2005 Toyota Highlander Temperature Control Fix

[goodfellow]

This is a known issue in this generation of Highlanders. The ribbon cable from control board to the rotator POT develops breaks in one or more of the three thin wires and the car can't turn on the heat or cold settings. The solution is to remove the entire control unit along with the radio and either re-solder the ribbon cable, or solder on new wires. I chose to solder more sturdy and robust 20 gauge wires.





Disassemble the control unit and loosen the POT





Clean up the solder point on the POT and prep for new solder.



I just cut the old ribbon cable and soldered in new wires (more robust that way)







Reassembled everything and this old unit is good to go for a few more years. One thing is for sure, in my old age keeping a steady hand on the soldering iron is not that easy anymore. --- LOL -- oh well!!

[Muddy]

Nice work ray! You saved yourself a bunch of money on that repair I'm sure.

[goodfellow]

Thanks Tim! ...and you're correct, these relatively simple fixes would cost a quite a lot to have done at a shop that still repairs things (if you can find one). Dealers won't even touch it because the parts are not available anymore.

Even good shops will only install a used unit and not attempt to properly repair the thing. A used unit is VERY expensive these days, and since it's not upgraded, the same issue will likely occur in the near future.

We folks on the GG are a dying breed. No one wants to repair any components in the automotive field anymore, and manufacturers are happy to oblige. They make more money by not making anything repairable == just throw it away.

[Uncle Buck]

Oh ya, seriously, no way a shop would have touched that one Ray, and many guys including me would have no clue how to repair that. Honestly, the best I could have hoped to accomplish facing an issue like that would be tracking down and replacing the entire control panel and praying I could still find an old tired one still working to replace the original!

Ya, skills Ray, well beyond my abilities! Congrats on the diagnosis and repair!