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Comments
If so, there are two possible problems besides a blown fuse.
#1 is the blower motor is dying. Try tapping, gently, on the bubble shape housing for the blower motor on the firewall behind the motor with the ignition on (engine off) and the blower speed set to blow. If the vibration starts the blower, then most likely you need to replace the blower motor. AFtermarket stores have them. It's about 5 screws and a connection to replace.
#2 is that the blower control module for the automatic speed system or the resistor pack for the manually controlled speed system is acting up. The automatics are a power transistor that often acts up by varying speeds from normal, not working, staying on after car is shut off. It's called a blower control module and is above the blower motor on top fo the air channel the blower feeds into on the firewall. The Relay Center above needs two screws removed at the ends and it has enough slack in the wires to move up a couple inches and allow better access to two screws.
#2 for manual systems is the blower resistor pack has one of three resistor coils blown. OR, important, the contacts for the electrical wires are burned. Try wiggling the wires around the resistor pack with the blower turned on. See if it makes contact there. The blower resistor is same place the automatic control module is located.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I have found out Pushing buttons at power up doesn't help, taking the temp from max to min to max to min doesn't help, you can't see the HVAC codes on OBDC unless you have a special HVAC diags computer and A/C will work normally.
Unless you want to spend mega bucks on new computers, you'll have to wait it out and carry a few lap blankets in the car.
18 degrees and no heat and add 2 boys under 5.......and their Mom. I need help............and heat
Then are both radiator hoses fully hot with the blower motor running? If the core is clogged with crud from the coolant in a radiator that has goop from not being changed enough, the flow through the core may be less than enough to heat the air when air is really cold. If one hose is cool, that may mean the flow is low and the blower air is taking all the warmth out of the coolant.
Or the electric actuator may be not cycling for full heat. I assume you have a manual control system without digital temp readout and you do not have passenger temp control.
From what I can tell from forums, the blend door for how much air goes through the heater core on a Bonneville is controled by the upper actuator, the red circle in this picture. The white arm to the left of it is the actuator arm. Some actuators lose calibration and come crack a gear inside so they slip.
Did you change the battery recently? Did you turn off the heater with the key on so that it Parks before disconnecting the battery? IF not people seem to report problems afterwards.
Some have dropped the glovebox door forward and through that opening say they can see the upper blend door arm. They attached a coat hanger to it and used that to move the blend door to HOT, until they can replace the broken actuator. You can take off the plastic layer under the passenger side of the dash and look up to see the actuators.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/HeaterCore1-2.jpg
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Appreciate the help.
the first issue is that sometimes the fan does not come on. Turning the car on and off, and turning the fan speed controls does nothing either. SOmetimes when i'm driving it will come on, and sometimes if a shut the door hard enough it will aslo come on. If i read through this forum thoroughly it is likely because of a loose or flattened connection. As a temp fix it says i can use my toe to tap against the under part of the dash close to the firewall, and on the passenger side. Can someone confirm this for me. Also, what is the permanent fix for this?
2ndly, the hvac system does not seem to put out the proper temperatures. In the winter it will warm up the car, but only after about 20mins or more and the air coming out is warm, not hot. Same is true in the summer with the AC, it will be slightly cool, but not enough to cool the car.
I'm a novice as far as car repairs go, but am good at following instructions, and have a father who is willing to give it a go as well. I dont think it is the actuator because i don't get hot or cold, unless its possible for the acuator to be stuck in the middle?
Any help would be most appreciated.
98 bonnevile se, changed the battery 2 months ago, 1 month ago heat started to act funny...I can start the car in the morning(letting it idle for like 15 min) and it will blow hot air and heat up, but then when I get in and drive the air goes cold...also if I don't start the the car and just drive it, it never gets warm...
The blower works, tried the resetting the knob trick with no change...
Also sometime when I slow down the battery needle on the gauge drops like 3-4V and the oil presser gauge drops...not sure if this is a similar problem or what...
car has 150K on it and would like to get as much out of it as a can...living in upstate NY I need the heat...any suggestions???
Then both radiator hoses should be hot even with the blower on high. That tests if the flow through the radiators is open.
If the thermostat hasn't been replaced for 3 years, I'd change it to be sure it's trying to stay closed to force the motor to heat up. If it's cold enough outside, the engine may not be able to stay at 195 losing heat to the air from the motor and through the heater core. You might try partically blocking the radiator with something to slow down the air flow.
Then you are ready to check to see if the blend door is putting all the air through the heater core. You'll have to check the movement of the electrical actuator on top of the heater box inside the car.
But the odd thing, is that many of these problems follow a battery change where people don't turn off the heater before turning the key to OFF so that it goes into park. Or something related.
Your car is a manual temp control from what you said or didn't say: it doesn't have a digital readout?
You really need to get under the dash and watch the movement of the actuator linkage on the heater box that moves the blend door.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Once pulled apart the nipples in my factory connector were found to be very soft and apparently had caused all of this car's ac/heater problems too.
Thanks, guys!
Tom in Michigan.
1. Locate your outdoor temperature sensor (open the hood and look down in front center of the radiator)
2. Disconnect the wire from the sensor. It just unplugs at the connection.
3. Start the car (no outdoor temp) turn the ECC on the inside temp flashed as it did for me before.
4. turn the car off after about a minute or so.
5. Reconnect the temp sensor and start the car and GOOD GOD no flashing light and the heat and a/c works!!!
I can't remember if I turned the ECC off before turning the car off, but I think I may have. Try it both ways if you need to.
It has been about 2 months or so since I did this and it's still not flashing.
Tech told me that you have to have the ECC off when you remove the battery so that this does not happen again
Have you checked to be sure the compressor is turning in the middle part while the motor is running and AC controls trying to engage it?
Have someone switch the AC on while you're watching that compressor belt running and see if the middle part with the three strips starts moving?
IF so, are the tube going into the AC unit back by the firewall both cold? With the outlet one to the dryer unit colder than the inlet? IF so you have a good charge of freon.
Check the front of the firewall around the heater blower motor for broken plastic that's letting in air from the hot engine compartment. Some have had trouble with the plastic there breaking from age and heat.
Your AC digital readout is flashing for some reason. Most of the time it's low freon OR it's a bad actuator motor on the doors inside.
I'm betting freon. Was the compressor running when you measured the freon pressure on the low side?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
But. Take off the hush panel underneath the dash on passenger side and take off the glovebox door, if you can.
The bottom one, a white arm of plastic snapped onto a rod with grooves, should be all the way in to the left.
Top actuator and bottom actuator arms circled...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Take off the underdash cover and actually listen closer to find the source to see if it's the black tube coming through the firewall to the right.
If it makes the noise without the motor running and with the key on, see if one of the two actuators that are electrical is running. They have a little electric motor that moves the arms to adjust the vents. The top one cracks a gear and the motor might be running trying to adjust. BUT it should turn off when the key goes off because there's no power to it. I'd have to check the factory service manual but I believe that's the case. What happens if you press OFF on the AC controls while it's making the noise?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks for any help!!!
Three possible problems:
Bad electric controls from dash controls?
Bad plastic connector on programmer box?
No vacuum from under hood?
The default for no vacuum is that the doors in the heater box are left in defrost mode (which bleeds some air to the floor) so the windshield can be cleared for safety.
2.
There is a common problem with the plastic connector on the corner of the programmer in cars of your era. The plastic softens and sucks shut when vacuum goes through each of the 5 little tubes. There was a black plastic nipple inside the connector that is often blamed.
Bypassing that connector with little tubes to carry the vacuum from the internal plastic tubes to the external ones (different colors in some cases) will fix the problem.
3.
I have read a couple people with no vacuum from under the hood. The plastic tubing starts next to the big brake booster hose on the back of the upper intake manifold. There are soft rubber connectors, people said, connecting the hard plastic tube. The soft rubber vacuum hoses can deteriorate after 10-12 years of heat and aging. Check the connectors for cracks, hardness, or holes. There will be connectors at the upper intake, at the T just in front of the accumulator for the AC (take off the relay cover over the MaxiFuse center), and at the connector on the reservoir under the fender in front of the passenger tire. Check that cannister for cracks. If you pull of the hose, then reconnect and run the motor, removing the hose should give you a good whoosh as air rushes in to fill the vacuum.
1.
If the AC control is bad, most people say it just is obviously dead or crazy.
My testing for vacuum, was run the engine, then turn it off and leave the key ON. Switch between various settings on the control panel. After a few seconds you'll hear the vacuum diaphgrams sucking in to move the doors. Also you can remove the hush panel on the driver's side, and when you switch the controls, you can feel the vacuum diaphgram move with your fingers on the engine side of the diaphragm. The back of it is open so you can feel whether the thing moved. You'll have vacuum for about only 30 seconds or this if your hoses under the hood are all okay.
There are 3 vacuum motors. One above the accelerator slowly closes to give recirculated air taken in from above the driver's feet.
One closes off the floor opening and forces air upward to the dash or defroster openings. This one also has a second vacuum tube. When these are working, it leaves the floor vent partly open for windshield and floor with lots of air to the floor but air going out the defroster.
The remaining vacuum motor operates a horizontal axis door that closes off the flow to the defrosters; this forces the air out the dash vents because the floor vent is supposed to be closed off.
To verify that the blue hose to the defroster door was getting vacuum, I switched the hose to another vacuum diaphragm and felt that motor move closed when AC dash was asked for.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My main programer box was replaced last year--the lever plastic gears were stripped--it works fine now. Temp changes from cool to hot as it should. My temp light fashes since replacing vac programer.????
TAke a long piece of plastic tubing or rubber vacuum tubing. Connect it to the black incoming vacuum and connect it to the blue tube's connector for the dash vents. See if it will pull that diaphgram closed. That would check for full vacuum power in the black line going to the programmer box.
I know of one person who said they were able to get the plastic coupler apart and open up the holes successfully. I would just jumper it with tubing from inside to outside.
The only odd thing is you're getting none of the vacuum motors to work.
>light flashes
Does your car have a separate electrical actuator on top of the HVAC for the passenger side air blend door? Is that motor stripped or not working? Is it plugged into the main programmer box?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Wife has cold air like it should be and life is better!!!!
What is happening with your car? Maybe that will tell me what you need to check?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
So your problem is the Air Mix door. I'd take the actuator off and see if the door moves correctly and when it moves if the AC air comes out cold or hot depending on the extreme of movement you put it at.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
advance autoparts:
Dorman HVAC Heater Blend Door Actuator
Part No. 604-106
Warranty: LIMITED LIFETIME REPLACEMENT
Controls A/C Blend Door; Air Inlet Door; w/Automatic AC Controls; Dorman - OE Solutions
$153.
Notice it's a DORMAN part. They make lots of parts. They are the HELP rack of odd parts at Advance Auto Parts and other stores.
The actuator on the driver side is the same for the dual or single control.
I think you just work from below to remove. It has one screw??? that holds it in place. It's keyed to the axle by shape so it can't be put on wrong. Be sure the axle without the actuator in place operates and gives the air cold and warm as you move it.
Be sure to diagnose carefully before buying a replacement. Nothing like buying a part that isn't the one causing the problem!!! I've been there.
You might shop the part number on Amazon and EBay, but there's a reality of being able to pick it up at Advance Auto or elsewhere near home and possibly return it if necessary.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks
Rockauto.com will have a good price on most items even considering shipping. They have a 5% discount number for the where did you hear about us box: 43368333566713
I found Autozones in this area stocked the blower motor. I had to go to one across town to find a store that hadn't sold their stock unit. Other box stores all expected to just order when someone wanted one. I believe it was $139 for the fan. Three screws and a rubber cooler tube are all that are needed to R & R after you take off the hush panel under the dash.
Look at the connector first for damage.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Try disconnecting the plug at the sensor and see if the system goes to a default value for outside temp.
If the car senses the outside is 90, it's not going to give you much heat inside.
Sometimes the connectors get corroded. Try reconnecting it to get a good connection. They do go bad. About $13 at Rockauto.com
There is a remote possibility the electric actuator that moves the heat blend door inside the heater broke when you reconnected the battery. But get the outside sensor working right first before worrying about that.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Watch the rod on the actuator as the arm swings when you move the temp from cold to hot to cold. Leave some time for the computer to react.
The movement should be steady. If it's jerky the gear on the actuator is slipping on the hub inside the actuator. Some people have removed the glovebox and put a coathanger through a hole in a brace on the dash on ceertain models of Bonneville to the rod sticking out of the heater box that connects to the actuator link. They just snap together from the rear. They use that to adjust the heat until they can get to taking out the actuator for replacement or repair. It has two small screws that hold it in. On Bonnevilles they are tighter to get to than in leSabres.
If you can move the link with one finger by making the gear slip on the hub inside the actuator, that verifies what has happened.
I made sure the gear was in a part of the movement range where the blue gear wouldn't hit the crack and glued mine to the hub with a little 5-minute epoxy.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Good luck.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My 1996 Bonneville SE with climate control will not divert the air to the main vents. The only way it will come out is at the defrost and floor. What is the problem?
Many Thanks
David
You might run the motor and then turn it off; there should be vacuum stored in the tank behind the right front headlight under the fender and you can hear the doors move.
If you do hear movement, then you probably have the collapsing nipple inside the soft plastic connector on the corner of the programmer box on the edge of the HVAC box under the dash. Here's how to replace it.
I'm told the 7/16 inch vacuum line is the right size to connect the ends of the plastic vacuum lines. I used something else when I did mine. Plastic tubing such as for aquariums does not fit tightly enough.
If no movement, you may have a vacuum line off, split open, dry rotted, etc. Or the vacuum bottle under the fender may be cracked and not storing vacuum.
I believe your vacuum tube layout on the engine is like my 98. The 92-95 had a vacuum line to the firewall to the storage bottle and those kept getting disconnected when people put their arm in to do things with spark plugs on the back of the engine.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,