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Dodge Ram Climate Control

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Comments

  • dasobdasob Member Posts: 4
    Howdy -

    This is my first time here. My handle, DaSOB comes from my initials, SOB. Yep, fer real! My real name is Sam.

    I have a 1998 Ram 1500, and I've begun having a problem with intermittent delivery of warm air. The blend door is working properly. I can pull a vacuum on the control valve and it opens right up. I've checked the system and flushed the core, but the problem persists. I've isolated the apparent problem - no vacuum to the heater control valve. This condition exists whether the temperature selector is in the hot or cold position.

    The vacuum system, as far as I can tell, is performing correctly, as is the valve. It appears that the problem is possibly with the control head or the vacuum connection to it. I'm going to go into the dash and pull the control head to check it, probably this weekend.

    As I have said, this is an intermittent problem, leading me to think that instead of being a vacuum problem it is a switch problem. Can anyone give me details on what occurs, or should occur, relative to pulling a vacuum on the control valve? Is there a contact or relay somewhere in the line that may be bad?

    Thanks, folks!!

    Sam
  • dasobdasob Member Posts: 4
    Update - what I have been taking to be the heater control valve in the input side is actually a vacuum-actuated coolant shut-off valve. It looks like the valve is not opening all the way when there is no vacuum, and is keeping water out of the core. I removed the valve and spliced the hose with a 5.8" connector, and the heater works just fine.
  • dwoolbertdwoolbert Member Posts: 1
    Sam,

    Can you tell me where the valve is located at this point, or shoot a picture of it and email to me. (consultants@phxconsultants.com) I've got a Dodge Ram 1500 Sport (2000) with a problem similar in that the climate control doesn't work at all at this point.

    Dennis
  • dasobdasob Member Posts: 4
    Hey, Dennis -

    The valve is located in the passenger side heater hose. Looks basically like this: image

    although mine is black plastic. No one, and I mean NO ONE, not even the parts guy at Dodge or some guys I know at a local radiator shop, knows why it is there. I just took it out of the hose and put in a 5/8" splice, and the heater works fine.

    HTH!

    Sam
  • 15fritz15fritz Member Posts: 1
    DAN
    I have a 02 2500 with the same problem
    Please let me know if you have solved your problem
    Thank you~~ fritz
  • cdb82cdb82 Member Posts: 6
    No I have not, it has been a real pain trying to solve this problem! for now I'm just grateful its cool enough to not run the A/C. Man if you figure this out, please contact me?????
    Thanks,
    Danny B
  • dasobdasob Member Posts: 4
    My panel/defrost door seems to have a mind of its own. Sometimes when I accelerate, the door will open and switch the airflow from the panel up to the windshield. When I decelerate, it will close again and the airflow will come back to the dash. I can hear the door "plop" shut.

    I'm sure this is a vacuum problem, but I'm not well acquainted enough with the operation of the system to know what component to look at. Anyone help me on this?

    Thanks!!
  • hillsedhillsed Member Posts: 1
    if you find what is causing your airflow to switch on acceleration I would like to know the solution. I am also having the same problem with my 99 1500. It also causes the 4 wheel drive to kick out. I know they are both using the vacuum for control.
  • dodgeracing07dodgeracing07 Member Posts: 1
    hi there i have 2002 Ram and i just brought my truck to get fixed it does have 100,000 miles on it but whatevere...the problem i was having was that i had no heat on the driver side and i could not get my defroster on nor could i switch to get heat to the ground...i need to get the door replaced cause it had ended up getting stuck in a positon and breaking...i also had to have my blower motor replace due to all the stress it was getting put on it...if this is problem everyone is having why hasnt any type of statement come out to warn the owners of these trucks that this problem exist...any answers would be appreciated
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2002/24-004-02.htm
  • vinny12vinny12 Member Posts: 1
    do i have to take the dash board out to check the vacum actuated coolant shut off valve or thevacum control valve? thanks vinny12
  • cowboysdadcowboysdad Member Posts: 3
    just had to replace the heater core in my 99 1500 ram.
    since replacing core, the heat is very cool, especially if the truck is only idling.
    will not even defrost windshield
    does better if engine is revved
    leads me to think that i have a vacuum problem, but i have checked the lines and they seem to be in good condition
    does anyone have experience with these things. help please
    thanks
    doug
  • dearlnealdearlneal Member Posts: 5
    I need to repair the heater core in my 99 1500 ram. Can you offer any hints/do's/dont's before I start this task?
  • dearlnealdearlneal Member Posts: 5
    The bearings in my AC compressor are about to lock up and I wanted to take the poor mans route to fix it. Buy a new serpentine belt to bypass the compressor. I bought a belt, but it was too short. Either the belt is defective or I have to modify some other component to make it fit. Has anyone ever done this. It should have been straight forward and cheap to fix.

    I have 99 ram 1500 5.9L 4x4
  • cowboysdadcowboysdad Member Posts: 3
    i did not do the work myself--i paid a guy to do it for me, but as you can see from my post--i have virtually no heat now
    be sure you get someone who knows what they are doing so you don't get in the trap i did
    i considered doing it myself, and would have done so except for time constraints, and a lack of suitable workspace.
    you do have to take out the dash so i'm sure it would be pretty tricky
    sorry i can not be of more help
    doug
  • dearlnealdearlneal Member Posts: 5
    Nevermind. I figured it out. The Parts store suggested a 88.5" belt and I needed a 89.5". That's all there was to it. Now I have truck with No AC. This should be okay for about 4 more months.
  • jobrienjobrien Member Posts: 2
    02 quad cab 115,000 miles. Its almost summe in Texas so I must get resolved soon!
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    This has been a common complaint on late model Rams. The first remedy is to make sure you have a full fill of R134a and no leaks or blockages. If that doesn't cure it, the subsequent step is to check the blend doors in the dashboard that control the entrance of outside air.

    kcram - Pickups Host
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    Does the condenser fan run when the a/c is on? If not, check relay #56 and fuse #39
  • jobrienjobrien Member Posts: 2
    I will get it recharged and see if that helps. Hopefully there are no leaks. Thank you for the quick responses from the forum!
  • jrhurnjrhurn Member Posts: 1
    Sam,

    Is this under the dash or in the engine compartment?

    James
  • duffey8709duffey8709 Member Posts: 2
    hi i have a 1998 ram 1500 2wd 102,000 miles and my ac does not blow cold. since december i havent been using the ac only the heater and that works fine, and now that the weather is changing and getting warmer i would like to figure out how to fix my ac problem i live in texas and would like to fix this problem a.s.a.p. id appreciate it if anybody could help me out with suggestions,solutions,or anything.

    thanks
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Well, just a guess but I would speculate that the valve shuts off flow to the heater when the air conditioning mode is selected.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • dearlnealdearlneal Member Posts: 5
    Do you have a good charge in the AC system?
  • duffey8709duffey8709 Member Posts: 2
    im not sure what that means. how can u find out if you do. and how do u recharge the ac system?

    thanks
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    That means whether or not your AC system has a proper amount of R134a refrigerant and appropriate pressure. There are kits for the DIYer, but if that's out of your league, dealers and most large shops will do that any time of year (defrosters also use the AC compressor to dehumidify, so the system is functioning even in winter).

    kcram - Pickups Host
  • 2smart4him2smart4him Member Posts: 1
    I am the owner of a '04 Dodge Ram 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 65,000 miles. My A/C blows air as does my heater; however, when I push the compressor switch the compressor does not engage but the fan runs. Also, when turning the heater speed on high it sounds like the air is being forced through the vents and creates a whistling sound.

    Thanks :sick:
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Sounds like the mode door is stuck or the mode door motor is not working correctly.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • jimma976jimma976 Member Posts: 1
    nightmare, hot air pass. side, lukewarm drivers side.replaced heater core, tstat,waterpump,had heater box out and actuators worked fine.Tried new heater control and it worked great for 4 weeks, now back to original problem.please help!!!!!!!!(not a dual climate control either)
  • wrknman68wrknman68 Member Posts: 1
    I know from reading that there are a number of you who have experienced this issue. Blowing cold on drivers side, hot on passenger side. Just wanted to add my story as well. Purchased new 05 2500 CTD 4x4 in aug 05, within 1 week had it back to dealer shop for same issue. first there was "a piece of tape holding door open" accepted the explaination, and it worked marginally for about 2 days. Took back, then they said I had lost charge due to a defective condensor coil. Again work ok for a little while. Took back in nov 05, defective blend door, replaced and worked ok, though took forever for passenger side to start cooling. Back to shop again in may 06 for same issue. I would expect that for 40,000 that I got an A/C that worked, especially in Phoenix. Now it is Mar 07, and I am going back to the shop again for the same. Do any of you know if there is a permanent fix for this. It is such a hassel to continually take it in for repair. I have owned ford and gmc diesels, and never so much had a loose screw, much less repeated issues. I am half thinking that I will go elsewhere with another make if it continues. :mad:
  • tflowerstflowers Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 ext cab, The Climate Control will not work properly. It is ether all the way cold or all the way hot. Cold/Heat it want mix, you can have the control all the way cold and start turning it toward the hot side and it will stay cold until it gets about halfway, then it goes all the way hot. The same coming from the hot side. It is ether hot or cold, no mixing. I have replaced the Temp. Climate Control in the dash and I have replaced the motor that controls the door inside the unit. Has anyone had this problem?
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I think there's a thermistor in the heater housing that senses the air temperature. This causes the same condition on Chrysler cars.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • nahtechnahtech Member Posts: 1
    Did you do the repair yourself or did you finally get the dealer to repair this? From all of the info from this forum, I think I would be better off to repair this myself. What's your take on all of this?
  • pcurfmanpcurfman Member Posts: 2
    The AC/Heater blower motor runs intermittently. When problem first started, turning the ignition off and restarting usually brought the motor back on. Problem got worse and multiple restarts were needed. Sometimes the blower would shut off and then turn back on while driving. Replaced the ignition switch, this did not help. Checked voltage at the blower motor connector with the key in the on position, engine not running. First check showed 2 volts, turned key off and back on, then showed 11 volts, off and back and, showed 7 volts, off and back on, showed 0 volts. Pulled the blower motor and briefly connected it to 12 volts, motor ran. Blower motor resistor looks and checks fine. Can anyone help?
  • pcurfmanpcurfman Member Posts: 2
    I had the same problem, it appears that the seal around the drain tube at the firewall was deteriorated. When water dripped out of the tube while driving, the water ran down the bottom side of the tube and thru the firewall. Went to Autozone and had them find a rubber elbow that would slip over the outside of the drain tube. Hoseclamped the elbow around the tube. This allowed the water to drip straight down and not run along the drain tube. Problem fixed.
  • ronsonleronsonle Member Posts: 1
    The blower motor in my truck was acting up. It seemed to be related to the speed switch selector. I cycled the switch through all of the different speed settings, and it started working again. It's a Texas truck - plenty of dirt gets in everything around here.

    The blower also started making a fluttering noise - especially on high speeds. That turned out to be a small piece of refuse lodged inside the blower rotor. The blower motor on the 03 model drops out easily. It's on the passenger side under the dash right in front door hinges. Remove 3 straight slot screws on the bottom of the housing and it drops straight down. I imagine the piece of refuse got picked up when the A/C was on recirculate - I should keep the floor picked up better!
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    I believe my problem may have some differences...if I replicate a previous post, please forgive me...

    Vehicle: 2004 Ram 1500, 4 Door, 5.7L Hemi, manual control A/C

    History: in the 2.5 years since purchase, the A/C coming from the vents has been freezing and high volume, cooling the 4 door cabin quickly, even with temps in the high 90s...

    Last Wednesday, June 13, wife is driving with 2 passengers, temp is in the mid 80s...suddenly, A/C is blowing cool, but not cold air, and, even on high fan, the air volume seems decreased, like the fan is blowing hard but less air is coming out...

    I leave it at the Dodge dealer next day for repair (as an aside, I was given a loaner PT Cruiser that had the COLDEST A/C I have ever experienced in my life...so cold, that I had to turn the knob almost 25% toward heat, as I have never experienced air so cold from an auto A/C that I could not tolerate it...MAKE MY RAM LIKE THIS!!!)

    Dealer checks out, says A/C at vent is 43 degrees, checks blend door and says working normal...in other words, there is nothing wrong with the truck...BUT I KNOW SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT!!!

    The following day, I take it to Goodyear, and they tell me that it is possible that the R134a may be just a LITTLE low, but not low enough to trigger a warranty repair from Dodge...since this could be a major variable, it made sense to me, so they evacuated the system and replaced with the exact amount of R134 it calls for...

    Now the problem is improved, but it has changed, so maybe you folks have a thought on what to check next...

    The air became very cold, but it took almost 20 minutes of running before it became as cold as it used to be...so, the coldness is there, but there was a 20 minute delay, whereas before last week, it would blow cold air within 2-3 minutes...

    Is there any other component that would delay the unit from making the air cold, since I am assuming that the R134 level is now correct???

    Thanks...if your advice fixes this, I will have one happy wife again...as you know, when she isn't happy, Bob isn't happy...:):):)
  • hunter29hunter29 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I'm new to this board, and genuinely appreciate the concerns I've read. I'm the not so proud owner of an '02 Dodge Lamb which was apparently designed to fall apart at 80k miles. I'm on my third set of brakes, second oil pan, 2nd left front hub assembly (and the right side needs to be replaced), and the A/C just failed. What's best is, for the 4.7 liter, I can't buy a clutch assembly, or a bypass pulley. Right now, it looks as though I have to either cobble something and go without the A/C, or foot the bill for a new compressor. I would love to be a part of any class action lawsuit, but for the time being, this is what I plan to do: I'm going to letter my truck (it's silver) with big, black letters saying "Ask me about my Dodge!", with smaller lettering detailing the purchase price, and the dates, miles, and charges associated with repairs so that perspective Dodge buyers can see the true cost of owning a lemon.
  • riclarkriclark Member Posts: 1
    Hello board,

    I have to thank the board for pointing me in the right direction to stumble across a temporary fix for my problem. I live in Arizona so good AC is important to me. Recently the air flow out of my vents had dropped to nearly none. What was coming out was still cold, the fan was running as normal but there was no real air movement even on full power. I have manual AC controls without dual zones.

    The ac control will still change the air flow from floor to vent to defrost as normal but hardly any air was coming out.

    From the forum I found this page:

    http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2003/24-004-03.htm

    This page shows a good picture of the Ram AC housing that is located behind the glove box, so I decided to take a look.
    I took my glove box out and remove th 8 or so screws hidden by the glove box that appeared to hold the surrounding trim. Once the screws were removed I work from the passenger door side of the trim (I had to pry off the small piece of half oval shaped trim on the side of the dash that covers the join between the lower and upper half of the dashboard)I was able to pry the trim out from the door side enough to reveal the AV housing (you have to disconnect the glove box light), I did not fully remove the trim I just pushed it aside.

    Once the AC housing was exposed I put my fingers into the recirculation door (number 6 on the drawing) I could feel what turned out to be my recirculation door, it had broken off and dropped down covering the duct to the air fan restricting the air flow. It was loose in the housing I could move it around. Also I could see where it had broken off from the recirculation door activator.

    I had found my problem so I considered my options. The first option was go to the dealer and pay him to remove the entire AC assembly and replace the broken part. The down side here was both the cost, the wait for parts and truck down time. Its already over 110 degrees here so I wasn't keen on waiting. The second option was to fix it myself however I do not have the time or skill to remove the AC housing. So I went with option three, "jury rig" it.

    I found that I could move the door around by putting my fingers through the recirculation door, after a wile I managed to turn it sideways and push it up through the inlet baffle (#4 on the drawing) I then let it drop down into the vent that leads to the fan assembly. The fan is located directly under the recirculation door.

    The fan assembly is held in by three screws, I manager to remove these screws with a Phillips head screw driver (it turned out that they are torx screws #25). It helps if you remove the closest screw last. Once I had removed the screws the fan assembly dropped out & I could reach into the duct and remove my recirculation door.

    I reassembled my truck (a simple reverse of the process of disassembly) without the broken recirculation door (now on a shelf in my garage). I then fired up the truck, I now have lots of cold air. I just lack the ability to switch between outside air and recirculated air but it is a huge improvement. Time taken less than 30 minutes, cost nothing.

    Next time I pass a dairy farm, run into a dust storm or find myself behind a diesel belching semi truck I may regret my "repair" but right now I am good with it.

    I hope that this helps someone else

    Richard
  • dodge92265dodge92265 Member Posts: 1
    Did some work on a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. Cold on Driver's Side, Warm on Passenger's Side. This model (and many other Dodge and Chrysler Vehicles) have the entire system set up for a dual-zone system - but on most (all) models, they just tie the mixer doors (blend doors) together and only use one servo to control them. This is a poor design. So, they have separate tubes for driver and passenger air ALL THE WAY FROM THE A/C COIL to the vents. Additionally, the A/C coil input is on the driver's side, and the tubes inside it go up-and-down until they get to the output (passenger side). What does this mean? If you're low in freon (for example, 1 pound instead of the default 2 pounds) everything seems normal - except the driver's side of the coil is cold, and the passenger's side is warm: There is not enough freon to cool the entire coil = BAM, cool driver's side, warm passenger side. So, get your freon pressure checked before you go tearing apart your dashboard. It should run you max $45 at a local auto shop, and is well worth it.
  • yoteyote Member Posts: 2
    Hi

    I just found this site and hope someone can help me. I've got a 1999 dodge ram 2500 4x4. It's powered by a 360 CID with auto tranny and a .410 or .411 rear end. The problem I have with it that no one seems to be able to solve is as follows.

    The air conditioning works fine except when I'm pulling a trailer or under load. When I depress the accelerator ie to climb a hill, the cold air flow stops blowing from the dash vents. It still blows from the defrost vents and I assume the floor vents. When I back off on the accelerator the cold air flow returns to the dash vents. Not usually a big deal but a while ago I was in southern WA in 114 F heat. Anyone heard of this problem and better yet have a solution.

    Thanks for any help

    Yote
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Sorry to hear of your truck problems. It's a shame, but fortunately, the vast majority of '02 Ram owners have not experienced anything like you have.

    I'm curious about the oil pan replacement. This is the only report I've ever heard of a 4.7 having a defective oil pan. Highly unusual is a serious understatement.

    How good is your relationship with the dealer? Most dealers will try to work with someone if there's completely no sign of negligence or abuse on the part of the vehicle owner. You should've received a seven year, 70,000 mile warranty that would've covered the oil pan. Brakes!? Well, that varies considerably by driver. The A/C compressor is not completely unusual and I've seen Dodge go 50-50 on some of them, depending on the situation.

    Maintaining a good relationship with the dealer is usually rewarding in cases like these, unless the dealer's business philosophy is poor.

    Good luck,
    Dusty
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Most modern AC systems are designed with a "throttle cut-out" program... meaning, when the computer detects maximum power is needed from the engine (such as climbing a hill with a trailer as you describe), the AC system is temporarily reduced to allow all the hp to move the truck. When the load needs return to normal (the hill has crested, you've completed the pass, etc.), the AC system also returns to normal.

    This should be noted in your owner's manual if your truck is so designed.

    kcram - Pickups Host
  • titanium29titanium29 Member Posts: 38
    Howdy Bob! (if that is your Real name!), Anyway, just a quick reply to say I have felt your pain, or in this case "heat". I have an '06 CTD MegaCab 3500, and thought the AC was a little pathetic in the summer. I also saw many postings here complaining of the same thing. I wondered about the Freon level, so I purchased a guage and to my surprise the pressure did show a little on the low side. So I charged it into the "green", and it did help. I just wonder with the auto industry being so hyper competitive these days if the manufacturers having the most financial troubles (ie. Chrysler), might think "hey, if we cut back 5 ounces on Freon, it would still run fairly cold, but at a million vehicles, we could save big bucks". Now, whether or not that is the actual case, I can't say. But it sure seems strange what your experience was, mine was, and what so many are posting here. The AC hardware in mine is Nippondenso, which is in a lot of Toyotas (which I have owned a bunch of), and I have NEVER had a cooling problem. More like the other end you speak of "running you out".
    Anyway, glad it cooled down some...just in time for August!
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    If the Throttle Position Sensor is bad he may get a premature signal to drop the A/C compressor.

    Bests,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Marsha,

    At this moment in time Chrysler is actually not in as bad a shape financially as GM and especially Ford. But I find it doubtful that they'd short the gas charge to save because it would likely trigger a customer to visit the dealership for service where it would cost the company more for warranty service.

    I'm pretty sure that there was an issue with the heater housings on the Mega Cab models and that Dodge had issued a TSB for poor A/C performance. I don't remember exactly what the defect was, but I seem to recall a full housing replacement was required. Have you experienced this?

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • jan01jan01 Member Posts: 9
    HI I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 RAM I STARTED TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALER BUT BEFORE I DID I HAD MY AC CHECKED AND I WAS LOW ON FREON. I HAD IT CHARGED UP TOO 2 LBS. AND I NOW HAVE COLD AIR ON BOTH SIDES. I TOOK A TEMP GAGE READING AND NOW I HAVE READINGS OF 40 DRGREES
  • leonnoelleonnoel Member Posts: 4
    My problem with my AC is that whenever I come to a stop the AC stops blowing out cool air. Has anybody had this problem? If I'm on the freeway the AC is great running nice and cool, once I stop or slow down to around 30 mph the AC will stop blowing cool air...it still blows just not cool anymore. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
  • whitenelwhitenel Member Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problem. Not only is it no longer cold, it seems to actually blow warm air, but only when I drive slow or come to a stop. Please let me know if you find an answer.

    Thanks,
    Lewis
  • leonnoelleonnoel Member Posts: 4
    Lewis - Exactly...it does seem to blow warm air. If I hear anything I'll let you know. Hopefully, somebody has an answer on here!

    Thanks,
    Noel
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