My fresh air vents located on each side of the front floor walls aren't working. The blower does not turn on when I hit the vent button. The blower does work when the heater/defrost button is engaged. Any thoughts? It used to work but has stopped.

 

I'm going to assume that this car doesn't have A/C since you didn't mention it.
If it does have A/C let me know , because the following information will not apply .

The blower is only supposed to work on the "low" and "medium"positions of the ventilation controls. On the "high" position the blower motor does not work.

I have attached a couple of scans from the service manual and the parts book.
The first one explains how the ventilation system works . The second page is a schematic and an illustration of the heater and ventilation system.
Click on the thumbnail and it will bring up the illustration , then click again on the illustration and it will blow it up big enough to read .

If you don't have a copy of the 1963 Olds shop manual , it's a really good investment.
E-Bay has several of these. An original printed copy is better than the ones on disc. (clearer pictures, no missing pages, etc)
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...anual&_sacat=0

 

Charlie,
Thanks for the info. I do in fact have the manual and, yes, it is a big help. According to my manual on the ventilation system, when the medium button is pushed, the drivers side vent is to open and the middle blower vent is to open as well. When the high button is depressed, both side vents are to open and the middle is to close. I just had the heater and defrost re-done and they work great. There is, I assume, a vacuum can that the lines from the side vents go into. Could that be bad? I know last year the main tubing line slipped loose from that can and when I reattached it, the vents worked fine. BTW, no AC in the car. Not a big deal but I do enjoy the side vents working on the hot days with the windows down.

 

Dave,
Check the second attachment on my previous post. At the top of the page is a diagram .
If you can beg, borrow, or buy a vacuum guage it will help diagnose tremendously .

The ventilator doors are opened by a vacuum diaphragm and closed by a spring . The diaphragms get vacuum directly from the heater/ventilation control .

The black (no stripe) hose should have manifold vacuum ( 17 to 20 in. ) whenever the engine is running . This hose runs from the vacuum can under the hood to the control .

The blue stripe and the chartruse striped hoses should have manifold vacuum if the "high ventilation" button is depressed . If not the control valve may be defective .

If the diaphragms are getting vacuum and still don't open the doors they are probably defective. This is a very real possibility after 53 years , and new ones can be found on E-Bay;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-1963-19...DenpGw&vxp=mtr

 

Thanks. Big help. I'll let you know how it works out.