Anyone ever had this happen and if so what was the cause and the fix?

Today I pushed the slide type top lever on the inside heater/ AC control over to the far right to the defrost mode. After I got home I tried to move the lever back to the left to turn it off and was stuck on the defrost notch. It wouldn't go back to the left at all!:cussing:

i haven't torn into it yet to see if I can solve the problem because I wanted to check here first to see if anyone has any idea what I need to do to save me some time and trouble.

I've never had this happen on any of my cars before. Any ideas?:confused:

Well, I tore into the heater?AC control panel today and found the problem!
There is a little round button type retainer on the 9 port vacuum switch that had broken and backed out of its position just enough to keep the position lever from moving back to the left again:unhappy:

So, it looks like I'll have to come up with a 9 port vacuum switch that still has that liitle retainer on it.

Anyone have an old heater/AC control panel laying around they want to sell cheap I can rob parts from?

Mine is an 82 El Camino and the unit would have to have a vacuum control switch still on it that has 9 ports. I think there is a model with only 2 ports. I don't really care if the rest of the unit is good or not, I just basically need the vacuum switch. Its that round thing at the right rear of the unit as you are looking at it from the front. It has nine little holes in the back of it for all the vacuum hoses. I think Monte Carlos have the same unit.

Chances are you'll have to buy a whole new unit. My Vacuum switch had a leak and I just bought a new one. Part # is 16045911.

had the same thing happen to mine but I used to work for a comp. that had lots of unique fastenerr and I was lucky enough to have a flat nut and bolt that fit right in place of the plastic button jim:texas:

Hey Trik-56 and everyone else -
I have the same exact problem and would like to know if this part is available as a sub assembly of the entire heater control unit. Just like you my "little button" also gets jammed anytime I push the lever past "heat". What is the part to the left of this one called and what is its part number? I tried ordering the part you and I need and got the one to the left of it. I think it is also called a vaccum switch. ? ? ? A little confusing - even to the suppliers. I think the El Camino Store has them but can't be sure.
Texas Jim - can you give me some specifics on what you used for your repair? Sizes, pics etc.? Where are you located in our great state. I'm in NE Texas - Athens to be exact. Kinda in the "backwoods of El Camino country".
Any suggestions at all will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Ralph

ralph I'm located in big spring way out about 100 miles west of abillene the part I used I got out of my junk box used to work for burroughs/unisys and had a lot of stuff left over from a 25 year career can't give you any specs but it was just a very flat thin nut and bolt left from an old electro/mechanical accounting machine jim:beer:

Thanks for the response. Guess I'll just start looking for a used control assembly or a flat head nut and bolt. Wonder if I could grind the head off of a bolt and make it work?
Thanks again

Texas86,
I found out you can buy the vacuum control valve (9 port) from Rockautoparts for $14.69 plus frt. This is what I was going to do but I got lucky and found in my stash of bolts and nuts a small bolt with a very flat head (about like the part that broke) and a nut to fit it and it worked like a charm.
I have no idea what this little bolt came from but it looks similar to a carriage bolt head only a little flatter.
You might just go to a hardware store that has a good selection of nuts and bolts and find something that will work. Otherwise, I'd just buy the valve assembly from Rockauto.
Goog luck!

I forgot to give you the website and part number.
Its rockauto.com
AC Delco part no.1571389 or part 7897420 which I assume is the Rockauto part number for it.

texas86 I thought about using a pop rivet with a couple of appropriate sized washers using a card wad removable to prevent it from being to tight cut the card a playind card would work to about the washer size pop it in and then remove the card part so it would slide mite work jim:texas:

Hey guys - thanks again for your comments, suggestions, part numbers and the referral. I also found the 9 port part at a place in Houston called RMS Automotive Supply. $13. But like I told RMS - the only part I really need is the "bolt". I like the idea of finding something at the hardware store or even making one.

The carriage bolt comments made me think that if the head of the bolt was crowned a little bit the slider might not hang up on the edge of it. Rather, it might just slide over the hump in the crown and you would never have the problem again (?) Does that makes any sense?

Sorry to be so dumb but I don't understand the comments about the "card wad removable" or "cut(ting) the card". Could you please explain to me again?
I'll pay better attention.

While I've got your ears. . . Any sure-fire ideas on how to pop out a couple of small dings? One in my hood (ugh) from a falling hickory nut. Can't get at it from underhood because the ding is directly above an enclosed hood brace. And a door ding courtesty of some thoughtless WalMart shopper. That's what I get for shopping there.

Thanks again for all your help. I haven't been on the site in a while and had forgotten how good it is to talk to guys that have "been there, done that".

ralph what I mean't to say was get 2 thin washers about the same dia. of the broken button and sandwich a piece of a card split the card to the middle so you can remove it easily so the pop rivet won't be so tight this should allow it to pivot and the pop rivet is a lot smaller than most nut and bolts so you shouldn't have to grind down the headof the bolt and it should clear the rest of the mech. ok the card is used only to give you some sliding room and if you cut it to the center it should be easy to remove so the rivet won't be so tight jim:texas:

ps on above post sorry for the double post but I hope my response makes sense sometimes I don't explain myself very well jim:texas:

Texasjim
Thanks for your detailed response. I'm about to tackle this job (again) before I order any more parts.

texas86 a playing card is already compressed very densly so if it is in between the washers it should create a flse limit on the pop rivet when it breaks the shank of the rivet it would probably be to tite to allow rotation of the vacume swithc port upper and lower half that you are riveting together by removing the card it should give enough space to pivot the parts but still be tight enough to make a vacume seal . does that make more sense hope so god luck jim:texas: