4 replies to this topic

[masslaw]

My '96 Spi, Japan import with A/C, has a rat's nest of wires, tubes, and hoses running all over the engine bay.  One which annoys me is the manual heater valve cable.  Is there a reason why I could not substitute an electronic valve in place of the original so that i could turn it on with a switch instead of pulling on the cable?

[Ethel]

You could, but you'd get all or nothing temperature control.

 

You could also: use a stepper or servo motor to actuate the valve instead of a cable; rig up thermostatic or PWM control of a solenoid valve; just move the cable valve under the dash, as on MPI Minis.

[masslaw]

Hadn't thought of temp "control" as my heater knob is either full out - for heat in late fall or early spring - or full in - for summer.  (Max, my mini, doesn't go out in the Canadian sub-zero winter.). I was just thinking of an off and on switch, in the dash somewhere, and no long cable snaking around the engine bay.

[Pops_Guild]

Surely you'd be just trading a cable for electric wires?...there's enough of them too on a JDM AC Mini under the bonnet (I have one too). Seems a lot of effort for not a lot of real gain but each to their own :)

[Bobbins]

I also have a JDM and realistically with everything else under the bonnet you won't even notice if the heater cable's missing!