Well, after 9 days of scouring the internet and reading multiple forums and threads, i have decided to join these forums and see if i can come up with a solution...
what follows is a novel of a post. Ill explain what happened to me with as much detail as i can....

2005 H2, about 152k miles.
Bout it a few months ago (in Jan) up here in michigan, and never even thought to turn on the AC as it was 15 degrees outside.
After a few days, I realized i never checked it, and low and behold, i had no AC.... I figured a leak or something.

So, then i noticed the flashing snowflake.... I havent owned a GM vehicle in years, so i wasnt familiar with this and googled it. As many of you know, it means there is an issue with AC, but doesnt tell you what it is. I had hoped there was a 'dummy code' or something. ie: 3 flashes means X, 4 means Y... Nope.

Ok... so i made peace with the fact that i didnt have AC and just figured id deal with it as the weather warms up....
Then I noticed that he dual climate controls didnt adjust the temp.
Driver was lava hot, passenger was ice cold.
But... wait... i dont have AC, so how is it cold? .....

So, i keep mashing the button over the next few weeks just because, and sonnovabitch if the AC didnt start working! awesome. ..... well, kinda.
It only works on the passenger side. The drivers side is still lava.

... ok. So i read about the blend door that is apparently bad in all the H2's behind the glove box. I decided to buy a new actuator and give it a shot.
Seeing as the one down by the passenger foot seems easy to get at, i decided to pull this one out and mess with the climate controls to see it move...... nothing... well... wtf. So i replace this one with the new one, and still nothing. ok... seriously...wtf. Then i continue to tear into the dash (which was not as intimidating as i thought) and replaced the actuator behind glove box. No change.

Keep in mind, i have yet to hear any doors moving or anything since i have owned the car, so i started to think it was the controller.

One day, out of nowhere, the passenger side temp DID change when i turned the dial, but the drivers was still lava regardless.

Then i had a couple guests in the car and they said the air wasnt coming out of the rear vents (back of the center console or under the seats).
I mashed the button to cycle the positions a few times, and then i heard a door move. seems to be between steering wheel and the radio. .... ok... maybe we are getting somewhere.... nope.
Seems to make the noise when it goes from AUTO mode into manual mode, though.

Fast forward a few weeks. (yesterday)

I needed to replace water pump. did, and had no issues.
The water pump i installed had a bad bearing, and needed to be replaced again after 2 days. So, yesterday, swapped it again...

Now my flashing snowflake is back!! oh WTF!


current status:
* flashing snowflake
* drivers hot/ passenger cold - passenger did work for a few days intermittently.
* new blend door behind glove box



So... my thoughts are to take it to a dealership and see if they can tell me if the brain is bad or not, but looking to see if you guys in your infinite wisdom have any 'at home' remedies that can save me the couple hundred for some diagnostics.

I dont want to just bite the bullet and spend $300 on a new brain if there is a better, cheaper, option.

Tests/ diagnostics?

 

side note....

my thoughts would tell me that since all the actuators are the same in the vehicle, and there is a common issue (behind the glove box) that it would be some issue with the lot of controllers that controls that specific part of the circuit...??

 

So when you say 15 degrees out im assuming that's farenheight? AC system will be disabled unless ambient air temp is at least 40f or 4c. As for temp difference side to side, the left temp door actuator is located pretty much center of dash on the very bottom, not sure if that's the one you described as changing out. If not that's a likely culprit. If you do change one out never test it until its installed on the door and secure. If these actuators over travel they will quit working and are junk. also when actuator is off make sure you can move door manually and its not binding. Lastly once a new actuator is installed you need to calibrate them. Best method is with scan tool but can be done this way.
Alternate Method (w/o Scan Tool)

1. Clear all DTCs.
2. Place the ignition switch to the OFF position.
3. Install the HVAC actuator.
4. Connect all previously disconnected components.
5. Remove the HVAC B fuse for a minimum of 10 seconds.
6. Install the HVAC B fuse.
7. Place the ignition switch in the RUN position.
8. Wait 40 seconds for the HVAC control module to self-calibrate.
9. Verify that no DTCs have set as current DTCs.

 

Disclaimer Colin I'm currently talking to my phone using the voice to text driving, so if the text is all funky my apologies.

Well, there's one problem solved! Driving down the road just now and it's 45 degrees out, hit the AC button and damn it if it don't work! Good to know that it doesn't work when it's lower than 40. But then again who was trying to use the air conditioning when it's so cold out I guess right?


As for the actuators, I took the one that is by the left foot of the passenger and tested it by holding on to it while I'm manipulated the controls to see if I could feel it move, and it did not. I then took it off with it still wired and did the same thing and it felt good. I put a brand new one there and did the same thing and it also didn't do anything. I've been changed the one that's behind the glove box or the airbag with the brand new one and noticed no change either. There's a big six or eight inch square hole that that actuator seems to control and I can move it freely by hand. The actuator that's by the left ankle of the passenger I can grab onto the tab that it controls and I can spin it freely by hand as well. But again the actuators don't move when told to buy the controller. I do not have an in-depth scan tool, just one of the ones that tells you what everything is and cleared the trouble codes. I don't think that it does body control modules. I do have a Hypertech somewhere I'll have to see if I can find it.