ALFAGTV6.COM

At some point in its past lives, my current '86 GTV-6 had the AC components removed, I think because the previous owner had fantasies about turning it into a racecar. The process has been a horrible PITA all the way along, but I'm making progress at putting it all back together. The lower AC control knob on the dash, the "blue" temperature control knob, is there, but the thick copper wire that I think serves as the AC thermostat probe has been cut off the back of the temperature control gadget and the copper wire has been completely removed. QUESTIONS: From the AC temperature control gadget, where does that copper wire go to behind the dash? Once I know the answer to that, can I route a replacement copper wire and carefully resolder it to the back of the AC temperature control gadget and have the AC thermostat function more or less as it did before?

I wish I lived in a part of the country where I could just leave all the AC stuff off the car.

Charlie Koster
San Gabriel, CA

Charlie I believe that there is more to this tube than meets the eye If I'm not mistaken it is in fact a pipe which contains mercury or some such substance which reacts to temperature at the AC evaporator and signals the AC compressor on and off through the rotary temperature switch.I think you'll have to locate a complete switch with the tube intact.

I think it goes to the ac temp device attached to the passenger side of the cooling coils.

Both correct.
The line is a thermocouple tip which is part of the thremostat control. It is located on the evaporator coils to sense the temperature and regulate when to cut in and out so that the evaporator does not freeze up (at which point it's useless).

Buy a whole new thermostat and reinstall. Ensure you get the wiring correct !

..and when you're done and it all works like it was planned to do, you will discover that it is useless anyway. The blokes who designed this system knew more about mozerella cheese than they ever knew about airconditioning. It's crap with a capital K.