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Resolving 348 climate control issue

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by brent Lachelt, Apr 11, 2005.

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  1. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #1 brent Lachelt, Apr 11, 2005
    My new 348 has been absolutely wonderful. However, I do have a climate control issue that I'm going to tackle this weekend. I been doing some thread research and I think I've decided on a strategy to find a fix. The blower fan on the climate control unit works fine. The a/c blows cold and works fine. This is what happens. When the climate control fan is off (no vertical bars on the display showing) and I'm just driving the car with out any climate control on, it will all of a sudden come on full blast. Just the fan mind you and no vertical bars are showing on the display. Now, if I turn the fan on while this is happening and set it a two vertical bars on the display, then the fan goes to it's appropriate two bar speed and doesn't change. I usually just turn the fan on low, one bar, and then everything is fine. When everything is off and the fan comes on full blast it may run a couple minutes and then shut off and then come on again full blast a few minutes later. It doesn't matter if the car is cold or hot. Again if I put the fan to low it goes to the low setting and never shuts off until I turn it off. The tread I'm looking at to reslove this is the following:

    http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19629&highlight=climate+control

    I'm thinking it is a dirty contact issue. There is nothing else wrong with the unit and because of that I figured bad contacts that need to be cleaned. I would appreciate your thoughts and I you think there is something else I should look at.

    Thanks,
    Brent
     
  2. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #2 brent Lachelt, Apr 11, 2005
    PS. I'm getting NO code read outs on the climate control unit ie E7, E5 etc.
     
  3. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

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    #3 Miltonian, Apr 12, 2005
    My 348 has done the same thing three or four times in the past 5 years - driving down the road with the climate control off, and suddenly the fan comes on by itself at the highest speed. I have no idea why it does it.
     
  4. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #4 brent Lachelt, Apr 12, 2005
    I noticed that there is a black 1991 348 on ebay that owner disclosed has the same issue.
     
  5. Tricycle

    Tricycle Formula Junior

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    #5 Tricycle, Apr 12, 2005
    Err.....Mini-turbo boost?

    Sorry couldn't resist
     
  6. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    #6 Ricambi America, Apr 12, 2005
    Brent -

    My 348 HVAC unit sometimes has gemlins too... I'll start the car and the unit will blow full power, with all sorts of flashing junk on the display that looks like an alien language. I simply turn off the car, and restart it. HVAC goes back to normal. I've been told you can open the HVAC control unit and clean the connections and PCB, but I'll be honest.... don't mess with it. Italian electrical engineering leaves something to be desired, but don't make matters worse by mucking with that control unit. A replacement HVAC unit is *impossible* to replace, and when you do find one, it's like $1200. Let sleeping dogs lie.


    -Daniel
     
  7. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #7 brent Lachelt, Apr 12, 2005

    Daniel,

    I think your right to a great degree. I thought the thread I posted may be an easy and safe way to try to fix the problem. If it still isn't resolved I will probabley leave it alone. What do you think of the thread that I put in my first post. The pics are great and it seems straight forward. Many of the electrical problems I have had with Ferrari have been dirty electrical contact related. Do you think this procedure that is in the thread is too risky to attempt?
     
  8. BULL RUN

    BULL RUN Formula 3

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    #8 BULL RUN, Apr 12, 2005
    I posted that thread, and it's not too risky, just take your time, everything is plastic so don't force anything. I'll bet that will fix your problem.
     
  9. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #9 brent Lachelt, Apr 12, 2005
    I've reseached your right up and I think it's a great idea. I'll just take my time and be very gentle with the parts. I'll let you know what happens.
     
  10. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #10 brent Lachelt, Apr 12, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017

    Quick question Italia cars,

    When you refer to the terminal strip and the socket in the picture. Is the socket the long red female connector (pictured on the bottom arrow) that you recommend contact cleaner for? Also is the terminal strip the mental fence like pointy pieces (pictured in the top arrow) that you recommend the wire brush for?

    Thanks
    Brent
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  11. Ksullender

    Ksullender Formula Junior

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    #11 Ksullender, Apr 12, 2005
    I had the exact same problem in my wife's BMW. For no reason the blower/fan would kick on at high. It ended up being a relay. I haven't gotten into the workings of a 348 a/c, but wanted to post if this may help in some way trouble shoot.
     
  12. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    #12 f355spider, Apr 12, 2005
    Once the contacts are cleaned and brightened up, I would highly recommend application of a contact enhancer like Stabilant 22A. I know it has been used by many folks on this list and over on the Ferrarilist to good effect on the multitude of electrical connectors on older Ferraris. I know both VW and BMW use the stuff in their dealerships. In fact I sourced my bottle at the local VW dealer.
     
  13. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    #13 Ricambi America, Apr 12, 2005
    Stabilant 22A gets my vote too. I think I bought some at an Audi dealer (which would explain how Dave also found some at the VW dealer). Does this mean Lamborghini dealers have it too? ;-)
     
  14. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #14 brent Lachelt, Apr 12, 2005
    Ken, this was what I was thinking if this first approach fails. I thought I read somewhere that some people had replaced relays. I'm not sure if it was this specific problem, but it was related to a/c.
     
  15. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #15 brent Lachelt, Apr 12, 2005
    Dave,

    I think the VW part # for Stabilant 22A is ZVW 186 001. I found it on a yahoo search. Will call the local VW dealer Weds. Also had a Car Quest # SL-5 Contact Stabilant and Napa part# Echelin CE-1. The suff sounds great as I read some people's experiences from other car websites. Thanks!
     
  16. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    #16 f355spider, Apr 12, 2005
    Check around, but the VW dealer was cheaper than NAPA in Seattle (took a couple days for them to get it, most places do not stock it). The "A" in 22A is for alcohol, which is a carrier, to allow it to flow better. It will evaporate and leave the Stabilant behind. I use a small modeling brush to apply it. I can also use the brush to get it into the female portion of various sockets and plugs.

    Dave
     
  17. BULL RUN

    BULL RUN Formula 3

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    #17 BULL RUN, Apr 13, 2005

    Yes, and Yes
     
  18. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #18 brent Lachelt, Apr 16, 2005
    The thread posted by Italiacars seems to have done the job. I followed the thread pictures and it was very simple. I cleaned the connections and used stabilant 22A. Put it back together and then cleaned the door connectors and use stabilant 22A on them. I noticed that the relay for the climate control was new and a different number than the horn relay. I swapped them as the horn relay and the climate control should be the same and I wanted to use the correct relay for the climate control. Everything works fine now except the horn! It won't work at all. No clicking . No noise. The horn fuse is fine and I switched the relay back to the original postion, but still no horn. Thoughts?
     
  19. resnow

    resnow Formula Junior

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    #19 resnow, Apr 16, 2005
    Has your horn worked since you have had the car? Mine did not work when I bought mine 6 years ago and found it to be a problem with the fuse/relay panel in the "trunk." I'll take a look at what I did back then and get back to you.

    Bob
     
  20. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #20 brent Lachelt, Apr 16, 2005
     
  21. BULL RUN

    BULL RUN Formula 3

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    #21 BULL RUN, Apr 16, 2005
    Are we sure the relays are the same, I mean it worked before you switched them but not now?

    I don't recall having to mess with relays for the climate control.
     
  22. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #22 brent Lachelt, Apr 16, 2005
    We'll the climate control is definitely fixed. No fan coming on and off by itself. The clock works great and it doesn't reset itself when you turn off the key at all. That thread really worked. Even my windows go up faster too. Thanks Italiacars! The horn still does not work though. I am not getting any power to the horn button. Not sure where to trouble shoot next? I don't think it has anything to do with the cleaning of the climate control unit. It must have something to do with the swapping of the relays?
     
  23. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #23 brent Lachelt, Apr 16, 2005

    Hold on getting the relays now...
     
  24. brent Lachelt

    brent Lachelt Formula 3

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    #24 brent Lachelt, Apr 16, 2005

    OK heres the dealy. I happened to look at the relay for the climate control unit when I was checking everything over and I noticed it was very new, gold anodized Bosch relay. The # was 0332 204 122 20/30A. The manual says the climate control relay should be a 0332 014 113 30A which is the same one that operates the horn. So I cleaned it and used stabilant 22A and put it in the climate control slot and then put the 0332 204 122 20/30A in the horn slot. That is when it stopped working.
     

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