Non A/C Heater Valve Fix - Help needed Please

[TC940]

Hi,

I bought a RHD Non A/C 940 earlier in the year and, after a few weeks, noticed the common Heater Valve issue.

Now it is getting into the colder months, I have opted, perhaps optimistically, to fix the issue myself. I've never really done much car maintenance - hence the post - and was wondering what parts are needed to complete the job.

I have bought the MK1 Golf Heater Valve and will get the other parts suggested in this thread (https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?p=2559715)

However, the instructions are a tad unclear to me. Do I need to disconnect all the pipes, interior and exterior?

Can someone point me in the direction of some instructions for a moron? I've got the instructions from a post in Swedish, but that doesn't seem to gel with the Mk1 Golf fix.

[940volvoman]

Just because you haven't done it before,doesn't make you a moron.

I haven't done this particular job before,so I cant help you either....



Shaun

[kiloran]

First the plus points: This is all mechanical engineering, no electronics involved. Simple bowden cables as you find on a mower or a bicycle. Access is reasonably easy once the kick panel is removed (three torx fasteners), as long as you've got space to fully open the driver's door and are flexible enough to spend a long time sprawled in an awkward position in the footwell.

Now the bad points: the housing is plastic, hose clamps corrode, and if you break something you're stuck with no heater for the winter months which will make the car undrivable due to the screen misting up all the time.

The Skandix catalog is a useful reference, although the available parts are all for LHD vehicles - what it shows you though is how the HCV slides into the plastic holder, and shows the fitting on the side not visible from the drivers side.

The heater inlet hose passes through the engine bulkhead quite high up just to the left of the dizzy assuming you're looking from the front of the car. What I'm not clear on is where it goes from there, there must be a pipe which takes it down the back of the engine bulkhead to the HCV. It looks like you need to disconnect both sides. Skandix sell a seal for the bulkhead - https://www.skandix.de/en/spare-part...valve/1072645/ . They've also got the inlet and outlet hoses on that page.

Skandix also show you what the plastic holder looks like (obvs LHD so of no use to us, but it shows the general layout) - https://www.skandix.de/en/spare-part...valve/1022058/

In prepping for the job make sure you give the hose clamps a good lube (personally I'd replace the engine bay ones as they'll be corroded). Have a pot ready to catch any leaking coolant, and enough coolant to top everything up afterwards. Do it on a cold engine obviously.

I think this part of the post explains it pretty well (the Mk1 Golf valve install)

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showp...5&postcount=16

The official Volvo instructions for doing it (useful for explaining how to remove the old valve) are here https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showp...05&postcount=2

I'm expecting to have to do this fix in the spring but will see how things are when I get my car back from 360Beast.

[Ian21401]

If your car is a manual you will find access to the valve much easier if you remove the clutch pedal. On my 1992 940 the heater valve holder is bolted to the bulkhead by the bolts securing the clutch master cylinder..