Greetings All!

Guest · Sep 18, 2003

Hi everyone,
I just joined and would like to say hello. I resently bourght myself fantastic 944 S2 and enjoing it. The only problem is the climate doesn't seem to work properly. it only heats up the cabin when on full temp 30 degress. the rest of the settings are all cold. Any ideas?

John Sims · Sep 18, 2003

Hi Andriko and welcome to the forum.

The problem with the heating could be the little plastic clip on the actator. This is a common fault.

Either remove the glove box liner or, if you can, look up from in the passanger footwell between the glove box liner and heater unit. On the side of the heater unit you should see two wire push rods, these will move when you operate the heater controls - you may need the engine running for them to opperate correctly. The rods should push levers on the side of the heater unit. These levers are connected to the rods by a little white plastic clips. These clips break!

Diver944 · Sep 20, 2003

There is a good picture and further info re Johns suggestion in the Garage Shop Manual section of http://www.clarks-garage.com/ it is listed under Heater Malfunctions. These clips are less than a pound from Porsche

However I think that as you are getting heat then your clip is ok but it is one of the three heat sensors that could be malfunctioning. I had this problem and only got heat when the dial was at full or the defrost override button was pressed.

1. The first sensor and easiest to get at is under the bonnet in front of the fresh air inlet grille. This is under the plastic tray right in front of the windscreen and directly in line with the steering wheel (on RHD cars [

] ). It is a small black cylindrical probe about 4 cm long. This is the one that failed for me and cost £18 from Porsche.

2. The second one is again behind the glove box at the end of a 40cm rubber tube that leads from that tiny grille above your glovebox. The tube is connected to what 944 Register members affectionately call 'the hairdryer', this is a small fan that sucks air in from the cabin. The sensor is in that fan.

3. The third is at the back of the central twin vent in your dashboard. It is reached (I believe) by removing the instrument cluster and the twin vent. As you can guess I have not done this one [

]

I believe it will be sensor number 1 but if you don't want to risk £18 whereabouts in the country are you as some kind soul may play swapsies with their sensor (that's what I did). It literally takes 5 mins to unplug it and swap.

p.s all advice on here is amateur and liable to blow up your car so don't blame me [

]

Guest · Sep 20, 2003

DRIVER 944,
Thanks for that advice I'll follow it up tomorow and let you know the outcome. HR Owwn said the some thing and wanted £300 to diagnos the problem plus parts. Hope it's sensor 1!

Thanks again.

John Sims · Sep 20, 2003

I think that as you are getting heat then your clip is ok

Paul,

When my clip broke I had full heat and cold but nothing in between. It was laugable, in retrospect, as I was working overnight at Mme Tussauds and would drive up in the evening, in the cold, with the heat on until I thought the dash would melt and then turn to cold and then hot again when the cold became unbearable. The whole thing gave me chapped lips.

Back to the plot. I think the clip works the arm which gives a ballance between the two not hot or cold. As it is realatively easy to get to, I'd check it any way.

Diver944 · Sep 21, 2003

John,

Never mind which of us is actually right [

] , how about we undercut HR Owen and only charge £100 which we split £50 each [

]

John Sims · Sep 21, 2003

how about we undercut HR Owen and only charge £100 which we split £50 each

Brilliant idea, I'm packing my tools now. If we were to carry out the work round your place, with your two 944s, mine and Andricos that would be more 944s in one place than HR Owen see in a year anyway.

Despite being mechanically unqualified, at least we would know which end then engine was.