Hi.
My heater fan (with non climate control A/C) has become intermittent. When you tap the side of the fan switch knob it usually starts and is fine till you switch off the ignition and then back on.

Question is how do you get to the switch. The knob seems stiff and I don't want to break it, so does it actually pull off and how do you gain access to the switch?

The knob and bezel that surrounds it can be pulled away. If you pull hard at the control knob, a small gap will appear between the plastic bezel and the rest of the dash. If you insert one of those plastic pry tools you can encourage that gap to get bigger, and then work the whole thing loose. Unlike the earlier Panda, the latest one has some very strong metal clips holding everything in place - but they are robust and unlikely to break. This drawing may help https://www.fiatdalys.lt/diagrams/D6/D676FDA2A3F8B73B168059B584F7A3B9.png. Not sure though if you will actually be able to remove the fan switch though... but at least you'll see it!

To get at the actual controls, you need to remove the dash panel and to do that you need to pull your knob off like herts hillhopper suggests.


https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/433151-dash-colour.html

Goudrons said:

To get at the actual controls, you need to remove the dash panel...

https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/433151-dash-colour.html

Click to expand...

What is missing from that 'how to remove the dash panel' is that as well as the screws in the open 'storage bin' above the glovebox, there are three more that have to come out to remove the vent bezels... If you remove the glovebox, there is then a screw holding the passenger side air vent in place (goes straight up), and if you remove the radio, there is another screw that goes upwards directly in line with the centre of the central vents (easy to remove, impossible to not drop into the works of the heater!). There's one on the driver's side too, accessed via the panel that pulls away from lower right of dash...

Hi.
Well the problem wasn't switch related. After some prodding around with my multimeter it was a loose plug and socket just behind the centre console and floor. Most likely knocked in some way before I made a shut panel for the front passenger, on pressing the plug and socket together it made an audible click, the program has now been away for over a week.

Hi.
Well the problem has returned, intermittent for a couple of days now no fan at all, also the 12v socket is dead. The Fan is fed from fuse 08 a 40amp under bonnet fuse but the socket is fed from F20 a 15amp fuse. I'm wondering if the socket fuse takes its supply from F08 via F20 or from a relay, I'll try to get a look tomorrow if it's dry and report back. It's very annoying as I had to go 36 miles today for an MRI scan in extremely wet conditions, have no demist when stopped is not a lot of fun!!

murphyv310 said:

Hi.
Well the problem has returned, intermittent for a couple of days now no fan at all, also the 12v socket is dead. The Fan is fed from fuse 08 a 40amp under bonnet fuse but the socket is fed from F20 a 15amp fuse. I'm wondering if the socket fuse takes its supply from F08 via F20 or from a relay, I'll try to get a look tomorrow if it's dry and report back. It's very annoying as I had to go 36 miles today for an MRI scan in extremely wet conditions, have no demist when stopped is not a lot of fun!!

Click to expand...

Although fed from different fuses, they may well share the same earth (negative) terminal somewhere inside the car, so maybe that's the link between two separate circuits and why both fail intermittently. I guess the fan and the 12v socket will have an earth connection somewhere close by low down on the central tunnel?

Hi.
Well I think I have got the fault now. Firstly I checked for earth continuity between the AUX socket body and chassis, this resulted in 0.47ohms on my Fluke DVM. Then with the engine running as there was still no fan I checked for 12-14v at the centre connection on the AUX socket, zero volts. Next was to remove the cover of the under bonnet fuse/relay box, on moving one of the relays the fan started. I then removed the relay and cleaned its contacts and spayed the connections in the fuse box with switch cleaner. All is working now but if the fault returns I'll replace the relay.