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Technical Manual air con to digital climate!!

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Technical Manual air con to digital climate!!

I've just had a google about what it is you are thinking about. There's plenty to read about the varying degrees of success or otherwise across various marques of vehicle.

I think the sensible approach would be to perhaps forget the idea, far too much work involved.
 
Yeah, whenever anyone considers adding a factory 'extra' to a standard trim car that involves the addtion of anything electronic, there's usually a whole world of pain to overcome.
 
zanes said:
In addition to the control panel, isn't there the whole motorised air control flaps to add?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing but I expect you'd need to change the heater box, and that is somewhere you seriously do not want to go.

Both doors off, disable airbags, steering wheel off, all the front dash & associated trim out & the main internal crossmember, plus probably a few things I've forgotten. Also the actuating mechanism (most of which is buried deep inside the heater box and not readily accessible) on climate models is constructed using rather flimsy plastic gears & linkages. There have been several reports here of linkage failures; individual parts are not available from Fiat & the complete heater box is around £1000; you could likely add the same again for labour if you let Fiat anywhere near the job.

Sorry to be so negative but I'd say this particular modification just isn't worth the candle.

If buying a used model with climate, ensuring the unit works properly is an essential pre-purchase check.
 
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jrkitching said:
I'm guessing but I expect you'd need to change the heater box, and that is somewhere you seriously do not want to go.

Both doors off, disable airbags, steering wheel off, all the front dash & associated trim out & the main internal crossmember, plus probably a few things I've forgotten. Also the actuating mechanism (most of which is buried deep inside the heater box and not readily accessible) on climate models is constructed using rather flimsy plastic gears & linkages. There have been several reports here of linkage failures; individual parts are not available from Fiat & the complete heater box is around £1000; you could likely add the same again for labour if you let Fiat anywhere near the job.

Sorry to be so negative but I'd say this particular modification just isn't worth the candle.

If buying a used model with climate, ensuring the unit works properly is an essential pre-purchase check.
Click to expand...
so basically what you are saying is if you want to play safe, buy manual ac and not climate control = )
 
I agree with the others. This is the sort of mod that only makes sense if you have a spare accident-damaged 500 to donate all the parts, AND you have a reason to strip the dash apart (such as, if your existing heater controls were broken).

I once fitted climate control air conditioning to a 17-year-old Lancia Thema, as I was in exactly that situation. I had to change most of the dashboard wiring loom, add temp sensors (change mirrors and therefore door wiring, and wiper linkage to fit different heater fan), also had to make up different wiring for the radiator fans. It can be done.

For details of the system in the 500, perhaps have a look in eLearn to get an idea of which parts you would change.

Otherwise, it's going to be cheaper and easier to sell your 500 and buy another 500 that has all the trinkets - sorry. :eek:

-Alex
 
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Well I thought it was a fair question - after all, if the manual versions used electrical controls (instead of mechanical controls), then it would have been an easier swap. :)

So thanks for asking something interesting... Meanwhile, there are plenty of stupid questions that prove immensely popular, leading to many pages of irrelevant discussion :ROFLMAO:

-Alex
 
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I've done it in the passes on pre canbus fords but not since the car world went computer crazy.
The procedure is largely the same but requires proxialignment afterwards to get all the modules talking correctly and not all canbus modules are created equally so may then glitch or cause problems (even between cars built side by side on the production line

Out of interest why would anyone need to take the doors off a car to fit climate control!?
 
zanes said:
You have to take the doors off to get the dash out, AFAIK.
Click to expand...


Someone is gonna have to explain that one because I can't see any reason why? The door don't bolt to the dash, they're bolted to the outside of the body shell so when open have nothing to do with the interior aspects of the car ?
 
AndyRKett said:
Someone is gonna have to explain that one because I can't see any reason why? The door don't bolt to the dash, they're bolted to the outside of the body shell so when open have nothing to do with the interior aspects of the car ?
Click to expand...

Here's an overview of the procedure for removing the heater box on 500's with manual A/C.

I'm guessing the heater box is pretty much the first thing that goes into the bare bodyshell in the factory.

It looks like a real horror of a job :eek:.

IIRC the Panda's not much better.
 

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AndyRKett said:
Someone is gonna have to explain that one because I can't see any reason why? The door don't bolt to the dash, they're bolted to the outside of the body shell so when open have nothing to do with the interior aspects of the car ?
Click to expand...

I suspect there are some bolt heads that are obscured when the doors are closed and when they're open, so they have to come off.
 
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