I was an adult.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Maybe my 300SD is broken??? but as far as I know...I can get heat out of any vents I want, any temp, without having to mod anything?

If I put it on the center button (vents/floor heat) I get just that...when I put it on the next one to the left I get a little vent...a little floor...and some window defrost.

The drivers vent seems to ALWAYS put out heat when in heat mode...just enough to keep my hands from freezing.

Normally the two center vents shut off when the system is in heat mode, and only open to supply fresh air or AC. Maybe someone has already modified yours?

Pete,

The center vents are retained by a couple of little spring clip-type fasteners on each side of the individual vent. Pry back the clips with a small screwdriver, one side at a time and the vent should pop out. As I recall, behind the vents is a rubber boot that actually covers the center vent pod. Remove the boot and you are there.

Edit: I am trying to think of the details here and one other step comes to mind. Move the center console out of the way toward the steering wheel. I believe there are two philips screws at the top of the center console behind where the top of the ACC unit was located. Remove those and the wood surround of the shifter and one screw at the back of the console and you should be able to pivot the console to the steering wheel and plastic tie it out of the way. I took the pink diaphragm housing off the pod and wired the remaining actuating arm to something under the console to permanently keep it open. Sorry for the piecemeal way I am presenting this, but I AM 56 years old and my mind is going.

Tom

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1993 300TE
1984 300D
1984 300SD
1976 BMW R90S

Thanks Tom. That's the type of info I needed.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

The way I have done this on a 300D without pulling the dash is to remove the glovebox and both side kick panels, remove the rubber boot that ties the dash pods to the evap housing and remove the "pin" that is holding the vac pod arm to the damper door then after the vac pod arm has extended out from spring pressure jam the damper door open underneath the arm. Don't forget to plug the vacuum line after removing it from the pod.

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Jim

Perhaps!

I don't have floor heat very strong on the passenger side (ie none) and I think I have a bad pod causing that...I have replacements

Its so cold over there lately that when I take a right turn..I feel it come up over the center console past my hand on the shifter and onto my leg. BRRR!!

Ouch, I really like the ACC when it's working correctly, but what a PITA when it acts up.

Screw the passengers...I have heat!

Not sure why my center vents blow heat though...it sure is nice...I can shut them off if I want to.

Also, my rear vent still blows nice fresh outside air in heat mode...so it must not be that messed up. Iono...

You must be single.

There is a devoious plan behind giving the passenger no heat...

...I think that is all I have to say.

My 1980 240D with it's strictly manual heat & A/C came with manual control for these two vents... a single slide lever... and the luvers are NOT adjustable!

I'm also recent owner of a 1980 300D which has the auto "Environmental" control system... so I noticed that www.**************.Com has some kind of manual conversion for the heat portion of this auto system.

Just thought I would throw this into the mix!
Sam

Speaking of A/C pods...



Do you need to replace them all at once or can you purchase them seperate? I need to get them for my SD here soon...

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Replace the ones that are inoperative and you can't get to with the dash in place.

After about 5 months with this arrangement (although I don't drive the car much) I still am very happy with this mod. Nothing like getting ice cold air out of all the dash vents on these cars.

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Jim