C5 Climate Control dim/dark display fix
#1
12-28-2006, 05:52 AM
C5 Climate Control dim/dark display fix
-WARNING- I originally did this post on www.Corvetteforum.com not www.corvetteforumS.com so if you don’t have an account there you're probably not going to be able to see basically every link after the first one.
To go straight to the post there, it's at http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=1583758
For those without accounts there, I hope the below is helpful. If the pictures don’t work and you want to see exactly what on the circuit board you'll be working on, I'd recommend creating an account there to check it out
None of the pictures or links are mine, they are a culmination of what I found searching all over various forums and websites. I just wanted to put them all in one place to make it easier for people trying to get this done. Hope this helps!
To go straight to the post there, it's at http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=1583758
For those without accounts there, I hope the below is helpful. If the pictures don’t work and you want to see exactly what on the circuit board you'll be working on, I'd recommend creating an account there to check it out
None of the pictures or links are mine, they are a culmination of what I found searching all over various forums and websites. I just wanted to put them all in one place to make it easier for people trying to get this done. Hope this helps!
#2
12-28-2006, 05:52 AM
RE: C5 Climate Control dim/dark display fix
This is copied from my post at www.corvetteforum.com -
First and foremost, this is not my fix! I spent a while searching multiple forums on info on how to do this, and found it all in several places. All I'm doing is collecting the info I found to put it in one step by step place with minor footnotes of my own. I will list names and URL's to each area I found the info from, and if anyone would like their info removed I will gladly do so!
Just trying to save the next poor guy some time for looking all over and following all the various links from everywhere
Hope this helps!
For the first steps, find pictures and more detailed instructions where I did, at http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
Their list of tools is for a bigger job, you wont need all of the ones listed, you'll need others for actually fixing the control unit, and you only need to go to step 3g, no further for this section!
***If you have a convertible with the body colored "waterfall" you will have to remove it first. If not, skip this step. 4 screws total, size 15 torx screws, two on the top, one on each side towards the bottom. Just gently pull up to remove it.
Remove the console - Gently remove the Active Handling trim plate and wiring connections beneath it and to the console. Remove the 4 10mm nuts. Pick up only the back of the console to get it over the rear bolts, then slide it towards the back to get it out from the front bolts. The front is slotted to slide all the way out.
Remove the instrument trim panel - Gently pry out the trim panel to the left of the ignition switch, and remove the ashtray. Remove the 3 #15 torx screws. GENTLY pull the panel only a little ways! Back towards the top, and up at the bottom/back where 2 of the 10mm nuts were removed from the front of the console area (behind the shifter). Remove the cigarette lighter power. ***If it's a 6spd, remove the boot carefully, I pulled mine up, but this site says you can push it down also*** Once you've verified everything is free, carefully pull it out and set it safely aside.
Again, I highly recommend going to the following site http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html for pictures and a more detailed step by step instructions for the above steps.
The following steps are not found at the above URL.
Now you have a clear shot to your Climate Control unit! There are only 2 screws holding it in place. I'm sorry I didn’t get the size of them, but they're easily accessible to test a few sockets to find the perfect match Remove the screws, pull the unit out a little way, and remove the connector in the back. Pay attention to the connector, there's an area you have to press to release the clip to be able to pull it out.
Now that you have the unit out, take it to a safe place, preferably the clean worktable you will be finishing the work on it
Carefully remove the 4 screws on the corners holding it together. They are small, and have very coarse threads, so use a hand screwdriver style tool preferably, NOT a drill, if you only have a ratchet set, just be very careful not to over tighten it when you're done!
The following was ninja'ed from RPOZ4Z on CorvetteForum.com http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...227&page=2 on page 2 post # 24. Thank you VERY much RPOZ4Z for putting words to sight so I knew what the hell to solder!!!
There is a 2nd variation of this board, which is the one I found in my 01 convertible. Thank you EnglandGreenon CorvetteForum.com for posting the other kind of board as seen below! http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...227&page=3 Same thread, page 3 post #50
On both boards, it's very easy to unplug the power board from the front of the unit to work on it. And on either board, what you're looking for is those little black guys with "241" printed on them. I used a Cold Heat soldering gun I got from Radio shack an hour or two earlier in my then together car The tip it came with was not ideal, but it finally got the job done!
I tried to see which seemed loose and only solder those few. Don’t bother trying, either you wont be able to tell, or you'll break them off looking for the loose ones. I fixed the 2 obvious ones, and went out to the car to try it, but only got a very dim light. When I went back and soldered more they were practically ALL broken on one side
Be careful to try and hold them in place so they don’t move if you happen to solder the good end first. I had one come completely off the board, and it was very hard to get it back on. I eventually wound up putting solder on the contacts on the board first, then putting the chip back on and soldering, it was a pain. I just rested the back of a tiny jeweler’s screwdriver on them to keep them in place, it doesn’t take much.
When you finally have them all done on both sides, carefully put the unit back together. Be sure to line up the pins on the back cover, and be careful with the small coarse threaded screws. I put them in the hole, turned them backwards until I felt where the thread was and then gently screwed them in until tight. You do not want to torque them at all, it will be obvious when they're tight and you're against the circuit board. Same with the screws that hold the casing together.
Now before you put everything back together in your car, make sure you turn the ignition on to make sure it lights up! You don’t need to start the car, just put
First and foremost, this is not my fix! I spent a while searching multiple forums on info on how to do this, and found it all in several places. All I'm doing is collecting the info I found to put it in one step by step place with minor footnotes of my own. I will list names and URL's to each area I found the info from, and if anyone would like their info removed I will gladly do so!
Just trying to save the next poor guy some time for looking all over and following all the various links from everywhere
Hope this helps!
For the first steps, find pictures and more detailed instructions where I did, at http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html
Their list of tools is for a bigger job, you wont need all of the ones listed, you'll need others for actually fixing the control unit, and you only need to go to step 3g, no further for this section!
***If you have a convertible with the body colored "waterfall" you will have to remove it first. If not, skip this step. 4 screws total, size 15 torx screws, two on the top, one on each side towards the bottom. Just gently pull up to remove it.
Remove the console - Gently remove the Active Handling trim plate and wiring connections beneath it and to the console. Remove the 4 10mm nuts. Pick up only the back of the console to get it over the rear bolts, then slide it towards the back to get it out from the front bolts. The front is slotted to slide all the way out.
Remove the instrument trim panel - Gently pry out the trim panel to the left of the ignition switch, and remove the ashtray. Remove the 3 #15 torx screws. GENTLY pull the panel only a little ways! Back towards the top, and up at the bottom/back where 2 of the 10mm nuts were removed from the front of the console area (behind the shifter). Remove the cigarette lighter power. ***If it's a 6spd, remove the boot carefully, I pulled mine up, but this site says you can push it down also*** Once you've verified everything is free, carefully pull it out and set it safely aside.
Again, I highly recommend going to the following site http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...zel_howto.html for pictures and a more detailed step by step instructions for the above steps.
The following steps are not found at the above URL.
Now you have a clear shot to your Climate Control unit! There are only 2 screws holding it in place. I'm sorry I didn’t get the size of them, but they're easily accessible to test a few sockets to find the perfect match
Remove the screws, pull the unit out a little way, and remove the connector in the back. Pay attention to the connector, there's an area you have to press to release the clip to be able to pull it out.Now that you have the unit out, take it to a safe place, preferably the clean worktable you will be finishing the work on it
Carefully remove the 4 screws on the corners holding it together. They are small, and have very coarse threads, so use a hand screwdriver style tool preferably, NOT a drill, if you only have a ratchet set, just be very careful not to over tighten it when you're done!
The following was ninja'ed from RPOZ4Z on CorvetteForum.com http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...227&page=2 on page 2 post # 24. Thank you VERY much RPOZ4Z for putting words to sight so I knew what the hell to solder!!!
I just finished fixing mine!
It works like new!
I'll post some pics in a little bit.
basically I just touched up the soldering on the big surface mount resistors on the power supply board. :thumbs:
here are the pics..................................
remove the 4 screws from the back of the HVAC control, when you take it apart this is what you will see.
remove the 4 screws holding the power supply board to the back cover, and flip the board over.
there are 8 surface mount components (outlined in yellow), these are the "culprits".
with a soldering iron, touch up the solder joints on these components, be careful, due to the bad soldering, they may move from their locations on the board, if they do, use a pair of tweezers of small needle nose pliars to reposition them and hold them in place while you solder one side. don't use a soldering gun or too much heat, chip components tend to get damaged by too much heat.
(please pardon my crappy soldering, I did this in a hurry on my kitchen table right before dinner!) :lol:
:cheers:
It works like new!
I'll post some pics in a little bit.
basically I just touched up the soldering on the big surface mount resistors on the power supply board. :thumbs:
here are the pics..................................
remove the 4 screws from the back of the HVAC control, when you take it apart this is what you will see.
remove the 4 screws holding the power supply board to the back cover, and flip the board over.
there are 8 surface mount components (outlined in yellow), these are the "culprits".
with a soldering iron, touch up the solder joints on these components, be careful, due to the bad soldering, they may move from their locations on the board, if they do, use a pair of tweezers of small needle nose pliars to reposition them and hold them in place while you solder one side. don't use a soldering gun or too much heat, chip components tend to get damaged by too much heat.
(please pardon my crappy soldering, I did this in a hurry on my kitchen table right before dinner!) :lol:
:cheers:
Of course, my HVAC is totally different from all of the others posted. What a surprise.
Still: I soldiered on and soldered all the surface mounted resistors nonetheless.
Success!! Works like new!!
Still: I soldiered on and soldered all the surface mounted resistors nonetheless.
Success!! Works like new!!
The tip it came with was not ideal, but it finally got the job done!I tried to see which seemed loose and only solder those few. Don’t bother trying, either you wont be able to tell, or you'll break them off looking for the loose ones. I fixed the 2 obvious ones, and went out to the car to try it, but only got a very dim light. When I went back and soldered more they were practically ALL broken on one side
Be careful to try and hold them in place so they don’t move if you happen to solder the good end first. I had one come completely off the board, and it was very hard to get it back on. I eventually wound up putting solder on the contacts on the board first, then putting the chip back on and soldering, it was a pain. I just rested the back of a tiny jeweler’s screwdriver on them to keep them in place, it doesn’t take much.
When you finally have them all done on both sides, carefully put the unit back together. Be sure to line up the pins on the back cover, and be careful with the small coarse threaded screws. I put them in the hole, turned them backwards until I felt where the thread was and then gently screwed them in until tight. You do not want to torque them at all, it will be obvious when they're tight and you're against the circuit board. Same with the screws that hold the casing together.
Now before you put everything back together in your car, make sure you turn the ignition on to make sure it lights up! You don’t need to start the car, just put
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