[janaslesele]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a Euro spec 1998 Seville STS in the Netherlands, and drove it home to Norway, where I have enjoyed it immensely, apart from that one thing - air only blows from the defrost vent. Nothing from dash vents or floor vents.

I have the b1344 code. And so, I got hold of a new mode actuator , since I found that this is what said code means. Had a local mechanic put it in, but to no avail. Still the same. I was given the tip on the Northstar Cars facebook group that it could be the AC control unit in the dash that was giving out the wrong signal, so I got hold of one of those, but to no avail. Still the same. I have pulled fuses, touched battery connectors to each other, played with the mode button on the dash for long periods of time, but to no avail. Still the same.

So that, guys, brings me here. I have of course searched on your forum - it is, after all, here that I have picked up most of the tips I have tried to fix the problem. But I was hoping that someone might have the solution for me, as I am about ready to deposit the car in the ocean at this point.

Here are what little details I can offer on what the car does and so on.

• When the mechanic put the new actuator in, it went "all the way and stayed there", as he put it, which I suppose means straight to defrost. Never moved since. (Could the mechanic have messed anything up while replacing the actuator?)
• When I start the car, there is some sort of "almost clicking" sound from the driver's side of the dash - not like when gears are stripped, but a softer, lower type of clicking. Not even sure I would define it as clicking, but close. Almost like a low thump. It stops after a little bit. Air stays in defrost, does not change when car starts.
• When I try to change the modes, I hear slight noises from the dash which lead me to believe that something back there is trying to do something, but cannot.
• When I select dash vent mode, there is a slight clicking sound from behind the dash - not like when gears are stripped, but rather a single low, muffled click, followed by silence, then another, followed by silence, etc. No such clicks when it is in the other modes that I can hear. Also, it is a different noise from the other clicking sound I try to describe above.
• This probably has nothing to do with anything, but I notice the inside of the center console, close to the vents, is covered in some "sugar like" white stuff that is also present on the dash vents.
• Also probably has nothing to do with anything, but it does appear a new battery has been fitted to the car quite recently.

I will also include the list of codes the car gave me last time, just in case.
amp u1255 c
ddm u1255 h
ipc u1255 c
ipc b1652 h
ipm b1344 c
ipm b1652 h
pcm p0603 h
rim u1255 h

So there it is, guys. Can anyone offer any insight on what more could be done to fix this problem, other than drowning the car in the ocean? I would really, really like to get the dash vents to work...

Thanks for any replies!

Best regards,
Jan.

 

[rodnok01]

Was it the correct actuator? Did it have same number of pins as old one?
If you have the old one still and new actuator in question, if the old one stripped the gear(split) you could use the gear from new actuator in the old one. Videos all over YouTube on swapping them.
May need a scanner to see what the computer is calling for and what the actuator is actually doing.
Some vehicles need the acuators calibrated also.
My 98 Deville (yes different platform) was being picky after replaced an actuator, ended up using jumpers and moving it(believe it was centered again) and had hvac controls set to approx where it would be then reinstalled. Kind of a manual recalibration, also may have been a not so good quality actuator. It worked as i didn't have scanner capability to check it then.
On a different GM we had installed the incorrect actuator and it just wouldn't work, only way figured it out was scanner.
And no I doubt the mechanic did anything wrong.

 

[Submariner409]

Did the 1998 have the vacuum-assisted HVAC system and parking brake pulloff? If so, trace out the black vacuum line that comes from the front (passenger end) of the intake manifold, through the firewall to a junction block behind the glove box.

 

[janaslesele]

Thanks for your reply, rodnok01!

I was told by my mechanic that the actuators were indeed the same. As for the old one, I doubt it had stripped the gear, as there were no such noises under the dash, but I thought I had to replace it anyway since that's what the code said. For all that I know the old actuator was also good. I do have the old one still as well, just in case, though.

I will see if I can find someone in the area that has a scanner and that may be able to calibrate. My regular mechanic does not have the appropriate scanner. Sadly, these cars are very rare here in Norway, and noone seems to know anything about them, which is of course not a good thing, since they are obviously much more complex cars than I had imagined when I bought mine. Also, sadly, I am not at all mechanically inclined - I can remove interior parts and such, but that's about it. Have always had unusual cars, and my regular mechanic has always been able to work on them no problem, but apparently not a Northstar Cadillac. Oh well.

Thanks for your input in any event, I will bring it to my mechanic and see if he can do anything, and if not, if he can recommend anyone else that might.

 

[janaslesele]

Did the 1998 have the vacuum-assisted HVAC system and parking brake pulloff?

No, to my knowledge the 98, which was the first year of that generation, did not have the vacuum system. The last year for that in Sevilles was apparently 1997, or so I have been told. Thanks for your input, though!

 

[rodnok01]

I'd open the old one up since have it to check for cracked gear.
Unfortunately some things need a scanner with tech2 abilities and they usually cost a lot of cash. I got a vxdiag and old laptop that runs tech2win cheap as even knockoff tech2 are too pricey for me.
At least the on board scanners are pretty much top notch on these.