air con flow L series

tony · Post by **tony** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:58 pm

The air flow/air con on my 93 L series used to be able to be diverted via the buttons on the dash to feed the demister, to floor, or to face, etc., but lately it refuses to flow anywhere but the floor, so I assume there is a vacuum hose somewhere that has flogged out. how do i get at these? or is there a control box behind the dash cluster?

Mr Top Hat · Post by **Mr Top Hat** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:54 am

all the lines are directly connected right behind the buttons so its a bitch to get at but if you take your time you can get to them

check your main vacuum hose first is should be under the bonnet drivers side right up near the wind screen going into a small white tank.
check if your getting a vacuum from there before you pull your dash apart.

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:25 pm

Yeah they the control box work by vacum. It is common for the hose to slip off. You sometimes can hear it when you rev the engine.

Haymaker · Post by **Haymaker** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 1:50 pm

As said above check vacuum hoses under bonnet first. These usually are the problem as their subjected to more extremes of heat, cold and grime under the bonnet compared to the internal ones. On drivers side near compliance plate is round white cylinder with vacuum lines attached about 3 or 4 coming off it. Check all these lines at each connection. I had same problem and found one of these hoses that goes from the white cylinder to an attached solenoid switch which then goes to a fast idle switch (raises revs when air con unit is switched on) mounted on the inlet manifold had a split allowing pressure to escape. New piece of hose and all is great.

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:41 pm

I have a problem in the car where I can smell strong exhaust fumes. I need to look into this before winter cones and I gas myself. Haha for some reason I'm laughing now! Bad image that was. Anyway so I'm thinking its related to the vacuum lines. What filters out this smell or is it just that its a sealed system and as such doesn't matter. If so it would appear mine is leaking. Yet all the buttons work correctly.

Anyone know what part of the manual that shows where all these lines should go?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:04 pm

Smokey wrote:I have a problem in the car where I can smell strong exhaust fumes. I need to look into this before winter cones and I gas myself. Haha for some reason I'm laughing now! Bad image that was. Anyway so I'm thinking its related to the vacuum lines. What filters out this smell or is it just that its a sealed system and as such doesn't matter. If so it would appear mine is leaking. Yet all the buttons work correctly.

Anyone know what part of the manual that shows where all these lines should go?

It won't be the vacuum lines but you should check them anyway.

Three things it can be:

1) your exhaust pipe doesn't push the exhaust gases out the back of the vehicle, it might be bent or just too short

2) you have an exhaust leak that is entering the cab through a damaged boot such as the gear selector boot

or 3) the rubber strip that seals the engine bay from the cab intake vents is damaged, missing or has come loose and is not seated properly.

A few things to check out there!

Cheers

Bennie

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:36 pm

1) OK not exhaust pipe tip itself. And u won't believe this but there are no joins in the exhaust but there might be a crack/break/hole.

2) My gear selector rubber boot is shagged hard. Anyone have a spare?

3) Where is that flap located Bennie. Bet that's the culprit!

Car started this right after the engine & auto to manual swap, um some 3 years ago...whoops.

To be honest, its like there is a direct exhaust pipe into the car. When I bury the pedal (just before secondaries) the smell changes within milliseconds. Rich and pungent. Like I'm living in the exhaust. BUT it doesn't always do it. And it seems to be getting worse over time, as though the leak is getting worse etc.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:04 pm

So yesterday for the drive home I takes off the rubber hose under the bonnet that goes into the drivers side air canister. You know the one where all the air hoses join for the AC kick down solenoid and other crap that I don't understand.

Anyway so now I have no vacuum to change the vent where the blower air is directed, but I DO NOT HAVE THE SMELL either! Left the hose off, driving to work this morning windows closed. No smell.

The question is: this rubber hose under the bonnet connects to the drivers side inlet manifold, right beside where the brake master cylinder booster vacuum hose connects. Least that's where mine is connected. So with engine running and this rubber hose disconnected should the inlet manifold be sucking or blowing? Please excuse any connotations that question raises image wise. Could not think of a better way to explain he he.

Simple answer for my issues with exhaust fumes is perhaps I have a problem with vacuum or hose is connected to the wrong place on the engine.

I can add a pic if needed. Thoughts?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:27 pm

Smokey wrote:So with engine running and this rubber hose disconnected should the inlet manifold be sucking or blowing?

Sucking.

What's probably happened is that with the hose disconnected it's been a coincidence that you haven't smelt the fumes. Or your one way valve isn't working so good and the heater settings have closed/opened something that is causing the issue.

Also that rubber strip I was talking about runs a long the top of the fire wall where the bonnet sits on it - you'll see it above the spare tyre, it runs from the vacuum reservoir to the wiper motor on the passenger's side.

When the engine is running and you have the bonnet up, can you smell the fumes with your head (safely) in the engine bay? Any exhaust leaks that you can detect?

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:07 am

Colin, you first say exhaust fumes, that cannister would only be giving off fuel smell unburnt petrol fumes from the fuel tank end up in here and the vacuum control should allow system to purge - read the connections on the top of the cannister. I think the idea of these things having a filter pad at its bas and hose to chassis is to allow air into it to take the fumes with the flow into the manifold. I have read or heard, salt grain alert, that if you go beyond first click when filling tank (and who does that now with a buck fifty a litre?) you may drown the charcoal cannister if it indead has charcoal. Ive chucked a few never curious to the gizzards.

So, exhaust or raw fuel smell ?
If you have a turbo you will occasionally get pressure in that line unless it cuts out somehow

These cannisters also have a combo of three , or four hoses to its top. How many you got and which one did you undo, block it off at same time ?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:13 am

Sorry Tony , we are forgetting you after smokey pirated the thread, feet may be a default position for no vacuum, so vacuum prob may not be just behind the switches in the dash pod. You can prise ech button off to reveal a screw or two and withdraw the switch pod a little bit before hoses and wires limit things but mostly these hoses are not the perishable kind ..... and the rubber hose connections are tight as.....

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:08 pm

Quick update on this one:

Tony yep sorry thread jack. But it was 2 years ago so I felt it was ok to add thinking it was related but Im not so sure now.

Cheers Bennie, sucking. Hense re above not being related to air vent vacuum (vacuum...DAH!!).
Bonnet seals nicely. But good idea. Determinate exhaust leaks here and there. Can see black soot at the block to header flange joint. Think your right Bennie, Just tricking myself into X when its a simple exhaust leak and badly sealed cabin.

Steptoe, confusing me mate. My Charcoal canister is fine, all 4 lines connected. Though I do have the smaller to the two fuel air breather lines blocked off. Anyone know what its for?
Just to confirm, not raw fuel but a exhaust leak. Gets richer smelling when driving heavy footed. Surprising how quickly you can smell the change though.

I'll end this thread here. Im confident my heater vacuum lines are all working correctly. My exhaust smell is due to a badly sealed cabin and the need for two new exhaust header gaskets.

tony · Post by **tony** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:50 am

not a problem the post is pretty old now.
you could have a leak in the tailgate seal this will allow fumes in. but you should fix it, if you can smell exhaust fumes they are way too strong as you can be harmed by fumes you can't smell. especially with winter coming and driving with windows closed.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:19 pm

Smokey wrote:Think your right Bennie, Just tricking myself into X when its a simple exhaust leak and badly sealed cabin...
...My exhaust smell is due to a badly sealed cabin and the need for two new exhaust header gaskets.

I'd be checking the gearstick boot - the one under the trim, it'll be the black rubber one, not the one that matches your interior to make it look all pretty.

tony wrote:you could have a leak in the tailgate seal this will allow fumes in. but you should fix it, if you can smell exhaust fumes they are way too strong as you can be harmed by fumes you can't smell. especially with winter coming and driving with windows closed.

That's another good one Tony! And too true about the exhaust gasses - they can make you pass out and stack your car, if it's just you well it's lucky for other road users... This is unfortunately how many DC-3's came to grief back in the day - a cracked heater manifold allowed exhaust gasses into the cabin which put the crew and passengers to sleep. You can work out how the rest ended...

Cheers

Bennie