Soft Button EATC to Round Button EATC

[the4biddendonut]

I'm sure we've all seen the old, ugly, broken button climate controls we've all come to call the soft button EATC. This How-To guide will show you how to modify your ugly soft button EATC into a nice looking Round button EATC.

First, you will need a soft button EATC from a 93 or newer. If you can't tell if yours is going to work or not, you can count the number of wires that are in the 2 ribbon cables that go from the main circuit board to the face. There should be 8 wires in each cable.

You will also need a round button EATC. They're commonly found in Continentals, Grand Marquis, Crown Victorias and other cars.



You'll also need the following tools:
-1/4" and 3/16" Socket
-T6 Torx
-Soldering Iron
-Desoldering Iron or Desoldering braid
-Solder
-Utility Knife
-Pick tool (not necessary, but comes in handy)




Soft button EATC

1) Start by removing the 4 screws on the back of the Soft button. Two 1/4" and two 3/16" screws.



2) Remove the cover.



3) Unclip the face. A pick tool comes in handy here.



4) Now the guts can all slide out the front.



5) Unplug the Vacuum Solenoid connector from the circuit board. Set aside the Solenoids, they will be used later.



6) Unplug the blower motor speed control dial from the circuit board (right). Cut or desolder where the illumination wires connect to the board (left), they will not be used later.



7) Remove the illumination bulb holder and face. They should come off very easily.



8) Desolder the two ribbon cables from display circuit board, not at the main board. This will make it easier later, you will see why.

Hint: Find an electronic device that you don't want anymore and practice desoldering on it for practice.



9) This is what you will keep from the soft button EATC. The main board and the vacuum solenoid unit. The rest of my soft button unit ended up in garbage can.




Round Button EATC


10) Now we'll work on the round button EATC. Start by removing the four screws on the back. Again, there are two 1/4" and two 3/16" screws.



11) Remove the cover. Then, slide the guts out. Keep the plastic cover and case, they'll be used again.



12) Unplug the vacuum solenoid unit from the main board and lift out. This unit will not be used, so mine went in the garbage.



13) Unplug the blower motor speed control dial from the main board.



14) Remove the five screws holding the display circuit board to the face with a T-6 Torx.



15) Remove the face and rubber button pad from the display circuit board, keep these.

Now would be a good time to clean the face of you round button EATC because you can pop the buttons out the front by pushing them from the back. You can also replace the bulbs with ease.



16) Desolder the two 8 wire ribbon cables from the display circuit board. Keep the display circuit board.




Assembly


17) In this picture you can see why we removed the ribbon cables from the display circuit board. The ribbon cable on the left is from the soft button and the wider one is from the round button. It will be easier to solder because connections on the display board are further apart.



18) To get the more narrow cable to fit into the round button display circuit board, slice in between the wires inside the ribbon cable with your utility knife. Then, spread the wires out a little bit.



19) Now the ribbon cable from the soft button and round button display circuit board are ready to be soldered together. Be conservative with your solder, it doesn't take much. These connections cannot touch, or it won't work properly.



20) Finished soldering.



21) Replace rubber button pad onto the display circuit board and fasten board to the face with the five T-6 Torx screws.

 

[the4biddendonut]

22) Plug blower motor speed dial into main circuit board.



23) Slide the main circuit board into the round button EATC case.



24) Plug the vacuum solenoid unit from the soft button into the main board and place the unit into place.



25) Replace the cover from round button unit. Reinstall the two 1/4" screws and two 3/16" screws.



26) Test before installation. Make sure all your buttons work correctly and that the illumination works. If a button doesn't work, you'll have to go back and check your solder joints. It's no fun going back, so do it right the first time.

Great success! It works like it should.

 

[hawkeye18]

This makes me very happy, and very sad.

Very happy because this is an EXCELLENT write-up, and is very well written.

Very sad because I remember when the last one of these was written! Not everything lives forever on the internet, it seems. I hope this one lasts longer.

 

[bottonic]

Nice Write-up! Thank you!

 

[jonheese]

Excellent write-up.

Small correction: I think the pic for step 23 is a dupe.

 

[the4biddendonut]

So you're right. Fixed now.

 

[jonheese]

Excellent. Thanks

 

[mattsho1993]

can we get a pic of it together?

 

[the4biddendonut]

I haven't had time to put it all back together. I'll get a picture when I get it installed into the dash of my 91 tomorrow morning.

In the mean time, here's a picture from my 93.

 

[hawkeye18]

I don't see any ****** here.

 

[the4biddendonut]

Well, it got you to look at the thread, right?

 

[hawkeye18]

Well, it got you to look at the thread, right?

lol shuddup

 

[the4biddendonut]

can we get a pic of it together?

Here's a picture of the EATC in the write up installed into my 91. Try to see past all the dust.

 

[Phoenix]

I vote for a sticky.

 

[biker889]

I haven't had time to put it all back together. I'll get a picture when I get it installed into the dash of my 91 tomorrow morning.

In the mean time, here's a picture from my 93.

Was that in the car when you got it? did you buy that car locally?

 

[the4biddendonut]

Was that in the car when you got it? did you buy that car locally?

No, it didn't come with that EATC. I modded it and installed it. Yes, I did buy it locally.

 

[moobypets]

ok my question his my car is a 90

witch year range eatc will fit this 90 93 95 ??

im confused and im sure i could find a eatc for cheap but i just need to knwo wich year will fit or replace mine

 

[SuperHO]

lack of ****** notwithstanding, why not just swap the faceplate?

 

[bully06]

Excellent write up! Very detailed, I will have to try this on my 93.

 

[green95]

Was there a certain year for this style? The reason I ask is that your Round Button EATC has: MAX A/C, VENT, and the other buttons. The Round Button EATC that I'm looking at has: MAX A/C, NORM A/C, VENT, and the other buttons. It looks like the PANEL/FLOOR button is not on this EATC. I'm guessing it won't work, so what year did yours come from. The one I found is from an 2005 Grand Marquis.