That is a "Westinghouse Thermoking" unit and not the factory AC as per the factory manuals. My car is also a South African assembled XJ6 Series 1 and has an identical unit with vents exiting through the parcel tray. I don't know if it shares any components with the factory AC, I don't think so.

I think it was a South African option or even an after-market installation. Did you ever get it to work? I came here looking for advice on mine...

 

I went to a lot of trouble to add more vents in my parcel tray(s) in both Series 1 cars. Other than the vents, the inside looks stocks with the controls... heater is
a Vintage Air Electronic Servo unit - just replaces the stock water valve with a electric motor that allows water to flow into the heater matrix on demand of the
stock heater knob.

Your unit looks like a great solution but it all depends on what is behind those vents and how they are connected.

What kind of problem are you having and what have you done so far? Do the fans both work? With the fans on, and you turn the Cold knob all the way
to the highest setting... what happens?

Does the heater work?

 

Thanks Rodger

I've only had the car for a few days - just bought it.

There are two fans - both do turn, but seem to work independently from each other. When I turn the additional fan knob (bottom left of Jaguar shield), there is an audible click from the engine compartment (which I assume is the compressor clutch engaging) and the fan behind the "parcel tray" vents comes on.

It is just not "making cold", so the problem may be as simple as having the unit re-gassed and checking for leaks. I don't want to run the compressor (which looks very new "dry")...

It seems a professional installation (although not as nice to look at as yours), which again makes me think it must have been an SA option. The cars were imported as semi-knocked down kits and assembled at Blackheath in Cape Town. The seatbelts are also branded "Leykor" - the SA division.

Still curious to know whether the original poster got his to work.

 

I wish something like it had been sold in the USA.. would have made my work a lot easier.

If they ever remove the unit (vent portion), please take photos of how it is connected. The fans turn opposite directions but should come on at the
same time with heat or AC being used.

You are correct, the next step I would take would be to take it to a AC shop with proper equipment to evacuate the probable empty system and
recharge with the appropriate coolant... color of the knobs on the tubing in the engine compartment or stickers should identify type. Since the
"click" happens - you are very far along the path to cold air. I leave a small proper thermometer in the LH vents all the time to monitor the health of the systems.

When working, measure the air temps in the LH dash vent and compare to the center vents... I am very curious.


I can only "assume" that the extra knob on the ski slope control the thermostat and fans come on at the same time?

I note that you do not have power windows or at least their switches in the panel below the center console top? I have never seen a "base" car before either! Plus, a manual OD transmission... would make a fun car to drive and easier to maintain.

 

Yup, base model with manual transmission and overdrive. Windy windows, vinyl and no headrests.

Oh, and 135000km - that's 85000 miles!

I am reasonably sure that there is no connection between the facia vents and the centre vents in the console. The "heater" (original) fan still works from the rocker switch and does what it should. The AC system only blows from those three centre vents.

I will post when it's sorted - the sooner the better. It's a dark green car and mid-summer here with temperatures around 40'C (100F +)!

 

Mine is also BRG but with black interior - so I understand the heat. We get very warm here in So Cal, saw 115F last summer.

Like the antenna on the front fender.. is it powered? Plus, I have never seen that lower side trim before.


It sounds like the vents in the middle are disconnected from the side vents for the AC system.. odd -- my side vents are used in "addition" to the center vents.


Maybe they replaced all the Jaguar evaporator stuff with their own under the dash... hence no room for all the plastic tubing from the Jag evaporator to the side vents? Not a bad choice since the Jag evaporator is the bottleneck, along with the fans in the mediocre performance of the AC.

Fans have very slow and very medium speeds, not the high speeds or air movement volume associated with modern cars. "We" block the flow through ventilation system at the rear "hat" in the rear package tray to stop the cold/hot from being passed through... just put on a plastic trash bag and check the difference when the AC is finally working. Makes it work like "Max" in a modern car.

The moving cooler air blowing on you from the vents is a lot of the cooling effect in these cars... that is why the center vents are "better". If alone, direct all the air to yourself! I never change the temp, it is always at max and I just adjust the fans speeds or the louvers.

I do get 38-40F or colder air at the vents when the outside is not over 100F... you can only change the inside temperature (colder) about 30-35 degrees depending on the ambient outside temps .. of course it is better when air is moving into the AC condenser at speeds. It usually takes about five minutes for the car to become comfortable after sitting in the full sun, when driving on the highway.

 

Joe, I haven't been on here for a while due my car being off the road for the last year with engine issues. I've also moved house for work reasons and the new place only has a single garage.

I didn't get any further than accepting Roger's advice as I had to prep the car for the move. If I ever do get the engine running again, I will divert my attention to the AC again.

 

As promised, I said I would post here if I had another crack at getting the Air Con working again. I spent a couple of hours on the car today and so far this is what I have worked out.

The Westinghouse Air Con has the Fan Controller on the centre console on the opposite side to the cigarette lighter socket. The Fan Controller has four levels. Off, 1, 2 and 3. When twisting to position one this does two things. It sends power to some kind of fan relay (that I can here clicking somewhere behind the dashboard (within the evaporator unit?). It also sends power to the thermostat control, which if in any position other than fully closed, sends power to the compressor clutch to engage it.

This circuit seems to be working just fine, but the AC fan isn't coming on at any speed, despite getting relay clicks at all three speed levels. I let the car run for a bit with the fan controller at level one to see if the evaporator was getting any cooler. A friend distracted me when he popped over to see what I was up to and when I went back to the car I could smell burning. It would appear that the AC Fan Motor is now burnt out! It's also melted my fuse panel a bit!

I think I'm going to have to pull out the whole evaporator unit and replace the fan motor?

Here's a few pics with some pieces out of the way to give a better view of what's behind:

The damage to the left hand fuse panel (fuses 1-5) with fuse number FOUR being the culprit.


I've now taken that wire off to prevent accidental switch on of the Fan Controller.

Here's a pic of a label that was on the evaporator unit:


Not having much luck here.

 

Woz, I have four Series 1 fuse panels in my stash. PM me your postal address and I will pop one in the post for you.

Here is a link to the thread on my air con, fitted by Sydney dealer from new. Mine is mounted under the glove box and doesn't use any of the cars original venting or wiring, might be a bit of help.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...al-how-142473/

 

Clarke, thanks for the kind offer, I'll PM you shortly.

I think I'll now need to pull the Evaporator Unit out and have reconditioned. That's going to be a fairly big job, but while I would love some Air Con now, I'll just have to wait until the New Year as I'll need to get the car degassed, pull everything apart, send the unit off for repair, refit and reassemble, get the car re-gassed and hopefully enjoy the Air Con over the winter!

I've just read your other thread and there's some great info in there too.

 

Here you go, in the post tomorrow for you.

 

Clarke, as you say, I think the light grey one (bottom left) is what I need. You are a legend. Mucho Gracias.

 

Light grey fuse panel and cover coming your way tomorrow.

 

Nice one Clarke. You are a true gent.

 

Dear Sirs

I'm restoring a JX6 series 1, 1973...last year production.

This car has installed an after market air con system, the ones that have the evaporator under the shelf at the passenger side, ugly and taking space.

Once I have a donor car with factory air con, I want to replace the complete air box in the firewall in restoring car, for the standard one (evaporator in the blend box). Until now all looks nice and easy...

When I really had explored this replacement, realized that at the top of the blend box the evaporator window has a flap vacuum actuated. I believe that this flap is for recirculation or fresh air intake control.

Other problem is that this blend box do not have side outlets for the right and left ducting for fascia vents and the ducting for windscreen is direct for windscreen outlets!!

The expansion valve is not installed at outside of blend box, but inside.

This model of blend box and evaporator/expansion valve is not referred in the Jaguar parts or service manuals.

Does any of you know this type of blend box and evaporator/air distribution tuning?

Thanks
Paulo