Climate Control issue

Background:
I got my car back from the shop (after a break-in) and the climate controls don't work right. The car sat for 3 weeks before I went home to pick it up, and the shop says it's too late, and that they can't verify if that damage was done during the break-in or since my parents picked up the car (this is such a lie). Anyway, I'm not seeking advice on this as I've already talked to my insurance company and called the Better Business Bureau.

The real problem:
My fan dial only turns the fan on if it's at the highest or next-to-highest setting. No local mechanic can diagnose it accurately (a couple told me the part they think I need is $250 and they can't guarantee the climate control is actually the problem), and I'm not really psyched about paying a dealership, so has anyone experienced this, or know what piece of the assembly I actually need to replace?

-C

my guess is your fan has either died, or there is a loose connection in the back panel, you might want to check that last one first, you'll have to remove the center console (prettymuch same procedure for removing your headunit) and just check the plugs going into the climate control, there should be 3 sets of plugs.. 1 for fan power/speed 1 for vent control, unless it's manual controlled be levers.. and the last for the heat controls, just turn your car on and turn the fan on.. and jiggle the cables, if the fan turns on, you just need to buy a new connector, or modify this plugs connectors so that it will work. if not I suggest you find the fan, and clean that thing out. It's probably dirty as all hell, and needs a good cleaning. next would be to pull it out, and hook it to a 12 volt source (power drill 12v batteries work great for this). and see if it runs. if not your switch is faulty, or there is a burnout/short in the wiring. best thing to do is get a voltmeter and test the wiring harness.. find the faulty wire, splice it, and run another wire..

An interesting note is that when the fan DOES turn on, there's a suspect click by the glove compartment. I don't believe that it's a matter of dirt or a loose connection, but I appreciate the suggestion and I'll certainly double check those things. I'm going to pick up a multimeter this weekend and see what I can find out. Thanks again.

C