how to open dash

[lakedad]

I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftan....the 'Mode' switch on the engine a/c does not seem to cause the vent doors to operate.....I am not able to get air flow out of the square air vents on the dash....I do get airflow from the floor vents and the defroster vents at the windshild area and the fan motor runs OK.
I would like to get into the inside of the dash to see if the vacuum lines and/or vacuum motors are working OK.
Does anybody know how to open the dash?? I think I saw a posting that mentioned somebody was able to do so with info in this site...but can not find that information.

[lakedad]

I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftan....the 'Mode' switch on the engine a/c does not seem to cause the vent doors to operate.....I am not able to get air flow out of the square air vents on the dash....I do get airflow from the floor vents and the defroster vents at the windshild area and the fan motor runs OK.
I would like to get into the inside of the dash to see if the vacuum lines and/or vacuum motors are working OK.
Does anybody know how to open the dash?? I think I saw a posting that mentioned somebody was able to do so with info in this site...but can not find that information.

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by lakedad:
I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftan....the 'Mode' switch on the engine a/c does not seem to cause the vent doors to operate.....I am not able to get air flow out of the square air vents on the dash....I do get airflow from the floor vents and the defroster vents at the windshild area and the fan motor runs OK.
I would like to get into the inside of the dash to see if the vacuum lines and/or vacuum motors are working OK.
Does anybody know how to open the dash?? I think I saw a posting that mentioned somebody was able to do so with info in this site...but can not find that information. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Go to WinnebagoInd.com and get the parts manual for your coach from the resources section of the website. You will probably find that it requires 3 or 4 screws to be removed from the top back of the cluster pod where it meets the top of the flat dashboard and possibly one on each side however the side may have velcro or just be a slip fit. Yours does not seem to be hinged like the newer models.

[John_Canfield]

Welcome to the forum

[lakedad]

Thanks for the quick reply and 'Hi"....

Neil, I can remove the cover on the back of the instrument panel OK.....but I can not get to the area when the a/c door vents and vacuum motors are....looks like I would have to remove the large dashboard cover....wonder if anybody else has ever had to get into this area....or am I headed to a service dealer that knows much more than I

[1995Brave]

Not sure on your 99 Chieften, but on my 95 Brave(P30 chassis) the insturment cluster just flips up and i can get to all the vacuum hoses and controls from there. I have taken my dash apart to recover it and to add more wires for accesories, it was not easy. Had to remove the dash pod(8 screws) and all the wiring, there were 4 bolts under the hood, 2 bolts in the corner under the dash speakers, 6 screws(3 each side) just under the dash on the sides, 6 screws holding the 3 fuse holders in place, and 8 screws holding the defroster vents in place. Once all those were out it took two of us to wiggle and man handle the metal cover off.

[lakedad]

Wow.....sounds like I can get myself into a mess of trouble removing all that even if my body would bend that much....will take the instrument cover off again and see if I can locate any of the vacuum lines.....but from my first look into that area it appears all the vacuum door motors (I think there are three) are all located over near the center of the dash.

Fortunately I still have a good airflow down on the floor and onto the defroster area....but I would like to get those doors operating.... guess a service dealer is waiting for me....

Thanks for your inputs

[lakedad]

Good news.....found the problem and thank goodness I dont have to "open the dash"....

Just before the air vent problem appeared I had a dealer do some routine maintenance on the engine....apparently when they changed the large air filter they accidently disconnected one of the small vacuum lines going from the spherical vacuum accumulator 'thing' going into the dash. That was the problem....

today when checking the oil I notice the clamp on the air filter was not completely closed so when I started to fix it I noticed small vacuum line hanging on the backside of the air cleaner clamping mechanism.....then I realized it had come off the 'accumulator thing'..... connected it back and started the engine.....WOOLLA...it now works....all is well.

Sometimes the little things jump up and grab ya!

Wish they would make the vacuum lines in some other color than black....hard to see them in the engine compartment.

Hope this info is of help to anybody else