problem with ac climate control need some help..
#41
11-20-2012, 08:35 AM
Your post of this is the first time I saw the resistor fix. I guess I never saw or was not interested whenever it was first posted.
I would like to thank you for posting it recently. It seems to be happening more often to more people. It happened to me and I did the fix.
Since I see people asking about it I thought I would post how I did it to help those needing more info. It's great to have people with a common interest getting together to fix things.
The procedure here is the HUNNER method of installing it. Proceed at your own risk.
I would like to thank you for posting it recently. It seems to be happening more often to more people. It happened to me and I did the fix.
Since I see people asking about it I thought I would post how I did it to help those needing more info. It's great to have people with a common interest getting together to fix things.
The procedure here is the HUNNER method of installing it. Proceed at your own risk.
- I did not disconnect the battery as I wanted to confirm this resistor fixed it instead of by some fluke disconnecting the battery did.
- Set the parking brake. Turn the key on.
- It helps to shift to Low. However leaving the key on will drive you nuts so after removing the dash piece I put it back in park.
- Disconnecting the battery would of course shut the dinger bell off. So I would recommend that and you can leave it in low to have more room, now that we know this did fix it. (fingers crossed)
- First you have to do the stick your fingers in the DC sockets and pull up and out.
- I cut me a piece of cardboard for a work surface in case solder dropped.
- I disconnected the plug from the back of the switch to get more room to work
- Find the light blue wire with black stripe. I peeled back the high quality gooey sticky black electrical tape GM chose to use far enough to expose the wire back into the loom so I could slide on some shrink wrap long enough to cover the splice.
- Call me old school, I'm old and went to school, but just as in my battery thread I make a physical connection first then solder.
- I used some forceps for a heat sink.
- I used a Radio Shack 68 ohm 1/2 watt resistor. They come 5 to a pack for $1.30 or $.26 a piece.
- If you don't know, use a low wattage iron so as not to fry the insulation on each end. Heat the wire until it pulls some solder as you feed it.
- Use some fine solder, Radio Shack still has that!
- Grabbed a short piece of shrink wrap I keep around. After the solder area cools slide the shrink wrap you remembered to slide on BEFORE you soldered over the entire splice. Use a heat gun carefully to shrink the wrap and secure and insulate your splice. I did not re-tape it at this time as I wanted to test it first. I will use a high grade of black electrical tape or some loom.
I have a 2008 H3. The HVAC control **** is located close to driver's side, Whenever I move the **** off the a/c setting, it immediately allows hot air to enter into the vehicle. Will the above fix that? Or do I need to order and replace the HVAC control?
Appreciate the help with this.
Regards
Bill
#42
11-21-2012, 08:34 AM
this is the fix that you want to do. it has been a few weeks since I have done the fix and everything is working great.
#44
07-27-2013, 05:07 PM
AC temp control
I have the same problem on my 2006 H3. One click off the coldest position and it starts to blow hot air like our politicians. It's NOT the resister. There is two control actuators behind the radio console. To get to them you have to remove the black plastic facia under the steering column. The one right in front of your knees. To make it much easier to access the actuators, remove the steel cross member. Don't take out the radio 'cause you still can't get to them. I haven't fixed mine yet 'cause I live in Florida so I want the damned thing to blow cold air.
#45
09-12-2013, 09:41 AM
I have a 2008 H3. The HVAC control **** is located close to driver's side, Whenever I move the **** off the a/c setting, it immediately allows hot air to enter into the vehicle. Will the above fix that? Or do I need to order and replace the HVAC control?
Appreciate the help with this.
Regards
Bill
Appreciate the help with this.
Regards
Bill
#47
09-24-2013, 10:46 AM
I've fixed this problem on two H3's. I trust Hunner's opinion and the resistor thing makes sense, but I've never done it. My experience has always been that it's a stuck actuator. There are 3 actuators (little motors that open and close HVAC doors) mounted above the driver's side of the transmission tunnel, to the right of the gas peddle and up. If you stick your head by the loud peddle and look right and up you can see them.
See diagram below. The #30 closest to the driver has always been the culprit for me.
The first one I fixed, I just replaced it with a new actuator and that fixed it.
On my second one, I accidentally ordered #32 and I didn't want to wait for shipping again, so I carefully opened the case on the #30 actuator to see how it was put together.
It's basically just an electric motor with a couple gears. I could see that the gears were binding, so I lifted the motor gear off the drive gear, turned it one notch/tooth (so that when it was installed the door it moves would be slightly opened), and re-installed. After that it worked perfectly.
I think what happened was the motor slightly over-rotated, had something keeping it from closing completely, or something like that and was causing some kind of error. I'm not really sure how that translates to only having hot or cold, but I'm sure the computers are designed to react to a jammed actuator to prevent damage and once the gear wasn't jammed anymore, it's worked perfectly for over a year.
If I were you, I'd try Hunner's idea first because it's alot easier and cheaper, and if that doesn't work, try replacing the actuator. I don't recommend dissecting the actuator like I did, I probably got really lucky.
Good luck!
See diagram below. The #30 closest to the driver has always been the culprit for me.
The first one I fixed, I just replaced it with a new actuator and that fixed it.
On my second one, I accidentally ordered #32 and I didn't want to wait for shipping again, so I carefully opened the case on the #30 actuator to see how it was put together.
It's basically just an electric motor with a couple gears. I could see that the gears were binding, so I lifted the motor gear off the drive gear, turned it one notch/tooth (so that when it was installed the door it moves would be slightly opened), and re-installed. After that it worked perfectly.
I think what happened was the motor slightly over-rotated, had something keeping it from closing completely, or something like that and was causing some kind of error. I'm not really sure how that translates to only having hot or cold, but I'm sure the computers are designed to react to a jammed actuator to prevent damage and once the gear wasn't jammed anymore, it's worked perfectly for over a year.
If I were you, I'd try Hunner's idea first because it's alot easier and cheaper, and if that doesn't work, try replacing the actuator. I don't recommend dissecting the actuator like I did, I probably got really lucky.
Good luck!
Last edited by supsam86; 09-24-2013 at 10:49 AM.
