2002-2007 Buick Rendezvous - Checking Heater controls 

Virginia Ramirez thank you for the great comment. this is exactly why I make these videos. I'm very glad that it helped. thank you for watching

Awesome, thank you for that great feedback. I so appreciate it. Hopefully, the video has helped you out.

Hey Lynn. This is awesome news. I am happy to hear the video helped out and it worked out so well. Thanks for watching!

jpete8 thanks a lot. That's a great comment and its exactly why I make these videos. Thanks for watching and glad it helped!

I just replacement my Resistor, and my heats still not working. Is it a possibility that my controls do need to be replaced?

Can't say, but if the fan works it sounds like a problem with the engine heat. Perhaps a bad thermostat, low coolant level, bad heater or the like.

jpete8 I can feel the heat , its just not blowing out.

While there is many things that can get in the way of the heater system, if you are getting heat, it can only really be 1. the blower motor itself(seized or seizing), 2.the resistor or 3. the controls. Since the resistor is already done and out of the way, then the next step is the controls itself. It is actually more common for the controls to go vs the resistor or the blower motor. So I would change that next.

thanks!! appreciate the comment. keeping it straightforward and bs free is the best...I don't like watching a vid that has too much other crap happening in it either. hope the video helped. thanks for watching!

Its getting really hard to find these days. I had to get the replacement in a junkyard. These days I don't even see them there anymore. Seems to be ebay or Craigslists, and even then as these cars get older, it is becoming rarer.

@@NexusAuto thank you ....l found one on e-bay $39 plus 10 shipping.....hope its a good one ....thanks you did a great on the video ....keep up the good work

@@mikeburton1703 Thanks, much appreciated. You got a great deal there, hopefully it fixes your issue!

No problem at all. Glad you came across the video. I hope you get everything working soon. Let me know how it goes!

Awesome news...glad to hear the video helped out! Your mom is good to go! Thanks for watching.

Ghost of 702 Squad Recon no problem at all. thanks for watching

Awesome! Glad to hear the video helped out! Thanks for taking the time to comment!

@@NexusAuto i really need your contact bro

@@perrinjeanmichel8789 Unfortunately, I don't have a contact number that I give out. But if you have a question, you can message here and I normally answer within 24 hrs.

No problem. Hopefully it all works out! Good luck, and thanks for watching.

Thanks, appreciate it. Glad to hear the video was great

Hi Jeff...thanks for the great comment. Appreciate that and you watching! hope the video helped. Stayed tuned for more vids coming soon

Sounds good. Hope it all works out. Glad the video was helpful

No problem. Glad the video helped out. Thanks for watching!

Awesome, thank you for commenting. I appreciate it. Glad the video helped.

Makes sense. Can't say for sure that the wires had developed any oxide coating and thats the cause, but the increased resistance would cause that for sure.

@@NexusAuto Not so much the wires themselves but rather all the contact points - the crimp wire to tab and then pin to slot etc. I have never known for sure but I have always assumed that crimped connectors are aluminum. Aluminum is bad for heating up when oxidized. I have always felt if one wanted a connection to always work one would solder it.

No problem. Glad the video helped. Thanks for watching

anthony gravley hey did you ever find out what the problem was?? I’m having the same issue now

That's awesome news! Much easier fix than fixing the heater controls or the blower motor.

Hope you got it figured out. I don't have a video on the resistor, unfortunately. But sounds like you're on the right track to me. Those fail very frequently too.

True. If the viewer has the means to do that, 100%

No problem. Thanks for watching. Glad it helped.

Thanks, much appreciated.

This is very true. Those are called Cabin Air Filters. Thanks for posting that, for those who will inquire. Great tip!

I live in Ohio and it like 10 degrees here now this is what's going on in my 2007 I can hear the blower blowing the heat but I cant feel any thing coming out!!! I will definitely try this thank you so much

I messed with this vehicle for 2 years before I found out about the filters. It's been -36 here this week so the heater working is important :) The sad thing is, our Buick dealer not only doesn't stock these "regular service" items, they didn't even know about them! I got them from Napa and they come in a set.... Good luck! I'm sure this will fix your problem....

geeez -36 where the heck are you!

lol, in the Yukon Territory. Just below Alaska. Believe it or not I've seen allot colder... :(

Great news, glad to hear it helped.

No problem at all

thanks, hope it helps and thanks for watching

You can, but you have to be skilled at soldering in LED bulbs. It's not standard bulbs inside, if I recall. You have to open the unit, remove the old LED bulbs, and solder in new ones. I'm not sure of another way to get it done

No problem. Thanks for watching!

That's awesome news. They are actually pretty good SUVs. This was my parents SUV, but they unfortunately sold it years ago, before I could do more work to it. They still want it back to this day

No problem...glad the video helped out! Thanks for watching

No problem at all. Thanks for watching.

This is very true, and it is something I learned as I filmed. I completely agree with you. When I made this video in 2014, I didnt even include it. However, When i made a video in 2015 about adding an aftermarket stereo in 2015, I made sure to add that in afterwards. In case you want to see what problems can come up with reinstallation, check this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fNeKb5XVZk8.html , at the end. It will help to some degree. Thanks for watching too.

hi Jim. i do still monitor the videos, so no worries there. unfortunately, it can be either or. most times, its the slider controls and not the actuator. I've changed dozens of these heater controls, and only ever had to do one actuator. they are a pain. the only true way to know is to turn on the system, and test the actuator, but they are a pain in the ass to test. because of this, I do recommend changing the controls first, but its a gamble and may not fix the issue. sorry, I know this doesnt directly answer the question, but without testing it myself, its the best I can give. maybe pull off the dash cover first, and disconnect the heater controls...check the wiring for any scorching/burns/melting. start there first. its only about 1/2 hr to check that, so it may save you a lot of time and a drive

Hard to say without being there to test it, but the 2 common issues is either the blend door actuator, or the same heater controls in this video. If the controls are malfunctioning/damaged/burnt, then the controls may not send the signal to change between heat and AC. But the actuator does fail often, so start by testing that

Thanks, appreciate it. Glad the video helped out. This is such a common issue...couldn't believe GM let it go on for as long as it did. But, no surprise either. Which panel are you talking about...the cluster/stereo panel? That is all one piece. As an FYI, this was a 2004 CX model.

No problem at all! Glad the video was helpful, and thanks for the awesome feedback too! For your question, there is a couple of causes. Ultimately, it sounds like the dual climate controls are stuck, but could be other things. When are you noticing this? As in 1. When you put on the heat, does the driver side and floor vents still blow cold air, or no air at all? 2. When you put on AC, does passenger side and front defrost blow hot air, or no air?

Hey. It's been a while since I worked on these models, but they were illuminated, off memory. Aside from the clock, were all the lights off, or just the heater controls? What about the cluster, like the gauges and stuff? There are bulbs inside, but they are LED bulbs and can't be easily changed. Also, sometimes if the lights are not working, it may not be the switch, but the plug on the back as you see in this video. Hopefully it's an easy fix

thank you for responding. just the heater controls were not lit. Gauges and speedometer were lit and the clock, everything else, heater dials were dark. So I have to take down the panel under the steering wheel and then the front cover over the speedometer area, (sorry, don't know exact name for panel and such), then unscrew the heat unit and pull it out. But how do I change the lights behind the heater dials? Are there screws to remove to replace the lights? Thank you in advance for helping. @@NexusAuto

@maryjohnson8755 no problem. OK, so that's good news that the other gauge lights are working. For removal, sounds like you have it right. But for the lights, it's not easy to replace. It's a sealed unit, so you have to open it, and solder in née LED bulbs. It's not removable bulbs like the other interior/Exterior lights. If you're not handy with a soldering iron, you won't be able to change the bulbs. You'll ha e to replace the whole unit itself

UGH!!! Sounds a little more complicated to do the lights but it's driving me nuts that they are not lit...!!! I will have grandson watch your video and see if he would like to tackle for me. I so appreciate you giving me this information. @@NexusAuto

Unfortunately, I have no more info on the platform. I no longer have access to the vehicle. Sorry about that.

Hi Mike. Before I answer, give me an idea what is happening. Does the heater respond to changing the fan speeds? Does it change through the heating ranges? (Defroster, upper vents, lower vents, etc)

hello and thanks for watching. before I give any advice, I want to be sure....the blower kicks on at all speeds, but you get no heat outputting through the vents. is that right?

+NexusTMPG i get heat but no fan kicking in

+NexusTMPG also I have the LCD screen

+Amelia Goodman if the car is getting heat, but can't output because there is no fan, then it can only be a gew things. first, do you get the fan kicking in at any speed? or is it completely off, no matter the speed selected? i would recommend first checking the fuses (if you haven't already). once that is determined to not be the issue, check the power going in to the blower motor (if you have a voltmeter). its tricky, but then you can eliminate the electrical/voltage from the equation if that all checks out ok, then the most likely of the 2 to fail is the LCD heater control switch vs the fan. i have done a ton of rendezvous', and haven't yet encountered a failed blower motor (but of course, than can happen). almost always, its those heater controls. see if you pick one up...online, junkyard, parts store, etc...and try that. if you hook up the new one and the problem is still there, then it is the blower motor for sure

Thank you

It is really hard to say from here, but there is some possibilities that come to mind. First..I want to clarify with you. You said you can hear the blend door working. Do you feel the air change direction as well? When you put it to the foot wells, the air comes out correctly? Did you try all the various vent settings to make sure it is blowing ok? Second...when you switch the vents, if the air comes out from the correct vent, do all the vents have low air? As in, I have seen scenarios where the air is low no matter which vent it is coming from (feet, face, defroster, etc). I have seen other scenarios where air comes out really strong from some vents (lets say feet, for example), but then low air from another vent setting (lets say face). Is it low air all the time? Of course, this is an armchair diagnosis, so take it for what it is. But I am leaning on 3 possibilities...the blower motor, the blower motor resistor, or the blend door actuator. If the air changes direction correctly, and it blows very little air no matter the setting, it is likely either the blower motor or the resistor. If the air does not switch correctly or blows strong in some vents and not in others, then it may be the actuator. I would start with these things first.

Nexus Auto.. Thanks for the quick reply. I really appreciate it. Is seems to be low air everywhere. And yes, I can hear the blend door switching with the selector. I also can hear the fan increase when selecting speeds and it does increase air flow, but not much. It almost seems that there is something stuck in there restricting air flow. I also own an 03 Subaru Outback that the heater fan will blow you out of the car. The difference between the 2 is Night and day. Thanks for the info. I will be replacing the power head again today and will see if it helps at all before digging in further. Great Video by the way. One of the most informative and complete videos I have seen on here. Keep up the good work.

@@Lastchance1960 Thanks! Appreciate it. I hope everything works out. Let me know how it goes and if you figure out the issue.

What p30 code do you have? Should be a letter and 4 numbers.

No problem. Hope the video helped fix the issue. Thanks for watching

No problem

Technically yes, it can be changed. But it is not a traditional bulb, but a small LED. In order to replace it, you have to remove the heater controls, open it up, remove the blown LED, and solder in a new one. Not an easy task, but it can be done for sure.

@@NexusAuto would it be possible to show a video of doing that or how to do that for say a 2006 rendezvous? Half my lights don't work for the control unit and are wearing thin for the labels.

@@tannimdragon unfortunately I couldn't. Only because I no longer have access to this vehicle

Hi Michael. Sounds like a big problem for sure. Let me get some details. What happened when you put on the heating controls? does it turn on any air at all? Have you tried different fan speeds as well? (numbers 1, 2, 3, etc). Any reaction at all? And have you tried both heat an AC, and see if there is a difference?

Hmmm, that is an interesting one. First, with the Temp Gauge not reading the same as the ODB2 scanner, this is a notoriously common problem on the rendezvous. Both Temp and/or Fuel gauges fail commonly, and giving incorrect fuel or temp readings, and eventually, even the speedometer and tachometer goes as well. I am not sure if it is this issue, or directly related to your heating issue above. As for the heat, off the top of my head, I have 2 things that are coming to mind right away. 1. Possibly a clogged heater core. Very common on GM cars, especially ones that use Dexcool. Even with a system flush and bleeding out the system, if it is clogged, it still will not produce heat. The core itself would need to be flushed separately (not with a coolant flush, as this will not unclog it) and sometimes it may need to be replaced. 2. Heater controls not responding correctly/malfunctioning. If the heater controls are burned out(like in the video above), you can be turning up the temperature on the dial, but the control unit is not sending that info to the car, and therefore, it does not send heat through. 3. The third one is possible, in that the thermostat is stuck open, so the coolant never gets hot. I think this one is not as likely vs the other 2 options above, but it is a possibility. I would probably start with these 3 options first.

@@NexusAuto Thanks for your response! I flushed the system after I asked your advice and it didn't help. I agree, stuck open or missing thermostat, heating module malfunction, clogged heater core. Will flush core separately next after making sure the blend door is actually working. Forgot to mention vehicle was recently purchased from a private individual. Thanks again!

@@RobertoSantiagoRodriguez No problem at all. Let me know how it goes. Good luck!

@@NexusAuto Got good heat now after bleeding system then noticed only warm on pass side, issue with temperature selector for the driver side on the control module I suspect. The speedometer says am going at 80 mph while sitting still and as I drive it shows me going at 110. Lol! Keep making those great videos, thanks again!

@@RobertoSantiagoRodriguez fantastic. Glad to hear the bleeding of the system worked. One problem down for sure! I agree as well...sounds like the control module is also at fault. A common problem for sure, so I would not be surprised. I am also not surprised by the speedo readings LOL. It is such a common problem with these cars. I once went to a junkyard and got 2 different clusters, in an attempt to fix the issue. And they both had various gauge glitches! Ultimately had to bring the cluster to a specialist who rebuilt the motors inside, which fixed the issue all the way until the car was sold. Thanks again for watching too! Appreciate it

if i remember correctly, i think its on the front of the block, just above the oil filter. but that's just off memory. check around there

How's it going? I'll see if I can help with these questions a bit. 1. Unfortunately, the disable and light showing up on these cars is VERY common, and there is a host of problems that can cause it, from minor things like a broken electrical wire, to the AWD differential control valve, to the rear differential needing flushing, and it is impossible to say what it is from here. But if I were to start somewhere, check at the wheel bearings...there is some wires coming out of it that will have a cover. Cut open the cover carefully and check the wires...it is extremely common for those wires to corrode and break...so common, I've probably fixed a dozen of them, working on a dozen rendezvous lol. And it is the passenger side that is the most common. Can't say for sure that is the issue, but considering how common, I would start there. 2. Does the heater blow warm air when the car is driven? 3. When the temp goes all the way hot, is it when the car is idling, or even when driven?

Nexus Auto Thanks for your help in the AWD light. I will check it out. Yes, the heater does blow warm air when the car is driven The coolant temp has only pegged to the Hot 2 times, once when I had to slam on the brakes and the other time was just driving down the road on a normal day

@@ericmairs8368 ok, so first, with the overheating. As long as the car itself is definitely not overheating, there is a chance that it is an electrical issue, or more likely, the motor for gauge is malfunctioning. Another common issues with Rendezvous. Luckily, it seems to be very rare, so keep an eye on it. I have never replaced them myself, I send them off to a specialist. But there has been a few that needed rebuilding, so it does happen. If that is the case. If it becomes more persistent, maybe have the motor replaced. For the heat issue, if it gets warm air when in motion, but none when idling, then it *should* indicate that the blower motor and interior controls are ok. Sounds like there is either a issue with the car heating up when idling or with the flow of coolant. Off the top of my head, it could be a few things. The first thing I would do is check your coolant levels. Check both the rad and overflow tank with the car cool. you may want to consider flushing the heater core and cooling system, as Dexcool build up can cause so many issues with coolant flow. I would also check the drive belt. If it is loose, it can cause the water pump to not spin fully, and cause the car to have all sorts of heating issues. Check the elasticity of the belt with the car off, then start up the car and visually inspect to see if it is jumping all around or vibrating. If all good so far, turn the car off and check the water pump pulley (which is tricky to get to) and see if it is loose. All good? Next up, I would consider that the thermostat needs replacing or you need a new water pump. Of course, there is potential other issues, but these are the most commom, and it is where I would start. Aside from that, the car would need some further diagnosis to be sure. Hopefully that helps a bit in getting you started.

the rendezvous does have a blend door actuator. If I remember correctly, it is behind the glove box. You would have to remove the glove box to get it. I am not 100% on that (it has been a while since I worked on this vehicle), but I am fairly certain that is where it is.

the best way is to take off the dash and check the heater controls, as seen in the video. it's a low cost check, and takes about 1/2 hr to an hour to check. this is a more common failure, and checking is something most can do (with patience though, it can seem daunting at first). if the controls look good, then it may be the motor. also, always check fuses first, that's a good bet. if you are handy with a voltmeter, you can also check the power at the blower motor and see if it is functioning. if you have any other questions, please let me know, and sorry for the late reply

Something like that is too hard to diagnose from here, unfortunately. Sounds like an electrical problem of some sort. Sounds like all components are ok (relay, ruse, switch/controls, etc) but something else electrically is still going on. For the sake of it, did you try changing the fuse and/or relay anyways? I have seem times where electrical components check out and look ok, but they were still faulty, and replacing them actually worked. I would give that a shot if you haven't already. If that checks out, if I were working on the car, I would start tracing back with a voltmeter to see if I can find where the power is lost. I did some research on this model to see if I can find anything and I noticed someone has an issue with a ground wire at the switch. Would be worth checking out, if you haven't already www.2carpros.com/questions/mitsubishi-galant-2000-mitsubishi-galant-air-conditioner-not-cooling-air Aside from that, my guess is there is a either a damaged connector or wire somewhere, and that needs to be sourced and found. Hope this helps a little bit...sorry I could not help further.

@@NexusAuto thx for answering. Yes i also switched the relay and fuse, still not working. This all happened when i had a guy replace my transmission. Before that my ac was working great. Im trying to look everywhere for a loose or cut wire where he might have been working in that area. Thx 👍

@@marioriojas5264 no problem at all...Hopefully you find the issue. From what I have seen and read, the wire in that link I sent is close to the transmission, so that may not be a coincidence. Check for broken or cracked wires and check the connectors as well...unplug them and check them thoroughly. It just takes one damaged pin inside a connector to cause something to not function. Good luck...these are tough sometimes!

@@NexusAuto thank you for taking the time to help me out. Ill look at all the wires and connections you told me about. Ill update you as soon as i find a solution. 👍

That sounds like the blend door or the blend door actuator is at fault (the actuator is more likely to fail vs the blend door itself). Hard to truly say without being there, but if the controls check out ok, the actuator is where I would look next.

No cabin filter in the glove box should not affect the heat coming in. The filter just removes dust/particles/pollen from the air. If you dont have a filter there, it would be missing and should be replaced. But the 'no heat' issue would be something else. When you put on the front defrost or inside heat, does cold air only blow, or no/very little air?

@@NexusAuto i could feel very faint but hot air.

@@breannajonestolbert6803 hmmm. Ok, so there is a few things that could be wrong here. This is assuming that everything is working well with the blower motor (you hear it engaging, so I think that it is a safe assumption) 1. Clogged cabin air filters. You did mention about having no air filters, which would have no affect, but do you have filters in there now? And if you do, when were they last changed? If they are clogged, that can cause no air to come through. Does air come through when you put the air to cold (no AC on, just turn to cold air?) 2. The heater controls, as seen in this video, can be malfunctioning and not telling the car to send more air through. It is a possibility. 3. There is something called a 'heat door' or 'blend door' inside the car. This is what moves when you change the controls, to send the air up to the windshield, or to the vents, or the floor, or whatever. If this jams closed, then no air will come through. Main thing is, do you get a lot of air when you put the cold air on?

@@NexusAuto no cold air

@@breannajonestolbert6803 Ok so definitely an air flow issue. When you change the air flow (front defogger, floor vents, upper vents, etc) you should also a small whirring noise, kinda like a coffee maker or something like that. Do you hear anything at all, when you move between vent controls?

Unfortunately, the video you saw seems to be correct. You need to remove the center console to get to the fuse box, and you need to remove the seats to get to the center console. The BCM sits on top of the fuse box, so you cant even fiddle with it and try to squeeze it out. You need to take the console out to disconnect the BCM, so you can disconnect the fuse box.

@@NexusAuto my aim then is to run a jump wire to the radio...tapping off the adjacent fuse for power. So your video showing how to get to the radio to rewire it will help...thanks.

@@indydave1955 Ah ok, then you may not even need to take out the console and fuse box, if the goal is just to jump the wire. It will be a bit tight, but doable. That would be much better than removing the console and seat. A T=Tap wire connector may help here too. Hope you can get it done.

@@NexusAuto right...that idea was so I wouldn't have to get behind the fuse box. Do you happen to know the color of the power wire going into the radio...red? (Thanks in advance)

@@NexusAuto So this afternoon I took on the task of removing the panels so I could get to the radio. That was a bit of a job but the real problem was trying to figure out which was the power in wire. I connected a hot wire to the battery and then started trying to apply voltage to the wires that looked likely to be the power in. I almost screwed up by putting power to the ground wire and it started to cook my wire but I finally figured out that the power was the larger orange wire going in. I tapped onto that and ran that wire back to the fuse box to access a fuse that is on when the key is on. And it works now!

sounds good. let me know how it goes. I'm definitely curious. thanks for watching too!

+NexusTMPG ... didnt work. But this one has lights. Now my controller has dual slide bar control. Wreckers only had similar to the one you took out. Same connectors and pins inside them. Is that the problem? Does it have to be the exact same one? I did take the wires as well and will try to do them in morning. Theres 4 more rendezvous at the place I went. But there all basically single heat control. gave me 90 days to exchange or get credit. What would I check next? Its getting very cold here and winsheild is pretty much ice covered every morning.

Hey Jazzy J.C. yeah you definitely need the same one. The Rendezvous have 3 different heater control options...the one in this pic, the slider one that you have and an LCD one. They all use the same plug (lcd has an extra plug though), but they arent interchangeable. Oddly, I have seen times where hooking up a different heater control worked, but that is extreme luck-of-the-draw. See if you can get your hands on a slider style one. That should (hopefully) fix the issue.

hello. take a look at the harness at the back of the heater controls. look for any burned out pins. if you see any, replace the harness. if not, it is likely the heater controls...but there could be other issues too. but these 2 above issues are the most common reason. try those first

Jessica Louden yes that’s what I’m looking for as well

Hello thanks for watching. I can answer this for you, but its not a great answer. The LCD screen failing is a bit of a common issue too. It is not as common as the heater controls melting, but it does fail. When it does fail, there is pretty much no fix. You have to get a new one. If someone is particularly handy, they can open the unit and try to repair it. But there is no real fix to it. If the LCD is off, but the knobs light up, then time for a new unit.

Unfortunately this is a common problem with all models of the Rendezvous. Once it goes, it goes. There is 2 ways to fix it though.... 1. There is some shops that can actually replace the motor inside. But this is 50/50, as it doesnt always fix the problem. 2. You have to get a new dash cluster. If you get a used one, keep in mind it will show the mileage of the previous car, and not your own mileage. Thats really it, unfortunately :(

It did not for me, but it has for others. There can be other things that cause that though. Definitely check it out.