87 Lebaron Panel vents for AC/Heat

[TheSteve]

Ok so my AC works (the heat doesn't but im in florida so its not an issue atm) HOWEVER the AC only blows out of the floor and the defroster vents....I cannot get the dashboard panel vents to blow out anything. The control unit on the dash works as it can regulate the speed and shut the ac off and whatnot, but it wont open the panel vents to blow old air

I am thinking that the flap or whatever it is that opens the vents is stuck int he closed position or something.

How can I just flip the flap open so the panel vents will work? is there somewhere under the dash I can just reach under and do myself?

[BIGBRUDDA]

Your suspitions are prolly correct. The "diverter" door is located directly behind the radio/lower cubbyhole/drink tray.The actuator and rod snap onto the door arm by way of an incredibly weak plastic arm. If you remove the radio and shine a flashlight thru the hole you should see it to the left. Sometimes it gets broken. The fix is monumentally difficult ,as you must deconstruct the dash and remove the heater box, coil, and A/C evaporator, to replace it .If you can find a good one.(daytonas work also)
Or you can fashion a piece of coat hanger with a hook and poke a hole in the front of the heater box,fish it thru and hook the door inside. then you have a push- pull ring sticking out the dash below the radio . Which I usta tell people was the release pin on the jet fuel bottle.

[TopDollar69]

It can be done by cutting the heater box to remove the broken arm. I used JB weld to glue the top part of the box that I cut out. I still had to remove the dash, so it was still quite a bit of work. I've noticed these break more on the auto climate control cars than the manual temp control cars. I bet it would be pretty easy to duplicate the part in steel, but I doubt there would be much demand for the part since it's so hard to replace correctly.

[83scamp]

Before going through all that trouble, you need to check for vacuum leaks in the control system. On these cars, the entire HVAC system is controlled by engine vacuum. The default is defrost so if you don't have vacuum, that's what you get. The vacuum line coming from the engine bay may be disconnected, or cracked. The rubber connector on the back of the control module may be bad or disconnected. Or one of the lines that runs to one of the actuators maybe disconnected.

There should be a black 1/8" vacuum line coming through the firewall from the T on the brake booster vacuum hose. Trace it down. It will go through a grommet on the firewall into the cabin. If you can buy/rent one, get a vacuum pump and check the system. You should be able to pull vacuum, and it will hold it. If not, you've found your issue.

[TopDollar69]

I'm about 99% sure the problem is a broken actuator arm-rod. Not to say it isn't worth checking the vacuum line, but most 87-89 LeBarons I see with digital climate controls have broken arms.