Vent Control Binding - Solved

Wow. Just wow

Yes I'm going to start some posts with that from now on. Old prude stuff, ya kno

Anyway. This thread needs to be a sticky. Or a attached to another sticky to be sure it's stuck

Side note:
@Professional Hand Model
What's up with that brake fluid dude?



Had to be done

 

I regret ever putting that pic up. Actually, I regret mentioning the fluid color.

 

Many of us know how much hard work you put into your truck so of course we have to take advantage of an opportunity to
you don't give us to many

 

Follow-up on this in case it helps with anyone else. I solved my own problem by replacing with an uncracked knob and quickly noticed the cracked knob I pictured was the problem.

The hop between foot-only and foot+head mode definitely takes slightly more effort on my truck, and it seems the cracked knob exacerbated things, making it feel tougher to skip between the two modes going towards the short side of the crack.

Not sure if it's normal to notice a difference when hopping between any of the modes, or if every mode should take the same effort (anyone answer that?) but ... At least OEM replacement knobs made things light years better.

 

Can somebody post up a closer pic of the part I've circled in blue where the cable connects? My cable is loose and I can't figure out how to reconnect it.

Also, I'm thinking of just replacing the whole thing, but can't find the part numbers online. Does anyone happen to have the part numbers?

 

Ha ha, thanks but didn't help

 

Does anyone know the part numbers of the white control cams? According to video they sell as a kit .

 

The parts pictured below are different than the ones in my 2006. I’m going through this right now and the knob skipped out of position probably because, the big flap that changes between foot only and foot and face is heavy and stiff, if you disassemble the complicated levers and only operate that flap you can feel it but it is burried in the dash. Toyota told the last owner he needed to replace the whole heater box because the door was worn. I say that’s bullshit since this truck has less than 100k and my ‘02 has 200k and no issues. I’m tempted to take the parts from the ‘02 and put them in the ‘06 if they are stiffer and better performing.

 

Someone in here (I thought it's linked in this thread) posted a picture of how a trapdoor in the dash near the evap coil box will physically break, causing all-hot, all-cold, or all-lukewarm air.

 

I need to find that. I did all the cleaning in mine, and I found an old tension clip when I took everything apart so the previous owner broke and replaced a knob. I put it all back together with the control in the correct position and it will not switch from feet to feet and face. I can reach down and put tension on it with my hand and make it all switch between the proper positions but no other way. The 2006 and 2004 parts are not interchangeable either... at least the 2006 parts won't go on the 2002 so I had to keep them the same. Looks like I have to rip the whole dash apart to change the heater box or potentially fix it. Thought about adding a spring to assist somehow but clearances are all too tight to put on in the spot that would help.

 

See this post for info on the 'trapdoor breaking' issue which causes the all-hot or all-cold situation: https://www.tundras.com/threads/cold-air-behind-glove-box-solved.123112/#post-3155626

But that's not your problem.

Everyone has a bit of tension with the jump from head to head/feet, I even posted about it in reply #34 of this thread. Lubrication of all controls you see in this thread will solve that issue. That includes lubricating the controls on the back part of the center dash as seen on reply #26 of this thread, and also confirming all cables are on-track and lubricated in every part of the dash, and on the side dash next to the gas pedal.

 

I lubed everything in the footwell and checked all the controls and cables. The controls and cables function smoothly when disconnected. everything binds when going for the 12 o clock, foot only I think to the 10:30 foot and face. It will not go. I disconnected everything but the arm that actuates that flap way up in the dash behind the controls. It is stiff. I think I have to take the entire dash apart to address is. There is no way to lube it with out removing a lot of stuff. If just feels like the flap is super heavy and the flex in the whole system doesn’t help. The 2002 design was better in my opinion as the arms were stiffer and the cable connected to the arm that actually makes that change instead of the new secondary arm in the 2006.

 

Everyone I’ve talked to with later year trucks has resistance jumping between head/foot-head. Even when lubed it takes more to make that jump than any other setting. Dunno why. Next time I’ve got my dash open I’ll hafta take a good long look at it. There has to be something about the design causing it.

 

I would guess that is the position that would match up with the almost 90 degree change of direction in the slots/channels in the white arm where I drew the white arrow.