[JR2001]

Great tips! I had the exact problem on my 2001 highlander - intermittent and inconsistent heat control. 2 of the 3 wires on the ribbon cable leading to temperature control knob were broken. A quick resolder, and the unit works just fine now. I had the plastic bezel off and the heater control unit out in about 30 minutes. The dealer quoted me a price of almost $800 to replace the entire heater control unit. A couple things to recommend to others: 1) you might want to check and tighten the bolts for the other knobs if they are loose. I could forsee the other ribbon cables breaking if the knob is loose and the switch jiggles in place. 2) Take care not to overheat the circuit board when soldering. This was a quick and easy solder; just a second or so and the connection was fixed.

Thanks to all the great info. This saved me hundreds of dollars!!!