Heat/vent control slider getting stiff

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It's like the brake cables on a bicycle . . Use LockEase and get some to soak into the top end of the cable and it will run down toward the device it controls. There may be a 'junction box' at the bottom of your heater where the cables meet and interface with some plastic cams. It may be the lube on those cams that's dried out. The '95 Odyssey had that. You'll need to take some of the lower panels off your dash if you really want to get into it. Try a drop of LockEase on the cable that turns on the 'water tap' under the hood . . It's on the heater hose.

'Curly'

Which lower panels are you referring to specifically? The middle panels where the climate control and radio are housed? Or can I get by with just removing the glove box? My Chilton manual (yeah, yeah, I know) says to remove the entire panel. Surely that is overkill, isn't it?

If only this had happened last summer when I already had the middle panels removed to replace the stereo. :-)

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You already know the drill for stereo removal. Do it again so you can get a clear view of the heater control assembly. P.S. Check all your dash lights before you go in there. . . Now would be the time to replace any burnt bulbs:-)

'Curly'

Thanks, Curly. And it's funny that you mention burnt bulbs; there happens to be a burnt bulb in behind that panel. It was just never a high priority for me. Hopefully I can get around to doing this on the weekend.

In my daughter's '93 Accord LX, it is the passenger side of the console, way down at the very bottom. IIRC it was a vent tube or similar I removed to expose the mixer box. It was very easy, one or two screws and moving the carpet out of the way.

Mike

Thanks to Curly and Michael P. for the info. I was just about to go work on it, but I have run into a minor problem. I can't find Lock-Ease anywhere around here.

I did find something called Jig-a-loo Graphite Extreme.

There was also Jig-a-loo Teflon Plus which supposedly is better for these types of cables, but doesn't have the extreme temperature capability of the graphite stuff. I also found a Motomaster brand graphite spray lube at Canadian Tire.

Would these be acceptable substitutes for Lock-Ease?

Sounds like any of those will do. Lock-Ease is basically graphite in kerosene, with the kerosene carrying the graphite into the crevices before evaporating. Teflon is also suitable (assuming it gets into the crevices well enough), since it doesn't attract dirt either. You're right about the temperature aspect; in hot applications teflon would break down.

Mike

Had the same problem with my 97 accord - broke the darn adjustment dial

- somebody told me where to find the valve mechanism under the dash - sprayed it with a WD-40 product TAL 5 which is no longer on the market. Has teflon and other lubricants in it - that was about 2 years ago and the temp adjust mechanism has been smooth ever since.

Stuff also works wonders on an ancient HP laserjet printer - sucker has had a mountain of paper run through it - when the bearings start to squeal - hit them with a shot of this stuff - good for another year. I called WD-40 in SD CA - nope we no longer make that product - guess it worked too good.

Update:

I attempted to do the same routine that Michael did. Although accessing the area went without a hitch, it was not where I should have been looking. Michael's problem was with the temperature control, and the cable for that is accessed from the passenger side. Since my problem is with the function lever (vent, heater, defrost, etc.), I decided to investigate on the driver's side. And sure enough, under the dash behind the console, I found a series of cables connected together and moved by these metal pieces (I forget what they're called, but they're sort of like pulleys). I saw them move when I slid the function lever. Unfortunately, I could only access a few of the "joints" to lube, and that did not fix the problem.

So what's next? Do I have to somehow get to the other joints that I did not lube, or will I have to remove the middle of the dash to get behind the control panel to look at the lever end of the cable?

And just my luck, I opened the hood to access the cable that attaches to the heater valve (as per Curly's suggestion), but now I can't get the hood to close tight. No lube of any type or amount has been able to get it shut tight (the release cable still works fine).

I'm not a real DIY type like some here are, and with work and weather factors (no garage where I live), I may have to get my mechanic to look at these problems.

Belated thanks to those who offered info in regards to my climate control slider problem.

It turned out that the problem was with the lever mechanism itself (inside the control panel unit). The mechanic replaced the unit with a used one, and all is well.