I am curious if any 2008 owners have successfully replaced their OEM/disabled heated washer unit with the new one posted some time ago from AlphaTherm. I dont remember whether the AT-37GM could be installed once the recall work was performed or if you had to install it on a CTS that didnt have the recall performed. I do remember alot of concerns about the companies lack of response to customer inquiries. I see that the AT-380D unit marketed for other car makers seems to be popular and highly rated.
I havent had my recall work done yet. My only use for the feature is for the summer low flying aircrafts common in South Carolina; I also live in NJ but usually dont spend the winters up here anymore.
I just came back from the dealer performing the recall. The dealer did not wrap the switch cables with electrical tape which annoyed me. Also the power connector was done differently than the TSB - did not wrap wires in electrical tape and just ripped the wires out of the connectors on the unit end which left the end somewhat exposed to moisture.
In any event, I did not pre-connect the hoses bypassing the old unit ahead of time and left it to them to do their thing (I did remove the fuse to save the $5 on a fuse). To do the install, I did not need any additional couplers or hose connectors. Everything I needed came with the AT-37GM package. Took me 10 minutes.
Got the recall done and of course GM removed all the hoses and connected the plastic hoses together with the plastic connector. I undid the connector(just squeeze on the connector and the hoses come apart. Now I need to pull off the male/female ends of the connector in order to connect the AlphaTherm hoses provided using the barb adapter also supplied - into the input and output ends of the main plastic hose. I will upload a pic once I get it off my phone. I spoke with AlphaTherm and he had a sample plastic connector with him and was able to pull each piece off the ends of the main hose.
Anyone else do the hose install this way?
I cut off the connectors in your photo and put in barbed adapters to connect the small, rigid original tubing to the larger AlphaTherm supplied tubing which connects to the AT-37GM.
Im guessing the original setup had the hoses coming from the heater to these 2 connectors with similar male/female connectors. I should have noted how it all looked prior to recall. I couldnt find any clear picture of the connections in any GM literature. But AlphaTherms unit should come with instructions for dealing with this given their unit was designed for cars being recalled - and what I am left with is exactly what the recall work specifies doing with the hoses. I may have to wait till Monday and positively confirm with AlphaTherm what to do before I remove something(connectors) that may be needed.
Unless someone else has dealt with this. I also may wind up trying to get some new hose(1/4 inch?) to connect up properly as the hoses from AlphaTherm appear smaller than original ones.
I just installed mine yesterday. After the recall work was done, there were two rigid plastic hoses in the car connected by a section of about 12 inches of the flexible plastic hose. I just pulled one end of the flexible hose from the plastic connector to the rigid plastic one closest to the nozzles. It came right off. I connected the end that just came from the rigid plastic into the AT intake. It fit right in. Then I took one of the hoses that came with the AT unit and pulled the connector off. Cut it a little bit. Connected one end to the AT out (top one) and the other end to the rigid plastic hose that fed the nozzles. That was it. I did not compare to see size, but they all fit perfectly and I did not have any leaks at all.
If you want me to, I can take pictures and post, but I am headed out of town right now, so I would have to wait until tomorrow.
I understand what you did - to confirm - if you look at the pic in my earlier message, you have the same thing but with a piece of flexible hose connecting the male and female ends of the plastic connector together(this connection was in the recall notice if additional length was needed.) In my case no additional length was needed so the plastic hose male/female ends were connected directly.
You pulled out the flexble hose that was added in between the connectors from the female/open end and then re-connected this hose, now at the end of the input line from the water container, directly onto the input of the AT unit.
Then, after removing the barb adapter from one of the supplied AT hoses, you connected the AT hose from the output of the AT unit into the female/open end of the wire connector going to the spray units.
Correct?
I tried pushing one of the AT hoses into the female connector and it does fit in snugly but I would probably tape in on with electrical tape so it wont come out for whatever reason.
I also tried pushing one of tha AT hoses onto the male end of the input plastic connector and with a little soap it will go on OK.
So it would appear I am good to go. I did previously try removing the plastic connector ends off of each section of wire hose and they dont appear to come off. I am not sure what AT support did when I spoke with them and they said they come right off. But in any event it appears I can leave these connectors on as they were.
Pics would help thanks - sounds different than mine. Is there only the 1 plastic hose running up under the hood on your car? I seem to recall there was another hose but not sure. What I am wondering is - with the new AlphaTherm connected, every time you run the windshield washer, water will always run through the unit. If heated button is pressed, water will be heated, if just the washer on the stalk is used, water is NOT heated. Makes me think the original setup had a hose bypassing the unit when just running the windshield washer(not heated).
Thanks for the info. I will finish up the install tomorrow. I watched the AT install video again and you see them disconnect the small plastic hose at the connectors we have been talking about, and there seems to be a hand jesture that these disconnected ends go into AT unit. It looks as if the connect one of their hoses to the male end and then on to the unit. For the other connection, they either removed the female connector or had additional hose already in the female end and the connected it to the unit.
That plastic connector in the picture in the above post has barb connections at both ends. I pulled the hose going to the washer reservoir off this connector, leaving the connector with barb on the nozzle side hose, and leaving the soft rubber short section attached to the hard tubing going to the washer reservoir tubing. I then connected a section of the supplied hose, without any barb connectors on it, from the output of the AT-37GM to barbs on the connector connected to the nozzle side hose. I then used a section of the supplied hose, with the supplied barb connector, and connected the input side of the AT-37GM to the short rubber hose connected to the hard tubing going to the washer reservoir. I did not have to buy any additional barb fittings. All fits good and tight with no leaks.
I just did what 928s recommended. Pulled the OEM hoses off the AT unit, coupled them with a 3/16" coupler from NAPA and tomorrow I am taking my car in to have the unit removed. Should be able to just snap the electrical connections back on and then slide the hoses onto the AT unit. Will let you know tomorrow how it comes out. I ordered the AT unit last week using the web716 code and got the 10% discount.
Started my install Sunday and completed it today. After hooking up At hoses to male/female connectors on the small plastic hose, there was a slight leak from the female connection. The hose barely fit on the male connector but did not leak. I re-confirmed with AT that these male/female connetors do in fact come out. You have to twist while pulling and they come off OK. Initially I pulled straight out and they didnt budge and you start to worry that they arent meant to come off. But they do. This leaves a short rubber sleave at the end of each small plastic hose. The AT hoses then connect easily using their supplied barb adapters. When the recall work was done, I had no extra section of rubber hose. The plastic hoses connected directly with the connectors. Hardest part of install besides deciding on connection options, was removing the larger electrical connector end. I was trying to pull the small piece on the end where GM wrapped it with tape. In fact the end that comes off is quite large and when I accidentally got it off I thought I broke it, but then confirmed that this connector terminal is not at all like the smaller one. All this stuff is easy once its done but when you arent sure how things come apart, it gets difficult for those less adept at these things.
I am a software guy - I dont do hardware(yet). Thanks for all the help.
Ok. Some pictures. First I said the two more rigid hoses were connected by a flexible rubber hose. I just pulled one end out and it looked like picture 1.
I took one of the hoses that came from the AT-37 and cut it to length. Attached one end to the AT unit and the other end to the rigid hose and ended up with Picture 2. Just push the hose into the connectors
Did the same thing with the other connector. Basically from the Washer fluid I connected to the bottom of the AT unit and from the top connector in the AT unit I connected to the hose that goes to the windshield nozzles.
Interesting - you appear to have a different setup with regard to hoses than I do in my 08 CTS. I only have the 1 back plastic connector set and hose line as shown in second pic below the silver one.
The one below the silver one was the original one. The silver one is the hose that came with the AT unit. So the black hose below was connected to the one I am holding in my fingers. I pulled the initial black one and connected it to the bottom one on the AT unit per this picture
I just looked again carefully at the picture you posted a while back and I think I understand what they did. Instead of joining your to rigid hoses with a flexible hose, they took the male connector from one of the segments and connected the two rigid hoses together. Now I see what you are dealing with.
Any chance the dealer that did the recall would have the piece they took out so you can use it? In my case, both rigid hose segments ended up with a "male" connectors (shown in picture 1) so the flexible rubber hose I got from AT-37 just plugged right in there making it very easy.
Sorry it took me a while to understand what you have been describing.
Ill take a pic tommorrow and show you my setup. I have everything hooked up. But in your second pic I see 2 female connectors(the ones you squeeze to release). I only had the one set of connectors. I removed both(male and female) and then just connected the AT unit using the barb adapters directly to the rubber sleeve on the ends of each section of small tubing.
GM didnt add any hose as the male/female from the small hose ends connected w/o the need for any extension.
Part of the confusion is also how many hoses were originally used for the washer and heated washer. After the recall, all I have is the small tubing from the water container connected to the other end of the small tubing going to the hood.
With the original setup did water to the windshield, if not heated and using the stalk control, pass thru the heater unit? In some pics and diagrams, it appears that there WAS a regular size rubber hose running under the hood. I see this in your pic above going under the rubber shield along where the hood closes on the body.
I disconnected the hoses and recoupled them and removed the fuse before taking it in for the reecall service. The a**holes at Jim Coleman Cadillac not only cut the hose where I had it coupled and put in the connectors as they would have if I had just brought in with nothing done to it, even though i asked them not to and wrote it on the service order. Then they removed the bracket. After complaining to the service people I was told they didn't have a bracket that fit and now they are trying to order one. So I have the AT unit on my desk with no bracket to install it to in my car. They did give me back the cut hose pieces since I had my own coupler in it. When I pointed out to them that the service bulletin specifically said to not remove the bracket because the wrapped cables were supposed to be secured to it, he said he never read it!!! So now the cables are just flopping around in my engine bay. What a bunch of idiots. If they get a bracket in for me and put it back I will finish installing the AT unit. The pics really help and should be pretty easy either using the AT hose pieces or the oem hose pieces they cut and gave back to me.
I uploaded the picture of my hose setup:
The connection at the top is the hose from the AT unit to the rubber sleeve on the small tubing to the hood. There was a female connector at the end of the tubing that was removed. Barb adapter used to make connection.
The connection below is the hose from the AT unit to the rubber sleeve on the small tubing from the water container. There was a male connector at the end of this tubing that was removed. Barb adapter used to make connection.
After the recall, this tubing was connected together - male/female.
Based on my experience and that of others in this thread, I now offer the following suggestions to anyone who plans to install the AlphaTherm AT-37GM but has not yet had the dealer recall service performed.
1. IF preparing your car for the recall service (remove and save for reuse the 60-amp fuse, connect washer fluid "in" and "out" hoses to bypass heater module) BEFORE receiving the AT-37GM replacement unit, THEN use a straight plastic coupler (available from NAPA, other auto parts/hardware stores, etc.) to join the hoses.
2. IF preparing your car for the recall service AFTER receiving the AT-37GM, THEN use one of the AlphaTherm-supplied couplers to join the OEM hoses.
3. After bypassing the OEM heater module, as a precaution, tuck the joined hoses under the fender panel - conveniently out of sight and reach of the dealer svc tech who will eventually perform the OEM heater module removal.
4. Print and give to your dealer svc advisor a copy of "WINDSHIELD WASHER SOLVENT HEATER REMOVAL,"pages 16-21, July 2010 revised Recall Bulletin: http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.g...s/Public/Recalls/2010/V/RCRIT-10V240-3383.pdf. Discuss and make sure that your svc advisor understands the preparations for AlphaTherm AT-37GM that you have made (fuse, hoses), and instructs the svc tech to act accordingly. This should be NO problem, as GM wants only to cease its OEM product liability and your dealer wants only to complete required paperwork to collect payment from GM and, hopefully, make you a compensated happy customer.
5. After installing the new AT-37GM heater module into the existing OEM mounting bracket and securing its electrical connections, simply remove the temporary hose coupler and slide loose hose ends onto the heater module. Prime with unheated washer fluid via steering column stalk button. Reinstall 60-amp fuse in underhood fuse block. Good to go. Enjoy your fully restored heated washer fluid system.
Unfortunately, despite doing this, mechanics followed their documented procedure. Fortunately,after talking with AT support, I simply removed the male/female adapters on the ends of the remaing small tubing, I/P and O/P, connected to each other w/o the need for additional hosing. Once the adapters were removed, the AT hoses easily connected to each end of the tubing containing a rubber sleeve, using supplied barb adapters.
I have been reading the recall procedure. My question is this. Is it really necessary to disconnect the battery simply to remove and reinsert the 60 amp fuse? Your help will be appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks for the response. I felt fairly sure that disconnecting was not necessary. I did not want to have to re-set the windows, throttle, or anything else for that matter. Thanks again!
If your system looks like the first pic in jhermit post #48 above you will need nothing. All you will need to do is remove the top hose from the washer unit and follow it back until you reach the fender there you will find the hard connector. It consists of a male and female connectors. Use a pair of pliers and squeeze the female side, and pull out the male side by wiggling it while pulling. You will see what I mean when you get there. Then do the same for the lower hose on the washer unit. Once you have removed both hoses you will be left with a male and female so push the male into the female and you have now bypassed the washer unit. KEEP the hoses you just removed for you will need them so that you can put the system back to stock and reconnect to the new washer unit. Remove the fuse and KEEP that too. So that when you get the new unit you will be able to put the fuse and the hoses back in, and the system will be just as it is right now. But do remember to use the windshield washer in normal unheated mode first to get the new unit full of fluid before you use it. You don't want to have the unit heating up with nothing in it. Once you have done that the system is ready to use.
I hope that helps you out.
Just got my unit today and installed it in about 15 minutes. Works great. All DIC messages functioning as well.
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