Buick Enclave AC Problems

bmanly

On a recent 10 hour drive this summer in my Enclave, I noticed the front AC vents were not delivering the normal air flow about 4-5 hours into the trip. My wife and I were starting to sweat. We did not have the rear "aux" system turned on. We tried taking the system off "auto", turning up the fan motor, turning system off to rest it, etc etc, but nothing worked. We ended up cranking the rear aux system (which was working) to lower the temps and make the rest of the trip somewhat bearable. The next day the front AC worked fine on short twips around town so I know we are not low on freon or anything. On the return trip home, same problem. No front AC after about 4-5 hours of driving in hot weather. Called dealer's service dept who said he had never heard of this problem, but admitted the Enclave does have a series of odd things breaking down.

Anyone else experience this? Any suggestions before I take it in to be looked at and lose my car for a day or two?

See Also
How Your A/C System Works

bturig

Yes, similar problems.

My wife and I felt the air conditioning was performing poorly for a while, we had the dealership check it during an oil change, and they said it was fine. I think they only checked the temperature in the duct work.

This weekend we where two hours into a four hour drive, and the air conditioning stopped. We did stop at a rest area. When we restarted the car, the air conditioning started up again and worked for about 30 minutes, and then stopped. I really could not tell if the compressor was running, or trying to run, we could only feel the result.

We took the car back to the dealership, and they found the freon was low, but they did not find any leaks. This seems strange, to have a freon leak in a one year car. The dealership said it might have come from the factory that way, which I struggle to believe.

bmanly

Good to know about the low freon. Let me know if that seems to correct the problem. I haven't taken any long trips since my problem nor have I been to dealer for service, but will be going there next month.

wlbrown9

re: Low freon. My upstairs AC had a slow leak in the coil. When the freon would get very low, the coils would freeze up and eventually block airflow. I would turn off the AC and turn the fan on. Over time the ice would melt off and it would cool again, until it froze up again. Sounds like what you were experiencing. Hope it was just low from the factory.

bturig

The dealer put die in the air-conditioning system, so if it leaks it will be easier to diagnose.

I am also going to run down to the auto-parts store and get one of those thermometers that you stick down into the vents. So I can get a baseline, on a fully charged system.

angusmcgee

We have the same problem. Our 2008 Enclave was delivered in December of 2007. We first noticed the problem in the summer of 2008 while traveling through Atlanta in 100 degree, high humidity weather. The cool air flow through the front vents slowly diminished until there was no cool air at all. Since that day it has happened numerous times, but only when it is warm with HIGH humidity.

We've had it in to the dealer four times (the fifth time is tomorrow). The first three times the dealer "could not duplicate condition". The dealer also tried installing a data recorder for one of our trips. The air conditioner quit working once again but there were no unusual readings. On the fourth trip to the dealer they replaced the high side pressure switch. It didn't help. The problem reappeared about 1-1/2 hours into our next trip. Tomorrow the dealer is replacing the following parts; sensor, valve and seal kit. The dealer has never heard of this happening on ANY car before let alone my Enclave.

What seems to be happening is the air conditioners evaporator is freezing up and restricting the air flow. If we pull over and turn off the car for 20-30 minutes a large puddle (small lake) of water appears under the car and the air conditioner works fine until the next time.

I really like my Enclave, but when the air conditioner quits during a trip I'd trade it for a Yugo.

:lemon:

bmanly

Thanks for writing. Good to know I am not the only out there with this strange, seemingly unfixable problem!

I got the same response from our dealership here too. They "couldn't replicate problem" and couldn't find any leaks or low freon. I have had them look at it twice now, and while it won't be an issue until next summer, I am truly hesitant to take the car on long family trips, which is main reason we bought the Enclave in the first place.

We defintely noticed the lack of airflow but it is puzzling why the rear "aux" system still seems to work when front is shut down as the dealers says there is really only one system for the whole car. Let me know how your repair goes...

Bruce

angusmcgee

The dealer told me that the rear auxillary sytem has a seperate evaporator. That's why it continues to work when the front shuts down. Initially we didn't have a problem with the rear. Whenever the front air stopped working, we angled the rear ceiling outlets forward to get some relief from the heat. On our last trip this didn't work. The back unit was somewhat cool but not cold. We live in a southern state where heat and humidity are a normal ocurance in the summer months and it's rather nice to have auto airconditioning that works. :shades:

Be sure to check the lemon law in your state. In our state, you have to file within two years of the delivery date. The dealer has to have made at least three attempts to repair the problem. Our dealer has been great but the problem remains.

I'll let you know how it goes.

:lemon:

barry37

We have the same problem. I noticed that the blower speed was diminished (1/2 speed when on high). I tried everything from a control stand point. Finally, we pulled over at a gas station and the problem went away after shutting off and restarting the Enclave. The dealer replaced the blower and on our next hot summer trip it happened again. We have had many electrical/electronic/mechanical issues with our November 2007 built Enclave (passenger air bag light/sensors, driver electric window switch, leaky rear sunroof, rear shock failure, left and right side front idler arms replaced, cam shaft sensor fuel light). The dealer has been good but the car has been a disappointment. We have 35,000 miles on our Enclave and just priced tires prior to winter - WOW! $1,000 to replace the tires because their are very few choices on a vehicle this size and having 19" tires.

paulc8

I own a 2008 Buick Enclave and now have the same A/C problem described in this thread. Didn't notice it before because we live in a northern climate. Has anyone ever found a fix? Our dealer just says that they can't duplicate the problem.

bmanly

We have been unable to diagnose or have the dealer change anything with the AC problem with our Enclave although we recently went on the same trip that originally revealed the initial problem, and I think we found out how to avoid it. Essentially it appears to be a blockage/ice buildup issue (see above emails) as for us it only affected the front systems. I think if you only have the front system working (as opposed to having the rear "aux" system on too) on long trips in hot humid weather it can build up ice or whatever and eventually reduce front air flow, so we made sure we ran both front and aux systems from the onset of trip. no issues this summer and the weather was actually hotter this year than last.
We are still counting the days until our lease is up though. We just had to have the entire radio/navigation system replaced among other things.

gmcustsvc

Hello Bmanly,
I apologize that you are experiencing a concern with your vehicle. How many times have you had it into the dealership for the same concern? Do you only experience it on long trips? Thank you,
Mariah GM Customer Service

angusmcgee

Refer to my original posting on November 18, 2009.

Here's the update. Neither our dealer nor the GM representative were able to diagnose the problem with the air conditioner on our 2008 Enclave.

Last December, just prior to the 2 year anniversary of our purchase, we worked with our dealer and GM to utilize GM's re-purchase program.

GM bought our 2008 and built us a new 2010. We've experienced no problems with the 2010.

bmanly

Mariah,
I believe we took it in at least twice last summer and kept getting the "can't replicate the condition" line, which you wouldn't be able to do unless you drive it for 5+ hours in hot humid weather. It has never acted up on short trips, only long ones. It is an issue with the front evaporator design as AngusMcGee notes as well. Hope you guys find a fix .

gmcustsvc

Hello Bemanly,
Can you please email me your VIN and current mileage so I can look into your situation further? You can get my email by clicking on gmcustsvc. Thank you,
Mariah GM Customer Service

bturig

All,
We took our 2008 Enclave back in on June 7th, 2010, because air conditioner again. Per what the dealership told my wife, there was a "Factory Recall" on the air conditioner or part of it.

Anyways, for what it's worth, I am looking at our copy of the service sheet, and it states "SOFTWARE UPDATE", "PERFORM SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR HVAC CONTROL HEAD".

It's been two months now, and it's been a warm South Carolina summer, with no problems yet with the AC.

circlew

I had a similar problem with my 2003 Yukon Denali. I asked the service rep at the dealer and he said to leave the front and rear temp set to 74 Deg. F. for 20 minutes while driving.

The system automatically reset to blow air conditioned air. I do not know if that will work in your case but it couldn't hurt to give it a try. Apparently, the system needs this every few cycles from season to season.

Does not solve the failure of the compressor at 50K miles on my Denali, however! :mad:

Regards,
OW

pclay

Yes, we had the software update also but we have experienced the problem several times since then. We just sold our Enclave. The AC problem, plus the heated windshield fluid fire danger, plus other problems I have seen on others Enclaves convinced us to get rid of the car! Too bad, could have been a nice car if not for so many problems.

amblake

My 2008 Enclave is currently at the dealer for the same problem. We were about 1-2 hours into our trip when the front a/c stopped blowing and the rear a/c was blowing warm. So far they don't know what is wrong with it and want to keep it overnight. Said they are going to call engineering to see if there is a fix for it. I hope there is, because I don't want to take it back until they fix it. It was extremely hot and humid outside and the temp in the car rose rapidly. I will be afraid to take it on another long trip in the heat. Please let me know if you have a resolution.

d4ddybig

I Am posting here because i wanted to offer support about the problems you shared. Thank you for posting . i felt alone with my issues about my truck. I too am having A/C problems. I took it to the dealer today and they told me that i was not covered under warranty and that i would have to pay $120 just to have them look at it!!! I felt so angry because this sh#t shouldn't be happening on a 2008. I had a 1993 Colt Vista, the a/c in there needed freon and it was still working when we donated it. Today i felt defeated by my lack of understanding for car mechanics but what really hurt the most was that this was the first brand new car i ever bought and i have had so many problems with that i have not really enjoyed the "NEW CAR EXPERIENCE." :mad: :confuse: Wht happened?????

d4ddybig

I bought my Enclave in July of 2007 straight off the delivery truck. It would be my first brand new car experience and our sole mode of transportation. I wa very happy because it came at a time in my life when i was really testing the new information from The Secret (LAW oF ATTRACTION). I will have to make another post under the Buick ENCLAVE Experience 3.2 . My A/C has been acting really weird!! The front vents blower stopped at some point, the rear a/c blows warm to hot air all back in June or July (really hot days). I had freon put in it and then it was ok, just recently i noticed that it was warm air coming out from the front as i had it to the max. I kept thinking NOOOOOOOO! IN the Enclave it is very well insulated so A/C is a must bcause the temp can rise very fast. i took it in to the dealer and they wanted $120 just to check it, i balked because i had issues with my CD player, drive shaft axle, rear door hatch switch, and washer fluid heater. I just wanted to get out of there before they told me that it was gonna be another $1500 for stuff that shouldn't be happening to a 2008. i say that because I had a 93 Colt Vista and the original radio cd player , a/c, and high mileage worked just fine. Are you seriously telling me that this beautiful creation from Buick is a bust? I LOVE THIS DAMN CAR! I DISLOVE THE ISSUES THOUGH.!!! I VE REPLACED MOTORS,TRANSMISSION, door hatch switches. I am outta my warranty and didnt buy the exten ded because i trusted the American Car. I feel slighted, cheated, and hurt. I want my new car experience the way it was meant to be. i guess i have to buy it from a Lexus dealer instead.

vickiefontaine

I have a 2008 Enclave. I will be taking it to the dealership AGAIN on Monday to have the AC worked on. This will be at least the 5th time I have had it worked on so it is becoming more and more inconvenient. Plus, living in Texas, you don't want to be without AC! Do I have any options? I don't owe a whole lot on the car and I don't want to trade in and have to start over on payments.

pclay

Well, we sold ours. It is very clear that GM is refusing to deal with the problem. If we had been in a situation where we could not have traded or sold our Enclave then I would have contacted the BBB and the State Attorney General's Office to file a complaint. Good luck! This just shows that GM has never changed.

bmanly

I was the orginal complainer in this forum about this Enclave AC problem. We thought after a incident-free summer of 2010 the AC problem had gone away but recently the quickly dissappearing Ac reared its ugly, and now dangerous head again,this time with a full load of angry passengers (including my father in law who recently had open heart surgery!!). This time it was only after about two hours of driving, and this time even the rear aux system seemed to shut down too. We ended up shutting off the AC for about a half hour as we drove and what do you know it came back on fine for the last 10 minutes of trip. The next day, no problem at all with AC. It was a fairly humid in DC this weekend but temps were not particularly hot. Very aggravating. I am counting the days until the lease is up in October as I know I will take it to the dealer and he will say they can't replicate the problem and the Ac works fine for them.

Has anybody officially diagnosed the problem and gotten it fixed so that it hasn't come back?

bturig

Ditto on the problem being back. It's hot in South Carolina.

Same issues. My feeling is that they car has a original refrigerant leak. My wife is taking it back to the Dealership this week. Perhaps they can recharge the system. This seemed to help before.

We are also looking forward to getting rid of this car.

circlew

Buy a CX-9 less money and better quality. If you like a driver's rig, you'll love it!

Regards,
OW

tom320

:lemon: :lemon: My Enclave AC problem has has continued as well. Last November I had to take it in for problems that resulted in what I was told air-conditioning lines. Now they are saying that the condenser is leaking. I am frustrated and very disappointed because this was my first brand new purchase and half of the time I spent in the service department. I feel jilted because this car was made at a time when GM had its problems and the craftmanship reflects where the company was at the time. I would love to trade but cannot because it would make me upside-down. We have to ride it out. : (
I've had so many other problems with this vehicle and GM knows because of the history it has with service department. Wishing I had better options.

gmcustsvc

tom320,

I apologize for the problems you are experiencing with your vehicle. By chance have you spoken with GM Customer Assistance? Please keep me posted.

Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service

pclay

We had the same problem on and ongoing basis. We frequently travel into hot humid areas. We were told over and over that GM didn't know anything about this problem.

Frankly, GMs response appears to be that it's the customer's fault. In other words, GM doesn't notify their dealers about the problem and it's up to you to convince them. I believe this is an engineering problem. That is, the A/C system wasn't designed correctly.

This has been going on for over a year now! Come on GM, does it take a class action lawsuit to get you guys to honor your warranty?

circlew

I ask this respectfully: would you buy another GM considering your experience with the service you received?

Regards,
OW

gmcustsvc

pclay,
I apologize for your frustrations. Can you please send me your VIN? What did your dealer say? Have you spoke with Customer Assistance? I look forward to your response.
Christina
GM Customer Service

vickiefontaine

Update....we ended up having our Enclave AC worked on 7 times. I think the last time it was finally fixed. The dealership (not the same one where we bought it) was wonderful. Then one day, the dealership where we did buy it called, "just to check on us and see how we liked our Enclave". Boy, did I give him an earful! He was speechless, to say the least. My experiences with GM directly have been laughable. I actually got an email from GM telling me that they are not going to discuss the problem with me anymore....can you believe that? I kept the email but also forwarded it to the dealership doing the repairs and to the dealership where I bought it. They wanted to see it so they could show it to their GM rep who comes around. Of course, I have not heard anything else back from them.

Now on to another problem....at the end of February 2011, I noticed it was driving sluggishly. I thought I had gotten a bad tank of gas and figured I would have to drive it down then put some good stuff in it. While waiting in the car pickup line to pick my kids up from school, I was sitting idling for a bit. Once the line began moving, I put it into Drive but it wouldn't drive. I was finally able to make it go enough to get my kids picked up then I had to pull over. Called the dealership and they sent a tow truck. Yes, my Enclave with less than 60,000 miles on it had the transmission go out! I have had other cars with well over 100,000 miles on it that never had transmission problems. Thank goodness it was covered under the warranty and they had a loaner car for me to drive but now I never leave the house without wondering if my car will make it home. Pretty frustrating situation! We drove to Florida for vacation and we took my husbands FORD truck because there was no way I was going to take a chance on driving the Enclave 1,000 miles each way! I will never, ever, ever, ever have another GM vehicle!! I will ride a bike first!

gmcustsvc

bmanly,

I apologize for the problems you experiencing with your A/C. Please keep me posted if you do decide to take the vehicle in to be diagnosed.

Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service

pclay

I also drive a Chevy Silverado, which I like. I've owned several of these and all have been good trucks. We traded the Enclave for a Buick sedan, which is just OK, at best. We would not purchase a GM sedan again, as we believe the quality is just not there.

gmcustsvc

bturig,
I apologize for your frustrations. Please keep me updated on your situation. Have a great weekend!
Christina
GM Customer Service

rhow1

The air conditioner in my 2008 Buick Enclave stopped working yesterday. Took the car to the dealer today. Diagnosis: leaking freon somewhere along the lines, they are not sure where, they do not have the part to replace it, and they do not know when they can fix it.
To my surprise and horror, I see other "happy" Enclave owners have already been through this.
How can I bring this problem to the attention of the authorities? It appears to me that GM should recall the AC lines for this vehicle.
It is not acceptable to have the AC lines leaking in a 3-year old luxury vehicle! And it is a major inconvenience in the hot Georgia summer, and right before the July 4th holiday!

gmcustsvc

vickiefontaine,

I apologize for the problems you have experienced with your vehicle. Are you experiencing any issues at this time?

Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service

vickiefontaine

Hi Caron

As a matter of fact, I am going to have to take my Enclave to the dealership tomorrow because now my brake light is coming on and Service Brake message. It's also telling me that the stabiltrack is off. So once again, I will be without a car while they try to figure out what's going on this time. Have you seen all my threads? It's been in 7 times for the AC and then I had to have the transmission replaced back in February. I started a file with GM but they did absolutely nothing other than extend my AC warranty from 50,000 miles to 80,000 miles. I informed them that in Texas, if a problem is diagnosed and documented prior to the warranty expiring, then they have to fix it even if the warranty expires. So basically, they were just agreeing to follow the law. I got a very rude email from a Buick rep telling me that GM is not going to discuss the AC matter with me anymore. I still have the email if you would like to see it. I can certainly forward it to you.

Thanks,
Vickie

gmcustsvc

Vickie,

I apologize for the problems you are experiencing with your vehicle. Please keep me posted on any information from the dealership.

Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service

circlew

Apologizing is lame. Do something to help. Get involved. Sorry doesn't fix it.

Regards,
OW

bmanly

Amen to that Circlew/OW!!

There seem to be 3-4 different GM customer services reps chiming in on this, offering apologies, but what we want is to hear that a HVAC engineer at Buick is looking at the unique A/C problem and how to fix it ASAP. It feels like Buick/GM is just trying to sweep this under the rug, but you just can't do that anymore in today's social media environment. Instead of taking this car to Maine this summer we will be cramming into my wife's Prius to make the 12 hour trip. It is just too big of a risk to go without possiblity of A/c on a long trip in the middle of summer.

GM, this vehicle was such a step in the right direction for american-made SUVs from a design, gas mileage, size, etc etc standpoint IMHO. Please follow through on this issue and don't ignore it.

vickiefontaine

Well said, bmanly! I'm tired of "sorry'....these cars are supposed to be luxury cars and they certainly are not cheap. I can't trade mine in because I'm too close to having it paid off and I can't afford to start all over on car payments.

ALERT! My Enclave is in the shop again today but not for the AC problem or transmission issues. Now my "Check Brake System" light is on and it's flashing a message saying that the stabiltrick is off. So here I am again....losing time at work....to take my car to the dealership. GM doesn't care about my personal time that all this has cost me not to mention the inconvenience. I told one CS rep that if GM did something as simple as send me a gas card for $200, that would go a long ways in making me feel like I was a valued customer and that they truly wanted to make things right. What's $200 to GM?? But of course, that could not be done. I understand your feelings about the travel plans. We had to take my husband's truck on vacation because we were driving over 2,000 miles round trip and there was no way I was going to risk not having air. It was not as comfortable and we used at least $150 more in gas than what we would have used in my Enclave. But again, they just don't care. At this point, all I feel like I can do is just make sure everyone knows how GM has treated me and discourage anyone and everyone I know from buying GM!!

vickiefontaine

HECK NO!!! I am going back to FORD or may try a Toyota next time!!

vickiefontaine

Caron,
You did not indicate that you were interested in seeing the email I was sent so I am taking the liberty of posting it here on this forum. Note the portion in bold print.

Service Request: 71-8787XXXXX
Customer Relationship Specialist: Mary

Dear Vickie,

Thank you for contacting Buick.

General Motors realizes that a consumer not only purchases a GM vehicle because of its high quality and dependability, among others. We are sorry that it has not been a great experience for you, with the A/C concerns that you have had on your 2008 Buick Enclave.

Our Buick Customer Assistance Center operates under the same guiding principles. When our office receives a request for assistance from one of our customers, it gathers information and thoroughly investigates each situation to determine the appropriate consideration for that case. Rest assured that all resources are exhausted to make sure that a decision is made equitable to all parties, depending on the merits that surround the concern.

We have reviewed your Service Request 71-8787XXXXX with the Buick Customer Assistance Center . We support the decision that was previously made and communicated to you. We apologize that the decision was not in accordance with your wishes, however, this is the final decision of General Motors and we will no longer address additional communications on this subject. Please feel free to contact us again with any other concerns you may have outside of this issue. If you should need to contact us in the future, simply reply to this message or call our Buick Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-521-7300. Customer Relationship Specialists are available Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

Sincerely,

The Buick Consumer Support Team

midtenn

Ok, I understand that there are quite a few Enclave owners that have experienced this A/C problem where the front stops blowing and the rear only blows warm air. My question is Has anyone actually had the problem resolved permanently? I'm going to the dealer next week and would like to know if there is a successful fix for this or not.

MidTenn

bturig

My wife just took back our 2008 Enclave for the third time in 3 years for A/C problems. Once again they found no leak, but added more refrigerant which resolved the symptoms, and we are cooling again.

After 3 times in 3 years, it would be ignorant of me ..............
1) to not expect to be taking it back next year.
2) to not assume this is a manufacturing defect.
3) to not expect this is going to cost me a load of money in the future.

Happy 4th of July to Everyone!

vickiefontaine

Hello MidTenn

I am hoping mine is finally, after 7 tries, truly fixed. The dealership had to put dye in the line and then shine the ultraviolet light on it. There was a leak from the front to the back. I'm sorry I don't know all the technical terms. It has been several months ago...before Christmas....and it is still doing well. I am in Texas and we are experiencing temps well over 100 degrees everyday and so far, so good. The dealership has been wonderful; ironically, it's not the same dealership where I bought the car.

Best wishes!

vickiefontaine

It took 7 times before mine finally got fixed (hopefully for good). In my state, once a problem is documented, they have to continue fixing it even after the warranty expires so hopefully this is the case where you live. After throwing a fit with GM, they "graciously" extended myAC warranty to 80,000 miles. Of course, I told the rep that they really weren't doing anything extraordinary because of the fact that in my state, they legally have to keep repairing it. So while GM wants to act like they are doing me this big favor, they are really only complying with the law. I want to say again that the dealership has been outstanding! I couldn't be more pleased with how hard they have worked to try to get this permanently fixed. They always had a loaner for me and kept me in the loop with what was going on. My issue is not with them at all; it's with GM. Good luck!

PS-Has your transmission gone out yet? Mine went out at 60K miles. Thank goodness it was covered under the warranty!

vickiefontaine

I am just about in tears. My Enclave AC is actually working fine (after 7 times in the shop) but my transmission is failing again. It went out late February of this year and was replaced with a brand new transmission. Just now I tried to back up my driveway and it wouldn't budge. It will not go in reverse and is barely going in drive. I am so sick of this. I am now without a vehicle for the holiday weekend. I have to call the dealership first thing Tuesday to get it towed and have it worked on AGAIN. GM doesn't care; that's the bottom line. Months ago I asked them to consider working with me to trade this defective piece of junk in but they would not even consider it. It's almost paid off and I cannot start over on a car payment. I don't have the money to try to fight them. All I can do is tell everyone I know what has happened to me so they won't make the same mistake I made.

bmanly

Mid Tenn,
I would reply that it depends...

Does your problem go away the next day? If so we suspect it is a buildup of ice somewhere that causes the condenser to slowly stop being able to provide cold air, particularly on very humid days. It is similar to when your home's A/C "freezes up" in the middle of summer. Once that ice melts though, air conditioning resumes working normally. Your dealer will never be able to "duplicate the problem " though so they will not be much help fixing if the problem is as I described. Typically the freon is not low in these cases.

A lot of the other folks on this forum seem to have leaks in their systems leading to low freon. This is an easier problem to diagnose as they can measure freon and do a leak test. Whether they can permanently fix the leak is the question.

Best of luck.

gmcustsvc

bturig,
Can you please email me and tell me more of what you have experienced, as well as your VIN? I would be happy to look into your situation further.
Christina
GM Customer Service