Need help blocking cold air entry into cabin (archive)

I took my father's 86 535i to our BMW mechanic in the hopes of him being able to solve an annoying problem...the center slider vent control no longer opens or closes the center vents, and it appears that those vents are stuck open. The result is cold air from the outside blowing in through the vents in front of the A/C motor (the one below the heater and A/C controls and above the ashtray). The mechanic told me that to fix the problem he would have to take the dash apart and the job would probably take a whole day, thus costing a fortune in labor plus whatever parts needed to be fixed or replaced. He suggested a cheap solution of blocking the unwanted cold air flow by patching the area with a plastic bag and tape (he has done phenomenal work on the brakes on our 535i and my friend's E34 in the past, so I trust his opinion). I tried this but the cold air is just diverted elsewhere, now it is flowing through the gaps around the radio and through the space around the shift lever.

My question is whether it is possible to close the vents manually somehow, bypassing the slider control and the motor (i assume) that it is connected to. Any suggestions would be helpful..thanks in advance and Happy New Year!

-Francis
1986 535i

Follow Ups:

Re: Need help blocking cold air entry into cabin RonW 00:25 1/01/2001 (0)
Re: Need help blocking cold air entry into cabin Tom M 23:22 12/31/2000 (0)

[ Follow Ups ] [ 5-series (E28) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.