Hi everyone, im new here but perhaps someone out there has the same problem or has fixed it. I have a 04 Monte SS 3.8L. I think that the vent actuator or the climate control may be bad. The A/C on the pass side is ice cold but the drivers side is cool to warm. When I slide the pass climate lever to midrange the air is cool to warm but as soon as I move the drivers lever just a bit the heat is on full blast. The actuators are from what I have been told in the dash. I am not sure where to start seeing that both parts are expensive to replace. Any help, diagrams, advice would greatly be appricated. Thanks.

 

Fortunately, it sounds like your a/c is fine if you are blowing cold air anywhere.

If I understand your problem correctly, the first thing I would suspect is the HVAC dash control. As far as I know, that is an integral unit and when something screws up the entire unit needs to be replaced. I have a new one that fits a 2001 SS if it comes to that and I think it is identical to yours.

Simple matter of removing the dash, unplugging the leads in the old one and hooking the new. Removing the dash takes about fifteen to twenty minutes if you know what you're doing.

When you move both levers to the max cold position, are you getting equal air flow from each side? If not, that could be a different problem relating to the baffle positioning. Set your other control to inside only circulation and try it.

 

Thanks, yes I have the same amount of airflow from all the vents. I will try and replace the controller. I can grab one off ebay. Thanks again.

 

Best to use a manual to remove the dash. If it is the same as my 2001, ignition key positioning is important as well as steering wheel and shift lever positioning. There is also a hidden screw in the glove compartment on the inside wall left side.

I've seen your identical problem on other forums but no definitive answer to solving it. The problem with electronic components is that they normally can't be returned if it isn't the source of the problem.

 

Hate to beat a possible dead horse but before replacing that control, I hope you have fully checked out your a/c system. Here is a quote from another forum that might interest you and others with the same possible actuator problem. I had assumed that "cold air" meant the same to you as to me.

"Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Buick > LeSabre > A/C problem | A/C problem
A/C problem


Google
Web AF


6mo
05-16-2009, 08:37 PM
I have a 2000 Buick Lesabre,about 60,000 mi. I tried the A/C today and it worked fine on the passenger side vents and rear seat vent. The driver side vent was pushing out heat. Any info on why . thanks maureen
pcmos
05-16-2009, 09:21 PM
First and foremost do you have a LeSabre Limited with digital climate control or do you have a LeSabre Custom with manual climate control?

It makes a difference because the LeSabre Custom doesn't have seperate air temperature mixers for the driver and passenger sides.

In either case you need to determine if you are feeling truly heated air on the driver's side or simply uncooled air.

If you have digital climate control in a LeSabre Limited a lot of people will immediately jump to the conclusion that the driver's side air temperature mix actuator is faulty. This is certainly a likely possibility but the same symptom can occur if the refrigerant charge in the A/C system is low or if the compressor is malfunctioning.

Low refrigerant charge can cause warm air to come out on the driver's side because of the design of the A/C system itself. The system works by expanding the pressurized refigerant in a device that looks like a radiator called the evaporator core. If the regrigerant charge is low or the compressor is not functioning properly then the evaporator core will not reach a consistently cold temperature accross its surface. The refrigerant vapors enter the evap core on the passenger side so that side will end up colder than the driver's side if you are low on refrigerant or if the pressure is insufficient due to a bad compressor. The end result is that the driver's side air will be much warmer than the passenger side.

It's relatively easy and inexpensive to have a technician check the system pressure to make sure that you have a full charge and to rule that out as a possible cause. If the system pressure is sufficient and the compressor is functioning normally then the problem is most likely related to the driver's side air mix actuator. LeSabre Limited with dual climate control provides two seperate mix actuators for the driver and passenger side vents. The actuators are small motors buried in the dash which rotate deflector doors that determine how much of the air will pass over the A/C evap core or the heater core for both the driver and passsenger side vents.

If the computer commands the driver side actuator to position the deflector door to send air over the A/C evap core and it fails to rotate or position itself correctly, the driver side vent temperature will be much higher than the passenger side.

Obviously diagnosing and repairing the climate control system is a lot tougher and more expensive than simply checking the system pressure and compressor condition. You want to rule out the simpler scenario first by paying a qualified A/C technician to verify compressor performance and refrigerant charge. If everything under the hood is working properly and the refrigerant pressure is okay, then you'll be best served taking the car to a Buick Dealership for climate control diagnosis. Replacing climate control actuators can be pretty difficult because of where they are located in the dash."

enquote