Have attached a couple of shots we took yesterday which is a
modification to the temperature control switch on the rotary type switches
on a BX. From other postings I have rtead in the past, they are the same as
those fitted to the Pug 405 which apparently don't work real well either and
are an absolute mongrel to try to repair; a project which is a total waste
of time.
I have also cut & pasted the accompanying text which describes what has
been done (as I posted on Yahoo BX)
Thought it might be some interest on the archives.
See you later.
Alan Smith
Subject: Heater control modification.
If you have rotary controls similar to those on a 16V you will no doubt be
aware or eventually will, that the temp control is a very ordinary piece of
design work.
When you remove it, apart from the fact that you will tear most of the skin
off your arms, severely lacerate your knuckles, lose several fingernails,
tend to turn towards stong drink & equally strong language, question the
birthrite of every French car designer that ever was plus declare to all within
hearing range that you were
always going to buy a Ford anyway and breathe a sigh of relief that you have
dismantled it without totally destroying the interior of the said car. NOW
FOR THE BAD NEWS: If you thought the disassembly was bad, wait till you try
to put it back together - You will ask who removed the original bowden cable
& replaced it with one several inches shorter, try to work out the logic
used on the clips to hold the cable in place, need several tubes of "Super
Glue" to restick all the broken plastic back where it came from &
if you eventually do get it back where it came from, you will question your
own sanity for pulling it out in the first place as it is doing exactly what
it did before you removed it - what a waste of time!!
As a solution, I have worked out a modification to shorten the time for the
job & to make it work more effectively without compromising the interior
integrity of the car.
Firstly remove the cable from the temperature selector switch (left one with
blue & red showing on dial.) Buy a throttle control for a lawn mower (cost
A$8.50 = #3 UK) to suit a flat base. The bent section of the inner cable fits
straight into the quadrant of the new control arm. The outer cable is held
by two things; firstly the
housing of the throttle control holds the outer cable in position. As an extra
precaution, a saddle (black plastic to suit 1/4" tubing) is screwed on
to the side of the console after fitting a piece of 1/4" rubber "spagetti"
over the outer bowden cable. Now, instead of the control cable being bent
through two 90 degree bends and on to a rotary plastic gear & held in
place by a lot of faith & good luck, you have a straight pull from the
heater held in two places (the saddle and the housing) and controlled by a
metal lever giving a direct pull on the valve via a cable which is easily
accessible.
If you look in the files section you will find photos and also notice that
I used a throttle control off a "Rover" brand mower which uses 3
"V's" as it's trademark which at first glance looks like 3 chevrons.
It looks original & not only that, it works more effectively than any
other heater I have ever felt on a Citroen.
Anyone wishing to show it on a website or reproduce it in a magazine or newsletter
are welcome to do so.
P.S. If you decide to patent it - I'll go you halves on the royalties :)
Alan S
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