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AC knob issue on my Terrano & how the dashboard was removed to solve it

10th August 2022, 09:04 by Ananth Iyer

The total time taken for this exercise was 3 hours & Rs.1200 worth of labour was charged.

BHPian RedTerrano recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Guys I have a strange problem and need help.

Yesterday, I moved the A/c vent knob and now I can't bring it back to the original position (the extreme right, where the air is blown on your face).

The knob is stuck at this middle position. I can move it freely to the left, but when I try to do it on the right I feel physical resistance. I think I can apply more pressure to force it, but it feels like I might break something.

This is the first time this has happened in 8 years.

Can I fix this at home or do I need to take her to a garage?

Here's what BHPian mygodbole had to say on the matter:

I have the same issue with my Duster. The solution is to access the area behind the knob and clean it up. Time-consuming, but simple.
This video explains it. The relevant section starts from 4.12.
This is where the AC direction knob's pulley/winch is located, behind the dashboard of my Duster. The technician's thumb is going through the vent opening and his forefinger is trying to manipulate the lever/winch/pulley (the white plastic thingy).
And to access this, he removed the entire dashboard and the steering wheel. He first tried by just removing the radio console but ended up here.
The upshot was that one plastic gearwheel was bent. So the issue was partially fixed with existing part and the dash was put back on. Total charged was Rs3k.
The technician said because of non-usage of the knob, it had got jammed up and the gearwheel got bent because of the debris that managed to get it.

Here's what BHPian SideView had to say on the matter:

Try joining the duster group.
Issue has been traced to:

BHPian RedTerrano had the following update to share:

As suggested by you, I visited Climate Engineers.
Initially they tried fixing it via the port hole at the base on the driver side, but some plate was blocking access. Ditto when they tried by removing the music system. So finally, they ended up taking out the dashboard to expose the vent flap mechanism.
In that condition, the technician moved the knob and every thing worked smooth as silk! After scratching our heads for some time, we finally concluded it had just been one of those things. He cleaned everything for good measure, and reassembled the dashboard.
Total time spent: 3 hours
Total expense incurred: A mere 1200/-
For anyone having A/c issues in Pune, I highly recommend:
Climate Engineers
Sai Kunj Society,
Lane Number 7,
Dahanukar Colony,
Kothrud, Pune, 411038
The staff is well trained, and the owner, Mr. Randive is a very knowledgeable and a nice gentleman.