Zel's Fleet Blog - Xantia Activa, BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D, AC Model 70.

[demag]

I find those old manual slide controls for the heater deeply satisfying. Much nicer than modern digital ones which always seem to be a touch too hot or a touch too cold.

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[CitroJim]

Zel, that's a very tidy looking installation Cracking job

[CitroJim]

I find those old manual slide controls for the heater deeply satisfying. Much nicer than modern digital ones which always seem to be a touch too hot or a touch too cold.

Agreed, second only to rotary ones as in my 207. They're my favourites... I first met them in the 205 and loved them there...

[Zelandeth]

As far as ventilation controls both for layout and location, these are still top of my list.

I really don't get the obsession modern car manufacturers have with buring the heating/ventilation controls down by the gear lever making it impossible to operate when driving.

[CitroJim]

As far as ventilation controls both for layout and location, these are still top of my list.

Got to agree that represents a perfect heater control panel Zel

Is that the Saab?

[Zelandeth]

Yep, albeit quite an old photo before I found a black USB cable for the iPod. Always planned to route it behind the dash to the glove box, has just never made it to the top of the to do list. Need to get that head unit out at some point anyway as it's got an intermittent front right channel (dry joint I suspect), so once that annoys me enough it will probably happen then.

[elma]

The extra button gives it away.
That is a nice layout.
I don't much care for the digital panels, anything in the car you have to look at to use is stupid as far as I'm concerned.

[CitroJim]

I don't much care for the digital panels, anything in the car you have to look at to use is stupid as far as I'm concerned.

Same here and fully agreed James... One of the biggest gripes I had with the climate control in the higher-spec. XMs....

Some modern dashboards look like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise - does not sit well with me at all... If it can’t be operated by feel and touch alone I don't want to know...

[Zelandeth]

The extra button in this case is used to operate a relay to override the thermoswitch and turn on the cooling fan. When I got the car there was wiring to it - but I never figured out where it went!

[mickeymoon]

As far as ventilation controls both for layout and location, these are still top of my list.

IMGP0557.JPG

I really don't get the obsession modern car manufacturers have with buring the heating/ventilation controls down by the gear lever making it impossible to operate when driving.

I love these. I had 5 Saab C900s and the heater controls were the best I've ever used.

The Berlingo comes a close second. Big, simple, round knobs ( like it's owner!).

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[mickeymoon]

The extra button gives it away.
That is a nice layout.
I don't much care for the digital panels, anything in the car you have to look at to use is stupid as far as I'm concerned.

The EXTRA button is where the AC switch was on a couple of mine that had AC

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[mickeymoon]

I don't much care for the digital panels, anything in the car you have to look at to use is stupid as far as I'm concerned.

Same here and fully agreed James... One of the biggest gripes I had with the climate control in the higher-spec. XMs....

Some modern dashboards look like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise - does not sit well with me at all... If it can’t be operated by feel and touch alone I don't want to know...

Best modern one I've seen recently was in a brand new Ford Focus I had as a hire car a couple of years ago. Some are awfully complex though, even to me who is like a magpie when it comes to shiny things.

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[Zelandeth]

The extra button in this case used to be on the other side of the dash (where the front fog light switch lives when they're fitted). I moved it over here for ergonomic reasons...and because it's wonderful to see how long passengers can resist either pressing it or asking what it does.

The other thing about the ventilation controls that never gets old is that the ventilation control flaps are actually all vacuum operated, so clicking that dial around results in varied hisses and sighs from behind the dash as the system catches up. Sounds over complicated, but it rarely fails, and is less convoluted than a lot of the Bowden cable nonsense on many cars.

[CitroJim]

Sounds over complicated, but it rarely fails, and is less convoluted than a lot of the Bowden cable nonsense on many cars.

Or indeed the electrically driven ones in some Citroens and Pugs.. Well-known, some of them, for failing badly... Especially in the Pug 407... Fun to sort out as it is a dash-out job...

The Xantia has one motor-driven one and two bowden cable operated ones...

[myglaren]

My Volvo heater was pneumatically operated - we froze for a couple of months before I worked it out and re-connected the vacuum hoses