Hi everyone. I'm a new member and new '86 951 owner (less than a month) so I'm hoping you guys may know what the issue is.

The a/c on my car worked perfectly for the first two weeks I had it, but has stopped working. If I press the button in the dash for the a/c the compressor starts (I can hear the engine revs slowing down when it engages), but the compressor and button won't stay engaged. Once I let go of the button the system turns back off. If I hold down the button the a/c continues working without and noticable issues - it just doesn't stay engaged. Could this be as simple as the button being broken?

The previous owner had recently retrofitted/upgraded the entire system and it had been working great before this issue appeared, so it hopefully isn't anything big.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

You can buy the snowflake button but you have to have the connections soldered in, so you have to remove the control unit. Remove the unit and take it to a TV repair store and get them to do it if you don't like soldering small connections
www.paragon-products.com for the switch is one source.

www.clarks-garage.com is a good site to mark on your Favorites. Welcome to boards and becoming a member here will be priceless for a new owner.

 

There is a keeper behind the button that keeps it in the pushed-in position. This "keeper" on my 86 951 is located behind a piece behind the button. Best I can remember when u remove that part it has 4 tiny springs and *****, behind it u should find a small white plastic "S" shaped piece which is the "keeper". It has a hole in the center and it mounts on a stud, I found mine just lying in that area, not on the stud. I put it back on the stud and haven't had a problem since. Use lots of caution, those springs and ***** are tiny and will fly to your neighbors yard. Do a search seems there is a picture in here. Probably should vacuum your interior first and keep the doors and windows closed in case the springs take flight. Good luck!

 

bahbah

 

I have actually looked for that picture. I had it all layed out in a nice psd.
I must have done a back-up and put it on disc and cleared it off my computer...

 

This was the first thing I ever repaired on my car, a long time ago. The PO had wired a toggle switch to the compressor! Soldering in the snowflake switch wasn't so hard -- read a few sites on soldering techniques and practive on an old radio or other low-tech electrical item. There is nothing you break that can't be fixed with this board (and money). Welcome to rennlist!

 

Cool, thanks for the info. I'll try taking the switch out and poking around at it on my next day off.

To get the cover of the snowflake switch off, do you have to pull the entire climate control cover/panel out, or can you just pop off the button?

 

You need to take out the climate control unit that the button sits in. It's a car stereo size/shape thing that hold the sliders, *****, etc. You have to remove the trim to the right of the unit (the long black plastic piece that surrounds the cigarette lighter among other things) by first removing the screws on the far right end (only visible with the passenger door open). You also need to get the ***** and trim plate off in front of the control unit and then unscrew and remove the unit. It's been a while -- someone's who has removed one more recently can probably add additional details -- and searching will probably turn up plenty of threads on the subject. Sometimes the plastic trim pieces will crack -- so be careful -- but they are easy enough to replace so don't stress too bad if one cracks.

 

Ok, thanks for the info. I've bought the haynes manual for the car and have done enough interior work on other cars that I should be able to figure it out.

Theres always a decent supply of the dash trim on ebay if I manage to break something....

 

i should have one from a parts car in a week or so- if you cant get it.