Climate Control, Several questions...

[Tom McMenamin]

The climate control is now my next project since replacing the A/C blower motor.

Need some info on whats going on so here goes!

1) Does the climate control have any backlighting?
2) The 2 fan buttons, the one clear button in the middle. Can anyone explain the functions of them besides the obvious. The white says auto, but do you push this in simultaneously with one of the fan buttons?
3) I seem to have the same flow of air out of the dash regardless of the button pushed for Econ, Floor, Floor and Dash etc. Does this mean something else is wrong?
4) Does the recycle button really do anything?
5) How do you defrost with the A/C on?

Yeah, yeah, i know Dumb questions, but some dummy has to ask them!

[dmorrison]

One dummy to the rescue

1. Yes all the buttons should light. Pull the panel and find the bulbs for the unit. Also the recirculation button has its own internal bulb.
2. fan buttons. the top one is level 6 ( high speed) of the fan speed. Always at this speed. The bottom is level 1 ( lowest speed), always, and the auto is speed 1-6 as the controller determines. Push only 1 button at a time. Hi, low or auto.
3. Yes something is wrong. Either your contol panel (do a search on resoldering the panel) or the elements ( vacuum actuators) are bad.
4. Yes it closes the fresh air flap ( actually the flap that allows outside air into the system. Mercedes consideres the cabin inlet flap to be the fresh air flap. I consider outside air to be the fresh air flap) to close, And keep it close until you turn it off or shut off the car.
5. To defrost with the AC on you can do 1 of 2 things. Push the defroster button. This will give you full AC compressor and full heat out of the defrost outlet only with level 6 fan speed. Or press the second from left button this opens all the vents ( center, side, defrost and floor) at the same time and the temperature is controlled by the temp selector wheel.

Go here and read about the Automatic Climate Control III. Job 83-600A This is for a W123 but its the same for all the cars with the III climate control. The only thing you have that is different is the center recirc button.

http://skinnerbox.steaky.org/Service/W123/Index/Groups/83ClimateControlSystem.htm
Dave

[backstage1]

Hi Dave,

Looks like that's a dead link or the entire site is down temporarily.

Bill