Tom_

I am getting ready to sell my '89 and as soon as I got the heater core replaced the HVAC programmer decided that it will no longer operate the blend door. It still blows air out of the correct vents when asked but the blend door motor does not want to move on its own. Does anyone know if I can R&R the motor from the module simply or would it just be easier to replace the whole module? Also I'm open to inquiries about the car being for sale. I have done a lot of work to keep the car running and driving as it should. It has 183k miles and has been my daily for the last 5 years. The paint is rough from the Texas sun but the only thing on the car that doesn't work (other than the climate module mentioned above) is the rear defroster. I will be posting photos in the buy/sell forum after the holidays.

Yep Barney is correct. I tagged into the pink wire for my remote wire. So you could make and break that one or the ground which was previously mentioned.

I'll go out to mine this evening and look. I know I spliced into the power wire for the antenna to use that 12V as a remote wire for my amp. I believe it was the orange but I will edit this response when I go confirm. If you don't already have one you should invest in a test light, or better yet a multimeter then you could test which wire went to 12V when the radio was powered on. I know that in the long run you will definitely need one with these particular vehicles. Takes a lot of guesswork out of troubleshooting the various electrical systems we have.

Does the Reatta share a vacuum tank with any other vehicles of the era or is it a Reatta specific part? That would make sense as the check valve requires vacuum to be held on both ports and the ports are free flowing between each other. So if one branch leaks the other will lose vacuum.

I have replaced the check valve with a new 4 Seasons Part No. 74808 and It is performing better than it has in a long time. But, under heavy acceleration like up a hill from a stop light it still shifts air to the defrosters. Is there a way to check if the controller or servos are leaking? Would that be a reasonable next step in the troubleshooting process? FYI the Dorman Help! check valves are functionally worthless. They allow for two way flow in 4 out of 4 units I bought from different stores in town right out of the box. If I have to replace one in the future it will be with the 4 Seasons unit above.

Thanks for the offer Stanley. I have a box of T's, F's, and Y's for different kinds of lines and if I don't find something in there that will work I'll let you know. EDIT: I just replaced all the small vacuum lines and the check valve around the cruise servo and reserve tank. I cut back the hard plastic line under the hood to between the fan motor and firewall and put new rubber line over it with a small hose clamp and a dab of silicone around the joint. I have much better vacuum to the hvac controller and it really closes off the defrosters allowing much more air to come out of the bi-level vents. The issue with it slowly going back to the defrosters during moderate acceleration still persists. I am highly suspect of the new check valve. The old one didn't seem to be working and the new one wouldn't work out of the box until I tapped it against the air box and used my freebie vacuum tester (my lungs) to pull on the output that would go to the hvac controller while I covered the output that ties into the cruise servo/reserve tank side. Even then it only worked if I sucked pretty hard and wouldn't make a great seal. I don't know if there's a way to make these little valves work better out of the box but I think I'm going to try switching to a different style check valve like this universal one and put a T after it to replicate the function of the existing valve.

I will check that cruise cutoff valve but the cruise control works perfectly. Has no trouble accelerating even though while it accelerates up a hill the HVAC loses vacuum. I replaced the cruise servo and vacuum line a couple of years ago when the old one went. I'm going to buy another check valve and a T at the parts store and replace that little plastic Y near the reserve tank as well. I trust nothing plastic on these things anymore. Especially near engine heat.

I replaced the check valve last summer but to be fair I could have gotten a defective one since the issue didn't change.

Hey guys, I have a vacuum leak that causes the HVAC controller to lose vacuum during acceleration and default to defrost. It comes out the correct vents when you're just cruising, idling, or coasting downhill with your foot off the gas. I know it must be a small leak and the plastic line going from the check valve through the firewall is my main suspect. I'm going to test this tomorrow by connecting a rubber vacuum hose from the check valve through the passenger window to the HVAC controller and driving around to see if I maintain the correct vent selection. The only problem I foresee is if and when I identify this hose as the problem, how in the world am I supposed to pull new line though the existing location in the firewall? It looks like it's part of the group of firewall connectors wedged between the passenger side strut tower and the firewall. Is there another location to pull through or am I stuck with this spot?

Well if the dome light in my car worked I'd take you up on your generous offer. But I'm afraid my under seat splices have given up the ghost with this last set of soaking rainstorms. If it's not one thing, it's another. But that's what I signed up for and actually enjoy. P.S. Nice Roadkill avatar AZVET

Sorry it took so long guys. I have spent a lot of time on the car over the past 2 weekends and the diode did fix my issue. The retract button strangely still stays lit all the time exactly like it did but the lights cycle as they should with the lights on button. Check out what the old one looked like for a clear case of "there's your problem". As a side note, living in East Texas with the summer coming I decided to get the windows tinted and man my air conditioner liked that. It actually cools the car now but I guess we'll wait and see how it helps once the temps get into the triple digits.

Thanks for the reply. I have already replaced a bad pump and used Lucas products. My issue however isn't bad seals, but something else internally in the unit. Basic, after you turn left it pulls left, after you turn right it pulls right, clunky noises when turning corners (not CV joints clunks when turning even when sitting still). The PO had 22's on it and it destroyed the strut mounts, tie rod ends, and evidently the rack and pinion. But, it never leaked so I'm only now getting to replacing it. Most likely going with the ACDelco reman 3 port if your info is correct.

I'm indulging in giving myself lots of tinkering (read: hard labor) to do. New carpets because if I'm taking out the seats and fixing the splices I might as well replace the carpets, recovering the headliner, more front end parts, interior trim and so on. I decided my hands weren't sliced up enough during my desk job and my swear jar was just too empty to function. As a side note, I've been using non-bargain Craftsman sockets and wrenches I've had for 10 or more years and have never had issues. I think they got a bad rap for the tools they sold at Wally World and other bargain chains when they still had the capacity to make quality tools. The bonus for me is, if I ever don't have a specific tool, my old man still has my grandfathers New Britain/Snap on stash in his shed that he never touches ripe for the picking.

I'm looking into replacing the clunky rack and pinion. The delco units are listed with two part numbers, 36R043 and 36R044. Described as 3 ports or 2 ports respectively. Does the '89 use the 2 or 3 port? What does the procedure look like difficulty-wise and time-wise taking into account all of us here are at least passable mechanics . I'm trying to decide if I can do this in the parking lot like my engine and trans mounts or if I need to bribe a buddy with frosty cold beverages to pour power steering fluid all over his shop floor.

Good on you Dave for replicating my moment of ignorance with fuel injected systems and hosing yourself down with the added suffering of styrofoam turning to nuclear waste underneath your head. I'd be interested in learning about the hinges more too. If I had spares I'd attempt to break them down as, unlike electrical nonsense, I actually understand mechanical engineering. If you do any messing about with trying to take them apart Kevin I'd like to hear your results.