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GMC Safari/Chevy Astro Heating / Cooling

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Comments

  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    It's hidden back behind the flap on the pass. side tire, not easy to reach. Mine had disconnected. Also check the line running from back on the driver side in the engine compart, it runs to the front passenger side where it connects in a T to the line that runs down to the vaccum ball and I think also to the rear heat controller bolted to the a/c evap housing. Good luck.
  • jet460fdjet460fd Member Posts: 4
    the air mixture door is behind the heater core.its easy to get to ,about 15 mins.once you take out the core,look in up under and its right there.mine was stuck open and the cold outside air was blowing on the core making the heat barely warm.
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    I'm having issues with rear heat, not front. I found the issue-its the fluid valve in the engine compartment. I needa replace it.
  • hunterstroblehunterstroble Member Posts: 5
    I have a 98 astro, the heater is always cold, heater hoses are both hot so i'm assuming blend door is stuck? Do i have to pull the dash to replace it? If not where is it and how do i get to it? Thannk you very much. -mike
  • hunterstroblehunterstroble Member Posts: 5
    I have a 98 chevy astro, heater always blows cold. heater hoses are both hot so i'm assumind heater blend door? Do i have to pull the dash to replace it? if not where is it and how do i replace it? thanks so much.-mike
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    Front or back heater? Mix door is below the front heater core and on the right-the far passenger wall. Hard to get to. Front heater core is behind the passenger side dash. I think you have to remove the 2 big nuts on the bottom of the doghouse assy, then disconn. the wiring inside. Then remove the nuts holding the panel in front of the passenger and remove the panel. Heat core is behind that. If youre talking rear, its likely the same problem I have-water control module/valve. Ask a dealer where it is. It controls the flow of water to the back. Have you checked all the small vaccuum hoses? If any are bad, the system wont work...
  • hunterstroblehunterstroble Member Posts: 5
    SORRY, IT'S THE FRONT HEATER INOP
  • hunterstroblehunterstroble Member Posts: 5
    i'm looking for the front temp blend motor and how to r and r
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    Not sure what u mean
  • hunterstroblehunterstroble Member Posts: 5
    I was wondering how to get to the electric teperature motor hot/cold onj a 98 safari. If I half to pull the dash or not. thanks.
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    Call a dealer and ask. Not sure. I do think the layout is the same as my 96 safari. 2 clips in the engine comp, way up on the left(pass) side. Then remove the panel as I mentioned in an earlier post, and remove the glove box assembly(first).
  • micelimiceli Member Posts: 1
    I havent seen your earlier post but it seem you have the wrong vacum line hooked up to the heater control. There are 2 kinds of vacum Ported and Manifold. Manifold has suction when the car is at idle and when driving. Ported vacum doesn't have any suction until the motor is under power. My guess would be that at some time someone might have switched the vacum lines on accident
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    Ok-I have a line that runs across the top of the motor from driver to pass side. It then connects to the front and rear heater control valves. It does have suction.

    I think one of them also runs down to the pass. side bulb behind the wheel.

    Where do the ported/manifold lines run?
  • turbocrx1turbocrx1 Member Posts: 1
    my rear heater on my 98 astro blows cold only. i've checked the heater core vacuum lines and coolent lines, everythings seems fine. Front heat blows hot, but rear lines are always cold. if anyone can help me . just bought the van last week.
  • swainsonswainson Member Posts: 1
    check the vacuum line that goes from the vac switch near the right hand door under the dash to the base of the carb
  • jlk2jlk2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 Astro with rear air. For some time now when the car sits in the heat the blower motor will not come on when I start the car. While driving at high speed cool air will come from the vents and after a few minutes the fan will work again. All speeds are out when it does not work. The fan switch failed a month ago and I thought that was my problem and had it replaced. When the mechanic put the switch in he could not get the fan to work, then all of a sudden it did and he could not get it to fail again. It was fine for a few weeks with the new fan switch but today it would not run when the car was out in the sun for couple hours. Any ideas on what the problem is? The rear fan works.
  • chuckncchucknc Member Posts: 1
    I have checked the vacuum line that gives most of the problems and it is ok. My problem is that only the A/C, bi-level floor and mid-vents, and defrost selections work. If I select Max A/C, floor, mid-vents, or bi-level defrost and floor, then the blower doesn't come on at all. Where do I need to start looking?
  • mb1701dmb1701d Member Posts: 1
    (1) Blower motor operation was intermitant, only worked on 2 speeds and finally died.Replaced it and all was well for couple of weeks, then only working on 2 highest speeds. Replaced resistor pack(from dealership) and all was well for 2 days now only 2 highest speeds working.

    (2) AC not coming on. Had this problem last spring and found that if I turned on the fan first then slid the control down to AC it came on and worked fine (worked all of last year). Now that its warming up outside I've tried this trick but no luck.
    Any suggestions much appreciated
  • tstormtstorm Member Posts: 10
    Hello, I'm new to this forum. I've got a 97 Safari and recently the blower motor would not work on high but worked on the other 3 settings. I read this forum yesterday on this subject and found some very useful information. I found out that the wiring harness going to the resistor was melted and burned on the red wire connection. I'm assuming the red wire controls the high setting on the blower motor. I cleaned the connections and scrapped out the melted plastic out of the resistor. The blower works on high now but I'm concerned that the problem will happen again, I'm sure there is a reason the red wire got so hot to melt the plastic in the first place. First question: Do I need a new blower motor... could it be going bad and taking more energy to turn it on high than normal? Second question: The wiring harness connector plug that is melted looks like it goes down and under the radiator, I'm not sure where it goes (haven't looked yet) do I need to change the whole harness or is there a replacement plug that can added ? :confuse: I would greatly appreciate any shared experiences. These vans seems to have their fare share of problems and now that I've found this forum I'll be happy to help others and gladly accept advise.

    Thanks!
  • spittspitt Member Posts: 1
    All you people with electrical problems on the GMC Van,

    I have air conditioning problem on my 2000 Astro AWL van; remote door locks problems since I purchased it; interior lights staying on and draining my battery; gas gauge that has fooled me a couple of times and left me stranded a couple of times; ABS light that will not shut off until I decided to pull the fuse off; rear defogger that does not work; radio lights burnt out; and now, for some reason, when I used my remote to lock the door, my horn comes on which, it never did before when I purchaed the van. Every two of three months, I get a call from my dealership to bring the van in for maintenance and every time it goes into the shop, a few months later, something else crops up. Something is fishy there you all.

    We should all get together and do something about this. We are being bled dry from whoever purposely and us, suckers, we're being led to the slaughter house very subtly.

    Fed up of giving the dealership my hard-earned money on a piece of crap
  • pops9pops9 Member Posts: 2
    changed the battery in my 2002 Astro van because it was 5 years old had no starting problems ever since I changed it the power locks & dome light go on & off when I hit a bump & the front bounces or make a turn the battery is secure and the cables are tight & clean at the battery & starter all I did was replace the battery I even took the new battery back thinking it had a loose plate but it does the same thing with the second battery any ideas
  • isrenaisrena Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I have water in the back of my 2001 astro. I am assuming the heater core is leaking back there since we do have to keep adding water. Can anyone tell me where it is located and is this something that someone with moderate mechanical background should tackle? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
  • gpgouldgpgould Member Posts: 1
    I have a 92 Chevy Astro . the heater vent doors are closed in all positions and the blower motor sounds like it is working in the 3rd & high speeds only. But you can not
    feel any air coming out anywhere. Where do I start and what do I do.
  • dannyboy8793dannyboy8793 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Chevy Astro van and the blower motor doesn't always work, it seems good when i start the van after sitting all night it works ( all speeds ) then if i turn the van off most of the time it doesn't work when i start it back up again and this may last an hr then it comes on and once its on everything is fine untill i turn off the van again.
    any ideas would help thanks.
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    These vans require that all vaccum lines are intact with no breakdowns/deterioration. Validate all of them first. Check all fuses both under dash and under hood. Then, there are 'blower resistors', usually one near the heater assembly under the hood (my 1996 front B.R. is right in the housing for the air conditioner evaporator. It has a large wiring harness going to it. One of my leads shorted out...Take out the rear seats in the van if you have rear heat, and check the blower resister there also...
  • bassman3112bassman3112 Member Posts: 1
    What is the easiest way to change out the blower motor? It is located way back in the passenger side of the engine compartment. It seems to have a plastic shroud around it. :confuse:
  • westalwestal Member Posts: 4
    this blend door you speak of when i tore my dash apart there as a door that opens and closes when i switch the dial from hot to cold. is this it?? or is there another door behind thecore??
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    I believe that's it. My rear heat wasn't working, but finally did after I removed it and drained it out, etc. Then, I also swapped out the vaccum tube in front on the diverter...
  • cstylecstyle Member Posts: 1
    IF YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE VENTS THAT THE AIR/HEAT COMES OUT OF YOU MY WANT TO CHECK YOU VACUUM HOSE.
  • onemanonevanonemanonevan Member Posts: 2
    I've read a lot of post, and never saw this problem. The blower works when it wants to (all speeds). Hit a hard bump and it sometimes comes on. The other day, I released the emerg. brake hard and it came on. Apparently not a vaccum problem. Air is directed to correct vents. Ground connection perhaps???
  • eriklaneeriklane Member Posts: 16
    I'd still say its vaccum. I used to slam my hand on the dash and it'd work, then fail...But, do also check your electrical switches with a meter. They could be faulty.
  • westalwestal Member Posts: 4
    Recently replaced heater core because it blew out and leaked all over!! Had great heat before change of heater core, but now with new one no heat at idle. Took it into repair shop, they changed out the heater core again, changed out water pump, and still no damn heat at idle. But at high revs awesome heat. Tried to burp system to get air out. But there doesn't seem to be any air in there?!!? Any suggestions on what to do this is getting really frustrating in this -50 weather we have been having in Saskatchewan.
  • duecekdduecekd Member Posts: 19
    I am not a mechanic, but my 1st thought is the thermostat not working correctly. When you 1st start the van, watch your temp gauge. It should rise (mine gets to about 250F) then you'll see it drop noticeably. This is when the thermostat opens, which circulates the radiator fluid through engine and heater core. If you don't see it do this, it could be stuck open, in which the fluid doesn't stay hot unless it is running hard. For a quick fix, sometimes you can tap on the thermostat housing (don't beat it to death, you could break the metal) and it will break loose and work for awhile. But if this is the case, it needs to be replaced in any instance.
    That's my opinion, if anyone with more mechanic knowledge can correct or add to it, please help this brother out, HE'S FREEZING!!!
  • westalwestal Member Posts: 4
    Okay yes the thermostat was stuck open when i took it apart, so i replaced it. Now i can see on the temp gauge when it opens and closes again. I am pretty sure i have an air lock in the system, blows room temp at idle and nice and hot as soon as you get going a little bit. Been trying to burp the system but i just cant get the damn air lock out. Any suggestions its a 2002 GMC Safari.
  • duecekdduecekd Member Posts: 19
    When the van is idling, does the blower still blow out the lower vents, or does it just die. Or does it come out the lower vents and the defroster at the same time? I have read posts from other guys who had a problem with the blower not working at idle, but works when van is rolling. This is a vacuum problem. Check the vacuum line from the back of the manifold to the black vacuum ball located on the passenger side in the wheel well looking from the front. That vacuum ball I believe is supposed to keep up the vacuum pressure at idle. There could be a small hole in the hose, or a cracked stem on the ball or that other little black check valve looking thing on that line. Apparently these vans are notorious for brittle vacuum hoses that get cooked by the engine heat when the hose runs over the top. If you find a bad hose, I have replaced them with fuel line from the parts store. Just make sure the inside diameter is the same. Take a piece of the bad hose with you. Good Luck!
  • westalwestal Member Posts: 4
    Hey, no i replaced all those hoses the first time i started working on my van to make sure if wasnt the problem. It still blows hard on whatever setting i have it on, just cools down to room temp and as soon as i start driving it gets hot again. Thinking it is an air lock just cant get it out. Any more info would be great. Thanks
  • duecekdduecekd Member Posts: 19
    The only thing left that I can think of is to start the motor with the radiator cap off. The fluid will just sit there as you carefully look into radiator hole. Have someone Rev motor until thermostat opens. You should visibly see the fluid circulate in the radiator once the valve is open. If you see this, that to me would mean that it is circulating throughout the whole engine, including the heater core. I do know there is a damper door somewhere near the heater core inside the van on the passenger side. When you change the settings on the dash from defrost to heat, can you hear that door move? Mine makes a distinct noise when I change settings. I know I'm just grabbing at straws at this point, but I'm out of suggestions, and believe me, I know what it's like to be stuck on a problem, especially when your freezing!! Good luck!
  • fixer5fixer5 Member Posts: 5
    hi this is josef my chevy astro 97 blow out air but not hot enough rear fen blow only colt air position swich on dash boart works only high speed thenks josef
  • fixer5fixer5 Member Posts: 5
    :sick:
  • onemanonevanonemanonevan Member Posts: 2
    After checking everything else, I changed the bower motor and that fixed it. Wasn't that bad to install.
  • caliastro97caliastro97 Member Posts: 3
    We`ve owned my wifes 97` astro van since 1998,
    after a few yrs of use , I started noticing a gurgling sound coming from the heater-core area but never looked into it since there were no puddles or leaks present, then we experienced the problems with no air/ac coming thru front-vents(but heated air came thru floor-vents at the time) but stayed like this for a coupe of years til` I found this site,
    I replaced all of the vacuuum hoses which did get the air/ac vent`s blowing cold air again... but now have no heat(I did feel heat at floor prior to replacing hoses), so I tested/replaced the thermostat w/new hoping this would correct problem(old one was ok) but still have no heat & did notice that temp gauge needle started fluctuating after new thermo(it goes well above the midway point to almost overheating(which it never did before)... then lowers itself...then goes back up again.. but it seems to eventually settle in between 1/4 & half on temp gauge which is somewhat higher than normal),
    when I turn the control knob to Mid-High Heat-setting I can hear a kind of clicking sound coming from the heat-core area & what I think is the air-mixture vent-door opening or not opening, the clicking/tapping sound is unfamiliar, I`m no mechanic but am somewhat mechanical, to anyone with similar problems....
    would the problem be in the Heater-core/air-mixture door areas somewhere?
    is the heater core or valve door easy to replace/get to?
    I have yet to check the core hoses for heat but this will be doing this if not today tomorrow, &/or will check for water circulation with radiator cap off to see if core may be plugged. Thank`s for any info or advice!
  • caliastro97caliastro97 Member Posts: 3
    Update: yesterday I checked the 2 water hoses that run from the heater-core case to the 4-way metal valve under the air-conditioner evap cannister & find that the 2 hoses going to the core are cold & do not feel like there is water running thru them, the other hoses(water pump & intake manifold) to this valve are hot so I can only assume that this valve is plugged & not letting water flow to core?
    is there a way of checking this valve?
    will running engine like this overheat or damage motor?
    any help is greatly appreciated...thank`s!
    Ruben
  • caliastro97caliastro97 Member Posts: 3
    just in case anyone is interested,
    I changed out the 4-way heater control valve which did get the heater & AC working again but,..now the temp gauge shows the motor to be over-heating, climbing well above 210 & gradually climbing,
    I checked the heater core for plugging prior to replacing heat-valve & water seemed to flow freely when added to low or high lines when using garden hose, new thermostat prior to this,
    one thing I did notice that the hose from the thermostat-to-radiator does not get as hot as quickly like it did prior to replacing heat-valve, the water pump(if I remember right) was replaced a few years back due to failure but no problems since w/overheating..
    could the water pump already be malfunctioning?
    I`m running into one problem after another with the cooling system since I started swapping out the vacuum lines to get ac & vents working...
    could use some advice or info if anybody has had similar issues.
    Thank`s!
  • fixer5fixer5 Member Posts: 5
    can anyone tell me where is located resistor for chevy astro van 1997 thenks
  • tstormtstorm Member Posts: 10
    Yes the resistor on your Astro van is under the hood on the left side against the firewall. You will have to take out your wiper fluid / coolant resivour to get to it. There is a wiring harness that conects to it with five or six different colored wires. You unclip the harness and there are two bolts on either side of the resistor. If your having problems with blower motor speeds chances are the harness is melted. I think the blower motor does not work efficently and draws too much power causing the harness to melt. I replaced the blower motor, the resistor and the harness just to make sure the problem was resovled and I didn't burn up another harness or resistor. Of course you can get all three parts at the dealer but to save money I bought the resistor and blower motor at a local auto parts store. I could only find the resistor at Autozone, unless you go to a junk yard the harness will have to be bought at the dealer. The harness comes with a splicing kit. You will need to cut off the old harness and crimp the new harness on. You have to melt the plastic around the connections and electrical tape when done.
  • fixer5fixer5 Member Posts: 5
    thenks you for advise { resistor} it is helpfull :)
  • des10des10 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I have a 1998 Chevy Astro Van AWD, and the heat and ac is stuck on defrost. Also my rear heat stopped working shortly afterwards and just blows cold air. Please help me out.
  • tstormtstorm Member Posts: 10
    As far as your heat being stuck on defrost I'd guess that you have a problem with your vacume lines. They typically get old and crumble especially where they come close to the heat of the engine. Replace or repair the vacume lines and that should fix your control problem. Not sure about the rear heat thing but vacume lines could be the problem there too.
  • mcomplicatedmcomplicated Member Posts: 1
    I have two 95 awd astros. They both give me the same problems. At 10 degrees f they take a half hour to get to operating temp. I replaced the thermostats with 195f and did not help. The older astros that I've had I never had these problems, but they did not have the oil coolers. Could I bypass the oil cooler for the winter to help them warm up quicker?
  • edcnyedcny Member Posts: 1
    The blower motor is under the hood on the pass side. You have to remove the wiper and radiator bottles and also the head light, then take out the 7 bolts that hold the blower motor in.
    Lastly you have to remove the squirrel cage (using an allen wrench) before the motor will come out.
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