No air from vents

[opethmike]

I have the center console out of my car right now. I took it out to refit the rubber fittings that go between the air ducting and the center console air vents.

When I tested, I found that I was getting NO air out of any of the vents. Yes, I can hear the fan running and blowing. What did I knock loose or break?

[jmettee]

Are you getting any air at all out of ANY of the vents? Footwell? Windshield defroster?

I don't know if it's possible to not get any airflow at any outlet unless the squirrel cage fell of the motor shaft.

[opethmike]

Come to think of it, I believe I did have air coming out of the defrost. Sounds like I will need to poke my head around under there with a flash light tomorrow.

[jmettee]

I'm being lazy & not going to the garage to get the shop manual - & the online version here is not downloading for me. I thing the HVAC section has diagrams of the ducting & mode switch settings. You might be able to figure it out from that for which way the flaps open/close depending on vacuum or loss of vacuum.

[Jonathan]

This one might be your problem, Mike.

http://store.delorean.com/p-7609-shaft-lever-link.aspx

[djdogbone]

It sounds like your selector switch is not getting any vacuum. Either the diaphragm has failed or a hose came loose.

[opethmike]

I'm guessing I knocked something loose while I was poking around in there. I'll know tomorrow after I've had a chance to look again.

[dustybarn]

Check the linkage on the little vacuum actuator on the upper right of the heater box. It controls the air to the center vents.

[opethmike]

Had a double whammy here. I poked around this morning and found that the octopus had come off. Put that back on. Then I would get air from the windshield vents and the side vents, but not the center. So it looks like Jonathan and Ken are on the right track. I'll look at that after work.

[opethmike]

Will this part be pretty obvious once I stick my head under the passenger side dash?

[dustybarn]

Yes, it can be seen snuggled up against the right side of the heater box. My car had exactly the same symptoms...That actuator would pull in properly, but would not move the flapper. I used a rubber band as a return spring and that "fixed" the problem.

[opethmike]

Thanks Ken!

[opethmike]

Definitely the actuator for me. However, mine does not move at all. If I manually move the arm, I get air from the center vents. So I don't think the rubber band idea would work for me? Suggestions, please?

[dustybarn]

Well, it could be that the actuator is truly bad, but I doubt it. Try verifying that vacuum is actually reaching the actuator; since you said the vacuum connection to the mode switch had been disconnected, I'd suspect that there's still some problem with the switch.,

[jackb]

Edit- i had this tab opened on my phone to respond to, and by the time I finally did and hit submit, the same answers had been given. Should've refreshed the page first...

[opethmike]

Well, it could be that the actuator is truly bad, but I doubt it. Try verifying that vacuum is actually reaching the actuator; since you said the vacuum connection to the mode switch had been disconnected, I'd suspect that there's still some problem with the switch.,

Yeah, I'll try to verify vacuum, can't quite see where the vacuum hose for the actuator is, but I'll hunt around for it more.

[jackb]

Yeah, I'll try to verify vacuum, can't quite see where the vacuum hose for the actuator is, but I'll hunt around for it more.
The hose originates from the left side of the console, comes over the vents and into the back (back visible to you, the part closer to the hood) of the actuator. It's super easy to see if your passenger side kneepad is removed.

[opethmike]

The hose originates from the left side of the console, comes over the vents and into the back (back visible to you, the part closer to the hood) of the actuator. It's super easy to see if your passenger side kneepad is removed.

Thanks, I'll pull the knee pad to make life easier on myself.

[opethmike]

I pulled the hose off of the top of the actuator, and proper vacuum was being received, but the actuator wasn't responding to it. I applied vacuum with a hand pump to the actuator and no response either. So it looks like the actuator is no good.

For now I have the vent arm rigged 'open' with a rubber band.