Chevy Suburban and Tahoe AC and Heater Problems
Got problems with air conditioning or climate control systems? Discuss them here!
tidester, host
See also: Air Conditioning Troubleshooting Tips
tidester, host
See also: Air Conditioning Troubleshooting Tips
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When I spoke w/ the service department at the dealership, they basically told me "too bad", the compressor is coming apart, and there is no help from GM.
Has anyone else had this problem? And if so, what was your fix.
Thanks
I'm guessing that there is a relay or module that actually controls the speeds of the fan.
Anyone have any idea what and where this is?
I have occasionally had the loud noise from under the hood at engine start-up especially when my Tahoe has been sitting for a few days. From the posts I have learned that this noise comes from the belt tensioner banging around as the compressor tries to lock-up.
To prevent any lock-up for lack of lubrication I decided to add one can of compressor lubrication oil in my Tahoe's A/C system.
When I added the oil I immediately noticed remarkably big noise reduction when the engine was idling. REALLY BIG difference.
I also noticed that the engine runs smoother and guess what, it looks like the gas mileage went up by almost a mile per gallon.
--Arrie--
1-Cabin Air Filter- Where is it located? I bought a filter and want to change it.
2-My overhead/rear heat/AC controls no longer work. Should I first check fuses?
3-My factory radio from the get go always makes this wierd noise that comes and goes. Even had it replaced w/ a new on under warranty, but still happens. Kind of sounds like an electronic interference or something. Of course it never occurs at the dealer. I'm almost ready to just put a aftermarket one in...
Is the sound you hear a high pitch 'whistling' sound that slightly changes pitch with change in engine speed?
If it is you could have an intake manifold gasket leak. That makes the same kind of sound as sometimes radio does when the alternator interferes with it.
If your problem is electrical, not the intake air leak you might want to work with your alternator, not the radio to fix it.
Amazing if the dealer replaced your radio on warranty and did not go check the alternator?
Arrie
Why replace the radio when you have this sound when radio is not even on?
Perhaps my 'whistling' was a bad reference for the type of sound. Transistor sound is a good reference to what I mean by the type of sound it can make when intake manifold gasket does not hold against the vacuum.
Just for the heck of it have your intake manifold fastening bolts checked for proper torque (or do this easy task yourself). That at least rules it out as a possible source for the noise. And don't be surprised if it even fixes the problem.
Arrie
Found this thread because my overhead controls work, but the dash controls don't provide heat... only cool. I know it's the "gate" or "valve" that mixes air, I just need to locate the fix.
The thing is it's different from how it used to work, where it would control to the temperature that was set.
The dealer simply said that I need a new computer. But to me it seems like a sensor problem, because the computer is still doing everything that it normally does, except backing off when it reaches temperature. It's as if it can no longer sense the cabin temperature correctly.
Has anyone had any problem like this, and if so did you figure out how to fix it? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mick
San Antonio
Go USAF!
I'm glad that you solved your problem. Thanks for the website references too - they're really great.
It looks like I have also solved my problem. It turns out that the perforated disk in the head-liner above the driver's seat covers a device called an "aspirator", which is a small fan that sucks air out of the cabin over a thermister to measure the air temperature inside the vehicle. The thermister leads had bent and it was touching on the fan preventing it from spinning. Once I bent it back into place, the system worked normally. Not sure how it got bent in the first place!!
How did you "get" to this area in the head-liner? I haven't found any good way to investigate the rattling.
Could this termister/sensor be causing the rear compartment temperature actuator from working? The rear HVAR is stuck on cold, no matter if I change the temperature settings on the front upper console or rear console. I tried replacing the actuator, but that didn't fix it.
Thanks!
I used a screwdriver to pry off the perforated disk in the headliner. It has four legs that clip into the cover on the "aspirator" assembly. They have actually used adhesive to hold the cable in place so that the assembly doesn't move very far when you do this.
To get in there, I pulled the rubber door seal away from the frame, and the cover on the B pillar also pulled out - it's held on by several clips. THen I was able to get my hands up between the roof and the headliner, but there wasn't much room to see what I was doing or to manipulate things around.
It turned out that the cover on the aspirator had become detached and when I got that back on and reattached the perforated disk, the system worked normally.
If you had to replace the assembly, then you'd have to figure out how to disconnect the electrical connector - wouldn't be easy due to the difficulty of getting your hands in there and it wasn't obvious to me where the clip was that held the connector in place.
Hope this helps, and if you find an easier way, please let me know in case I have to go in there again.
Noel
I'm wondering now if the second one has something to do with my rear HVAC problem.
Thanks again,
Chris
Interesting!!! My rear system works OK, so it makes sense that it has a separate sensor somewhere. I had never gone looking for it. Where exactly is it behind the seat?
My front system is still flaky - sometimes OK and sometimes it just keeps heating, so I think I'll actually have to bite the bullet and buy a new one of those "aspirators". It was $54 at the dealer and about $32 on-line but I think that getting the cable disconnected could be the biggest challenge because there's really not much space to get your fingers in there. Please let me know how you get on.
Noel
I may breakdown and go get it looked at. Just haven't had the time nor the money.
If you hear something pertaining to this, please write.
Thanks!
Chris
Vehicle:
1997chevy tahoe 4x4, 5.7L (350)
Problem:
When I acquired this used vehicle, I noticed the air conditioning wasn't fully charged
and it was blowing luke-cold air from the vents. Everything was working fine and
operational, aside from the fact that the air was not very cold). I stopped using the a/c
because it wasn't that hot outside, but before I ever had a chance to get the a/c serviced, something must've failed in the system.
Now, all that works is just the actual fan motor. I always left the position on the '
(all the way to the left), and now it's stuck that way and only blows air from the floor
vents. Even when you try to turn the dial to get the air off of the floor vents, the
air continues to blow from the floor vents when the blower motor is turned on, regardless
of the position of the selector. Also, the actual A/C button does not work (the light does
not illuminate and the compressor does not kick-on anymore...same problem with the
other 'air circulation button').
Hope this helps.
Has anyone found a solution to this noisy problem?!