Heater Motor Problem

[Trevor Green]

Can anyone advise me on the following problem! I have 240GL Estate and the heater /fan motor has packed up. I need to replace it .Is it a big job ? The Haynes manual i have doesn't give much help. Any help and advice is most welcome . Thanks.

[Mike_Brace]

First of all are you absolutely sure the motor has packed up - dirty fuses and contacts can often cause problems. Replacement is time consuming - remove trim panels and the fixings are fairly obvious - the dash needs loosening as well. There have been prevoius posts - try a search. Allow over a day for the job and renew heater hoses at the same time - check valve is not leaking.

Mike

[classicracing]

Pour yourself a drink this is long

I have now done this job twice, last time was two weeks ago so it's still very fresh in my mind, takes about 6-8 hrs with a few rests.
Usually caused by leaving the motor on speed 1 all the time, mine have gone at 15 and 17 years respectively. Easy to test the wiring just pull the three wires behind the switch and try a seperate live feed to each speed

The job is very fiddly, the heater box comes out through the left hand (passenger) footwell
Disconnect the battery
Remove the front passenger seat to give you space ( 4 nuts and one cover trim)
Remove the glovebox inner shell (screws) and dash undertrim (twist clips) and demister ducting ( push fit) to give you vision
Remove centre console sides (both) screws and twist locks
Remove centre console surround (screws)
Remove centre console face plate (4 screws) unplugging all wires and bulb holders from the switches, cig lighter etc.
Remove fresh air vent surround trim CAREFULLY ( internal clips) i broke it the first time OK the second and remove the centre vents assy (Screw to right side under square plastic plate under clock.. pull hard)
Removing the gearshift leather gaiter gives a bit more space ( popper and lock strip)
In drivers footwell remove dash under trim (twist clips) remove floor direction duct (spring clip) inside you will find metal lower heaterbox mounting remove this (very difficult screw) in inside of duct and (screw) into trans tunnel.
Loosen plastic duct to rear footwell by removing (screw) and pulling duct off opening in heater box
Remove upper heater box bracket (2 screws into heater and nut into bulkhead)
Remove two control wires Floor and demist door controls (two spring clips)
This should clear all from the drivers side but there is a rubber tube drain from the centre of the hetater box out through the floor in the drivers side of the trans tunnel ( if you forget this it will just pull out anyway it's harder to get back in place on reassembly!)

In the passenger side remove the floor duct and rear footwell duct ( i take out the rear duct completly to give space its stuck to the floor insulation so needs a good hard pull)
Remove lower mounting bracket (another b*****d screw in the bottom of the foot duct and a screw in the tunnel)
Remove the heater hoses from the bulkhead (I take the heater valve assy out as its part of the upper mounting anyway (screws into heater box side and nuts into bulkhead)
BE VERY CAREFULL removing the hoses from the heater matrix (rad) as I damaged the soldering around the outlet pipes into the matrix and had to have them repaired WHEN I PULLED AND WRENCHED TOO HARD ( there is a special generic tool for loosening hoses when they have baked on but a long thin screwdriver bent at a right angle on inch from the end will ease down between the hose and the pipe with the clip removed and this breaks the seal and then the hose comes off a treat
Remove control cables (spring clips)
Have a good look around to make sure eveything is off on the passenger side there are a couple of earth wires in there somewhere
The heater box will be loose by now...... Hooray
It is still a very hard dragging job to get the box out, the main wiring loom gets tangled up at the bulkead side ( I cut back the insulation at the Y joint to allow a bit more space the second time) plus the top opening of the heater box to the upper bulkhead plennum chamber and the rubber seal gets tangled up

Now go and have a break before you attempt to get the heater box out as it takes time and continual moving of wires particularly the main loom and you will think it will never come out
BUT IT HAS TO !!!!!!!

When it's finally out and on the floor give youself a pat on the back (no one else will, except those of us who know what a job this is)

Split the casing removing 20 or so spring clips and 'voila' the matrix and motor can be lifted out and the new motor fitted back in after cleaning out all the dead leaves etc from the inside of the box

Fit it back together making sure the doors are pivoting correctly

I fit the drain pipe back on at this stage and tape the long end to the box so it won't get dragged off when you push the box back in

TEST THE MOTOR BEFORE YOU FIT THE HEATER BOX BACK IN ( wires across the battery) check all three speeds

As the Haynes manual always says ( REASSEMBLY IS THE REVERSE OF THE REMOVAL) well it is pretty much but again take your time getting it back in

There is a rubber seal around the big oval hole at the top where it fits into the upper bulkhead THIS NEEDS TO BE IN THE CORRECT POSITION otherwise you will get wet
Once you have got the heater box in place check the above seal again
Fit the lower support metal brackets first which will locate the heater box roughly and then use a bar or piece of wood to pressure the box upwards so it fits tight around that top vent seal, tighten the lower brackets and then fit the upper brackets back
TAKE TIME TO ENSURE YOU ARE HAPPY IT ALL FITS OK and nothing is under undue stress ( except yourself)

Start refitting all the bits clips wires etc
The control wires retaining clips are a bastard I used a small panel pin (nail) in the groove and then squeezed with a pair of plyers (this bit was one of the worst for me as I was tired by now and in fact I stopped at that point ( it was about 5pm) It went much better next morning apart from my by then stiff neck and back ( I'm getting old you know)

Make sure that rubber drain pipe gets put in place and through the hole in the floor before you get too many bits back in place

Then continue to fit all the bits back in

By the way I always lay out the screws clips etc across the dash in their respective little groups , helps me remember where they go and gives you a final check that you fiited it all back (I admit to having ONE small self tapper left over this last time but it might have been under there anyway from those swedes who drop screws when the're making the cars in the first place.

I'm sure you don't need reminding about checking hose clips etc before doing the anti freeze

Finally, good luck.... I had a little fan heater going in the back and a good lead light..... kept me warm enough and sane

If you need any further help, just ask

Richard Clark

[penninepullman]

Where is best place to get a replacement motor? Volvo or somewhere like Euro Carparts or GSF? Any idea what the cost of the motor is?

I already have a heater unit out of car and dismantled. The motor is definitely beyond redemption - it burnt out. The replacement heater unit (from an earlier 1977 car) has now suffered same fate.

[Mike_Brace]

I don't think Euro Car Parts do the heater motor. Don't know about GSF. It will be available through Volvo but I'm sure it will be expensive - best to make some phone calls. Myself I'd try to find a secondhand one again but out a newer low mileage car.

Mike