Climate Control Cluster

[J.A.O.]

I'm curious to know if anyone can tell me if the A/C control module is part of the climate control cluster? Lately I have noticed a slight flickering of the panel that I can sometimes duplicate if I lightly tap on the display. The reason I ask about the A/C control module is that I know that was replaced a while back and I'm curious if the display panel was part of that and now this one is going bad. Also, might anyone know the cost of replacing the climate control display at the dealer???

[iametarq]

I could let you know in a few days.

I just ordered the complete parts list off of ebay, that will tell me what each part costs, the # and how many hours it takes to install.

[J.A.O.]

Iametarq:

Thanks for the response man. I think the cluster is ready to take a dump. Another problem that has been haunting me for over a year is the rear defogger. It always works but sometimess I will turn it on and within a second, it will go off again. Other times it will shut off after 5 minutes exactly versus the normal 10 specified in the manual. Then other times (most often) it works normally. I guess this new flickering that has developed is leading me to believe that the cluster itself might be on its way out. I'm only curious to know if it's the original cluster or was it replaced when the a/c control module was replaced.

Thanks again man.



Jason

[91TexasSeville]

J.A.O.
The CCDIC cluster is an interface to the PCM, BCM, HVAC, IPC, SIR....
In other words, it is an integral part of the whole system.
Much like a keyboard is to a computer, but smarter *smile
Dealer price will be a bit steep if you can find one.
Try http://www.gmpartsdirect.com

[Ranger]

When you say"A/C Control Module" I assume you mean the programmer? If that is what you are talking about, no, it is seperate and is mounted behind the glove box. It is the "brain" of the climate control system but I don't think it has anything to do with the lights on the panel. It is about $586 from gmpartsirect as I recall and over $800 from the dealer so don't jump into that till you are sure. If the tempurature and modes are operating correctly, I think the programmer is ok.

[iametarq]

boy, i love the "hide and go seek" we have to play when things start acting weird in cadillacs. PCM, BCM, bla bla bla. too many computers!

[J.A.O.]

The system works normally in that it turns on and off when I ask it to and never resets. The only problems I've noticed with the display is that it has started flickering for a second sometimes when I turn the ignition on and I can get it to do it if I tap lightly on the screen or the sides. The other strange thing I've noticed is that the rear defogger cuts out early sometimes or cut out immediately after i turn it on and then i just have to turn it on again and it will work (sometimes for 5 min) for ten minutes as the manual specifies.

Ranger, were you talking about the control module being $800 from the dealer or the cluster display? I'm glad to know that the control module is different as I know that was replaced 2 years ago. I'm starting to think that the display cluster is on its way out.

Thanks for the replies fellas.



Jason

[Ranger]

Yeah, the control module aka programmer is the part I was talking about. If it were mine, I'd pull the control panel and check and clean the electrical connector for starters.

[iametarq]

as soon as my lists arrive via snail mail. i will scan them all in and put them online. I paid for them on Feb 3rd, so hopefully they'll be here this week.

[Kdirk]

Hi,

Thought I would give some input here -

1. Rear defogger - Initial cycle (after key on) is supposed to be 10 minutes. If you reactivate it again during the same ignition cycle, it only runs for 5 minutes. This is normal operation per the owner's manual. Immdeiate shutoff may indicate a problem with the A/C programmer, or a failure condition in the defog circuit that is causing the programmer to shut it down as a protective measure.

2. A/C Programmer. This is a "black box" - literally - that houses the damper door movement control (motor), the electronics for the cliamte control system (aside from the user interface on the dashboard) and the control for the rear defogger/heated mirrors. Also has a vacuum harness that handles routing to several devices (the auto-release parking brake amongst others).

This unit may cause malfunction of the rear defog - as happened on my 91 SDV. The programmer intercepts the rear defog button press, the logic in the programmer then commands the relay that controls power to the rear defogger circuit to energize for the preset time period (either 10 min or 5, as outlined above). If the programmer electronics are FUBAR, then the relay will either not work, or will cycle intermittently. I had this happen, and the relay was always clicking on and off randomly. Very irritating, epsecially when I needed the rear defrost to work. I replaced the programmer, and this problem went away.

Note also that the programmer can have a failure on one function (such as the rear defogger) and yet all other functions will work fine.

I don't own a Seville or and Eldo, so my knowledge of their idiosyncrasies is limited to what I've read on the board here, but the CPC (central power supply) seems to have been a rather common point of failure on these models.

The Deville doesn't have this module, the power supply is integrated into the BCM. Fortunately for us Deville drivers, the BCM seems to be a rather reliable unit with fewer failures than the CPC used on the Seville/Eldo cars.

Anyway, the CPC being out would pretty much take out the cluster and climate control functions - displays go dark and buttons may not respond. A CPC failure will also kill the digital display on the stock radio on most years.

Hope this is of some assistance to you.

Kevin

[bigred]

Originally Posted by Ranger

Yeah, the control module aka programmer is the part I was talking about. If it were mine, I'd pull the control panel and check and clean the electrical connector for starters.

Sometimes just disconnecting then reconnecting the connector several times will clean oxidation off the contacts well enough to get things working perfectly again. This is especially true if you live in an area of higher air pollution.

Other times you may have to modify the pins in the connectors to assure good contact.

The majority of the time, these steps will rejuvenate a presumed dead panel. Costs nothing but a little time & care.

[J.A.O.]

Thanks again for all your help guys. Kevin, I know the control module was replaced about 2 years ago because when my compressor died, I was told that it basically had destroyed itself b/c the control module left it engaged all the time. This was the case because what lead me to bring it in in the first place was that after I would shut everything off (the cluster said off) the compressor was still engaged and the only way to disengage it was by turning the engine off. After the compressor and the "black box" were replaced, everything was fine. This cycling you mentioned is news to me in that I know that the cycle lasts 10 minutes most of the time and 5 minutes exactly at others. I've never been able to find a logical pattern though but I will try to connect the dots now.

As for the immediate shutdown of the defogger, this is very random and the problem has not worsened. The only new issue is that flickering. Ranger, Bigred, I'm hoping you're right about the connections just being dirty. Like I said, if I tap the display lightly, I can sometimes get it to flicker. It never is a constant thing in that it will stop after a few seconds and the display has never reset (default temp etc.) and the system always works like it should once engaged so I'm hoping the control module/programmer (which is only 2 years old) is still functioning normally. If it is in fact a loose connection, I suppose this would explain the flickering and possibly the cutout of the defogger. But I am curious to know how the connections could come loose or corroded since they are in the car.

Thanks again fellas for all your help. I'll keep you guys posted on this one.



Jason