1PDQ55

Heading home from work yesterday I noticed my heater wasn't working on my 63 Dynamic 88. Turned it off and back on and it worked the rest of the way home, but this morning nothing! Need some help troubleshooting what/where to check. As far as I can tell all the fuses are good. None of them are labeled for the heater specifically. I am assumming the blower motor went out, do they make replacements? Is there a way to test it?

hookem horns

Not familiar with the '63 but spend some time with a voltmeter or test light to see where you have power and isolate the problem. My problem was a simple bad ground at the firewall but the fan resistor is often suspect.

59-59-59

My heater isn't working is a pretty vague start, so I'll assume the blower motor isn't working. Hook a jumper wire directly to the blower motor and see if it spins. That is a good start

Lady72nRob71

Also check the connections at the blower resistor located on the heater box or A/C plenum. Is this a heater only car?

rocketraider

Does the car have vacuum (pushbutton) heater controls or cable (levers)?

There is a master switch on the back side of the pushbutton control that allows power to the blower circuit when any button except OFF or one of the VENT buttons is pushed and latched. It may be bad or out of adjustment though it usually announces its presence with a sparks show if it fails. System starting after being turned off and back on makes me think this.

There should be a HEATER-A/C fuse in the block somewhere. I don't have my 63 books handy to give you exact location.

Also check the resistor on the heater box underhood. Do none of the fan speeds work, or just one?

1PDQ55

Ok, figured out the blower is working. A friend of mine manually opened the vacuum "gate" on the firewall and I could feel the heat. As soon as he let it go it closed back, so Rocket your theory sounds right. Guess I'll climb under there tomorrow and see what I can see. Rocket, you said "out of adjustment" - how can you adjust it? I'm assuming that if the blower works that the electrical is fine, so it would be a vacuum line, is that correct?

By the way, this car has a dealer installed AC under the dash, so it is essentially "heater only". I guess it is vacuum pushbutton with cables for hot-cold. There are vacuum lines running all over the place . . .

rocketraider

If the blower works, I think you can discount the master electrical switch.

Sounds like a vacuum failure. 63 was right around the time they switched from fuel pump diaphram vacuum to manifold vacuum with a storage tank to operate the HVAC controls. See if the F/P has a small metal vacuum line coming off its top and routed around toward back of the engine- if so, HVAC vacuum comes from fuel pump.

If not, there should be a rubber vacuum line coming off the intake and routed to a vacuum storage tank on the firewall. Sometimes it looks like a coffee can, sometimes a plastic ball depending on car equipment and manufacture date.

See if you have vacuum at the storage tank. If yes, problem is at the HVAC control head or door diaphrams. There's a vacuum selector valve on the control head that directs vacuum to the diaphrams. Those were made of potmetal in those years and not as prone to failure as later plastic ones, but still possible.

Or it could be as simple as a vacuum line loose or disconnected. Would help immensely to have a 63 shop manual as the original vacuum hoses are color coded.

When you get into that pushbutton control head, you will ask yourself why in the world they made a gadget that complex to operate something as simple as kickpanel vents and heater doors. The answer? It's an Oldsmobile, and Oldsmobile was GM's gadget Division. And Oldsmobile guys love gadgets!

1PDQ55

Rocket, thanks so much for the information!! You really narrowed down how to troubleshoot this thing! Finally got around to looking at it - here is what I figured out! The vacuum hose going to the heater door was pretty dry-rotted so I replaced it. Turned the heater on - nothing, so I got out and manually opened the blend door and the vacuum held it open. Looks to me like the "blend door actuator" is the part that pulls the door open and the vacuum holds it open. I took the actuator off and it feels like it is shot just from moving it manually. I went to the 24hr AutoZone, and of course they don't have it. Anyone know where I can get a replacement???

Oh, and you're right, that control head is ridiculous. I had to stand on my head to get under the dash and the dealer installed A/C didn't help any either

1PDQ55

Ok, figured out it was actually the vacuum actuator and the part I was talking about controls the fan speed. Just purchased a new one online - those suckers are expensive!