Hevac reinstallation and dashboard reassembly

Here’s the sequence for reassembly. First clear out the two A/C drains with a screwdriver. Now lift the A/C pack back in, making sure to attach the plastic support for the coolant pipes.

Now lift the front part of the blower assembly in, making sure that the unit drops into an aligns correctly. There is a screw that goes in the top - MAKE SURE YOU DON’T DROP IT INSIDE - adjust as per the photo.

With the unit loosely back in, attach all the blend motors (don’t power it up with the blend motors removed - they have more travel when they are not attached and confuses the ecu).

I have the diags and executed a calibration followed by commanding it to seek to specific positions. But you can test by simply pressing each button at the bottom from left to right and you will see it open up a bit more each time. If the book symbol comes on, its probably jamming or another problem.

Once you are happy that its working, carry on reassembling the unit.  

You need to get the front support bar back between the dashboard. Because you have loosened the supports for the dash there is a fair amount of wiggle room. You can see my knee hard up against the hvac and forcing the bar back in between the black dash supports.

The red circles show where the loom SHOULD be located (I.e. Above, not below) - this was a mistake I made.

Now tighten the bolts in the footwell holding the dash. Reinsert the a/c probe carefully into the evap.

With everything tight, I removed the blend motor and ensured that everything was still smooth (paranoia)

Now reattach the ducting either side of the unit and the gators - mine seemed too short, so I put them in a cup of hot water and stretched them longer - which seem to rejuvenated them.

Now lift the dashboard back in - make sure you poke the wire for the solar sensor back through the hole as you lower the dash in.

Put the 4 M8 bolts in loosely, then put the self tappers that holds the lower part of the dash - then tighten the M8’s up.

Refit the ducting behind the air bag and instruments - I put some gaffer tape on to seal it better.

Refit the airbag using the star shaped torx bolts.  Don’t attach the bezel until you are completely finished and happy everything works, as its a git to remove. Reattach the nearside blower duct (if you removed it).

Reinstall the glove box. I used gaffa tape to hold the square nuts in place. MAKE SURE THE CATCH RELEASES THE GLOVEBOX, otherwise you wont be able to open it!

Finally - last photo shows a mistake I made in routing the loom - it needs to go above the support, not below.

8/3/2011. Dashboard fully fitted and the air-con charged and tested - all systems GO!