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Pontiac Bonneville Heating/Cooling Problems
I have a 1993 Bonneville SSE. I was not getting any heat. I sent it to a local garage and they replaced the temp sensor and the programmer. The mechanic said that it wasn't the problem and is stumped on why there is still no heat control. The mechanic is stumped with the problem and rigged something so now the heat doesn't shut off. Does anyone know what this could be?????
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I replaced the battery as alway removing the negative cable
first then the positive. put in the new battery hooking up the
positive cable then the negative. when I started the car I noticed that the temperature that displays on the climate control screen was flashing. It flashes for about a minute then stops. The air conditioning works fine but if you turn the temperature up to 80 or 85 so it should be heating it does
switch the air from the dash opening to the floor openings but the air is cool not hot. If you turn the heat all the way up to max (90) and shut the car off and restart it then the heat will work but if you lower the temp till the air conditioning comes back on and then raise it again you get cold air again. Any Ideas ? Thanks
Gerry
I'm guessing... that turning the temp all the way to 90 degrees and let it sit for a minute or two and then lower the temp to 60 and let it run for a few minutes, it should get the settings for the movements on the control arms again.
I'll check my factory service manual for 98. Gimme a day. Someone else may have it quicker.
People who have had this problem said it corrected itself after a while.
Just a thought, are the terminals at the battery clean of corrosion? Is the double connection on the positive clean between the two cable ends? That causes a lot of problems.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
to 60 Thanks. If you could check on the procedure from your
service manual that would be great.
Gerry
also tried unhooking the battery cables and touching them
together for a couple minutes to drain any stored power and I
still can,t get heat. Any idea's- Thanks
Gerry
I was told they're available at Advance Auto as well as dealers, GMpartsdirect.com, rockauto.com. Or even as a pull from a junkyard.
You should follow the power wire from the blower motor and see it goes to the module to help find the module. You can tap the power wire and check the voltage to ground as the blower motor slows or stops and see the power dropping that's coming from the module.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It worked out wonderfully.
I pulled the part from a junkyard, for $10.
Thanks for the advice.
Please post more if this has solved anyone else's issues.
Thanks alot.
I did replace the blower motor control module but have no air coming out the vents in the center. It only comes out the defrost or lower vents.
If the rest of the controls work as in defrost which is no vacuum to any of the control motors, and heater works which blocks off the air flow with a motor vane at the bottom of the box, you most likely have the AC vent problem.
The easiest fix is to take out the programmer, or gain access, and cut out the connector and join th internal plastic and outside with 1/8 inch rubber gasline pieces or slip aquarium tank line over the two ends to join them.
At least one person said they were successful at taking apart the rubbery plastic connector and punching a hole through the black nipples that collapsed and putting it back together. But usually the plastic has soften and sticks together, pulling apart in chunks.
I can send pictures to your carspace email account of the piece you're looking for. Is it an automatic temperature control system?
A good check to be sure the vacuum motor works is to switch a vacuum line from another one of the vacuum units to the one for the AC vents and switch the controls until that one operates with vacuum through the line.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The programmer sits on the corner of the heater box and has two screws holding it on. It is possible to remove the cover by unsnapping the two clips holding it in. But I'd take it loose to have more freedom.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/aircondition/fix_vacuum_line.php
Click on the pictures to see larger views. The black plastic under the passenger side has about 5 screws total holding it in place to quiet sound from under the dash and firewall. The glovebox has about 7 screws on the bottom hold its hinge to the bottom of the dash.
Then you have a good view. The large bundle of wires into the programmer can be removed, but I don't remember if you have to do that. Make a list of the colors of tubes inside the programmer mating up to the different color coming out of the plastic connector. Cut one tube that goes to the AC and reconnect it or cut all 5 tubes.
Remember someone said there's an aquarium air tube that fits over the outside of the 1/8 inch plastic.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I am having the same problem but is becoming less intermitt and more permanent. I have noticed that it blows stronger when driving and less when stopped. I have also noticed that it will stop and start while going over bumps. What do you guys think, I do not have automatic temp control.
thanks
If it is low, fill. Run car until fully hot and speed up motor to 2500 for a few seconds and repeat this 5 times to push water into heater core and get the air bubble out.
#2: If radiator full when running motor is hot, are both heater hoses hot even with blower running at full speed. If one is cooler that means there's not enough hot water flowing through fast enough to deliver hot air from the fins. The water is getting cooled by the air going over the fins and won't deliver hot air. Both hoses should be hot.
Are you saying that the blower speeds work okay? One problem is the blower control module which is like the resistor coils for old blowers is an electronic unit on the auto temperature control models. It sits on top of the air box next to the blower motor under the hood. The relay center needs to be loosened (1 or 2 bolts) and raised to access it. Available at Advanced Auto, etc.
The programmer sometimes loses its settings when batteries are changed. It's best if the heater is turned off before doing anything like that. When you installed the new programmer did you have to connect a rod from the programmer that was white plastic (yellowed) and snapped into a metal threaded rod coming out of the heater box? IF so, the heater should have been on full heat and the unit have time for the actuator inside the programmer to pull all the way to hot and then you pull the metal rod to the right and snap the two together.
See if you reach under the dash and unsnap these rods, if you move the metal rod left and right you can control the heated air temperature. If not you might have a partially blocked heater core. But usually it's the evaporator core mentioned blocking up with debris.
I am assuming yours is auto temperature control and is like my 1998 leSabre. I replaced programmer with a 95 Buick programmer when I messed it up correcting the vacuum tubing block problem that cars from 97 on seem to develope.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I have a similar problem with a co workers '98 Lesabre. I am going to try the module first. She is getting off and on heat so I am not thinking there is a water problem. Obviously, I will check the inexpensive things first. I will let you know what works.
I just read where an Impala owner took off the hoses to the heater core and flushed water backwards through the core. And globs of goop came out. I suspect the core can be blocked by gel from bad antifreeze as well as blocked by leakstoppers that people can pour in. The tubes through the heater core are so tiny they are easily blocked.
If you are able to take off heater hoses somewhere and back flush do NOT put a hose nozzle right on the hose.Your house water pressure is 40 pounds and above. The cooling system never goes above 15-18 or so. Always shoot a stream at the end of the hose; messy but safe.
The other thing I don't like is that you do get hot air for 20 seconds. But that could come from the heater core getting hot as you've shut off the air flow over it which cools it down since the water flow is blocked. So that slug of hot air around the heater and the hot water in it give heat at first.
I'd like for you to take off the hush panel under the passenger side and lie on the floor and look for the white nylon rod that mvoes the main air vane for heat control. If comes out of the programmer box which sits vertically and moves horizontally on a little threaded rod in and out of the heater case. For full heat it should pull all the way to the right -- I think. You can tell by unsnapping it and manually moving the metal rod portion.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks to the contributor who took the pictures as well. The Blower Control module is a little hard to spot. Once you remove the fuse panel (two bolts - one is easy, but the one inside the casing is a little more difficult to remove. Thankfully I have a part retriever with a magnetic end), the module is easy to remove - three screws hold it in place. Disconnect the positive battery terminal before you do any of this. I had pulled the 30 amp fuse earlier because the failed module caused the fan to run at high speed even with the ignition off. Replacing the module fixed the blower problem.
Thanks again to all who contributed to this thread !!
Remember to remove the negative cable first. And always turn off the AC and other accessories before doing that. Some have connected problems with AC units starting after replacing a battery.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thank you guys for your input.
I tried holding the auto temp button on a restart until the exterior temp stops flashing and the blend box moves back alittle and stays there, changing the temp from 32c to 15c and back works to where it stoped by holding the auto temp button but moving the blender box by hand to it's hottest position
it will now give me full temp control from 15c to 32c. Don't turn key off because it all goes back to the start.
I went to see a mechanic who as the computer tools and the 98 Buick has no codes for AC. to old he said try a new temp control panel or the rheostat in the blender box might be at fault. I would like to know where the exterior temperature probe is located maybe disconnecting that probe would solve the problem because it all works fine for the first 2 min until the ext temp flash's in the control panel.
I still manually flip the blender box control by hand to the full position after the ext. temp stops flashing,after every restart, I'm lucky it's right behind the glove box, I made it so the glove box opens right up or falls open
I suspect the problem is the actuator motor that moves the blend door, if you have the dual control system. I've seen pictures where the electric motor and the nylon reduction gears break. This causes them to slip on the hub that does the indexing as the motor moves the gears to change the vane setting. Then the unit realizes it's not working right and flashes the control light on the dash to indicate a fault.
I believe it takes a special reader, a Tech II, to see what the heating system computers are doing.
Someone in another forum connected a clothes hanger to the door control with duct tape so he could control it from the glove box area. By looking down through the glove box you could see the arm for the vane.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Your suspicion of the actuator motor at fault makes me think how come it all works fine, I mean I can use the control system to work the vane, until the
exterior temperature in the control panel starts to flash that it all goes Hay Wire.... maybe thats how that got started!
I like your mention of the other forum, my thought exactly but the vane moves all the time, once you have waited for the ext. temp. from flashing set the vane to max again then it all works fine using the control panel, so it makes it hard to connect to it and allow it to move by it's self.
By the way there is a another controller at the bottom which does not get stuck when the ext. temp. flashes in the control panel
Cost? I really need your help on this!
THANKS!
Ted Applegate
Dayton, OH
asier@aol.com
have you checked your battery cables below the connector at the battery? I assume you have the double cable going to the positive... have you cleaned between them to bright metal? Have you cut down into the plastic convering the copper cable to be sure the corrosion hasn't eaten into that part as well? I have read about people having the battery acid eat into the cables. I have even heard an extreme case where it wicked through the cables down tot he other end at the starter...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Several people seem to have had failures after battery changes. I'm not sure what that means. The units need to be turned off. Then the key turned off. ANd then the negative cable disconnect first and reconnected last. From other places I'm reading I'm not sure what you problems are.
Does the system switch to putting air out the defroster instead of the floor or dash vents? That can be a sign of the vacuum connector at the programmer box $400 box not letting the vacuum through. No vacuum means the doors are set to the defroster for safety.
The noise you hear may be the real clue. But you're saying both of you don't get heat. You need to watch the movement of the levers at the bottom of the unit while it operates to see if it's smooth. Take off the hush panel under the dash that's a thin plastic layer above the passenger's feet. It's about 3 screws and couple of taps at the floorboard. And watch the white plastic lever that moves the heat vane inside the heater box. It is #11 in the attached picture.
It comes from the programmer box and moves the vane. It snaps over the rod that sticks out of the heater box to the left. It just clips on; it looks like a screw thread but it's not.
You could unsnap it and move the heater vane all the way ?left? I think and see if you get hot air. The car should be at 90 degrees control setting and the threaded rod should beall the way to te left when the two are snapped together again to calibrate.
Your motor inside the programmer may be skipping gears and not moving the rod.
Also the actuator #4 for the passenger vane to adjust the temp up or down from the main setting usually is one shown as having cracked a plastic gear inside and losing calibration.
I know of one Pontiac owner who installed a coat hanger wire through the glovebox and to the heater vane to adjust it till he could replace the actuator for one of these--and I guess that would be for the lower one. The programmer boxes just sit on the end with two screws. There is a little connector to the actuator on top and a large wiring connector that snaps to the programmer. The connector for the plastic tubes probably WON'T come apart after you remove the little tape in the middle. I'd suggest cutting the lines and reconnecting inner and outer colors (make a list and picture before you cut) with 1/8 inch rubber hose (free from scrap box at autoparts store? Or buy a 6 inch piece).
See if your problem is electrical or vacuum. See if hot air is coming out at the defroster. The fix for vacuum line collapse is free.
Dual AC in 1998 H body
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks!!
Well, I'm not sure if we have the exact same problem, (or if it is just coincidence), but I had no heat (sometimes) and it had problems only after replacing the battery. My heating problem was the THERMOSTAT. I had it replaced and now have heat. My car was overheating a little bit too, while the heat was working for 20 seconds, then not at all. There are a million more problems with my Bonneville, but at least I have heat now for the rest of this Colorado winter! Hope this helps someone.
Best, Angela
I have had the dealer tell me the same thing and I to purchased a controller from a salvage yard and replaced mine, but it did not correct my problem. Not saying it won't yours but just so you know. Look right directly behind the glove box from underneath and the controller sits vertically up in the dash. There are two small (think metric) screws holding it in that you can get to from the underside. It is not easy but keep at it. I used a small wrench (think 6.5 mm comes to mind), however once you get the two screws out the controller will come loose. Then I had to reach (contort) my hand up behind the controller and unplug the wire harness on top of the controller. Its not easy either and will test your patients, but it can be done. Then the controller will drop down enough so that you can get it open. If you choose to do it the way I did, the air hoses (to power the vents) all go to a small manifold inside the controller and unplug every easy all at once. Then you just do everything in reverse and install your new controller.
I think my next attempt is to get to my actuator motor and look over the linkage/gears and such as mentioned in posting 43 and 46. I myself have already wasted $300 plus on my new controller and still only get heat some of the time. But good luck with yours and I hope I was able to help you in some way. Keep us posted. Mike
Does your digital face still flash the numbers? If the numbers don't flash on the digital face there should not be a code on the heater/ac system memory thus the system indicates no problem there.
Mike, what happened to yours? My problem was the actuator controller on top of the box. I tried to open the thing and could not with out really tearing it apart so I purchased a new one and put it in. Several hours of work but my wife is not talking about no heat!!!