AERIAL AND HEATER CONTROLS

When I ended my last post, I said "no breakdowns or mishaps". That was not quiet true because my electric aerial, which someone had already twanged and bent, so that it wouldn't retract, must have got snagged by foliage on the very narrow road to Alum Bay so much so that it was laying horizontal along side the boot lid when we arrived. The problem was that the up and down of the aerial was controlled by a switch under the dash, which I invariable forgot to operate. Some gaffer tape secured it for the return journey from the IOW

My new £22 replacement aerial, could either be operated by the ignition switch or by switching the radio on, I opted for that method, which entailed detaching the wires from the switch and reattaching to the appropriate wires at the back of the radio. I then reconnected the original cables, including the aerial lead to the new aerial and job done. Switch on radio and up goes the aerial and switch off radio and down it goes.

I can't remember exactly when, but soon after I got Stella up and running after last winters work, I realised that the heater control wasn't working when I went to shut off the heat. Fortunately the heater control valve is just about accessible behind the carpet in the drivers foot well, when I tried to work the leaver directly it wouldn't move, it had obviously seized whilst the engine was drained of coolant over the winter. After continuous wriggling the little leaver, it freed up and I could set the required temperature at the valve, but the controlling leaver on the dash just moved from side to side with no effect. The fuzzy photo below shows the valve and it also shows the type of green spring clip mentioned in next paragraph.

It was time to sort this out, checking on the forum told me that the green spring clip that secured the outer cable of the heater control would have come off and that it was a pig of a job to put back on unless you had the hands the size of a five year old. Undaunted I started by removing the radio, the fascia to the heater control and the ashtray and there lay the green clip.  I could see were the clip had to go by using my mirror on a stick and a torch looking up into the aperture that the ashtray had occupied, but although I could just get my hand into this small void I couldn't turn it to place the clip in position.

The whole of the centre console would have to be removed which would give me about an extra 1/2 inch for my hand. So window and interior light switches, choke, heater fan controls plus cigarette lighter etc., all had to be disconnected, before I could try and wriggle the console out of the. Reluctant is the word, but eventually it gave up the battle and I was able to get the console moved out of the way.

I won't go into detail, but it took many attempts to get this clip located, but eventually I was successful. I sprayed WD40 over all of the linkages and yes! all of the controls now worked properly, time for coffee.

I was surprised at how quickly I got the console back into place and all the controls and switches reattached. Another job ticked off and looking forward to controllable warmth in the car this winter.