Newbie here! Few questions for the experts...

[Justanotherhigh]

Hello all! I am from the UK and no stranger to cars, though this is my first foray into 80s american transport... i have just ended up buying a 1984 Chrysler Fifth Avenue. It's a bit of a mixed bag, seems to have had many criminally negligent owners but in some ways but is mechanically sound.
I have just spent a few hours soldering the PCB's behind the dash clocks as they were falling apart, and made a load of things work that previously didn't. A promising start!
However! The rear defrost switch i can't seem to make latch on, unsure if the relay unit is tired or it hasn't got the correct load on it. The original stereo is absolutely wrecked and the potentiometer on the heat control is also bad. Does anybody happen to have any of these parts available for sale, or know any hints, tips or sources?
Finally, I really need to lay my hands on some wiring diagrams and also a diagram for the AC vacuum system as someone has cut half the lines.

 

[Justwondering]

I know I saw the diagrams here. I have an 87 Fifth avenue.
Here is one thread: Overheating and ac blowing warm

Let me keep looking for the other thread.

I'll also post my 87 service manual diagrams soon

 

[Justwondering]

Read this
Just the Facts

And this
Two Green Wires Hanging Low

I must have written out the info in the thread.

Picture coming next.

 

[Justwondering]

And here are the two photos:

diagrams

The info for how things should work together.

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Thanks so much! Once i get that together it might even work! Drove it 150 miles home with the heat full on , couldn't turn it off.. not fun!

 

[BudW]

The ATC (Automatic Temperature Control) is very hard to find parts for. The servo (on top of the evaporator case) is a commonly failed part and it was not available new, for almost 20 years now.

I have (or had) a good size box of bad servos and tried to rebuild them – but to no success.

My solution was to get rid of the ATC parts and go back with non-ATC parts (replace the servo with a lever, add a cable and change the lever on A/C control head (or get an older control head) and that problem is fixed.


On the vacuum hoses, a 7 port connector has a tendency to crumble (on some cars) after a few years. You can get some vacuum hose large enough to go over the existing colored hoses and can fix that problem.
I have seen 40 year old connectors that look brand new and others that look like crumbled bread crumbs.

I’m not a betting guy – but I would bet that you have both the crumbled vacuum connector as well as a bad servo.

BudW

 

[AJ/FormS]

Yeah I wasted a day trying to fix one of those servo's too. It lasted about a week then returned to it's former snapping self.

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Right, so, having a play this afternoon. The vacuum lines on this car do not match up to the diagram, at least in colour, i have one red and six black to the connector which seems in good order, i can spy a green and a violet behind the dash but no idea where they join up into things.. any ideas?
Also the servo... whats the best way to access it easily? trying not to have the whole dashboard out!

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Oops, picture doesnt seem towant to upload

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Ahhh. Right, in the past some previous owner has had crumbly connector disorder and has made bodge job of the year with sticky tape and some grossly oversize pipe. Now i understand!

 

[89.Fifth]

I have some 1984 Fifth Avenue AC and Heater parts laying around. Let me know what you need replaced and we'll figure something out.

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Thanks chap, as long as i can locate the servo actuator and manage to replace it with a cable, i should be good!

 

[BudW]

You will need to remove the dash top and then the right side dash plastic to get access.
Both items are removed on my ’86 5th Ave, so I will try to get some pictures for you as well as hose color locations for you, soon.

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Cheers budw, any chance you managed to get some pics?

 

[BudW]

I was knocked on my behind last week due to Pink Eye – so running about a week behind.

I have plans on taking pictures of the vacuum lines – just hadn’t spent any time in garage to do so.

What would you like pictures of?

 

[Justanotherhigh]

Well in the meantime i have the whole dash top out the car, and i got myself a workshop manual. The only thing i am struggling with now, the passenger side knee-pad under the glovebox, it is held to a rail under the bottom edge.. everything is rusty, are they rivets in there? If they are... WHY??

 

[BudW]

DON’T MESS WITH THE RIVOTS!

The metal bracket has a 7/16 inch head bolt that can be accessed with the right side kick panel in place (barely). Removing the kick panel is recommended, if you can. That bolt only needs to be removed about ½ way – which aids on re-assembly.

At center of dash, not far from the ashtray area, is a 7/16” head or 3/8” head acorn nut that is screwed on straight up. If you remove the nut and loosen the other bolt ½ way, that right side dash plastic panel should be ready to fall out of your way - except for a few dangling wires.