# What are these switches on my dash? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** heating, airconditioning, dashboards, econoline-commercial-cutaway, ford\ **Created:** [July 31, 2023, 6:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005 "2023-07-31T06:33:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YaItsCarrie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@YaItsCarrie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/YaItsCarrie)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 6:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/1 "2023-07-31T06:33:51Z")
![20230730_225921](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/c/c/ccf4c3856008f7aeb26ce72f4629fcf7445fb971.jpeg) 2008 Ford e450 super duty that used to be a party bus. I have no idea what these switches do or what the symbols mean? I flip them and nothing much seems to happen. The one on the right turns on a floor mounted box that I also don’t know what it is, but my guess is an unworking heater. Neither my AC or heat works, no air blows out of the vents, I bought the vehicle like this. I don’t know if one of the switches is maybe a defrost? What’s your guess? ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 11:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/2 "2023-07-31T11:10:03Z")
YaltsCarrie: Without seeing the bigger picture, it looks like whoever converted the Econoline to a party bus added these rocker switches during the modifications. The switch on the left is often a symbol for dome or interior light. The one on the right looks like a fan with heater coils. Was there a 2nd heater added? ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/3 "2023-07-31T13:21:37Z")
You could always look inside the B pillar to see the name of the company that converted it and give them a call (if they are still in business lol), they should know what the switches are for, they may or may not have a record of the complete build, but they should know what the symbols mean and maybe even the box you mentioned… Sometimes they run seperate HVAC overhead units in the roof… Good luck… ---
**Author:** ![YaItsCarrie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@YaItsCarrie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/YaItsCarrie)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/4 "2023-07-31T22:35:41Z")
There is a unit in the back that is supposed to be a heater & ac mounted on the roof, but I could never get it to heat at all even when flipping that switch. I’ve not been able to find a light that turns on with the left switch but everything might just be broken af because that seems to be the recurring issue with half this bus. Thank you for your help! ---
**Author:** ![YaItsCarrie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@YaItsCarrie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/YaItsCarrie)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/5 "2023-07-31T22:36:43Z")
That’s a great idea thank you!! ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/6 "2023-07-31T22:49:52Z")
I’m guessing the same as above, the left switch is supposed to turn on a light somewhere probably in the passenger compartment, and the right turns on an electric heater and its fan. I’ve never seen an electric heater used in a car, would use a lot of electrical power, but such a thing is possible I guess. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 4:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/7 "2023-08-01T04:59:29Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > I’ve never seen an electric heater used in a car, would use a lot of electrical power, but such a thing is possible I guess Ummm EV???.. I’m sure they have different ways of making heat in different EV’s, I am not up on them but they don’t have ICE heating systems… lol Motor MythBusters did a test on an EV and found that it used more battery with the heat on then with the AC… don’t remember the car they used though… ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 1:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/8 "2023-08-01T13:04:14Z")
My EV uses a heat pump to provide heating and cooling if the cabin and battery. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/9 "2023-08-01T15:45:18Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > My EV uses a heat pump to provide heating and cooling if the cabin and battery. The same with my plug-in hybrid. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/10 "2023-08-01T17:24:24Z")
I’m trying to remember the year but must have been 1963 or 64. I remember a classmate talking about the new ford they just bought and it had electric heat. It was winter and they lived out in the country and he was impressed with getting instant heat on a cold morning. He swore it was electric heat. If so it was never offered by ford again after a year or so. Plus never heard of it before or after that on any car until the ev craze. Maybe the guy was jerking our chain but he was quite serious and a farm kid usually knows about mechanical things. Back to the symbols, who comes up with this stuff. Is there a committee somewhere or a un office that approves these things? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/11 "2023-08-01T19:30:19Z")
Let’s do the arithmetic. A typical car battery’s storage capacity is around 40 amp hours. That’s 40 X 12 = 480 watt-hours. A typical electric heater turned on “high” uses around 1000 watt-hours per hour. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-these-switches-on-my-dash/192005/12 "2023-08-01T19:38:28Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > A typical electric heater turned on “high” uses around 1000 watt-hours per hour. Trucks come with a 160 amp alternator.