RyanPerrella

I am trying to get my AC head unit out and have pulled the center vent and have one side of the bezel loose but the other side (right) wont seem to budge. I cant tell specifically where its held onto and wether i should pull the thing out, or up or which direction to pull on the thing so as not to destroy it so that when i replace it its not junk.

the flyin' scotsman

Be very careful, the bezel is 'H' shaped and is of very fragile plastic.

If your taking the entire AC unit out you may want to consider removing the centre counsel; easier to get at the wiring harness disconnects.

ew928

Are you talking about the U-shaped bezel that goes around the AC head and goes down to the radio?
I liberate mine by pulling up to get some room to work the bezel out.
It helps that I have a flip-down face radio. With the radio face flipped down, I can move the legs in and up to start freeing them from the console sides.
Pull the radio if that's not too hard to help with getting the bezel out.
Just pull the radio out enough to have room to work on the bezel legs.

I was warned about how fragile the bezel legs can be so I had a spare bezel in hand before I pulled the original.

The AC head is held by 4 philips heads once you get the bezel out.
Think you need to connect the lower left smaller connector before connecting the fat big top connector on re-assembly. They don't give a lot of wire slack so it's tight getting the sumbitch connected back together. It's good the connector is nearly self-guiding.

V2Rocket

It takes extreme care, patience, and a BFH.

Rob Edwards

Ryan-

Once the center vent is out, the H just slides upwards towards the windshield. Well, not 'slides', 'cause it's wedged in tight under the medial edges of the console. It is NOT clipped or pinned to anything, just held in there. Like you, I got one side out, then carefully supported the 'crossbar' of the 'H' while forcing the console edge laterally so I could slide the other side of the H up and out. No breakie for me, I'm 2-0 on removing so far....

Are you going to replace the relay? I did mine last weekend, and I can hear it click when I push the A/C button, but still no A/C joy- now I'll actually do the WallyP troubleshooting, but I figured the relay was good PM.

Once you get the 'H' out, you have to loosen the central locking/ A/C button panel, which overlays the HVAC head unit a little. Six screws in all for the two panels, then six screws to get the Head unit apart. I managed to break only one clip on the HVAC head. Hint- you don't have to completely separate the case halves, just open it like a clamshell until you can pull it off the guts.

RyanPerrella

Rob,

Good to know the "H" is just a compression fit so to speak. I will fool with it again tomorrow.

Its coming out as you guessed to replace the AC relay. I am not even going to bother with soldering so ive enlisted Doc's services for the relay replacement.

About your AC, did it just stop working one day? Mine always worked and then I didnt use it cause i assume i didnt need it. Then when i did hit the AC it did nothing. Can you tell if your compressor is running when you hit the AC switch. I swear mine isnt running, but that could of course be for other reasons as well. Have you had your AC pressure checked yet? What do you now suspect the problem to be. Funny we seem to be fixing the same things.

IcemanG17

Ryan
You took out all the screws right??? :>)

I found that if you push on the center console to get it to flex a bit it makes it easier to get the trim piece up and out....what Bill & I did to Rods new 5 speed when we did the relay fix was to have one person pull the console apart (just a little bit) while the other carefully pulled the panel.....it is fairly brittle plastic

StratfordShark

I used a putty knife (wide, flat blade) as a precaution to pry sides of bezel after taking out centre flap but I seem to remember it came out pretty easily. Took the stereo out as a first step so the plastic bezel round front of stereo didn't foul anything. It is a pretty flimsy part so be gentle.

dr bob

If it makes anybody more comfortable, I broke mine the second time I had the console apart. The new one (well less than $10 from 928 Intl at the time) is not quite so brittle.

----

To find out if a control head relay replace will make the compressor run, you can jump 12V to the freeze switch terminals and listen for the clink of the clutch. Key off and all that. Freeze switch is under the rain shield, rear of the engine bay/base of the windshield. Freeze switch is a little aluminum box with two wire connections and a piece of tubing that runs towards the left side (driver side on US cars...) and then into the evaporator area through a smoll hole in the body there. Anyway, without disconnecting the wires completely, push 12 volts to the terminals one at a time. You should hear the clutch pull in on both. If it pulls in on just one but not the other, the freeze switch is probably bad/open. If it pulls in on both, the relay is probably bad. If it doesn't pull in at all, you are low of freon or the clutch is unplugged.


I made a diagnositc jumper out of 14ga wire with alligator clips on the ends. I put a fuseholder in the middle. A ten-amp fuse will be about right for this test.


Rob-- I can bring the meter and the jumper with me to C&C on Saturday if you want to do a quick-and-dirty diagnosis on your GT. It will be cool enough Saturday (expected high temps in the sixties) to drive there without AC...