W126 380SE Vacuum Pods Inop

[gmercoleza]

OK, here's the deal. Originally my defrost was always-on. I removed the defrost flapper pod through the glove box and took it apart - the diaphragm was torn. So I plugged the lines and put the pod away, intending to order it eventually. In the meantime I held it closed with wire, but as you know that can cause some foggy situations when it rains outside.

That was a year ago. Today I finallyl got my brand new replacement pod and installed it, but it doesn't do a thing, almost as if there is no vacuum going to it (I did cycle through the different heating/cooling/recirc [max] functions, etc. to no avail.) Interestingly, my recirc door doesn't seem to work either, and I observed it working a year ago when I removed the defrost pod.

Any ideas where to start? I would just leave it broken, but summer A/C season is coming and when the defrost flap is stuck open the A/C loses half its efficiency. If I wire it shut, I lose defrost function.