HVAC control panel: i fixed it and saved $600

[UncleBob]

a few months ago i posted about my HVAC control panel failing intermittently. it would just die (no light, no display, no fan, no buttons working) and then come back to life.

for the dealer it was an easy fix: replace the head unit. how much i asked. $600. i love how easy these fixes are for the dealer. no investigation as to what could be wrong. just give us $600.

i thought i should do a little investigation first so i posted here. someone gave me a contact in the US (i'm in switzerland) that fixes these units. i exchanged a few emails and he told me how he fixes them. i don't have the equipment or schematics to do what he does but i decided to tear the unit apart anyway just to look for obvious failures like cracks, broken wires, etc.

so, to make a long story short, i took it out, tore it apart, cleaned the contacts, put it back together and back into the car and it hasn't failed since!

moral of the story: dealers are not interested any way whatsoever in helping you. they just want to grab your cash as easily as possible.