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Well, that was fun. Here are some pointers for anyone who wants to do this. My car is a 2001 9-5 LPT wagon.
First, there's this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUA5kzB87Qs
In this video, he shows a 90 degree extension for his drill. I figure this is what he uses to remove the screws holding the fan controller into the heater box. I just used a 1/4" ratchet with a 6 mm socket.
Unfortunately, the video shows very little about the fan controller replacement - it's mostly concerned with replacing the fan. But it helps.
The fan controller is a bear to remove. The driver's side (left hand drive) of the module consists of a finned aluminum part that plugs into the heater box on the right side of the driver's footwell. The cable travels about straight upwards from there, through a hole through a bulkhead that leads to the space that holds the ventilation fan. The cable plugs into the fan, then part of it continues through another hole to enter the passenger side footwell. Because of the size of the finned aluminum thing, removal has to occur by disconnecting the passenger side, withdrawing it into the space that holds the ventilation fan, then feeding it down through the hole into the driver's side footwell.
The driver's side footwell contains many things to scrape up your hand. Some thing mechanics' gloves might help there.
Info about the driver's side footwell: I didn't remove the driver's seat, but if you're larger than I am (I'm 5'11", 160 lbs), you might want to. Remove the plastic trim panel that forms the roof of the driver's footwell. It has 3-4 trim screws in the front, then it wiggles out. When re-installing, the right side of the panel rests on a little plastic piece, to hold it up. You'll want to disconnect the gas pedal. Two 13-mm nylox nuts, and then you can let it dangle by its cable. Look up and to the right, within the footwell, and you'll see a clear, plastic covering for the fan controller. Two 6 mm screws, and it comes out easily. One of these screws helps hold down the fan controller (the screw that's more towards the front of the car), and the other one just holds down the clear plastic cover. Then remove the two 6 mm screws along the top edge of the fan controller and pull the fan controller out of the heater box.
On the passenger side, remove the moulded and carpeted piece along the left side of the footwell, then the flat panel that forms the top of the footwell. Remove the glovebox: four 6 mm screws along its bottom, then open the glovebox and see three screws along the top. Do not remove the two screws that are situated behind the catches for the glovebox latch, nore the three screws on the left inner wall of the glovebox. Slide the glovebox out, and disconnect the power to its light, and the HVAC hose.
The passenger side of the fan controller plugs into a module that holds two other plugs as well, located up and to the left within the footwell. The fan controller plugs are the two that are most towards the front of the car. The one that is second from the front is the plug that has the thicker, red and brown/red wires. The plugs on the end of the fan controller cable (2) enter the module from its left and snap into place within the metal frame. Disconnect the forward-most two connectors, then disconnect the third one, too, and place a piece of tape on it to distinguish it from the others. You'll need this one out of the way to see what you're doing later.
Remove the old fan controller cable. It helps to have another person assisting, especially on the driver's side. It seems that there are plenty of sharp things on the driver's side for the cable to get hung up on.
Installing the new one definitely requires a helper. Feed it up through the driver's footwell. Because the size of the hold in the bulkhead is too small to pass both of the plastic connectors (the ones that end up on the passenger side footwell), you have to do them one at a time. Once the cable is threaded through the bulkhead, you can install the finned aluminum part (the wires go on the back side of the aluminum part) and close up that part of the car.
Install the two electrical connectors in the passenger footwell by passing them through the mounting block until they click, then attaching the three connectors you previously removed. This might be a good time to replace the ventilation filter, or at least vacuum it. Remove 6 6-mm screws that hold the cover onto the right side of the heater box. The filter is at the front half of the space that you see upon removing that panel.
I went ahead and installed the new ventilation fan at this point. The video above is helpful. Re-install the glovebox by first re-attaching its power and the HVAC line. Then slide the glovebox into place and install the three screws along the top of the inside face of the glovebox. Then close it and install the four screws along its bottom. Everything else should go easily.
This is a difficult job, because of the tight spaces in the driver's footwell. I probably spent 6 hours on it, but it was my first time doing this particular job.
Compared to the 9000, the fan replacement is easier. No struggling with the A/C unit. It's the fan controller that's the difficult part of this job.
, Sat, 29 Nov 2014 15:07:30
, Fri, 28 Nov 2014 17:31:33
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