Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods Climate Control Rewiring?

I've studied the Haynes manual's wiring diagrams for the AC system, and it seems to be possible to re-wire it so that you can add a seperate switch to control the air conditioner.
This would be great, because I hate the "you don't REALLY want to have the air conditioned air directed anywhere you want, do you?" attitude behind Ford's climate control in the Contour/Mystique.
I plan to take the whole dash apart when I install a new head unit (Jensen MP3510. Plays MP3 discs!) and see if the wires coming out of the connectors actually match the ones described in the Haynes manual. If they do, then I'm going to give it the ol' "Trial and Blown Fuses" test. That is, unless someone in the Forums knows specifically that it doesn't work!
Hope I don't set my car on fire.

There's a member of the "old" CEG that had made some good posts about this. He reused he A/C switch from some other car, and with a relay he now has manual control of the A/C.

His name was "edorfox", I don't know if he registered here again.

You're right on that one, who the hell decided I'd never want to have the A/C only on my feet? Or run the defroster without having the f0cking compressor cycling on?

Bad design..

Hi,

I'm still here...driving a Mustang now though. The switch thingy turned out real nice actually. I think I still have pics and some info about the install if you're interested.

...Ed

Definitely interested! Please send me the pics and stuff! You can send them to my email at icollide@hotmail.com.

You had to add a relay? Rats. I was hoping it was only a matter of crossing a couple of wires with a switch.

Originally posted by Shifty:

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You had to add a relay? Rats. I was hoping it was only a matter of crossing a couple of wires with a switch.

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Darn it! There goes that $2 you were saving for that rainy day! LOL Buck up and buy the relay.

That's some pretty funny stuff, dude! I think I can swing 2 bucks. Where would I pick one up? And would it make the whole rewiring process more complicated? Well, of course it would, but I mean, like, REALLY complicated?

I can't even get the bezel off! I actually managed to get the head unit out (via a trip to Duthler Ford!) and that's as far as I got before I got scared that I'd break something. Anyone else run into similar problems on their '99 Mystiques?