My 99 4runner climate control panel is almost non functioning. The fan on/off switch,circulate, recirculate, and mode buttons don't work at all. The ac on off switch works. The inside/outside temp switch works intermittently. The temp setting dial works. The fan speed knob works. The auto button seems to have no effect. The mode graphics indicates I should be getting heat on my feet when it's blowing in my face from the dash vents. On another web site someone said the dealer did a hard start on the vehicle that cured the problem for three weeks but then it started again. Has anyone got any answers or suggestions. Thanks

 

Apologies for reviving an old thread but does anyone have a solution for this. Same exact thing is going on with my 99 runner

 

There is a guy in ebay that fixes it. there was a thread here about it maybe last month or the other month. That guy also sells fixed a/c controllers.

 

yeah, I searched a bit and found out about that fellow in Tennessee who rebuilds them. I may try to go over each solder connection with my iron.

From a previous thread (t4r forums):

My 2002 had classic button problems - hit or miss, sometimes worked partly, 'Auto' LED never came on. I happened to hit it just right one day recently and it all worked. So (being the former electronics tech that I am - or was) I knew it was intermittent connections. So a couple of days ago I pulled out the board with the display and buttons and began looking for problems.

Of course, there were no obvious bad connections (broken solder joints) but it is a two-sided board (circuit traces on both sides). There are feed-throughs all over the board that connect the two sides. I took a small soldering IRON (15-25 watt - DON'T USE YOUR 200 watt Weller gun or you will destroy the board) and went over each solder connection (adding a small dab of solder every now and then to the IRON to transfer heat). Be careful not to short across conections (some are very close).

I put it all back together and it works great now. The feed-throughs probably break loose after pressing the buttons a few thousand times and they become intermittent. Which one is anybody's guess, but I made sure I got the ones near buttons done well.

 

I've found it's often the very small smd resistor arrays that are on the board below the LCD display. You have to have a very fine iron and good skills to resolder. Need to bend the leads on the LCD display to bend the whole display to one side to allow access to the arrays.

 

I just sent it in to get repaired...I'll keep anyone interested updated

 

I used the guy from MN on ebay, it works like new now!

 

I sent mine a couple of years ago to the group in TN (bought service off of ebay) and it has worked great since. They also gave a lifetime warranty on the climate control...not to bad a deal. I think I paid in the $140 range and they had it back to me with a couple of business days. Great service.

http://www.autoecu.com/

This is their website.

 

This is where I sent mine in. Turn-around was a week tops! it works good as new. ate123 is the vendor on ebay. they also keep you up to date on where your module is within the shop..pretty good service! not too shabby for $80.