KARR's HVAC Illumination, Repair & Cleaning

When I ordered the upgraded interior LEDs back in December, I also ordered an upgraded LED for the HVAC controls.  On June 21st we installed it.  I had to start by removing the blackout trim.

Behind the blackout trim is the original brushed trim piece.  This trim piece has to remain in place because it actually houses the center vents for the dash.

With the trim removed, we can access the HVAC control unit.

Here is what the current LED back-lighting looks like at night.

Here is what the current LED back-lighting looks like in the daylight.

I removed the HVAC control unit.

You can see where the light socket attaches to the back of the control unit.

I removed the LED from the HVAC control unit. 

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the cheap LED (left) and the upgraded LED (right).

Here is the upgraded LED.

While we had the trim and vents removed, we cleaned them.  Sara cleaned the vents while I worked on repairing the original trim.  It had cracked in a couple of spots and needed to be glued.

While reassembling the original trim and vents, the "Normal A/C" button was sticking out further than the other buttons as it always has when I switch off the A/C.  This has always bugged me and I was trying to figure out why when the button pulled completely off.  It had never occurred to me that the adhesive for the button had actually let loose and it was sticking out because it was separating from the mechanical plunger it is supposed to be attached to.

A dot of super glue on the inside of the button while pressing it firmly in place fixed this issue.  The button now works as it is supposed to.  Before reinstalling the blackout trim I decided to fix another issue I have had with this trim.  The trim is made out of Lexan and is CNC cut to match the original trim.  However, the cut edges are extremely sharp.  I recently cut my finger sliding the temperature control adjustment on my way to work. 😖  I decided to use some super fine grit sandpaper and lightly sand this lower edge smooth.  It worked perfectly and is no longer sharp.  It also did not affect the look of the trim.  I need to smooth all the edges at some point down the road. 

The rear deck lid strut allowed the deck lid to fall on me twice this last winter so it was time to replace it.  I removed the bolt on the deck lid side of the strut and then popped the lower end off.

I reversed the process to install the new strut.  What a difference in the tension on the deck lid!

When I ordered the new strut from Rodney Dickman's Automotive Accessories, he also had a fuel door fill guard for sale.  I had never seen anything like this, but it is designed to protect the paint below the fuel filler door on the Fiero.  It attaches around the fuel filler neck and simply folds up behind the fuel door.  Of course I ordered one of these as well. 😎😁