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Buick LaCrosse Heating / Cooling Problems

27 messages,  Last post on Jul 29, 2011 at 11:14 AM

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What is this discussion about? Buick LaCrosse, Heating / Cooling, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 3

#18 of 27 Re: 2010 LaCrosse Heating/Cooling Problems [fotschto] by e_net_rider

Oct 03, 2010 (6:25 am)

Replying to: fotschto (Sep 23, 2010 7:15 pm)
Not sure exactly what you are saying.
You've put it in a manual mode.
You've pushed a button or something telling the A/C pump to not engage.
You still get cold air as if the pump is running.
Does that sound right?
If you are in a defog or defrost mode it generally overides the A/C off switch. If outside temp is near freezing the pump will not engage.
Can you hear the click that occurs when the pump engages and disengages? That is have you verified the pump is actually running?

#19 of 27 Re: 2010 LaCrosse Heating/Cooling Problems [fotschto] by imidazol97

Oct 03, 2010 (6:59 am)

Replying to: fotschto (Sep 23, 2010 7:15 pm)
The previous post is right.
 
In defrost and some defog settings with floor air and windshield air the compressor is enabled if the ambient temps are warm enough. There is a cutoff, possibly about 50 degrees for the compressor being able to run in other modes asking for AC cooling. But in defroster / defog mix it may be lower.
 
Your next step is to open the hood when the outside temps are above 50 and start the car with the heater settings where you're getting the cold blast. Then go to the front of the car and look to see if the center hub of the compressor is turning with the belt pulley or if it's disengaged.
 
Also you can touch the metal freon tube going to the condenser unit that's in front of the radiator. One of those tubes will be hot if the AC compressor is running. The other silver tube will be cool. They may have plastic coating over them to help insulate, so they may not be silver/aluminum color.
 
If the tube is hot you know the compressor is cooling.
 
It's possible there is an intentional short term engagement of the compressor when the car is set for vents under the conditions you describe. It may be to circulate freon in winter months to keep the seals oiled with the lubricant so they don't dry and shrink.
 
Good luck. Tell us what you find when you test out the system.

#20 of 27 Heater Core Quick Disconnect Tool? by jlim1

Oct 04, 2010 (8:54 am)

I am looking for source of part number and manufacturer of the heater core quick disconnect tool. The Buick LaCrosse ('10~'11MY) uses the quick connect to secure the heater core pipes to the coolant hoses. I believe there is a service disconnect kit/tool out there, possibly made by SPX/OTC or Mac Tool.
 
This plastic disconnect kit/tool for LaCrosse has got to be larger than that OTC 6046 which is the tool to remove the conventional quick connects used in the GM trucks. The 6046 is too small to go on the Buick version.
 
If anyone knows, please advise. Thank you.

#21 of 27 Re: Heater Core Quick Disconnect Tool? [jlim1] by e_net_rider

Oct 05, 2010 (4:54 am)

Replying to: jlim1 (Oct 04, 2010 8:54 am)
Have you tried NAPA?
Why are you wanting to do a disconnect on a vehicle that is so new?
Also Rock Auto and GM Parts Direct may be sources if you have a part number. But carefully read the rules of GM Parts Direct.
You may also try ordering it through the dealer's part center. If it is a special tool, they likely order theirs direct from who made them for GM.

#22 of 27 AC Compressor by doug2011

May 03, 2011 (7:30 pm)

Buick LaCrosse 2010
AC Compressor is on all the time even when you turn off the AC button on the dash. Is this normal for the compressor all the time?

#23 of 27 Re: AC Compressor [doug2011] by e_net_rider

May 04, 2011 (5:50 pm)

Replying to: doug2011 (May 03, 2011 7:30 pm)
No, not normal, but what mode do you have it set at?
Which model of Lacrosse, that is does it have dual air?
Do you have the defog button depressed?
You'd think the compressor would be tied to the light on the button, but some foreign models used that method and the owners may broken the button trieing to shut it off when they had it in defog or defrost mode which automatically calls for the pump to be on.

#24 of 27 Re: AC Compressor [doug2011] by gmcustsvc

May 12, 2011 (12:20 pm)

Replying to: doug2011 (May 03, 2011 7:30 pm)
doug2011,
Have you spoke with your dealer about your concerns? If not, I would recommend doing so. Please keep me updated on your situation, and feel free to email me directly.
Christina
GM Customer Service

#25 of 27 2010 Buick LaCrosse - Air Conditioning by campbells770

Jul 29, 2011 (8:29 am)

Okay, some of what you guys are saying is completely sounding somewhat like what we are having issues with. We have had the air conditioning reset, we have had the "brain" to the electrical system replaced. . we are out of options. What happens is if you have air conditioning on it will completely stop blowing at set fan rate and will barely blow. Even if you take it off of auto and put it onto manual, there is no air flow. Anyone having this problem? Sometimes if you pull over and turn car off, it may solve it, but not every time. We are so over this car.

#26 of 27 Re: 2010 Buick LaCrosse - Air Conditioning [campbells770] by e_net_rider

Jul 29, 2011 (11:15 am)

Replying to: campbells770 (Jul 29, 2011 8:29 am)
I'm beginning to believe it was built in HELL!
What you are describing sounds as if the problem has to be in the electronics, the interior stuff.
With complaints of horrible smells entering vehicle in recirculate, a dealer did the door check. That is the divertor doors inside the system to blow to various areas and blend temperatures. He told me he thought the recirculate door was not fully closing. And that they installed an update. None of it helped.
I don't know what the update was for, but I got a hint that it might be because some had icing of evaporator and that was said to be occurring in recirculate.
I think GM got their thinking crossed. I live in a humid climate and want moisture removed as much as possible most of the year. If the vehicle cooled to the point fan slowed enough, icing could occur on evaporator under some conditions. With orifice tube systems, that usually indicated an improper charge or malfunction of cycling switch. But this system uses an expansion valve which is controlled by the temp at the evaporator. The only time I've seen icing on a system that used an expansion valve is when the system was low on freon, or very infrequently, a defective expansion valve.
In our vehicles, expansion valve is better because they are more efficient and you will see better cooling when vehicle is first started. You won't have to wait for pressures to build and stabilize as in R-134 systems using orifice tube.
When you put in manual, do you mean that you manually crank fan speed up. You should see indication on display? Does the air temperature from outlets change?
So you have to reboot the whole darned car. I've found that with some other items, such as navigation system.
The computer system on these vehicles needs updating very much so. It needs to be able to record these anomalies that are intermittant so the dealer does not think we are crazy.
And in the back of my mind lingers that issue that was known to burn up, ie damage electronic components. It was because of missing diodes that were to block voltage/current spikes from the system. That was a 96 Olds Aurora, yet 09 Malibu had same missing parts and exact same fix. Does our 2011 Lacrosse have it too?
Those spikes will look for the weakest component in the system seeking a path to ground. It can punch a hole in the junction barrier of that semi-conductor. If it is big enough, instant death. If it is small, it can last a long time, but it might be of the right size that it shows up regularly and removing power allows it to heal for a short time. The most common way of troubleshooting such a device is to heat it with a hair dryer, tip of soldering iron, etc. Or spraying them with freon to cool them and then they might start working. Also, if it worked on AC power, a variable transformer could be used to change input voltage over the acceptable range.
Gee, writing this reminded me of what I saw when the first battery went dead. Display was showing voltage at 18 volts. That is pretty high for a 12 volt system and believe it is never supposed to go above about 14.6V.
I'll be glad to follow on any reply.

#27 of 27 Re: Air Recircualtion button has odd behavior... [62vetteefp] by e_net_rider

Jul 29, 2011 (11:14 am)

Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jul 17, 2006 12:19 pm)
The recirculate is controlled automatically in the fully automatic position. It will open and close as needed (if working properly). The short duration of WOT, no compressor, will put it in recirculate if it was not previously. This is for all cooling settings and an effort to maintain constant temperature. Fan speed may also increase for a short duration.
It might be nice if there was some indication of what is actually happening when in auto recirculate. Otherwise you will have to use one of the two manual settings of flow through or recirculate.

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