S13 Air Conditioning Panel

[Emp123]

So my panel has been broken for a couple of years now and while I can use the heat I cant turn on the AC. Im pretty sure its the panel and not the AC unit, the lights and stuff dont turn on and the buttons dont work, so I was wondering what I can do to replace it.

I called Nissan and they said that Nissan doesnt make it anymore, and if it did it would be $405. Fuck that, thats like 1/3 the value of my car.

What are my alternatives? Im tempted by the digital climate control, but Ive read that it is difficult to get it to work with the KA engine, and when it does work I still wont have access to my air conditioning.

EDIT: For clarification, I have a 93 Fastback, stock KA.

[WERDdabuilder]

check the for sale section. that or go to a local junkyard.

[Emp123]

Are there any decent junk yards in San Diego? Ive called a couple and they told me that they dont keep an inventory of what kind of cars they had...seemed odd to me but whatever.

[projectRDM]

There's tons of them in salvage yards. When I was parting cars out I would usually throw those away because I'd have a half dozen in stock and could never sell them. Just go to a yard and look, they're not going to waste their time over the phone for a $20 part.

[Emp123]

I was just inquiring as to whether they had Nissans at all and their answer was they dont inventory, which seemed odd.

Ill check them out though.

Any thoughts on the digital climate control with a KA?

[w0nderbr3ad]

Plenty of them at the junkyards at Ecology on Energy way. No one picks those things up. They don't take inventory anymore. Bring $2 for entrance and your own tools.

[Emp123]

Awesome thanks, maybe I'll swing by in the morning.

[Emp123]

Alright, so I picked up a control panel from a 90 240sx ($15, pretty sweet deal), and it appears to be missing something my current control panel has:
http://static.zooomr.com/images/9507946_60ca4b0eda_b.jpg

Which came from the hole in this picture:
http://static.zooomr.com/images/9507948_f1a410ea6f_b.jpg

Also, in this picture you can see how totally fucked I am installing this thing because Im going to have to go <i>deep</I> to get this in there correctly. Given my time constraints I may just pay someone to do it.

Anybody know what this extra component is? Should I install it on the new panel? How hard is it going to be for me to install the temperature control cable?

[ddf2006]

well i had this same problem, my ac was just empty, the light and buttons wont work cuz it doesnt want to break its self. just go get ur ac serviced with a diagnostic and have it refilled. i garantee it will work. mine blows like a champ.

[Emp123]

Im pretty sure its the panel, buttons had stopped working before the AC gave out. If Im wrong Im out the cost of the panel +labor, plus the cost to fix the AC. If Im right, Im out $15.