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GMC Safari/Chevy Astro Heating / Cooling

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Comments

  • rayj3rayj3 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 95 astro van with dual a/c ,my blower motor stops on all speeds for a short time and starts up after a minute or less.Can someone tell me where a relay or thermal fuse could be located for this intermittent problem.I already replaced the blower motor since new.
  • bymechbymech Member Posts: 1
    I have the opposite problem, My rear a/c factory install blows cold air, my front vents blow warm air. Anyone have any suggestion,will be greatly appreciated
  • davet2davet2 Member Posts: 1
    under the front hood remove the air box and u can see the small hard vacuum line where it has been damaged. One inch of rubber hose can connect the ends and a/c will return to blowing out every vent.
  • tkwtkw Member Posts: 29
    Thank you but I had it replaced & rerouted a while back. When that small vacuum line got brittle with engine heat & age, it just disintegrated in many pieces. Splicing was not an option in my case.
  • dakotahdakotah Member Posts: 1
    i have a 96 astro awd with rear heat, the problem is i am not getting any heat. The blower is coming on but no heat is coming out only blowing cold air

    please help winter is here.
  • momneedshelpmomneedshelp Member Posts: 6
    :cry: i really hope someone can talk me through fixing my heater problems. i bought my van a year ago and up until now i have had only the high setting on my heater and only works on defost. now that it is cold out the heater has totally stopped. i tapped the blower motor housing and it started up. did this 3 times and then nothing. now i have to drive around with the windows down just so the front windsheid stays somewhat clear. can someone please tell me if it is a fuse or the blower motor itself. thank you
  • 97xpresso97xpresso Member Posts: 249
    It spunds like you have two separate problems. Your blower moter is probably shot, and the vacuum line that controls the vents is rotted. (you can search the fix for the 2nd problem earlier in this Astro board.)
  • mmikolajczakmmikolajczak Member Posts: 2
    Check resistor board located behind fluid reservoirs just to the right from blower motor. Disconnect plug and undo two screws holding it in place. Remove by pulling it out (can be little hard because of some sealant around). Check for burns. Repair if you can, or replace it.
  • unspun01unspun01 Member Posts: 2
    I had the same problem as yours. My fan only worked on HIGH while on DEFROST.

    Here is my solution:

    1) Check your blower fan relay, located on the firewall above the blower fan compartment. Mine was OK. I had to remove some corrosion from the wire connector pack. Spray occasionally with WD40 to prevent further corrosion.

    2) Check your blower fan resistor pack. It is located on top of the AC/blower fan compartment. Mine was rusty. I cleaned it with some sandpaper and a wire brush. If yours is really bad or burnt out, replace it, otherwise it can be cleaned with no problems.

    3) If your fan doesn't work at all, replace it.

    4) If cleaning the connections doesn't help, and your fan still only works on HIGH while on DEFROST, then your fan switch and wire harness connector in the dash are no good. REPLACE THESE AS A PAIR. My switch and wire harness connector were melted. When a blower fan is failing, it draws more current than normal, causing the wires and switch the heat up at the point of connection. This melts the plastic and makes an even poorer connection. I bought a used switch and harness at an auto wrecker for CDN$5. After solder-splicing each wire and carefully taping, everything works just great.

    If you replace the switch and wire harness connector, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REPLACE THE BLOWER FAN MOTOR ALSO, otherwise the switch and wires will melt again because the motor is failing.

    Make sure to check a few vans at an auto wrecker for a good switch and harness connector. I had to look at about 5 vans before I found one good enought to buy.

    Hope this helps. Good Luck.
  • sammy12sammy12 Member Posts: 4
    Please let me know if you can help me with this matter.
    @ 90 degree Fahrenheit as soon as turn on the AC, temperature gage climb all the way to red the zone. After turn of the AC, temperature goes back down.
  • nickjalosnickjalos Member Posts: 1
    I've fixed this problem before by fixing a vacuum line on the intake manifold that goes to your ac.
  • salmineosalmineo Member Posts: 2
    MY QUESTION IS CAN YOU REMOVE THE A/C CLUTCH THAN A/C PULLEY INSTALL A NEW BEARING AND REPLACE PULLEY THAN CLUTCH(A/C)? REASON MY AC COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP AND IM TRYING TO AVOID REMOVING & REPLACING COMPRESSR DUE TO THE ACTUALL OPENING OF A/C SYSTEM (FREON) :confuse:
  • jiggs1jiggs1 Member Posts: 5
    Hey Gang,
    I got a problem and I think I saw the answer on here a long while back.
    The problem is when driving down the slab with the air cond. on and it is cooling just fine, when I approach a hill or have to step into it for power to go up a small grade the air switches to the floor , after toping out of the hill and go back to cruise and not calling for power it comes back on and blows out the dash as it should.
    I am losing vacume some where or it is restricted, cracked or pinched,,, what ever but how do you find it and where do you start looking????? This is giving me fits and if there is a lot of hills around it gets very uncomfortable .
    Helppppppp. thanks much.
  • cobcob Member Posts: 210
    The only vacuum problem that I had to fix is a line that runs from the tee by the A/C unit under the hood on the passengers side. It runs across the front of the engine and attaches to a vacuum port on the drivers side of the engine. The line is about 1/8" dia hard plastic that melts from the engine heat. Reroute the line over the air cleaner ducting on top of the motor to keep it cool.
  • jiggs1jiggs1 Member Posts: 5
    I have two astros and have done alot of work on one (1987) including new ac commpressor. they are not built for the garage mechanic to rebuild at the clutch end to the best of my knowledge. usually by the time the clutch goes out the front is leaking and your better off to put a new unit on the rig. as far as cost it is not that much more or at least it wasn't for me. I feel alot better knowing I got a good unit on that will be trouble free for a long time to come. Jiggs
  • alanjalanj Member Posts: 1
    I have a similar problem on my 1996 Safari. The blower resistor pack died - the high speed went first, then the other speeds one by one. I replaced the pack with an econo Napa part, which died in the same manner after 2 weeks. I am currently trying to find the resistance specifications for the blower motor so I can see if the motor is killing the packs or if the econo brand simply wasn't up to the task - AJ
  • baldwin4baldwin4 Member Posts: 3
    On the climate control, it is stuck on the defrost position and when I turn the control knob to vent, floor aor any other position it will not switch. Could it be a vaccum problem or the control itself? Trying to rpair it myself. Any help is appreciated

    Thanx
    baldwin4
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    I have the same problem and i found a broken control rod on an air control valve under the passenger dash area near the door.It controls the vent duct position. I have yet to fix this as I can't seem to get a name for the actual part.

    If you find it please let me know also.

    N5445
  • cobcob Member Posts: 210
    9 times out of 10 the problem is a broken vacuum line. The systems defaults into the defrost mode when the line breaks. It is an easy fix. Look for a small dia 1/8" plastic line that runs from the side of the a/c heater core unit on the passenger side front under hood to the intake manifold on the drivers side under the hood. The tube is routed across the front of the intake manifold where it gets hot and brittle over time and breaks. It is a cheap part at the dealership and takes about 5 minutes to replace. Just route the new line over the air cleaner plastic assembly to keep it cooler.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    Nevermind my first reply, I actually had 2 problems. the one you want is the vacuum line behind the ac unit. the other post has the info in it

    n5445
  • teamster108teamster108 Member Posts: 3
    I cannot change the flow of air. It comes out of the defrost vents but not the other vents. I talked to a guy at the auto parts store and he told me it was some kind of a electric motor. I thought this was changed by vacuum.....any help?
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    CHECK PRIOR LISTINGS ON THIS. #1321
    THERE IS A VACUUM HOSE THAT DETERIATES WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE INSIDE ENGINE COVER TO GET THE ONE END. THE OTHER IS NEAR THE WASHER RESERVIOR.
    I DID MINE ABOUT 2MONTHS AGO. YOU'LL NEED SOME RUBBER TUUBING ABOUT 3-4 FT LONG. JUST REPLACE THE HOSE FROM THE WASHER AREA TO THE VALVE LOCATED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT PRETTY MUCH EVEN WITH THE GAS PEDAL
    I FOUND ALL OF THE DETAILS ON PRIOR LISTINGS ON THIS SO JUST SEARCH A LITTLE WITHIN THIS SITE.
  • tomy66tomy66 Member Posts: 2
    It is a plastic vacuum tube (hose) that cracks with time from the heat of the engine. I had the same problem and replaced it with a rubber hose by sniping the tube the joints and replacing it with the rubber one. it is working wonderful now. If you do a search on Air Conditioning or Air vents in this forum you will find actual part numbers from others who have had same problem.
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    On a 99 Astro van would I find the vacuum line under the hood or the engine interior cover?
  • cobcob Member Posts: 210
    Under the hood, don't even have to remove the inside cover. Look for a 1/8" dia plastic line that is connected to a tee of lines next to A/C unit on passenger side front. It goes accross front of intake and connects to the drivers side of the engine about half way back on the intake there is a vacuum port.
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    I found the vacuum line where you say and I was cracked in several places. I did have to remove the inside cover, as I was not able to get my hand in by the intake port. I replaced the vacuum line and the air come out where it is supposed too :) . Thanks for the info. Saved me a trip to the dealers :mad: , which I hate for several reasons, besides the cost.
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    :confuse: On my 99 Chevy Astro van the air coming out of the vent has a stale musty odor to it. It only happens on vent, the air coming out either air conditioned or heated has no odor. :confuse:
  • krashman67krashman67 Member Posts: 7
    When using the heater or A/C you usually recirculate the air from the car's interior, but when using the vent, you are bringing in outside air. Check the ducts and intake grille for something stanky (road kill? or maybe wet leaves?)
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    yeah i checked everything i could see, i am the second owner.it was a lease turn in and the first owner had kids. i wonder if maybe some pop or something was spilled down the defrost vent. it is not stanky like road kill, could be like wet leaves.
  • ceja1ceja1 Member Posts: 2
    my a/c control panel also went out . its stuck on the feet position. if you get a hit on this problem can you forward the solution. thanks :cry:
  • cturpincturpin Member Posts: 3
    I replaced the vacuum hose as I read here and like magic it works! - but only part time. When I start the van and run either a/c or heat the air won't come through the middle vents. It will come out at the defrost (it may come out at the feet but I'm not sure). After it runs a while the air finally starts coming out the middle vents. I'm sure it has something to do with the vacuum - like building up enough vacuum to make the switch to the vents - but can't figure it out.
  • cobcob Member Posts: 210
    Under the passenger side by the front bumper is the plastic black ball(not sure of the correct part name) where the vacuum lines go to. This is supposed to store up pressure to run the vacuum items while you are idling where the engione does not produce enough vacuum to run the climate control. That plastic piece maybe cracked or have a hole in it. You can't miss it GM has been putting these on their cars since the 70s.
  • cturpincturpin Member Posts: 3
    Thanks!! I'll check it out.
  • anim8r21anim8r21 Member Posts: 4
    I've been reading the posts, but my problem seems a little different. My blower works great, no antifreeze drips, but I don't get any heat from the system, only cold air. When I change the slider from cold to hot, I can hear a flap close over by the fan, but no heat comes out. What controls whether the system is hot or cold? Thanks in advance!
  • cturpincturpin Member Posts: 3
    I just had the same problem - driving to work the van is nice and toasty - and then cold air blows through the vents! I turned the control to off and then the check gauges light appeared. I checked the gauges and the engine was overheating! Yikes! It ended up being the thermostat - not a big deal but could have caused a lot of trouble if I hadn't caught it so early.
    Hope this helpe you!
  • anim8r21anim8r21 Member Posts: 4
    That could still be a possibility, but so far I haven't had any overheating problems, and the former owner told me that the heat had never worked as long as he had owned it.
  • sheridan1952sheridan1952 Member Posts: 3
    This is a '97 Safari. The A/C was replaced last year, the compressor seals had gone. It's been fine until a few weeks ago. The clutch won't engage unless I am accelerating, but it doesn't stay engaged. I can be going down the road and I'll race the engine briefly and I'll hear the clutch engage and I have cold air again for a few minutes. If I am driving at about 70 or so, it seems to stay engaged.

    I have replaced the low pressure cutoff switch on the accumulator and my mechanic has checked the freon level and pressures.

    I've been told that there is no vacuum control for this section, but it sure acts like it does. Any ideas?
  • cmauscmaus Member Posts: 1
    Thanks a bunch for the part number. I went to the dealer pickup the hose for about $8.00 with tax. I had a time finding the connection behind the compressor.
    My wife is happy, so I'm happy.

    Charlie
  • dtreetdtreet Member Posts: 5
    Regardless of what position the dial is in there is no heat emitting from the lower vents.

    Thanks
  • cgore611cgore611 Member Posts: 1
    I HAVE A 95 CHEVY ASTRO. MY HEATER AND AC DOES DON'T BLOW HEAT OR AIR. IS THE PROBLEM MY BLOWER MOTOR OR WHAT? HOW DO I FIX THE PROBLEM?
  • dtreetdtreet Member Posts: 5
    Yesterday I noticed a small amount of heat coming from the lower vents. There is plenty of airflow from all other outlets.
  • astromarkastromark Member Posts: 1
    I need to replace my front heater core on my 99 Astro.
    The factory service manual says to remove the access panel.
    But there are no pictures/diagrams for the heat core removal.
    My assumption, is that it can be removed from inside the van on the passenger side as the heater hoses go through the fire wall.
    Am I correct?
    Any assitance in removal/replacement would be appreciated.

    AstroMark
  • daddio8daddio8 Member Posts: 1
    I have a good tip for those of you who have the same problem I did.

    First off, thanks to all of you for helping me diagnose the problem. I went the doghouse route, by the way. Yes it was a pain, but I think it would have been worse to try and do it through the hood. The break in my line was about five inches off the connection at the intake. From the hood side, it looked as though someone had already done this before because there wasnt't the thin factory line or the thicker elbow at the tee end; there was just what looked like a typical vacuum hose (maybe 1/4 or 5/16 inch).

    Anyway, the line was connected at the tee and just dangling down toward the Vacuum Ball (or whatever you call it). I pulled on it and it came up free (unconnected), so I just assumed that it was disconnected at the Ball. I spent a good hour under the car feeling around the ball, but all the lines were connected there. The unconnected end of my 1/4" line (again, remember it was connected at the tee near the evaporator), had the 1/8 inch "stiffer" line sticking out of the end, oh about an inch and a half. After reading some of these threads I found that this was indeed the line that goes back to the intake and at that point, the elbow was intact and there was about 5 inches of pretty stable 1/8" line.

    So I went to the auto parts store. Of course they didn't have the dealer part, so I started looking around for some tubing. The guy had some 1/8" nylon tubing, so I got a 72" spool of that for $5.95. I also got some bigger tubing for which I hoped the inch or so of protruding 1/8" line would go into. If not that, then maybe the nylon tubing would work. The bigger line that I bought had a 7/64" ID, which I though would create a nice snug fit. It didn't. The 1/8" nylon tubing was too loose and slid around too easily in the larger tubing. Which made me think that the dealer 1/8" tubing is really for ID not OD. And of course the 1/8" line that was protruding from my unconnected line just fell apart when I tried sticking it in the new 7/64" tube.

    But not to despair. My 7/64" ID tubing fit pretty well on the factory 1/8" line coming out of the intake. (oh yeah, I paid a whopping 79 cents for a foot of the 7/64" tubing). But I still needed to connect that to the line that was coming off the tee and, as I said the 1/8" protrusion was crumbling. This called for a splice. If the nylon tubing hadn't been so small, I could have used it. But like I said, it was just too loose. So I started thinking: What would be about that size; I only need a section of it to connect the two larger tubes.

    Hey, what about one of those extension wands that are on a can of compressed air or WD-40? No good. Too small. And then I had my brainstorm: the ink tube in a cheap ball point pen. It took about five pens to find one that was almost out of ink (I wanted it clean and as much as I could get), but it was a perfect fit.

    Turns out I could have gotten away with just a couple inches. But the bottom line is that with a piece of ink tubing from a cheap Bic pen (which are about $1.00 a dozen, so less than 20 cents for the one pen which had pretty much already served it's purpose anyway) and a 79 cent one foot piece of 7/64" ID tubing, I got the job done, with plenty of extra space to route it over the air cleaner housing.

    All climate control vent settings now work like they're supposed to. Thanks to you guys and about a buck.
  • preferharleyspreferharleys Member Posts: 1
    I have read several posts on heater fan speeds, but I still am not sure what my problem is. On my '97 Astro van I have a four speed fan switch, but only get the two higher speeds to work. The fan is off in the first two settings. I have replaced the blower, but still have the same problem. In other postings a relay has been mentioned and also a resister pack. If this might be my problem, where are both located and which is likely the culprit?
  • dicej32dicej32 Member Posts: 1
    My 2003 Astro's heater motor is almost dead. Started making ugly grinding noises and will only run if i hit the fan housing a few times. I want to replace the motor myself but am not sure how to even remove it. How do you access the motor? Thanks in advance.
  • sheridan1952sheridan1952 Member Posts: 3
    Most likely it is the resistor pack. It is on the blower housing under the hood. You have to remove the coolant overflow and washer fluid bottles to get to it. It is directly behind them. Also look at the condition of the plug on the wiring harness. I had the opposite problem as you, all speeds EXCEPT High worked. That "pin" on the harness was fried. I had to get a replacement at a salvage yard.

    The relay is a part of the resistor pack.
  • bbri67bbri67 Member Posts: 3
    Just replaced the resistor for the blower due to a failure.Blower works fine now,but heat seems week.All the vacuum lines seem fine,all the vents open and close right.All fan speeds work and the heater core is heating up great.I just can't get the good heat to come out unless the controls are set to max a/c.On any other setting the heat is coming out but it seems to be luke warm not hot.And to top it off the temps here in Chicago are finally dropping.Any ideas?Thanks.
  • cobcob Member Posts: 210
    The reason that the heat works better on Max A/C is because it is recirculating interior air and not mixing in fresh air from the outside like the normal vent/AC/heat settings. Is your thermostat working properly? Mine runs at the mark directly between 100 and 210 which I figure to be around 160 but I installed a 180 thermostat instead of the stock 195 to keep it cooler in summer for towing. You may also want to check your coolent level, these engines are prone to leaking intake gaskets and coolent goes in the oil or on the ground depending on where the gaskets fail. On these cold days in Michigan I can drive 10 miles on the highway at 75 MPH before my thermostat opens for the first time. It takes a while for the van to warmup compared to other vehicles I have owned but can't beat the AWD in the snow.
  • bbri67bbri67 Member Posts: 3
    I just replaced the thermostat with the 195,and replced the anti-freeze with a good 50/50 mix.I found a heat control valve in-line with the heater core that didn't have any vacuum going to it,but like I said the heater core is getting good and hot and the vents will only blow luke warm air.The engine temp runs about the same as yours(which I thought was a little low but I guess not).Maybe It's working sluggish due to the cold temps.I'm not sure because it's my wifes van and I never drive it.Thanks for the reply I'll keep digging around.It's probebly going to end up being one of those crappy vacuum hoses buried somewhere.Thanks again.
  • bbri67bbri67 Member Posts: 3
    Turned out to be a flapper that mixes outside air with the hot.Wasn't closing all the way,a slight reallignment and its back to normal.Of course I had to dig deep to get to it. I'm getting pretty good at rippin that dash apart though.
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