Ok, after removing the entire top of the dash (in my 88 4runner), I'm somewhat stumped as how to proceed to remove the climate control cluster. I've searched for any such writeup on here and am yet to find it. It also is nowhere to be found in the FSM. Is there an easy way, or am I going to have to remove all of the lower trim around the stereo...I can't believe that Toyota would make this so difficult...all they really needed to do was move the system in FRONT of the mounts and that would alleviate all of these problems.

Thanks.

 

 

really? i'm almost there!

 

To remove the heater control you just about need to take the whole dash out, because its a very tight area right behind the heater control. Why do you need to remove it ?.

 

a couple reasons...the temperature switch broke b/c the cable going to the heater valve seized, thus breaking the cable as well. bought it like that.

so i got a new unit, not knowing it would be this big of a problem.

 

Trust me, its not that hard to do, Ive replaced heater cores in two 86 4Runners were i had to remove the complete dash to get the heater core out, so fixing the cable is very easy. The funny thing is though is that the heater valve cable is also broken on my 86 4Runner and i will be fixing it soon, and like you, it was like that when i bought it. I did replace the heater valve under the hood, i used a heater valve from an 89 4Runner, its plastic and won`t freeze up like the 86 heater valve.

 

First have a control with all cables attached to it as a replacement. Unhook all of the cables that run from the heater/climate control at the accessory end, don't try to remove them off of the heater control end. Unless you have done this before and know how the connectors on the control work, you will break parts and end up removing the complete control anyway. Pull the knobs off of your heater/climate control, take a small flat screwdriver and gently pry on the end of the heater control/clock cover plate. It just snaps in so once you get one end free it will pop off. Take the mounting screw(s) out of the clock, pull it out a little bit and unplug the wires, remove it. Take the mounting screws out of the heater control, pull it out a bit and unplug the light wire and the wires from the fan switch. It's ready to come out.
Once you are ready to remove the old control, here's a little trick that will reduce the swearing involved! You can thank me later, but there are two cables that are really hard to get back in place. The heater valve and the heat/defrost cable must be put back exactly as they were, so tie string to all of ends of the cables on the control, so that there is no mistaking what route they take to their destination. Also once you pull the old control out untie the strings and retie them to the cables on the new control and you can use the strings to put the cables back to where they belong.
Good Luck!

 

finally got it in...

broke one of the cables so had to make my own type of circular clip on the heater valve end...awesome.

nothing short of taking the dash all the way out gets the job done...fyi.

 

It wasn`t all that hard, was it.

 

Good info, mine is rusted shut at the moment

 

How the heck do the cable connectors come out? I'm trying to do it and scared I'm going to break it all. Ordered the new part and having a heck of a time with it