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Old 08-02-10, 09:46 PM
Kevin H Kevin H is offline
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,170
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Chris,

I can supply detailed pictures of the heater box if required but as for the original dashboard controls I can't help because I have an air con system fitted where the heater box used to be and the original original control knobs don't do anything (the A/C has it's own electrical control panel beneath the dash).

When I first bought my 411 and before the A/C was fitted, I did spend many hours getting the original heater box controls to work properly.

I discovered that the centre of control cable on the driver's side of the heater box had at some time become shortened and the outer sheath of the control cable was too long. Whoever cut or broke the cable didn't think to shorten the outer sheath as well ! This meant that the full travel of the lever connected to the cable was not possible. I managed to remedy this by shortening the outer sheath, but it involved dismantling the centre of the dash to remove the control cable. Unfortunately that was 10 years ago and I can't remember the details of what each control setting actually did.

I also have a question - when you use demist is it very powerful through the screen vents? and do you still get air through the eyeball vents at the same time?

My A/C unit (which I have finally got working) uses the original air ducts and vents. Demist has been replaced by "defrost", which moves a vacuum operated flap to direct air through the screen vents (it also opens a hot water valve and switches on the A/C). On Defrost I can detect air coming through the screen vents but a large proportion of the air still comes through the eyeball vents.

Regardless of whether Defrost/Demist is on or not, I have also noticed that the drivers side eyeball vents get more air than those on the passenger side. Is this the same as other 411s?

I know why this happens - if I look through the eyeball vents in the centre of dash with a torch, I can see a square aperture at the other end of the duct, which is much larger on the driver's side than it is on the passenger side. I was wondering if this was a conscious decision on Bristol's part to give preference to the driver over the passenger where fresh air and heating was concerned.

Kevin
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