heater control box replacement

[woodson]

hello, need some help

i've been told by dealer that heater control box 2002 sienna needs to be replaced $1150 was cost. WOW! Is this cost reasonable? Can I do it myself, or how hard is this to do? Is it possible that it's a cable, how to replace and how easy to do? Assume dash needs to come out, can anyone give me some thoughts on this? thanks

[Black Sunshine]

Are you talking about the controls themselves? Or are you talking about the fan assembly with the parts that change the airflow? Are your controls knobs or electronic buttons? If they are electronic that could explain some of the cost. What portion of their estimate was labor and what portion was the actual part?

Generally their labor estimates run high compared to how long it takes someone with experience and maybe a little low compared to someone without experience.

I've had the big black cowl off of the dash twice. This and taking off the under pieces are probably the first steps. Getting a quality detailed service manual would help you a lot. There are probably not special tools required to do this job unless the wheel needs to come off. It probably doesn't. The controls portion can probably be changed with only the black cowl part of the dash removed.

[woodson]

thanks for reply, I didn't get breakdown of labor vs parts, they originnaly told me $550 to do diagnosis and to fix it woudl depend, I told them that was ridiculous, they cameback and said they'd look, today was the 1150 cost telling me it was the box not the knobs(mine is not electronic)...so maybe in reply to your question fan assembly / that changes the airflow? They called it the 8 track control box..I called it the heater control box. The knob when turned clicks and the flow is not coming our where it should, defrost I can't get air to windshield...I was thinking cable, I am probably capable of doing it, but don't know whether it's control box or something else. I don't have manual, do you know wher I can see the control box. They still have vehicle.

[wiswind]

Looking at my 2003 information on AlldataDIY,
The dash unit with the knobs list price is $78.97 with a standard repair time of 0.9 hours

They don't list the parts and repair time for the heater core case, but the heater core standard time is 4.6 hours.
I went to www.toyotapartszone.com to look up the unit.....not sure what they want to replace
They show the box under "Electrical"....."Heating & Air Conditioning - Heater unit and blower"
I suspect the box they are talking about is ...........the "Radiator Assembly Heater" #87150 in their drawing.......list price of $661.59

They show a "Servo Assembly Damper for blower" 87106C in the parts list that has a list price of $153.44
I do not know if this is for the "air outlet" or the mix.......but it is the only servo motor for a damper door listed for the manual A/C diagram.
In the diagram for the Automatic A/C they show another servo for a damper, 87106A that lists for $215.80.

Give that site a visit and look at their digrams......kind of strange to navigate, but this is the only place that I have found with diagrams to this level of detail.
I am thinking......look on the back side of that "location" knob that you select where the air goes......if it is a cable from there.....follow the cable.....if it is wires.....they must go to a servo that moves a door "damper".
Maybe look on your unit and see what matches up.
I have to think that if it is only where the air goes.....that you could see if it is a problem you can solve without replacing the whole box.

Looking at another diagram on that website, "Electrical" "Heating & Air Conditioning - Control & Air Duct"....click on "Illustration......Front control panel manual A/C"..."Get Info"....and the parts list comes up....part # 55906A "Cable Sub assembly Defroster Damper Control" list price $9.97.
FOLLOW THAT CABLE and see if the lever on the box at the other end will move and direct the air where you need it to go.
IF you are able to follow that cable.....that will tell you if it is the right box(with the blower) or the left box (with the heater core) that may need to be replaced.
The box in the middle is the cooler unit, does not seem to have air deflection in it.
I suspect that it goes to the box on the left in the diagram.......

[woodson]

thanks so much, I'm going tomorrow to see vehicle--they have dash out and have agreed to let me take a look, I'm not sure what to do, your help may convince me to try and do myself, but all depends, at least i can now understand what things look like and with your explanation have a better chance to quiz them why they think it's the box and not something else

[wiswind]

OK, today I got a look up under the dashboard on my 2003 Sienna.
I looked up from the driver's side.....up behind the radio.....
The units with the "Automatic A/C" with the push button selects for everything, instead of turning knobs to select where the air goes and other functions........have a servo motor that drives the selection of where the air goes in place of this manual "arm" that is at the SAME location on the "manual A/C".

Again, this picture is for Manual A/C, with a knob that you turn to select where the air goes (Defrost, Floor, etc).
The knob on the dashboard, as I mention in my post above connects to a cable.
The cable goes to this big arm thing that is on the left side of the Lefthand most box in the A/C, Heat and blower boxes up under the dashboard.
If you work your head in and look from the floor, up under the dashboard, looking up behind the radio.....you will see the side of the big black box.
On the side of the box is a grey metal bracket that the cable connects to......and moves as you turn the knob.
This grey arm has slots in it that move various levers that are connected to damper doors that move as you turn the knob.

This picture is taken with the camera looking up from roughly the accellerator pedal position.
You are viewing the damper select in the DEFROST position (fully Clockwise position).


Next, I moved the knob to the far opposite position (fully Counter clockwise).......in my 2003 Sienna, this would be the Dashboard Vent position.
In this picture, you can see the cable connection on the bright silver pin on the arm.
The whole arm rotates on the small brass colored rivet that is below the cable connect pin.

[woodson]

Thanks again, what you showed and described is exactly what I have. I went to dealership today, talked to tech and he showed me how it works and in my case it would only travel part way, he could set it to defrost and feet, but it would not go further, just clicked. The one travels so far and then it transfers to the other piece just as you showed it, sorry can't describe it better. He could set it to vents and the defrost wouldn't work then, Looking at the dash out and all the parts, I was glad I didn't try and disassemble on my own. I happen to know the GM there and they are working with me on replacement of whole box, all cables were intact. He wasn't able to identify why it wouldn't travel further, and neither could I see anything on outside. Bottom line I am having them replace box. They did say if they see when they get it out, if there is something that they can fix w/o repalcement of box they will do that and save me a ton of cash. I really appreciate your efforts and time you have taken to look at yours, take the pics , psot a reply and offer assistance. I never expected that kind of help. Really do appreciate your time.

As it turns out I found out that a 1995 SR 5 6 cyl 4 runner I saw for sale in Dec this past year with 103,000 came back and is for sale again ,it's in great shape, had I not gone there i wouldn't have seen it. They are looking to get 6400 for it, has power everything and a reconditioned jasper motor w/ about 32 months of warranty left on motor, and vehivle is in great shape interior and exterior, one owner who drove it less than 7000 miles per year. I just let go of my 1988 4 cycl 4 runner after 320,000 miles and alot of rust, couldn't justify expense of new motor--it spun a bearing and wiped the crank. So something good from my visit, and had it not been for you giving me reason to go look, I would have missed the 95. In Dec it was traded in and the dealer owner picked it up had it gone over with motor work and other things for his nephew, bought for him w/ insurance...all the kid 19yr had to do was get his license, he didn't and the owner of the dealership took it back and offered it for sale. apparently at auction they couldn't get price so they went to sell retail. I am looking now at what cost should be and what I'm going to offer. Ive seen my share of used runners, but never seen one of this year class that was this clean, has pwoer everthing and loaded. so more than you probably wanted to read, but wnated you to know that if I get this truck, you helped me in finding one which is not an easy task. wishing you well, and thanks again.

[woodson]

Thanks again, what you showed and described is exactly what I have. I went to dealership today, talked to tech and he showed me how it works and in my case it would only travel part way, he could set it to defrost and feet, but it would not go further, just clicked. The one travels so far and then it transfers to the other piece just as you showed it, sorry can't describe it better. He could set it to vents and the defrost wouldn't work then, Looking at the dash out and all the parts, I was glad I didn't try and disassemble on my own. I happen to know the GM there and they are working with me on replacement of whole box, all cables were intact. He wasn't able to identify why it wouldn't travel further, and neither could I see anything on outside. Bottom line I am having them replace box. They did say if they see when they get it out, if there is something that they can fix w/o repalcement of box they will do that and save me a ton of cash. I really appreciate your efforts and time you have taken to look at yours, take the pics , psot a reply and offer assistance. I never expected that kind of help. Really do appreciate your time.

As it turns out I found out that a 1995 SR 5 6 cyl 4 runner I saw for sale in Dec this past year with 103,000 came back and is for sale again ,it's in great shape, had I not gone there i wouldn't have seen it. They are looking to get 6400 for it, has power everything and a reconditioned jasper motor w/ about 32 months of warranty left on motor, and vehivle is in great shape interior and exterior, one owner who drove it less than 7000 miles per year. I just let go of my 1988 4 cycl 4 runner after 320,000 miles and alot of rust, couldn't justify expense of new motor--it spun a bearing and wiped the crank. So something good from my visit, and had it not been for you giving me reason to go look, I would have missed the 95. In Dec it was traded in and the dealer owner picked it up had it gone over with motor work and other things for his nephew, bought for him w/ insurance...all the kid 19yr had to do was get his license, he didn't and the owner of the dealership took it back and offered it for sale. apparently at auction they couldn't get price so they went to sell retail. I am looking now at what cost should be and what I'm going to offer. Ive seen my share of used runners, but never seen one of this year class that was this clean, has pwoer everthing and loaded. so more than you probably wanted to read, but wnated you to know that if I get this truck, you helped me in finding one which is not an easy task. wishing you well, and thanks again.

[Black Sunshine]

I love buying more vehicles. I just wish I could more often. Do it!!!!!