Auto Climate Control = POS???

[intrepidlover]

My 93 Intrepid ES has a bad auto climate control, or so I've been told. Sometimes I'll turn the car on, and the heat will come on full speed, through the defrost, and not be able to be turned off. The read-out on the control unit is dead, and none of the buttons will do a thing. But then I slap the side of the dash in that general area, and the display comes back on and fan turns off, and everything is normal again. Sound like a bad climate control module, or what? Also, many sell these on Ebay - is this a problem for Dodge in this era?

[Drac69]

I have almost the same problem in my 94 intrepid. While driving, all dash gauges shut down, air bag light comes on, heat comes from the defrost vents full blast and the traction control light comes on. Sometimes when I apply the brakes firmly everything returns to normal. If not, the car must be shut off and then started again for everything to return to normal. Weird!!!!

[strick1]

I have a 1994 Chrysler Concorde that does the same thing as well as my radio seems to have a short to the antenna. So when the heat comes on or the radio doesn't work I just hit it with a rubber mallet until it comes back on. No one can tell me why those things happens because it is an "electrical problem" but the mallet works well for me.

[LHSDriver01]

Originally Posted by intrepidlover

is this a problem for Dodge in this era?

Yep, it's a bad solder joint on the circuit board, which is why hitting it fixes it Had the same problem on my 95'. Watch e-bay for a good deal. It's a fairly easy swap, as long as you stay with the auto controls

[MarkJW]

Originally Posted by Drac69

I have almost the same problem in my 94 intrepid. While driving, all dash gauges shut down, air bag light comes on, heat comes from the defrost vents full blast and the traction control light comes on. Sometimes when I apply the brakes firmly everything returns to normal. If not, the car must be shut off and then started again for everything to return to normal. Weird!!!!

This may be the bus that the body computer runs on. I had the problem with the ATC; hot air blows full blast through defrost; hitting the side of the dash makes it stop.

I asked my dad, a Dodge dealership mechanic; the first thing he asked is if the shift indicator & other instrumentation went dead at the same time-- if so, it is a bus problem. That was not the case with me.

I narrowed my specific problem problem to the white plug on the back of the ATC. I took the back cover off the ATC, and found a few cracked solder connections on the pins. I carefully soldered these back, and my problem has only occured once or twice since then. Before, it happened multiple times during a short trip.

[LHSDriver01]

Originally Posted by Drac69

I have almost the same problem in my 94 intrepid. While driving, all dash gauges shut down, air bag light comes on, heat comes from the defrost vents full blast and the traction control light comes on. Sometimes when I apply the brakes firmly everything returns to normal. If not, the car must be shut off and then started again for everything to return to normal. Weird!!!!

Originally Posted by MarkJW

This may be the bus that the body computer runs on. I had the problem with the ATC; hot air blows full blast through defrost; hitting the side of the dash makes it stop.

I asked my dad, a Dodge dealership mechanic; the first thing he asked is if the shift indicator & other instrumentation went dead at the same time-- if so, it is a bus problem. That was not the case with me.

Drac's problem is actully more likely to be a failing ignition switch. In the 1st Generation Chrysler LH bodies, if you turn the key back just a little bit behind run, the engine will continue to run, but most everything electrical will shutdown. Trac Control, ABS, Power windows, ATC, Airbags, Radio, Etc... When the switch starts going bad, this is what happens.

Next time you have all of that stuff shutdown on you, try jiggling the ignition switch.

[balber]

I have a '99 ES that is doing the same thing-no climate control,windows, turn signals,ABS and air bag lights on.It happened 4 mos. apart. My mechanic told me to jiggle the ignition switch