And most mechanics will tell you that the actuator needs replacing. Just what the mechanic we use for our company vehicles told my boss. Wanted to charge more. Because replacing a little line. Wouldnt be able to charge the $289 he wanted to replace actuator. Thank you for telling the truth. I was able to replace it myself. Saving the company money.
You are a real expert mechanic! I had the same problem on my 1978 Buick Electra many years ago. No one could tell me exactly what was wrong. Too bad there was no Internet then, and you were probably a kid not even old enough to drive.:)
Thank you and thanks goes out to RU-vid as well, for making this video. You saved me an unknown huge amount of dollars. My air conditioner on my 1996 Olds was working only through the defrost system. I watched this video, and lifted up the hood. I found a plastic vacuum line unattached to a purge valve. I reconnected it and the air conditioner works like new again. Thanks.
I have the same exact issue on my 2000 Toyota Avalon! It happened right after replacing the battery. I'm gonna investigate this, thank you for the information, hopefully this leads to a cooler drive overall!
My 97 Dodge 12V Cummins just did this yesterday. I thought it was the recirculate door but after dropping the blower motor it was clear that wasn't the issue. Hours of youtube searching later and I'm almost positive this is it. Blows good but only out of the defrost vents. I'm glad I found this before I fabricated return scoops for the dash vents!
Yea S10's are notorious for this as well, I had a 03' S10 with a 2.2L and I was lucky the vacuum leak was under the hood near the brake booster. Great informative video!
Great video, I like the way you explain the system. Easy to understand but not too much blah blah. Easy way to eliminate other causes- I turned my vent to floor only (floor wasn’t getting any heat (or any air blowing) and instead of coming out of the floor it came out of the defrost, which like you said is a fail safe so now i know it’s a vacuum leak not a different cause. Thanks!
I have an 09 CVPI that did this on the way home from a road trip. Luckily, it wasn't too hot or cold outside. I figured it was the vacuum hose because the air still blows strong. I just have to find the hose that's busted, I guess lol. Thanks for the video!
@@nudetaynehatwobble I did! It was the black line coming from the controller, through the firewall, and onto the vacuum pump. It had cracked from age at the connector to the pump. I snipped away a little bit from the line, reattached it to the pump, and immediately had all my AC settings working again. Very easy fix
If this happens on the road and tubing replacement parts are not readily on hand, stop at a gas station and grab some cardboard out of their trash. Cut a strip 6"-9" wide and 4'-5' long and crame it down along the windshield as an insulator/ deflector. This will reduce coolant loses to the windshield. If you can't get the cardboard to stay in place by friction, just wad up a couple of whatever and wedge them in there to keep CB elevated. Of course don't block your view of the road or front end of vehicle.
@@jamesmiddleton5304 I was actually able to fix it a few days ago so I'll just give a bit of info specific to the van. From under the engine cover you can look where the control knob is on the other side and see 4 or so vacuum tubes. I just followed each of them back to the other side under the hood and kept following them until I found the broken one. I hope this helps
My 91 Taurus SHO did the same thing. but instead of replacing the hose I got some heat shrink and put it over the break and put zip ties on both ends of the heat shrink. actually worked pretty well.
This just happened to me this morning. I went out early to beat the heat but on the way home from the grocer I could really feel it not working. It was coming through the defrost and steaming up the windshield and it was coming out the back blower but not the ones in front of me. I have a 2002 Astro. Your dash looks just like mine except I have a separate air controller for the back.
I just got done doing plugs and coils on my 2000 E150. Now my blower is on defrost only. Verrry, possibly I either didn't plug something back in or broke a small vac line. Thanks for the fact about the air in defrost position as a default. I thought maybe I forgot to plug a plug together. Back in I go. Thanks.
Useful information, this sounds exactly like the problem I'm having with my 2000 Monte Carlo SS. Now to figure out where the vacuum line is on my car, heh.
Our church has a 2001 Chevy Express 3500 passenger van that cools great on the rear air, but only marginally on the front air. The air comes out the correct locations based on the switch settings, but when you turn the front control from Max to A/C, it gets warm like a blend door is not closing or something like that. Another question I have is when the rear air is on, the compressor runs normally, and the suction pressure is around 35 psi, but with it off and only the front a/c on, the compressor short cycles, the suction pressure varies between 22 psi where it cuts off the compressor to about 30 psi where it kicks back on and then repeats the on / off cycle, and the return line to the compressor which should be cold to the touch is warm full time. Any suggestions???
Daniel what would cause my electric radiator fans to stay stuck on high speed. My temperature sensor is working correctly and my defrost/AC is off. As soon as the engine is started it brings the fan from low to medium to high within like 8 seconds and stays on high no matter what. My OBD2 reader is reading the correct coolant temperature and it says the radiator fan is on high. So the vehicle knows the fan is on the highest setting. The relays work correctly as well.
I replaced all the vacuum lines and the check valve on my 2000 astro van . It did not fix the problem. Air still won't come out of front vents. Any suggestions ?
Question, when you say only come out of the vents, do you mean no air comes out of the vents? I have warm air coming from the vents and cold air coming from defrost
I have a 2010 Chevy Express conversion van. The AC works fine for awhile but the AC will soon turn to hot air and continue to stay hot until I turn the AC off for a few min. then I turn it back on then it's cool again. this seems to happen under extreme loads on hot days when the fan runs at top speed. Any clue as to how to fix it?
I think this is what happened to my 06 Chevy Colorado. I took it to a local mechanic, he said he charges 120 bucks just for a "diagnostic" not including labor and parts... Now I don't know too much about cars, but I'm pretty sure I can change a damn hose.
I have a 1997 chevy 1500. It doesn't blow any air through the vents so I leave the selector on the window defrost its fine, but when I switch it something I hear this funny groan from what looks like the blower motor the sits under the glove box on the passenger side. I was told its either the motor or the actuator. There isn't an AC hose so I don't use it, but I want to figure this problem before getting the AC hose, or if not having the hose is the problem
When I was a kid my parents Buick, think 1970 electria with 455, would do the same thing. My dad's fix wasn't so much a fix because he didn't know how the system worked so he would bypass some hoses and plug them. When the seasons changed we would have to remember which hoses to unplug and plug to get the heater/defroster for winter and the a/c to work in the summer. I laugh now, but it was a pain in the a**.
BMW uses rubber hoses with fabric protection. They last 14-16 years. But still fail. 3-5€ for few meters. Luckily AC system works with servos that never fail.
I have a 1998 Buick LeSabre and the blend doors that are vacuum operated goes to defrost only a on a/c. There are three vacuum diaphrams under the dash and I have took my snap-on vacuum pump to them all and all I get is one that will make it go to the vents barely. My Chilton and Haynes book wont tell me anything. I need some help please. I can't find a you tube video even close to help me. The a/c would come out the vent sometimes going around corners and then go back off to defrost and sometimes when you touched the brakes it would go on to the vents, which is weird because you would think it would draw the vacuum out of the a/c controller.
Very useful information, thanks. Do you think Toyota land Cruiser 1998 uses the same approach? I am having kind of similar problem accept that it comes and goes
Hi mister, I have got GMC Safari 1995 but it is an older interior with a vertical AC controller. There is a problem .... the air only flows through the front vents. Even when I switch to the windshield, HTR or AC, hot air still flows through the front vents. Any recommendations?
I have the same problem on our 89 Buick and the shop is telling me the vacuum lines look good but I checked the check valve and it was bad... plus my vacuum purge canister solenoid is also making rattling noises at engine idle. Could the solenoid cause that issue too if none of the vacuum lines are broken? I already spent a lot of money on other repairs and I wouldn’t want to spend an arm and a leg if they have to remove the dash which I don’t want...
I have a 1996 gmc seria 4.3 liter engine my heater and ac are stuck on the floor setting I haven’t check the hose that you described in this video yet but I’d like your feed back to know if it could be something else
I have a pro star cold air comes out of defrost same the as you shown in video.i know car and truck different set you but I need to figure out how get my air come through the vents
I have the same problem on my 02 Buick LeSabre. The air is cold but it only blows from the bottom. It barely comes out the dash vents. Can you help me out Dan?
ok I have no defrost and only have lower blowerl so what can it be ? I pute new blower motor and vacumes out dirt cleaned the coils and put in new switch and new resister still will not blow high speed a mech spent one hour so far could not find whats wrong. wants mw to bring ir back in the morning again
Does anyone know if a 2004 would still use the same vacuum hose system? They didn't switch to a vent motor that year dud they? I don't think so, but I don't have access to the van right now. Thanks for the video!
I have a question. There are two ac vacuum openings coming out from the fire wall. Can you please help me routing of the vacuum lines. Hope to hear from you soon.
Dan I have a similar problem on a 96 Corvette. The only difference is that the air started blowing out of the defroster for about 5 to 10 seconds and then comes about 90% out the front and 10% out of defrost. Could this be a check valve or vacuum hose or both?
Hey guys I have a problem with my 2008 Honda Civic & I wish someone could please help me out. My car only blows air through the front vents, not through the windshield or to the feet. What can possibly cause this? It sucks because on cold days, the windshield fogs up really badly when I turn on the heater since I can't change it to where hot air blows on the windshield.
Sounds like the check valve that Daniel was talking about might be leaking, therefore it doesn't hold a vacuum in the reservoir unless the engine is constantly supplying it. (light or no throttle)
MetalGear Mine is kind of the opposite though. It works fine when at idle or accelerating lightly, but stops after it hits about 3000 rpm. Could it possibly be a split line? I've also heard of some people saying that the intake gaskets might be leaking a little bit.
Alright so i dont have this problem... but i was wondering if it is normal for the temp gauge to go about halfway when the defrost is on the entire time the car is running (being driven for several hours throughout the day being turned off and on) 95 corolla
Your Crown Vic does not use vacuum lines like the vehicle in this video. It uses a electric motors to move the doors. Information on troubleshooting HVAC systems in Crown Vics is very plentiful. Do some research and you will figure out how to fix your problem. My favorite source of Crown Vic information is www.crownvic.net. This forum has write ups and guides for pretty much every issue you might have with your panther platform vehicle.
Quick question for you then was it only a few models that had vacuum operated ones? I pulled the whole box from under the dash in a 2004 mustang and it was vacuum operated I wanted an electric one but being it'll be going under the dash in my 78 trans am its small enough and it works with very little modification to the fire wall.
hi my 99 tahoe ac works on rear but not the front side what can be the problem? plz help has enough freon,front blows warm air when the rear blows really cold.
tino8080 my 2002 yukon is doing the same thing. Ice cold in back cool/warm in the front now it’s blowing through vents and defrost in front We changed the fan clutch, climate control panel, and passenger actuator none of them worked. I know there is 3 actuators in my yukon passenger side under driver side and behind the center console behind the radio etc. Mine is also topped with Freon and my compressor works it’s very frustrating especially living in Florida where the heat is brutal