You are currently viewing our community as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our Member Supported community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload photos, content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
HighlanderGeneral discussion forum for the Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid.
This is a discussion thread titled "Heater quit... sort of", within the Highlander forum, part of the SUV Forums category.
Just completed the above repair on my girlfriend's '02 Highlander. Was done in about 45 minutes, saved about $800 bucks from what the dealer quotes for the repair. Great pictures and repair description. Great website, looking to contribute when I can.
Just completed the above repair on my girlfriend's '02 Highlander. Was done in about 45 minutes, saved about $800 bucks from what the dealer quotes for the repair. Great pictures and repair description. Great website, looking to contribute when I can.
have the same problem on my '03 but am totally clueless about cars!
there is a big plastic 'frame' that appears to be covering the edges of the plastic frame that goes over the radio and heater controls. does that just pop off also? and do I have to take the knows off of the heater control? do I just pull them.
while it is annoying to have to 'fish' for the click that gives heat or cold as I spin the temp control dial, it will be worse if I break the thing totally. (although perhaps not as bad as the $750 that the dealer is asking to put in a new one. they will also 'repair the old one' for $300 which I might end up having to have done).
I have a 2001 so my knowlege may be incorrect for your model. I believe that the knobs just pull off. The large plastic bezel also just snaps off. A couple of screwdriveers slipped under the edge worked for me. Be very careful not to scratch the paint. Some electrical tape around the tip of the screwdriver may help. Then you should have access to the heater control.
Read the other entries for more details and pictures.
Thank you so much for posting the info and the photos. I had the same heater problem with my 2001 Highlanderr. Because of your posting, I saved $600 plus tax plus the cost for labor. Wow!!!
You guys rock!!! I started up the heater for the first time in since the spring and found no heat. That happened on the way to work and it is now 11:30 in the morning and the problem is fix. For now anyways!! When I got to the temp control panel and located the wires coming off of the temp control switch they were broken. A quick solder job and I have heat. I reallly want to thank you for adding pictures it helped me alot.
You guys are geniuses! Exact same problem ('01, intermittant heat, found 2 ribbon wires were broken, etc.).
I had two big differences though: 1) all knobs were tight (but the wires were broken anyway), and (2) after fixing the broken ribbon wires I get perfect heat on the passenger side, but only cold air blows on the driver side.
I would have guessed that there would be one servo valve on the heater core would work for both sides at the same time - It does not make sense to me that Toyota would have gone to the trouble of installing a separate valve for each side if the two sides can not be adjusted separately.
In any event, I have to get heat to the driver's side somehow. I get the same amount of air blowing on both sides, but only one side gets any heat. I wonder if there is pair of flaps on the heater core that each open on command, and in my case one is not getting a command? If this was the case, I wonder if I could override the driver side flap to let the heat through - I would not think it would be a problem, but is it possible to get at it?
Does anyone have any ideas?
Wizzer - do you still have that heat control head part for $75? (it seems that I might have to replace the assembly to fix this problem after all, and the wreckers are now asking $250 for the part)
You guys are geniuses! Exact same problem ('01, intermittant heat, found 2 ribbon wires were broken, etc.).
I had two big differences though: 1) all knobs were tight (but the wires were broken anyway), and (2) after fixing the broken ribbon wires I get perfect heat on the passenger side, but only cold air blows on the driver side.
I would have guessed that there would be one servo valve on the heater core would work for both sides at the same time - It does not make sense to me that Toyota would have gone to the trouble of installing a separate valve for each side if the two sides can not be adjusted separately.
In any event, I have to get heat to the driver's side somehow. I get the same amount of air blowing on both sides, but only one side gets any heat. I wonder if there is pair of flaps on the heater core that each open on command, and in my case one is not getting a command? If this was the case, I wonder if I could override the driver side flap to let the heat through - I would not think it would be a problem, but is it possible to get at it?
Does anyone have any ideas?
Wizzer - do you still have that heat control head part for $75? (it seems that I might have to replace the assembly to fix this problem after all, and the wreckers are now asking $250 for the part)
OUTSTANDING! My wife told me today that the heater in the Highlander worked sporadically. I found your post and it was exactly the problem. It took me about an hour to get to the wires, but sure enough, two of the three had snapped. I soldered on some new stronger wires, put it back together, and it works! I'm sure that this saved me several hundred $$$. Thanks again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizzer
OK. I solved my porblem. Here is what hapened. The nut that holds the temperature control to thee front panel came loose. The knob and control started to wobble. This stressed the wires on back. Eventually 2 of the 3 wires attaching the temperature control to the cotrol circuit board broke. When the control knob was in certain positions one or both came into contact and the heat would come on.
I went to the dealer and they said "replace the heater contol unit." It costs $ 586.00 plus labor. I bought one from a junkyard for $ 75.00. I removed the bezel which surrounds the whole unit by gently prying it with a couple of screwdrivers. Be very careful not to sccratch the dash. Once that I saw that all connections to the back were electircal (3 plugs) I removed the old one. I opened it up and saw the broken wires. I soldered them, reinstalled it and it works fine now.
Anyone want a Heater control unit for a 2001 - 2003 Highlander for $ 75.00 plus shipping? It comes with the balance of the 30 day warranty.
add me to the list... my wife has been having this problem for at least 8 monthson our '02 highlander. she found if she gave the dial a smack it would work.
i just joined this board and read this thread yesterday. followed the fix and it worked perfectly
same problem with 01 highlander. no heat from vents - was able to get heat now and then by sticking a bit of cardboard in between the dial and the dash. we were told by the dealer that we needed the entire heater assembly - that the center dial shorted out and could not be replaced on it's own. using the fix wizzer posted and others tried i can say that we now have heat again and kept $900 in our pockets. thank you all for the pictures and repair information. even if it assembly does go one day it's nice to know i can get a used one and put it in myself for less than $200.
Wow, mine just started doing this. I have noticed it twice and noted that when I would readjust the knob it fixed itself. I guess I will have to do this also.
This site was of great help. Just fixed this exact same problem on my 2002 Highlander. Had no heat, everything else worked. Family froze (8 and 9 year old) in cold rainy weather from Laredo, TX to Austin, TX (wet, rainy in mid 30s). Took the knob off and sure enough the lock nut was loose, took the control unit off and one wire was frayed through all the way, another was mostly frayed, or maybe totally frayed. Soldered them back on, after separating them to lessen stress, and all is good now.
Before I did this I called Toyota directly to see what they would say. They had no knowledge of this and gave me usual runaround. For those of you living up north I can see how this can be a real issue. What a lame thing to go wrong!
Rear side door handle came off in my child's hand a few months ago. Had to take the whole panel, and lock assembly off to get to the torx head the screwed it down. The screw had backed off either because it was not tightened enough or locking compound was not used. Dealer wanted to charge 95.00 just to take the panel off. Read how Toyota has had to "pull back" due to quality issues, boy ain't that the truth! I don't expect these petty (yet potentially very expensive) problems on a car with only 57,000 miles on it. This is the wife's car, so it does not go mudding, simple 10 mile round trip suburban commute.
You guys saved the day. Parent and two young kids were having to drive back to New Hampshire from central Maine with no heat, but thanks to these directions and in about an hour we had the heater back in business. The 1-year-old and 3-year-old will not be quite as appreiative as the parents!
A couple of quick comments: There are 4 screws holding the heater control panel into the dash. Remove them and then pull the brackets out to pull the panel out. There is very little slack in the cables running to the back of the panel and you need to depress retainers on top of all 3. Getting them back in is hard.
The ribbin cable is single strand, so its no wonder it breaks when the knob assembly loosens. I recommend not even bothering to test them, they will go eventually, so solder some multistrand wires on anyway.
Re: Heater quit... sort of
Re: Heater quit... sort of
