Old heat/air problem

99 Chevy astro van--I know this has been talked about many times.... But I'm trying to see if there's a mechanic here in the Chicago area before I have to go the dealer. My Heat and air has an intermittent problem, sometimes it will come on sometimes it will not, and it's getting very cold here. I'll be driving and it will come on while driving, but i'll get somewhere and turn it off and when I start the van back up the heat will not be on. I'm not a mechanic and I need to know is there anyone on the board in the Chicago area that can fix this problem for me before I go to the dealer and get raked over the coals....I went to Pep boys the other day and these kids didn't look like they had a clue. Need a little help, thanks in advance.

99 Chevy astro van--I know this has been talked about many times.... But I'm trying to see if there's a mechanic here in the Chicago area before I have to go the dealer. My Heat and air has an intermittent problem, sometimes it will come on sometimes it will not, and it's getting very cold here. I'll be driving and it will come on while driving, but i'll get somewhere and turn it off and when I start the van back up the heat will not be on. I'm not a mechanic and I need to know is there anyone on the board in the Chicago area that can fix this problem for me before I go to the dealer and get raked over the coals....I went to Pep boys the other day and these kids didn't look like they had a clue. Need a little help, thanks in advance.


What part of the system "will come on sometimes it will not"? Does the blower not run intermittently? Or does the blower operate but without warm air?

Thanks Blue Bowtie, Sometimes the heat doesn't come on at all...There will be nothing blowing from the vents, then one while driving it will just pop on..
Yesterday it worked for most of the day, when I turned the car on it worked. This morning when I came out to go to work, nothing blowing.

Thanks again for your help!

The blower motor is probably shot-- does heat "come" on when you hit a bump?- how about when you slam the hood? or when you bump the blower motor with the handle of a big screwdriver? if so the armature has a "dead spot" and the blower motor needs replaced- try these as part of your diagnostics- next time you have "no heat"

Thanks everyone, I had it diagnosed and the blower motor is shot and I also need a resistor I believe they said....The cost would total $475.00 to have it replace that.....Is that too high to replace that? Thanks for your help

That prices makes me cringe. I seem to recall buying the part for 92 for less than $50.

Are they harder to replace on the 99s or something that would get that estimate up there.

Thanks everyone, I had it diagnosed and the blower motor is shot and I also need a resistor I believe they said....The cost would total $475.00 to have it replace that.....Is that too high to replace that? Thanks for your help

i got a rebuilt blower motor for my 93 on the internet for $18 and swapped it out in under an hour.

Thanks everyone...That was going to be my next question, Is it really that hard to get to and replace because I thought that was a bit steep....Also, I'm about to sell the van or trade it in and didn't want to put that much money into it.