Control cables such as throttle cables, heater control cables, air flow routing cables etc. are flexible linkages that transmit force from the panel to a remote location. After years of use, these will eventually seize, or their terminals will break. Every control cable has a specific length and termination style, so it is not easy to find exact replacements. My air flow control (the one that switches the fresh air intake into the cabin) got tighter and tighter and then one day it snapped. The cable’s termination consists of a soft metal stub that connects to a slider on the panel, and the stub had broken off due to excessive friction in the cable.
Getting to the cable under the console is messy. It requires removal of the center console panel, transmission shift enclosure, and removing a bunch of other wiring and panel mounts.
The other end of the cable is attached to a baffle at the air intake port above the glove compartment, which requires removing the entire glove comparment.
The connector is a soft metal, similar to tin or solder, and melts away easily with a propane torch. Instead of crafting a similar connector, I spliced a copper wire to the cable by crimping them together into a small metal tube.
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