AC question (1999 Grand am GT)

Gary300 · 05-04-2004, 09:50 PM

Ever since my uncle installed a new alternater in my 99 grand am, my air seems like it's blowing ice cold and the point is, my ac is off. Is it possible for my ac to be on even though the light for ac is off? or did my new alternator give my car more power to blow the regular air colder?

justin0717 · 05-04-2004, 09:52 PM

In my 96, when the knob is turned to the off position, and the heater knob is set on the ac side, it will make the small amount of air come in colder, and vice vera for the heat. My alternator in the car is shit, so i dont know if that could make yours like that.

Slade901 · 05-04-2004, 09:57 PM

One way to find out if the AC is running or not, is to turn on the AC itself and see if you can hear the compressor clicks or engages.
If you don't hear the compressor kick in when you turn the AC on, then probably the AC is already kicking or engaging.

BTW, try to remove the control knobs to make sure they are not broken. If they are broken, you might think that the knob is working because it is turning but the shaft that it suppose to turn might not be turning. Control knobs on our 1994 Pontiac Grand Am breaks up easily.

justin0717 · 05-04-2004, 09:59 PM

Nope mine is off, and turns on when you actually turn it on, i dont know why its like that though.

Gary300 · 05-05-2004, 06:34 AM

well, on my car I have the fan speed control dial, off 1 through 5, the second dial is hot or cold blue to red, then my third dial is the vent, floor, feet, ect.. then on the bottom of the three dials is two buttons, one for rear window defrost and ac, there are green lights under each one indicating that those two are on and working.

If I have my regular air on without pressing the ac button, I turn the dial all the way to number five, the second dial on blue and the third dial on max, the air is ice cold as if the ac was on. But I will check to see if the compressor is clicking on like you said.

justin0717 · 05-05-2004, 07:00 AM

see my fan speed dial is only one threw five (5 doesnt work for some reason, and i havent messed with it yet to see why). The off is on the knob where vent and feet and all that it. I have a button for rear window defrost, but not a/c. My a/c setting is on the same knob as defrost and everything. I dont know why mine still heats up or cools the air even when it says its off.

Gary300 · 05-05-2004, 01:57 PM

If 5 doesn't work on your car..then there is a switch inside of the dial that has to be replaced. About 2 years ago, 1 AND 2 didn't work on mine and I took it back to the dealer, they charged me $118.00 to repair it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin0717

see my fan speed dial is only one threw five (5 doesnt work for some reason, and i havent messed with it yet to see why). The off is on the knob where vent and feet and all that it. I have a button for rear window defrost, but not a/c. My a/c setting is on the same knob as defrost and everything. I dont know why mine still heats up or cools the air even when it says its off.

grfnkl · 05-05-2004, 04:41 PM

Make sure your vents are closed, it'll give you the illusion that your air is on, when it's not, Turn all the knobs to the left, so it would be, fan at 1 , temp at cold, and air vents at a/c max, The last knob controls the vents, if you have it at any other setting, you'll feel air coming through whether or not you have the fan running. if everything is to the left most point, and you are still feeling air coming in, THEN something is wrong with either the knobs or the control panel.

justin0717 · 05-05-2004, 08:26 PM

Well i was mistaken, i have only 4 settings not 5, and the fourth one doesnt work. im not real worried about it, so its not a mojor fix right now. And as far as the air comming in, my GA has the off switch on the same knob as the a/c and feet and vent and everything, and when that is on off, and the temp knob on the heat side, my car will still heat up. Not fast but it eventually will.

petey_z24 · 05-05-2004, 09:17 PM

if you have your knob set to a defrost setting, one of the settings that are colored orange instead of white, the ac will be running, this is to cycle the system during months that you would not be using the ac to keep the seals and everything from drying out

petey_z24 · 05-05-2004, 09:17 PM

oh yeah and the alternator has nothing to do with it because the ac is belt driven

Slade901 · 05-05-2004, 09:51 PM

In Mechanical sense, the old failing alternator bearings might have been causing a drag. With the new alternator and its new bearings, the drag might have been eliminated.
BTW, was the serpentine belt replaced as well in addition to the alternator?

Markgase2000 · 05-05-2004, 10:57 PM

Max air and defrost will use recycled air and a/c is on with these settings , the temp guage is more sensative so if its more on the cold side it will be colder than if you were to use the outside air only. so max a/c and defrost and defrost and floor vents use recycled air.

Gary300 · 05-06-2004, 10:49 PM

I'm using the outside air (on max), it feels just as cold if not colder than the ac air. And no, the serpentine belt was not replaced when the altenator was replaced>>>

I always have the vents on so the air is hitting me in the face, when I have the air turned off, I do NOT feel any air coming through the vents, so I guess there's no problems with that.

I didn't know the ac was on when I used max air, I always thought I had to have the ac button pressed with the green light on indicating the ac is running.

I will check it out more tomorrow. I will get back to you guys.

Markgase2000 · 05-07-2004, 08:52 AM

yes max and defrost and defrost/floor are all on whats called recycled air , when the recycled air is on the a/c compressor is activated unless you rev the engine at great rpms rapidly then it disengages and engages again (lets off the clutch at higher rpms to prevent over turning the ac compressor. Also if the temp controll is set on coldest setting you will notice its very cool compared to normal vents on same temp seting.

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