'99 intrigue 3.8L air conditioning problem

[Boneyard]

I have a 99 intrigue with a 3.8L. The car has climate control where it's a digital display of the outside temp and you turn the knob to what temp you desire the car to be. Since I bought the car three years ago, it has never worked great. What happens is the outside temperature rarely reads correctly (it might be 85 degrees outside and the display reads 32). Then when I hit the A/C button, the light just flashes and the A/C won't kick on. When it works, it works great. any suggestions? Are the two things related (outside temp and no air conditioning). I just had the system recharged less than a year ago, so I don't believe it's a low freon problem.

[dtownfb]

I've read in another forum where someone had the outside temperature sensor has go bad. It's located on the forn to the radiator. From what I remember it was an inexpensive part and easy to replace. I would try that first since your outside temperature is not reading properly. the climate control does need an accurate outside temperature reading to work properly.

[lovemyintregue]

I have an even bigger problem. The left side of my car blows hot air and my right blows cold air when the a/c is on. What could be the problem? I had the sensor replaced already. It ran well for a few months now this problem?

[dtownfb]

I've read that could be an indication of low freon.

[n5xwb]

Originally Posted by lovemyintregue

I have an even bigger problem. The left side of my car blows hot air and my right blows cold air when the a/c is on. What could be the problem? I had the sensor replaced already. It ran well for a few months now this problem?

Did you ever find the problem. Mine is doing the same thing and I have tracked to the controller. However, I am not sure of the 15-72634 actuators or the the plastic doors being jammed.

Strange it is always the left side is hot

n5xwb @ hal-pc.org

[michellerua]

I am also having the left side hot problem? Has anyone found a fix for this yet?? I also noticed when the problem started the light on the AC button doesn't work anymore. The outside temperature gauge has been out of wack for a long time but only recently had problems with the AC Any suggestions out there?

[n5xwb]

Well;

I am an Electronic person and have replaced the controller. It does appear that the actuators are stuck or the doors. The actuators are about 30 dollars at RockAuto.com. If I had a spare actuator I could bench test them and find out if it was the problem. I have ohmed them out and both left and right seem the same. They have a DC motor, direction control and a location resistor/pot. All seem good. So it may be the doors. Mine is about 15 to 20 degrees cooler on the driver side. I also know another person or two with a similar problem.

Is there any easy way to get that apart? I doubt it.

If you wish send me your LL# and I can call you via Skype VoIP for free until 2007.

[n5xwb]

Originally Posted by Boneyard

I have a 99 intrigue with a 3.8L. The car has climate control where it's a digital display of the outside temp and you turn the knob to what temp you desire the car to be. Since I bought the car three years ago, it has never worked great. What happens is the outside temperature rarely reads correctly (it might be 85 degrees outside and the display reads 32). Then when I hit the A/C button, the light just flashes and the A/C won't kick on. When it works, it works great. any suggestions? Are the two things related (outside temp and no air conditioning). I just had the system recharged less than a year ago, so I don't believe it's a low freon problem.

I can lookup the part number for your outside sensor. Or check with "www.RockAuto.com" - I have very good luck with them. Also for 24 dollars you can get all kinds of data from "www.alldata.com".

I have hearrd that these newer system come with very little freon so any leak may cause them to fail

[dtownfb]

first thing I would do is get the outside temparture sensor fixed. Someone recently posted direction on how to locate and replace it. Very easy to do yourself and inexpensive. It's on the front side of the radiator. Any auto part store sells the part. I think nx5wb has your solution for the hot air.

[n5xwb]

I goofed on the temperature on my olds - the drivers side is warmer not cooler. You metioned the outside temp device - mine seem about right.

By the way www.alldata.com (as a member) has schematics of the whole system. Very helpful.

Has anyone figured a easy way to remove the actuators. They seem to held on with 2 screws and the case has 4 smaller ones.

Well it is the weekend - Oh joy! I get to work on the A/C in the car

[n5xwb]

Hey Group;

I got one actuator off (passenger side) and it is apart. I will try and debug this one. The motor has a nylon worm gear - It looks cracked but isn't. It checks good on +/-12V dc.

It does seem the resistor is out of timing. That is the part which tells the location of the door to the controller. It would appear to the controller to be out of range (shorted connection). This pot seems to go between roughly 100 ohms and 8,000 ohms. I think the problem comes from this.
When I took mine apart it was way out a workable range. As a test I am going to set it at approx. 4K and the door in the center of its rotation.

I reassembled it and the limit notch on the case is in the center of its rotation with the pot at about 4000 ohms (the center) - all of the location internal gears are just about 180 degrees different.

Due to no striped gears or loose fit I would think this comes from very poor quality control and/or an lack of understanding of electronics.

If it fixes the problem I will let you know

[n5xwb]

Both actuators removed and tested to the level of that a bench test can preform. Reinstalled so that everything was in the center of rotation.
Still the same problem. It must the unmarked 8 pin IC which is used to reverse the applied voltage to change the motors direction.

[n5xwb]

Hey Group;

A thought! Has anyone noticed that the drivers side air door feel loose like it is missing a seal? I niticed on my car that the passenger side is tight. This might cause the drivers side to mix hot a cold air - therefore,
the drivers side would feel warmer. [email protected]