Xantia heater problem

[superloopy]

Guys ... the slider between the setting for external air and recirculated air on my S1 turbodiesel appears to have bust. It just flicks from one position to another with absolutely no resistance and no flap movement as far as i can tell. So ... what has given up and more to the point can it be fixed?I suspect my heater matrix is on the way out as well (that'll be three cars needing it done) as i spent most of last evening trying to keep condensation off the inside of the car. Not easy.

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[CitroJim]

Mike, this is a common problem and is caused by a kink in the cable happening because the flap has gone a bit tight...

Sadly, it's a whole dash and heater box out job to fix...

Once the cable is kinked (and you'll most likely see the kink at the slider end), it's almost impossible to unkink.

I'd be tempted to manually move the flap to fresh air in all the time by removing the blower assembly and reaching up and manually operating the flap.

[daviemck2006]

The recirculation of air is one thing I have never used on any car I drive. All it does for me is make the car steaming up nearly instantly, in my view very dangerous.

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[CitroJim]

Same here Davie, I have never used recirculated air.. I like mine fresh

[Stickyfinger]

Depends if the Muck-Throwers are out for me or if I am behind one of those Xantia or Land Rovers running on Chip Shop Fuel

[superloopy]

Not what i wanted to hear but .... thanks anyway although my slider just seems to have nothing attached to it, just flips backward and forward as if attached to thin air. Possible the cable has detached completely?

[CitroJim]

Possible the cable has detached completely?

Worth a look Mike as a kink in the cable normally makes the slider feel a bit springy whist doing nothing...

Depends if the Muck-Throwers are out for me or if I am behind one of those Xantia or Land Rovers running on Chip Shop Fuel

It's good for you Alasdair... The first cures a multitude of illnesses and clears the sinuses a treat whilst the second makes you feel ravenous

[Stickyfinger]

the first put you off the second...

[daviemck2006]

By the time you smell the muck throwers it's too late, your past the smell and your sinuses are cleared and chip fat smell-I'm saying nothing lol

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[chinkostu]

It's a good point, why recirculate the poo smell? Usually flip it across by the time i've caught a whiff and it still stinks

[Mandrake]

Mike, this is a common problem and is caused by a kink in the cable happening because the flap has gone a bit tight...

Sadly, it's a whole dash and heater box out job to fix...

Once the cable is kinked (and you'll most likely see the kink at the slider end), it's almost impossible to unkink.

Not completely impossible though Jim.

I managed to repair a kinked cable on my previous V6 even though it was kinked completely into a V shape.

The way I did it was to carefully straighten out the kink with a pair of pliers and also grease the cable where it goes into the sleeve to help reduce the chance of it happening again, but the real trick to prevent it happening again is to disengage the cable at the end, turn it 180 degrees and re-engage it. That way the strain on the cable when the lever pushes the cable tries to bend the cable in the opposite direction to that which the cable originally kinked, thus avoiding it re-kinking!

That repair lasted for the year or so that I kept the car...

I posted some pictures in one of my other threads unfortunately the user profile section won't let me browse my file attachments to find it. (It says attachments are disabled on the forum)

[Stickyfinger]

Boden cables due to internal drag are really designed for a slow constant movement.........do not shove them across quickly to avoid kinking of the inner cable....

[Mandrake]

Also don't try to adjust that flap while the fan is on full speed! That's the usual cause of failure. There is so much air pressure from the fan on full speed that it actually prevents you from moving the flap in one direction - if you try to force it against the full speed fan you will eventually get a kinked cable.

So it's important to avoid adjusting it when the fan is on full speed because even with my 180 degree tweak the cable will be weaker than it was when new. After repairing mine I avoided doing this and did not have any further problems.

[CitroJim]

I managed to repair a kinked cable on my previous V6 even though it was kinked completely into a V shape.

Well done Simon I must confess no success at all with the ones I've tried to fix despite trying your technique...

I hope that'll give you some hope it can be fixed Mike!