A/C not working?

Tiny
JOHNFOURTH81
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 BUICK PARK AVENUE
  • 3.8L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 190,000 MILES
So, I consider myself a decent mechanic however A/C has dual climate control the car listed above is a base model so passenger side is cold but driver's side is about half the temp blower motor is good freon is full just put brand new not used or rebuilt compressor and orifice tube and dryer have been changed also I've moved all the blend doors into proper position so I know it's not the blend doors I'm at a loss on this please help the only things I didn't replace is the pressure switch and condenser and core inside the car but all look visually good and free of debris I've checked the fan and it seems to be working I even tried to put a high power shop fan in front of the grill area to see if that made any difference I thought maybe fan was weak but no change in temp on driver's side please help.
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024 AT 8:56 AM

4 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,643 POSTS
So you removed the blend door actuators and moved the doors manually for the drivers side and it still has not cold, can you please confirm? If so it sounds like the blend door itself has come apart inside the heater plenum. Here is how the air flow is routed through the plenum:

AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Air for the HVAC system enters into the blower module through the air inlet assembly at the base of the windshield. The blower forces the air through the HVAC filter (5) and then through the evaporator core (6).

The evaporator core dehumidifies and cools the air. The air is heated as required by passing through or around the heater core (3). Air valves in the A/C module direct the conditioned air to one of the following outlets, depending upon the mode that the driver selects:

The instrument panel outlets.
The heater outlets at the floor (front and rear)
The defroster outlets

Air Inlet Assembly
The air inlet assembly provides outside (fresh) or inside (recirculated) air to the blower, depending upon the mode the driver selects. An actuator varies the inlet air. The heater and A/C programmer controls the actuator.

Mode Air Valve
After passing through the evaporator core, all or part of the cooled and dehumidified air will pass through the heater core. The air will heat to the desired temperature that the driver requests.

The adjusted air enters the air distribution chamber. The heater and A/C programmer energizes the mode door actuators to position the valves in the air distribution chamber. Variations in the position of the mode valve door directs airflow through the floor, windshield and instrument panel ducts. Air is always directed to the rear air floor duct.

Ducts and Outlets
The ducting is the network of tubing that is used to get conditioned air from the HVAC module to the instrument panel and rear seat outlets.

Four major ducts attach to the air distribution chamber:
The cross car ducts
The rear seat duct
The heater duct
The defrost and side window duct

The cross car ducts attach to the instrument panel carrier. The ducts receive air from the distribution chamber.

The rear seat duct receives air from the bottom of the distribution chamber. The rear seat duct delivers the air through two outlets at the rear of the front seat center arm rest or console.

The heater ducts are part of the insulator panels. The heater ducts distribute heater air to the front occupants. The heater ducts are located on either side of the vehicle.

The defroster and side window ducts attach to the top of the HVAC module. The defroster and side window ducts distribute the air to the windshield and front side windows.

I can tell you I have seen the AC programmer cause strange issues with vent problems as well

Check out the images (below). Let us know what you find.
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Wednesday, July 17th, 2024 AT 10:58 AM
Tiny
JOHNFOURTH81
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Yes, that is correct, and I left them all unplugged in position that needed to blow out the dash.
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Wednesday, July 17th, 2024 AT 5:41 PM
Tiny
JOHNFOURTH81
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I can see the doors move and the seals r all intact the passenger side is blowing cold but driver's side isn't it's lukewarm at best I've disconnected the heater hoses cause that was an issue heat was blowing at same time and that helped a lot of problems, but I still have lukewarm A/C on driver's side it is a dual A/C unit I was thinking maybe the A/C head unit might be bad? But I don't want to just dump money into something that won't fix it as I already have replaced compressor dryer and orifice tube brand new no rebuilds just at a loss on it even other techs at my shop are baffled on it.
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Thursday, July 18th, 2024 AT 9:25 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,643 POSTS
So, with the actuator off for the driver's side, can you work the door by hand and get cold air or do you work the door and you can hear it close and open? I have seen the blend door itself fall apart and not direct the airflow as designed.
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Thursday, July 18th, 2024 AT 11:03 AM

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