Location of main HVAC vacuum line in cabin? 2003 Expy XLT with manual AC controls

[Pinky 1352]

Try this test. When your motor is cold try rolling your dash temperature control all the way to the hot side. If your airflow returns to your normal vents you just need to repair the hot water valve vacuum line. The rest are Ok. Rolling your temp selector to hot closes off the vacuum to the hot water valve, and therefore the vacuum leak, and returns good vacuum supply to the rest of the system and control of your dash vents. Nothing invites trouble like a half-ass radio installation job.





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After a few cups of coffee, I *think* I may understand the diagram.
So, what I'd like to try to see if I can get ANY vacuum to under-dash connector.
I know that it's the black line, and I know which side of the connector is supposed to go to source.
If I use the connection to the main vacuum source in the engine compartment and use a new vacuum hose, I *should* be able to connect that new vacuum line.

I'm just not sure if I can simply pull off the original black line in the connector?
I gave it a small tug, and it certainly isn't coming off easily, and I don't want to break it somehow.
Would anyone know if it's safe to give it a bigger tug, or should I just tee into the line, as I already have an assortment of vacuum line connectors/tees?

The source of vacuum is the black tube on shorter, upper, side of the connectors. All of the connections on the longer side feel like they go to the back of the climate control behind the dials on the dash.

OR

my alternative is to try and somehow get to the black and white line connectors at their origination points into the dash.

THAT is impossible to reach from inside the car. Even with my small hands there's no way to reach the spot that seems like its behind the air inlet door (at least I'm guessing that's what that part is.

anyone know HOW the main vacuum line connects behind the grommet? It certainly doesn't go all the way through it as it comes right out of the grommet in the engine bay. It doesn't look broken off, it looks like a clean cut.
So, I'm wondering of there's some other kind of connector on the inner car side of things, and if I pull out the grommet if I can reach this all from the firewall side?

Because if not, them I may be looking at a complete dashboard pull, which I can't do myself.

The second pic shows where the B&W vacuum lines are located, looking through the glove box. There's no way to get in there.

 

[Pinky 1352]

You'll find the rest of hot water control valve vacuum line just on the other side of the firewall grommet. You had the engine bay side of the vacuum line in your hand. Have you looked up by the blower motor ?




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Unfortunately, without taking the dash apart there's no way to see IN to the space by the blower motor and my hand doesn't fit in there enough to even feel for it.

I never did find a second vacuum line spot for the hot water control in the engine bay either. It does t appear that it went thru the firewall where the heater hose goes thru.

SO I'm still clueless as to how it's connection is supposed to get to under the dash.
A second vacuum line wouldn't have FIT in the opening of the grommet where the main vacuum line goes in. That line is a tiny diameter as is the center hole in the grommet.

I don't know if the main vacuum line has been broken at the firewall grommet since I bought it (that's the grey line that has a screw capping off the end) or if the latest mechanic managed to break it off when he replaced the front expansion valve in the AC and wasn't careful enough when he removed the battery and computer module.,

If that grommet does NOT have some kind of hard tee connection on the cabin side where the engine bay side can simply act as a junction, it means that I have to somehow run a new vacuum line.

Hence my idea above of just tapping into the molex type connectors for vacuum control that are near the floor on driver's side.

I'm just afraid to try and yank the black hose out of the connector there only to end up breaking something

 

[Hamfisted]

If the supply line isn't connected to a vacuum line there by the battery this is what the connection should look like....







.

 

[Pinky 1352]

I managed to get vent selection control back.
Rather than risk breaking a port on the molex connectors themselves, I simply cut into the main vacuum feed black hose going to the back of the selector switches.
I ran a brand new vacuum hose from engine bay and fished it through to the cabin using the same thru-space that previous owner used to feed the power wire for the amp they put in.

I guess the crappy radio install job was good for something.

I'm still not getting cold AC (and the problem isn't the hot water control because it's set forward to the no flow position) but at this point I'm going to guess that the blend door actuator that I heard clicking earlier got stuck in the non-AC position or that something is still wrong with the AC system itself.



The odd thing is I'm no longer getting any clicking noise in the dash, and haven't for a while now.

I'm SO confused!

 

[Pinky 1352]

I figured I'd post an update.

It got to the point where nothing could be reached in and around the dashboard.
Trying to follow YouTube videos to change the blend door actuator proved fruitless, as there's was not enough room to remove it due to the metal frame that runs the length of the dash.

So I bit the bullet and ended up having a neighbor mechanic do the work of dismantling the whole dash.

While we were in there I got the heater core and AC core replaced, that actuator, and I ran some new vacuum connections. Hopefully the dash will never have to be removed ever again!

It turns out that Hamfisted was correct and on my firewall both the heat control AND main vacuum source went through that single grommet in the firewall.

BOTH vacuum lines were broken off on the engine bay side (and only the grey one was even still attached to the grommet at all!).
It was impossible to SEE that two lines should've been running through there until the battery and computer were removed and out of the way.

Anyway, new parts all around are in and neighbor is working on reassembling the whole dash.

Just in time as I think we're going to hit 110+ degrees next week!

Thanks everyone for all of the help!!!