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Climate Control Unit Going Out

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Old 06-23-2010, 08:54 AM
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Lingenfelter383
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Default Climate Control Unit Going Out(Not the Display)

I'm familiar with the digital display going out on these things but not the whole unit itself slowly going out.

My climate control unit has been acting up the past few days and appears to be almost dead. The first time was 3 days ago when I started the car and it would not light up nor work in any way. After driving a half mile, I got a check engine light and some various unrelated trouble codes. The next day I started the car and the unit did not come on. After about 30 seconds the unit came on and worked perfectly. Over the last 48 hours or so I have found that the unit is almost dead BUT ! that if I whack on the upper console up by the control unit, it sometimes comes on.

It's been several years but I once took one apart and heated up the solder connections on the circuit board to fix the common digital display problem. I suspect this unit may have a similar circuit board problem, just not at the display functionality of the board.

Is this a common problem? Any advice?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Last edited by Lingenfelter383; 06-23-2010 at 09:26 AM.
Old 06-23-2010, 09:30 AM
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Update: Last night the climate control unit went completely dead, couldn't get it to do anything no matter how much I whacked on it.

This morning when I started the car, the unit was completely dead. I whacked on the side of the upper console a few times........nothing. One minute later it popped on out of the blue and started working perfectly. I drove down the street, went into my bank for a minute, came back out started the car and the unit was dead at first but came on in about 15 seconds after starting the car and worked perfectly all the way to work.

One hour later, started the car, nothing out of the climate control unit, 1 minute later it came on and works.

I checked the Chk Engine Light Diagnostic Codes and got more random unrelated weird stuff:

P0134 O2S CKT No Activity 1/1
P0154 O2S CKT No Activity 2/1
P1571 Tract Cntrl System Desired Torque CKT

Anyone see anything like this before ?

Last edited by Lingenfelter383; 06-23-2010 at 10:08 AM.
Old 06-23-2010, 10:31 AM
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never heard that one to the degree you had it but yes you can solder the loose contacts to fix the dim display or forum member tstar will do it for you cheap and fast
Old 06-23-2010, 10:37 AM
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Was hoping I had made it clear but it does not have a dim display, this is not a display problem. This is a problem with the whole unit either working 100% correctly or 100% not working at all, no A/C, no fan, no heat, no defrost, etc.
Old 06-23-2010, 10:49 AM
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power board maybe going bad...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...wer-board.html
Old 06-23-2010, 03:24 PM
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It would be worth a try to double the connector on the back of the unit... No "U" codes for the HVAC huh? Or ANY codes for that matter???

Tim
Old 06-23-2010, 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by tstar
It would be worth a try to double the connector on the back of the unit... No "U" codes for the HVAC huh? Or ANY codes for that matter???

Tim
Double the connector on the back of the unit ???

Yes, there were no codes for the HVAC. Weird thing though was the check engine light only comes on when the climate control unit goes out for longer than a couple minutes.
Old 06-24-2010, 04:15 AM
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double CHECK... Sorry. I guess I was typing too fast!

That is odd... It's also odd that you aren't even getting a U code when the HVAC is dead.

With "odd" electrical issues its' always a good idea to ensure your battery is good and to make sure all the grounds are tight and corrosion free. There's also those pesky ground wires in the door accordians but I don't recall them ever causing an issue like this...

I'll check and see what I have laying around... 97 right?

Tim
Old 06-24-2010, 07:30 AM
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It's starting to sound like it might be the ignition switch.
Old 06-24-2010, 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by tstar
double CHECK... Sorry. I guess I was typing too fast!

That is odd... It's also odd that you aren't even getting a U code when the HVAC is dead.
It just means the module is still capable of communicating on the serial bus....not that it's working.
Old 06-24-2010, 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by lucky131969
It just means the module is still capable of communicating on the serial bus....not that it's working.
Ahhh ... That cheating little bastard!

Tim
Old 06-24-2010, 10:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Mark C5
It's starting to sound like it might be the ignition switch.
You know, I thought of that because I had a Malibu do that exact thing a couple weeks ago. However, when the ignition switch starts acting up, you lose the A/C, Radio, Pwr Windows, etc. all at the same time. On the Corvette, I'm only losing the Climate Control Panel.

This morning the panel came on after the car started and ran for about 10 seconds. It worked again when I started the car bone cold and drove it home from work. I then went back out to the car to go to dinner and it hasn't worked since tonight. It seems like it works when the car is cold, won't work when the car has been driven.

If the panel doesn't come on for several minutes in a row, I get the check engine light, got that again tonight. I'll run the codes tomorrow morning at my shop. The codes are totally random, make no sense.
Old 06-24-2010, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by tstar
double CHECK... Sorry. I guess I was typing too fast!

That is odd... It's also odd that you aren't even getting a U code when the HVAC is dead.

With "odd" electrical issues its' always a good idea to ensure your battery is good and to make sure all the grounds are tight and corrosion free. There's also those pesky ground wires in the door accordians but I don't recall them ever causing an issue like this...

I'll check and see what I have laying around... 97 right?

Tim
Yes, it's a 97. I checked my battery connections, seriously immaculate, no way there's a problem there.
Old 06-24-2010, 10:49 PM
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When my climate control went out,first,the temp stuck at 74,then a day later,It wouldn't turn on or off(dark and dead) UNLESS I held the on/off button down,and spun the drivers side temp **** while holding the button down,then it would come on and work fine(as long as I wanted it 74 in the car),until I shut the car off.

Got a used CC unit from Corvette Recycling about a month ago,and it's been fine since.

Try the "holding the button down while you spin the ****" thing-if it comes on,that pretty much eliminates anything wrong external to the control.

Probably not gonna help,but it's worth a try...
Old 06-25-2010, 08:27 AM
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Looks like the unit is pretty much dead now. It consistantly does not work and after the car runs for a few minutes, I get the check engine light. Really weird codes when this happens. This is what I pulled up this morning:

P0134 O2S CDK No Activity 1/1
P0135 O2S Heater CKT Malfunction 1/1
P0141 O2S Heater CKT Malfunction 1/2
P0151 O2S CDK No Activity 2/1
P0155 O2S Heater CKT Malfunction 2/1
P0161 O2S Heater CKT Malfunction 2/2
P1571 Tract Cntrl System Desired Torque CKT

I'll try the hold button, turn **** manuever.
Old 07-19-2010, 10:59 AM
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Update: I removed the control unit, took it apart and could find nothing wrong, nothing with a bad solder joint, nothing that had gotten hot anywhere on either board. I gave up and sent the unit in to one of the eBay fixers. I just got the unit back with it's big "tested OK" sticker on it and it still doesn't work, nothing.

I must have another problem. Given the goofy trouble codes posted in the previous post, anyone have any ideas? A ground problem perhaps ?
Old 07-19-2010, 11:32 PM
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Anyone ? Totally stumped now.

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Old 07-20-2010, 12:37 AM
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Likely a power wiring issue, like the connector is bad. maybe the comms wiring is having a problem too. I believe the power is constant and the comms turns it on and off but there may be switched power too.

I don't have the schematics right now so here's a bump to hope someone jumps in. If not, I'll dig the wiring up tomorrow.

Peter
Old 07-26-2010, 12:15 PM
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Originally Posted by lionelhutz
Likely a power wiring issue, like the connector is bad. maybe the comms wiring is having a problem too. I believe the power is constant and the comms turns it on and off but there may be switched power too.

I don't have the schematics right now so here's a bump to hope someone jumps in. If not, I'll dig the wiring up tomorrow.

Peter
Thanks, it's looking like you may be right. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm totally stumped right now.
Old 07-26-2010, 01:14 PM
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