Ugh, please help----HVAC meltdown

88IndyEldo · #1 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 11:26 AM

Hey guys----I've searched through a bunch of these posts, but haven't seen anything quite like my situation, (although there's a lot here, I may have just missed it).

I bought an '88 Eldorado Coupe from my "friend", who told me he just had the a/c fixed and everything was fine. By "fixed", he clearly meant temporarily held together, because about a month after I bought it, I got an error message on the computer screen saying "Low refrigerant", and then "Compressor off".....Long story short, the only thing replaced was the air pump? In reality it also needed (and still needs) a new evaporator core and the system recharged. Fantastic.....

Of course, as I'm writing this it's like 30 degrees outside, so I can live without the a/c. But I don't have an HVAC option for just heat; it's all auto temp control. The only way I can get heat in the car right now is to push the defroster button, set the temp to like 85, and drive down the highway. Plenty of hot air will come in through the defroster vents, as long as the car is moving. But if the car is stopped, nothing.....

My question, then, is can I get the heater to work normally, without shelling out the big bucks they want to fix the a/c? Or is nothing going to work as long as the compressor is off like that?

Sorry to ramble, just frustrated.....any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

**Ranger** · #2 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 11:37 AM

You should have an ECON button. That is an A/C bypass and should allow you to use the heat with no A/C. By the way, defrost uses the A/C at all temps, auto uses A/C only above 35 or so.

88IndyEldo · #3 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 11:40 AM

That's what I thought, but when I do the ECON it just barely blows out, and it never gets very warm......for whatever reason the Defrost seems to get a lot warmer. Would there be a reason for that?

**Ranger** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 12:07 PM

Sounds like the fan is not blowing. Is that the case?

88IndyEldo · #5 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 12:56 PM

IDK---it seems like the fan is blowing a little, (when I push ECON), but never very strong, even on the highest speed. Actually pushing the different speed buttons makes no difference at all, it's always a constant level of air coming from the vents. It's almost like its stuck on low or something....

88IndyEldo · #6 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 01:01 PM

I don't know if this helps, but I was just thinking about this too. The cooling fan is ALWAYS on now, that started the same time the compressor turned off.....It comes on just as soon as I start the car.

**Ranger** · #7 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 03:26 PM

The cooling fan should come on anytime the A/C is commanded on.

If you have lost blower speed control there is a module that controls it on top of the HVAC housing. At least I think that was still used on the '88's. Follow the blower motor wires to it. My guess would be that has gone bad.

drewsdeville · #8 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 03:33 PM

You can't gauge heat blown out of the vents on the dashboard. These cars only blow heat out of the floor vents by your feet and the defroster vents, depending on what selection you have made. There are no other options to the user. When you have it on ECON, it's only blowing heat on the floor. Just keep that in mind... Next time you try ECON put your hand down there. It will probably feel similar to what you feel out the top on DEFROST.

The fact that it only blows good heat while moving would indicate the heat core is probably clogged. With the restricted flow, more volume from teh water pump iwith increased rpm's will temporarily give good heat.

88IndyEldo · #9 (**permalink**) 10-22-09, 03:55 PM

You guys are awesome, thanks! I'll check those options out tonight, and see if that tells me anything....

88IndyEldo · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-09, 12:00 PM

Ok, so no luck......tried all weekend to get something going, but nothing is working. The "Econ" setting still won't blow, and the "Low, Norm, Hi" make absolutely no difference in the speed of what comes out of the defroster.....in addition to everything else, you think there's something going on with blower motor? Or maybe like a control module?

The motor has to be blowing, because I can feel a little bit of (cool) air coming out of the vents on "Econ".....right?

**Ranger** · #11 (**permalink**) 10-26-09, 12:40 PM

Locate the blower on the firewall. Can you hear or feel it running at all?

88IndyEldo · #12 (**permalink**) 10-27-09, 08:33 AM

I didn't touch it, but I couldn't hear anything running.....I could hear the little door in there opening and closing, so I guess that's good.

Do you think the blower motor needs replaced? How hard is that to do? I checked the fuses, which were fine.....shouldn't I be getting an error message though? Or is there not one for that?

**Ranger** · #13 (**permalink**) 10-27-09, 12:36 PM

Sound like the blower is not running. Not sure how hard it is to change on your car. Should be pretty easy I would think. I still think you have to figure out if it is the blower or the resistor module that controls speed that is bad.