my dial is stiff too but only since i carbon wrapped the panel:*

might just be a coincidence. be good to see if there could be another reason

 

I put this job off for ages on my 2004 T5 - when I got round to fixing it, I wish I did it sooner. Took about 40 minutes.

http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/topic49523_post387238.html#387238

Follow this guide and apply a good dose of GT85 or something similar to the Cables. I found the lower cable clip had broken on mine, but was able to repair it with 2 cable ties rather then buy a new assembly.

 

That link was excellent. Followed it and sorted my heater problem in figures few. To be honest I can't believe I put up with if that long it took me 25 mins. Cheers again.

 

a big thank you to thedjsnow for the quality link and 1 st class info,will get on to it asap and guess my fingers will be glad of it too when its done !!! top man and thank you once again.

 

there is an arrangement of planet cogs behind the knobs, grease these up, make sure they havent jumped teeth when a cable goes stiff. these are connected to three cables, the one on the right seems to bend rather than move. easy o strip down, just looks worse than really is. take off top tray off dash, lever up at back edge, then 2 phillips screws and rest is easy.

 

another thanks to alexander meerkat,guess ill be checking that out too,thanks for more great info.T:

 

I've now had the heater control unit in bits today,and just as mentioned in the above link my cable was also bent,but it seems that the primary cause of the cable bending was down to the heater box itself,the arm on the heater box had kind of seized up ! A quick lube with some silicone spray lube and a lube of the cables with some wd40 and hey presto the arm was free to operate as vw intended.i also straitened the cable out and put the dash back together and the control knob is a good un,once again folks thanks for the quality info.

 

I had a similar problem but it was the blue cable with the red end which comes from the left hand side, this controls the hot and cold. The dial had completely seized and when I stripped it down I found that the geared wheel behind the control had actually snapped the spindle connecting it to the heater box. I have now taken out the small cubby hole next to the hazard warning light switch drilled a 10mm hole in the side of it and routed the hot/cold cable through the hole. Next I took a shimano gear change lever from an old 10 speed bike and fixed this to the cable, you now control the heat/cold by sliding the lever from left to right. It actually works better than it ever has done and my air-con. is fridge cold which it never was before! A:

 

I have had a similar problem with being unable to select the dash vents with the right hand dial at the 3'o-clock position. I have dismantled the heater panel as described in the Brick Yard page linked above, but unfortunately while pulling the cable it broke away from the other end-where it connects to the heater box baffles. This seems a nightmare to get to, even with the glovebox and panel around radio removed, and I cant reach in to try and reconnect the cable to the plastic wheel that connects to the dampers, or even see what part needs to be replaced. I have started trying to remove the entire dashboard to get to it. Has anyone had this problem, and is there any way to fix without removing the entire dashboard?! So far I have a cup of screws and its still not free to come out, seems a pretty major job!

Very annoying as I thought i had finished the front of my van after fitting electric windows, wiring for rear-demisters and ambient lighting etc, and was hoping to finish work in the back

Thanks!!

 

my heater controller hasnt been working for ages. finally decided to take a gander behind the dash and found the main dial had smashed on the gear teeth. luckily for me, i managed to glue teeth back together and suprisingly it now works a treat. not for the faint hearted though ( or those with big sausage fingers) coz its tight and awkward to do. just saved myself £150 that garage wanted to charge for a replacement fitted

 

I am in the same boat, I bought the upgrade cable but can't see the other end to connect it big Python of wires in the way will try and get in to it this week and report back, may just have to take the dash off. Followed the brickyard post but it doesn't show how to replace the cable.

 

dials feel like there going to break everytime you use them

 

I did mine tonight with the stiffer non braided cable, it's easier if you remove the stereo, the glovebox and from the glovebox side, lift up the big mass of cables to access the other end of the ball bit of the cable, it pops into the hole, you will see. It was easier with a head torch in the dark took 20 mins. Look at the back of the the controls see how the red end clips under, it's the same at the black ball end, it's tight to get the hand in but just acheivable when you lift up the big cable. I also used a screwdriver flat head to push it on and under.

 

One that I fixed and is still working ok 2 years later, was that I soldered the end that bunched up, have to use a good type plumbers flux to the cable and use an old time soldering iron that you heat up with a flame, I thought at the time it might only be temporary.

 

Here's the part number for the solid core heater cable for anyone who needs it 7H2 819 837 C

 

Just came across this thread by means of a quick Google. That Brickyard post by Surfdub sounds exactly like the issue mine's got, thanks for sharing the link and all the extra info guys. When I say 'exactly', it's the knob which selects the air direction which won't go to the 3 o'clock "upper body" position, and it feels a lot like a wire has jammed! Time to give it a go...

 

Sure enough, the problem was a bent wire coming out of the directional control knob. The wire runs into a blue plastic guide tube in order to reach the next stage which controls which vents the air comes out of. 10 mins to take the central fascias and radio out, then it's a case of straighten the wire with pliers, grease the hell out of all the cams and wires, WD40 any other bits, and re-assemble.

It now feels (nearly) good as new. As advised in the brickyard thread, just try and avoid the top-right position of the dial in the future i.e. always turn clockwise from the 3 o' clock position and anti-clockwise from the 12 o' clock position.

 

I would suggest that WD40 is not ideal as it's not a lubricant. Best to use a light machine oil or something like 3 in 1 oil. I done mine previously with WD and it kinked again eventually when the cable dried out (about a year later mind !).

 

I have this problem and the cause is exactly as described in that brickwerks post
One key thing I found ...
This problem affects ALL T5s, early and late. My control is the later one where it only has movement clockwise between 3 and 12 - and never possible to move directly between 12 and 3.

In my case, it was not possible to straighten out the cable sufficiently to fully fix. After straightening out, I can engage the face vents at 3, but it I move the dial past 6, it bends and I can't got back to 3. Time for a new cable
Fortunately, don't need screen venting this time of year really so leaving at 3 until I fit the replacement solid cable A:

 

I also had to change the heater cable.
A tip: buy the updated heater control from the junkyard, and replace it. I have attached a photo of the old and the new heater control. Only change is on the new control it is impossible to turn the dial from 12 to 3. This saves the control cable.

 

Not sure the updated control does save the cable - my van's 2009 and here's that kinked cable in my van:

Just ordered the replacement cable from the local dealer - £7.45 + VAT. Can't wait to get it installed so the van's not always dosing the screen with chilled air that I want to be coming at my face instead!

 

Finally got round to changing the direction control cable for the rigid replacement, all works as it should and genuinely done in less than an hour(inc head scratching!). Should have done it years ago