I might could need some help

"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012) 02/05/2019 at 07:04 • Filed to: None

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I have a C5 corvette. The heater box blend doors don’t work. I took it to a dealership and they want 4k to replace heater box. Part of it is labor. Part of it is that they don’t make replacement heater boxes anymore. So GM was going to get some aftermarket thing. I stopped listening after 4k price was dropped.

So now my plan is to get an ebay unit and try and replace it myself. I’ve youtubed the shit out of this subject and don’t see anything on it. No one has ever done it on video.

Anyone know if I am going down a rabbit hole from which there is no return or is it doable at home?

Option 1. Ebay and try it myself.

Option 2. Bite the bullet and pay 4K to replace plastic garbage

Option 3. Find a mechanic who can do it for less.

Considering that I never want to see inside of that dashboard ever again, I am contemplating getting new heater core and... evaporator for ac?

Thoughts? warnings? suggestions?

pip bip - choose Corrour > PartyPooper2012 02/05/2019 at 07:19

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no harm in getting a quote from an independent workshop

if that still scares you, then get a complete box from eBay and DIY

PartyPooper2012 > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/05/2019 at 07:50

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Im thinking trying DIY route first. If I fuck things up, ill bring it back to pros.

I’ll see what a mechanic would ask though. out of curiosity 

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012 02/05/2019 at 08:36

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Is this a relatively common failure on C5 Corvettes (I can’t remember)? If I’m remembering correctly and it is common, I’d like to think that there is a lot of documentation on the internet for DIY.

Then you may also find informed opinions on whether to replace other items “while you are in there.”

I feel like I hear horror stories about how labor intensive it is to dig into the dash removal type work, and yet I have a friend who is very cavalier about the level of effort, so I really don’t know what to think. Could be worth $4k, but depending on the car, probably only makes sense if you do it yourself.

P.S. “Might could” huh? Where in the south do you live? As the years wear on, I have acquired more slight indications of a southern accent, but I haven’t leapt the “might could” barrier just yet, unless I do it intentionally to make a joke.

PartyPooper2012 > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 02/05/2019 at 08:40

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I have no idea how common it is. I know I was in there summer before last thinking of replacing actuators. It turned out to be a damn near impossible and in the processes I broke some doors. At this point, I have an ebay unit coming. I am thinking replacing heater core and evaporator or whatever is used for AC and then slapping it in... or if I cant even get the old one out, bringing car and new unit to someone who is more patient than me and have them do it. I get too frustrated with lack of instructions and ability to take things apart. Somehow it’s like they made the heater box and then built the car around it. Heater box is not to be replaced unless you kill the car

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > PartyPooper2012 02/05/2019 at 10:30

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Personally, I megaloathe interior work. Laying upside at cramped angles in toenail clippings and boogers. Tons of screws, that often have very specific locations, and there’s 10 different kinds. Lots of hard to reach things. If you miss something you can cause annoying interior noises. If you right wiring incorrectly it can chafe, or worse you’ll run a screw through it. Screw up on the parts that go through the firewall and you could create a water leak into the cabin.

This is definitely something that can be done yourself. But you must be extremely meticulous. Take tons of pictures and label everything. Do not overtorque things. Replace all seals and gaskets that you come across. Drain coolant and before you start. Have refrigerant professionally evacuated. Sometimes it’s beneficial to remove seats first, sometimes not, perhaps depending on your own body and preferences. There are often a lot of well-hidden screws that can be easily missed without a detailed service manual.

Book time on work like this usually sucks. So some people will way overquote just to make sure they don’t lose their ass, or to get you to go somewhere else because they don’t want to do it. Shop around. But make sure that whoever does it does clean work they they stand behind. That is if you don’t do it yourself of course.

PartyPooper2012 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 02/05/2019 at 10:35

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Yep. that’s exactly what I was figuring. Looking more and more at images on units on ebay I am starting to fear that I will in fact create a water leak and there is a fuse panel right in the passenger foot well. Also, company I ordered the heater box from told me that the job is fairly involved (which I knew) but also involved taking some part of the engine out. That I am not ok with. Broken bolts and broken plastic. I FUCKING HATE GM plastic shit. It’s all brittle after 20 years.

I am not doing it myself. 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012 02/05/2019 at 10:37

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As toxic as they are, you might try crawling around the Corvette forums. That is where I found the info that pointed me to the one, and only, person who rebuilds various control modules that run the HVAC on a C4. I’m not surprised about the dealer quote, or that there are simply no more new parts to be had, but there are enough C5s out there that someone has a solution. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the corvette restoration parts companies has a line on a rebuild service for these parts.

A quick google search suggests this is a very common problem, with a variety of causes and fixes. In some cases, it looks like later parts are modified to fit into earlier cars.

PartyPooper2012 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/05/2019 at 10:48

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Thanks Pal. By the way, June or July I will be in El Paso. I have not forgotten that I owe you a beer! And I want to see the Integra if you still have it. I know you moved a bit away but that’s ok. I’ve always wanted to drive around that area.

Two summers ago I was inside behind the dashboard trying to replace some actuators. Had a new one in hand but couldn’t get it on. Trying to pry some parts to get the actuator on, i broke some plastic crap and now it’s not even worth having anyone refurb it. Just gonna slap a new one in. If that breaks, I will know that the one in is in refurbishable condition and will investigate then. Right now half the doors are broken thanks to my bear like hands. Bright side is the new unit will have a new heater core and evaporator. Maybe if dealer does it, it won’t leak into cabin vs me doing it and praying. 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012 02/05/2019 at 10:56

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Cool.  I’m in Las Cruces now, but that’s 30 minutes up the road from El Paso.  I’ve certainly still got the integra.

PartyPooper2012 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/05/2019 at 11:02

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Nice. At some point we are gonna need to swap contact info so we can meet up 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > PartyPooper2012 02/05/2019 at 11:37

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Wise.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012 02/06/2019 at 15:50

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Yes. Shoot me an email at froc0107@ gmail.com some time.

PartyPooper2012 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/06/2019 at 16:49

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Done deal. Might want to delete that post or change it up so you don’t get spammed