Replace auto climate control with non auto

C5redvet

New member
I own a 2004 sprinter passenger van with rear factor air

The front dashboard mounted temp control is spinning all the way 360
Ac working however I have to play with dial awhile to find a place where ac col

can I put a used non automatic climate control in place of my current automatic one

would it be plug and play

any help would be appreciated greatly
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
The spinning knob is merely a variable resistor (think "volume control") ... there has been a thread or two by people who have replaced it with such a "volume control" bought at Radio Shack or electronics supply stores.

There are also people on eBay who will *fix* yours ... you send it to them and they return it in a week ... if they can't fix yours, they send a replacement unit. ... all for a flat fee around $99 to $125.. The "most happy reviews by members" is in Van Nuys California.

Here are three links that i picked up last year: (but i have not used any of them for service)

--dick
 

C5redvet

New member
Thx I have pro station also. I have not removed or open unit yet. I think the knob has broken from the shaft. I am considering adding an external pot on dash or it locks like spindle can come out of pot. If so I’ll custom make a knob with spindle

I won’t know until I remove. My sprinter has the automatic climate control. So it’s more expensive to repair or replace. Dodge told me I cannot put non automatic unit in. Or I would there much cheaper
 

erldrums

2006 tin long tall 2500
the temp "pot" as three little legs that anchor it to the PCB, they get snapped off..that what was wrong with mine when i got it..
jb welded new legs and put it back in..although yet to try it....I hope i got it in the blue gizmo not 180 degrees out!
 

albertosalinas

Active member
I dont know what you mean by automatic climate cotrol but how I fixed mine is I found a used climate control from ebay that was working and switched out both the knobs and the component to mine. Easy fix and way cheaper than buying a new one.
 

C5redvet

New member
There are 2 models of climate control. 3 dials On the automatic one the right most dial isn’t blank. It controls the compressor. And will sense the temporary inside and turns compressor on and off automaticity. I was trying to find out interchangeably with regular one with 2 active dials
 

gdict

Member
Hi guys,

I am currently experiencing a problem where my blower fan stays on low after shutdown and key removal. It draws enough current to kill the battery overnight. Coincidentally, I just had my transmission conductor plate replaced and all the codes reset, but it seems this should not be related. Also, ever since I have owned the van, my heater controls have never really worked right to control the temp. I either get nothing or a sauna for the most part. Will this rebuild service on ebay solve my problems or are there other things I should be looking at. The heater valve was replaced but did not solve anything.

Thanks!
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
The blower motor being stuck on "low" sounds like it thinks the Boost/Aux heater is running (for which it turns on the blower)
*or*
The REST function (lower button on rightmost "round thing) is invoked ... which operates a water pump and the blower ... theoretically for 15 minuts.

The Aux heater can be controlled from a separate switch or timer ... so it/they can "force" themselves on the AC controller.
If that external signal is saying "run the blower", then "fixing" (or replacing) the AC controller won't affect the symptom.
IF that's NOT the issue, then there's a good chance that the repair service may handle it ... IF THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.
That's the kind of symptom it really really helps/matters that you include a sheet of paper saying what's wrong.
IT could be a stuck relay on the AC board, but if they don't have it plugged into either a comprehensive test jig *or* a real blower .. they might honestly miss seeing the problem.

--dick
 

gdict

Member
The blower motor being stuck on "low" sounds like it thinks the Boost/Aux heater is running (for which it turns on the blower)
*or*
The REST function (lower button on rightmost "round thing) is invoked ... which operates a water pump and the blower ... theoretically for 15 minuts.

The Aux heater can be controlled from a separate switch or timer ... so it/they can "force" themselves on the AC controller.
If that external signal is saying "run the blower", then "fixing" (or replacing) the AC controller won't affect the symptom.
IF that's NOT the issue, then there's a good chance that the repair service may handle it ... IF THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.
That's the kind of symptom it really really helps/matters that you include a sheet of paper saying what's wrong.
IT could be a stuck relay on the AC board, but if they don't have it plugged into either a comprehensive test jig *or* a real blower .. they might honestly miss seeing the problem.

--dick
Cool, thanks for the info. I pulled the 30 amp blower fuse for a couple days and recently put it back in and the problem is apparently gone. I tested across the terminals with an ammeter and it was flat zero. I am still experiencing the problems with the temperature control though. Do you have any idea what these re-builders do to the module? If they are just going in and re-flowing the solder joints and cleaning the pots, then this is something I could probably handle myself. If they are identifying and replacing specific components then that might be beyond my purview.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Cool, thanks for the info. I pulled the 30 amp blower fuse for a couple days and recently put it back in and the problem is apparently gone. I tested across the terminals with an ammeter and it was flat zero. I am still experiencing the problems with the temperature control though. Do you have any idea what these re-builders do to the module? If they are just going in and re-flowing the solder joints and cleaning the pots, then this is something I could probably handle myself. If they are identifying and replacing specific components then that might be beyond my purview.
I have no idea how they operate, but my guess is similar to your list (reflow, perhaps replace broken cam wheels, potentiometers and relays).
The BIG difference between DIY and those (favorably reviewed) service providers is that, if they can't quickly fix yours, they have a stack of already-repaired units available to ship to you within the week ... instead of your only avenue of locating parts and continuing with the guess-and-test process. I would also hope/expect that they have documentation (if only by self-tracing the circuitry, but maybe they paid for it) and a heap of appropriate spare parts right there.
I know if my AC head unit were to act strangely, and i couldn't suss it out in an hour or so, i'd be more than happy to send it off to them.
(and i'm perfectly willing to replace the existing pretty potentiometer with anything that even vaguely fits .. or perhaps even two fixed resistors to achieve 70 F as a setting.

--dick
 

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