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Manual temperature adjuster getting stuck

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 4:04 pm
by MarcinJ
To anyone having the manual AC version with 3 knobs.
I've noticed, when it got colder outside, that my temperature knob, if it is on blue / cold position tends to get stuck and doesn't allow me to rotate past the middle position. If I want to get it to the red zone I need to use some force.
At first I thought it's just the wire / pushrod getting stuck with radio wires but after removing the radio the issue is still present.
My theory - if I drive in cold weather for a while (couple of minutes) and the heating knob is on cold setting then something maybe stretches or shrinks under the central console and as a result blocks the mechanism from working. However, if I leave the heating knob in the position where it gets stuck (which is always almost at the middle position) for a couple of minutes, then I can rotate it further without any issues. Just like if something warms up slightly and lets me go further. If I start driving with the heating knob in the middle position no blocking occurs. So it only happens if I go from cold to hot. I've had my car since July and haven't experienced this problem before, since it was always hot and sunny and I never needed to turn the heating on. Now, when it;s cold outside, but the car gets warm just by sitting in the sun while I'm at work, I usually start driving with the heating set to cold to get rid of the build up heat, but after a while, when it's getting cold in the car it's difficult to rotate the knob to the warmer position.
Been to the dealership today, they've arranged a next Wednesday meeting to evaluate the problem. I'll let you know about the results, but maybe somebody had a similar issue with their car?