what's the deal with this EATC unit??

[EMB2580]

Does anyone else notice something odd about this EATC?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1990-91-Ford-Taurus-Automatic-Climate-Control-A-C-Heat_W0QQitemZ8060024649QQcategoryZ33545QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[SASHO91]

other than its listed as a GI hard button... which didnt exsit....

and the price is really low...

thats the same one i have in mine... atleast it looks like it...

EDIT:
yup.. the same....

EDIT#2: nevermind... didnt see that norm a/c

 

[ManySHOs]

The Normal AC button? Some of the Ford units have this button but AFAIK, none of the Taurus/Sable units did.

My oval button unit that I modified uses a Norm AC button IIRC..

It's serves the same function as the button that is normally there (PNL FLR?)

Ian

 

[EMB2580]

Uh..what's AFAIK? I thought it said soft buttonin the discription. Something I noticed one day..soft button has a dash (-) on the "panel floor" and "floor defrost" buttons, hard button one's had an ampersand (&) LOL, I have way too much free time to notice something like that, don't you think?

 

[SASHO91]

As Far As I Know....

The description didnt say it was a soft button... but it did say that it wasnt a hard button... :laugh_ti:

we are both right... to an extent...

 

[EMB2580]

Lol, that's true. Mine still wokes fine, but ALL labels are completly gone and the OFF button is gone (I got ****** off at it one day and ripped it out) not very smart because now I have to use a pen or my pinky to turn it off.

 

[Minnesho]

other than its listed as a GI hard button... which didnt exsit....

not true ... if you ordered a replacement eatc from ford later on for your GI it WAS a hard button, there are very few in existance but I did have one in my posession at one time.

 

[LeddZepp8687]

If they made a replacement hardbutton EATC available for the gen 1..Why did they skimp on the pre 95 gen 2s and put a softbutton one in the car??

 

[jelloslug]

If they made a replacement hardbutton EATC available for the gen 1..Why did they skimp on the pre 95 gen 2s and put a softbutton one in the car??

It was later on (around '94).

 

[I'll sho u]

I had a early 90's crown vic that had a etac with soft buttons and the norm a/c button. Looked exactley like that one.

 

[Mike Gallion]

Ditto on the Crown Vic. May also have been from a Town Car or Grand Marquis.
I can't emphasize enough to exercise CAUTION when upgrading/swapping these units. Almost all of Fords EATC units use the same electrical connectors. Ford engineers, for some reason, (job security?) changed the pinouts of these connectors. Sending 12VDC somewhere it shouldn't go tends to let smoke out of the electronics. As we all know, most electronic devices cease to function once that smoke is allowed to escape.

 

[EMB2580]

UPDATE,: Got the "funny" eatc unit today

Well, it came in the mail today, hooked it up and it works perfect!!The norm a/c button is vent, and the vent button is panel-floor. Only thing I was bummed about is that the display and buttons on this new one are blueish-green, as my old one was green. Oh well, at least I dont have to look at the "holes" anymore, lol.

 

[SASHO91]

cool..
glad to know its a direct plug in...

can you snag some pics of it at night? im curious on what they look like..

 

[EMB2580]

Yep it was SO easy, 2 electrical connectors and 5 rubber lines linked by a piece of rubber, plenty of slack on the lines, I see how people have been able to move it to the radio slot.

 

[Minnesho]

If they made a replacement hardbutton EATC available for the gen 1..Why did they skimp on the pre 95 gen 2s and put a softbutton one in the car??

exactly as jelloslug said, they gen I hard button replacements wern't availible till they started making the hardbuttons in gen IIs, of you ordered one prior to that you would have gotten a soft button. With about a $500 price tag you can imagine there is very few gen I hard buttons. especially since they were out of warranty by the time they wised up and made them.