I have tried all various techniques to get the automatic climate control to work without blowing all hot air or all cold air. Does anybody have a solution. Dealership is no help in solving the problem. I just wish I had the old style dial control to control temperature instead of this piece of crap.
Trouble Code Definitions
2003 Saturn L200 Automatiic Climate Control does not work
- Thread starter hsmith
- Start date
"I just wish I had the old style dial control to control temperature instead of this piece of crap."
I made that wish come true by refusing to purchase another vehicle with ATC in it, that little man in there that turns the temperature control knob goes on strike and it cost a bundle to get him to work again. Wasn't too bad if the vehicle had self diagnoses in it, now that diagnostics was put in a little tiny box with a $5,300 price tag on it. Since I do my own work manage to fix them myself, but very time consuming if you have to remove the dash to get at anything. Find cold solder joints, corroded terminals, and lots of dirt that block air flow to the in-car sensor or prevents doors from opening and closing properly with weak little tiny servo motors. If there is any convenience that is offset by the labor involved with cleaning the system.
They go without warning and either 300 miles away from home on a hot summer day with a major thunderstorm with the thing blowing out maximum heat with no way to turn it off, roll down the windows and you will drown. Or 200 miles away from home, (the last time about two years ago) in sub-zero weather and it decides to blow out ice cold air. Not even a panic button to shut that damn thing off. It has a mind of it's own.
Have to say I really like thermostatic HVAC systems in my home growing up with a coal fired furnance where coal had to be shoveled and ashes removed with temperature control by the amount of coal you put in and how you set the damper, all guess work that had to be done in a scary basement. Strapped in a comfortable seat, do not mind playing with the temperature control knob as have absolutely nothing else to do. Do like the blend door, purchased an older vehicle with a water valve, that has to be nudged as the response time is way too long. Push it too far, then everyone is cooking. Ha, thought a auto reverse cassette player was also ridiculous, not like I have to drop what I am doing and walk across the room to flip a tape, again strapped in with the player inches away. Far more complicated with a lot more things to go wrong.
Making cars so boring today, major problem is trying to stay awake.
I made that wish come true by refusing to purchase another vehicle with ATC in it, that little man in there that turns the temperature control knob goes on strike and it cost a bundle to get him to work again. Wasn't too bad if the vehicle had self diagnoses in it, now that diagnostics was put in a little tiny box with a $5,300 price tag on it. Since I do my own work manage to fix them myself, but very time consuming if you have to remove the dash to get at anything. Find cold solder joints, corroded terminals, and lots of dirt that block air flow to the in-car sensor or prevents doors from opening and closing properly with weak little tiny servo motors. If there is any convenience that is offset by the labor involved with cleaning the system.
They go without warning and either 300 miles away from home on a hot summer day with a major thunderstorm with the thing blowing out maximum heat with no way to turn it off, roll down the windows and you will drown. Or 200 miles away from home, (the last time about two years ago) in sub-zero weather and it decides to blow out ice cold air. Not even a panic button to shut that damn thing off. It has a mind of it's own.
Have to say I really like thermostatic HVAC systems in my home growing up with a coal fired furnance where coal had to be shoveled and ashes removed with temperature control by the amount of coal you put in and how you set the damper, all guess work that had to be done in a scary basement. Strapped in a comfortable seat, do not mind playing with the temperature control knob as have absolutely nothing else to do. Do like the blend door, purchased an older vehicle with a water valve, that has to be nudged as the response time is way too long. Push it too far, then everyone is cooking. Ha, thought a auto reverse cassette player was also ridiculous, not like I have to drop what I am doing and walk across the room to flip a tape, again strapped in with the player inches away. Far more complicated with a lot more things to go wrong.
Making cars so boring today, major problem is trying to stay awake.
Gus
wrench
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,421
- Points
- 36
Problem is Nick, more and more these cars are being built with this option in it, and the manual system is not available......it is on this vehicle, so it's buyer beware when they buy systems with electronics in them...
Even something like power windows....use to be you had a master switch and 3 door switches that were hardwired together....easy to fix and diagnose.....now we have doors with individual modules that communicate via serial data......you need a scan tool to diagnose....and those modules are not cheap....
Even something like power windows....use to be you had a master switch and 3 door switches that were hardwired together....easy to fix and diagnose.....now we have doors with individual modules that communicate via serial data......you need a scan tool to diagnose....and those modules are not cheap....
I actually took it into the dealership complaining that the temperature control would not maintain temperature. It either blew cold or hot air and only if you dialed the thing from 60F to 90F. They "checked" it out and said all was working properly. Have not pursued it since.
Busy busy today
BUT I did see this on a quick look at trouble shooting this system .....
did not read all , see if it applies and I will add
...
Automatic Climate Control Overcompensation (Verify Automatic Climate Control Functions and Review Customer Information) #04-01-39-001 - (02/25/2004)
Automatic Climate Control Overcompensation (Verify Automatic Climate Control Functions and Review Customer Information)
2002-2004 Saturn L-Series Vehicles with Automatic Climate Control (RPO C68)
Fixed Operations Manager and Technician
Condition:
Some customers may comment on one or more of the following conditions:
Automatic climate control system may not maintain desired temperature setting or may overcompensate (overshoot) desired temperature.
Blower may move high volume of air shortly after vehicle start-up when automatic climate control system is in the "Auto" mode.
Temperature of air from vents may be hotter or colder than selected temperature.
Cause:
The conditions listed above may be caused by the software calibration in the automatic climate control module. Customers may also be unfamiliar with operating characteristics of the automatic climate control system.
BUT I did see this on a quick look at trouble shooting this system .....
did not read all , see if it applies and I will add
...
Automatic Climate Control Overcompensation (Verify Automatic Climate Control Functions and Review Customer Information) #04-01-39-001 - (02/25/2004)
Automatic Climate Control Overcompensation (Verify Automatic Climate Control Functions and Review Customer Information)
2002-2004 Saturn L-Series Vehicles with Automatic Climate Control (RPO C68)
Fixed Operations Manager and Technician
Condition:
Some customers may comment on one or more of the following conditions:
Automatic climate control system may not maintain desired temperature setting or may overcompensate (overshoot) desired temperature.
Blower may move high volume of air shortly after vehicle start-up when automatic climate control system is in the "Auto" mode.
Temperature of air from vents may be hotter or colder than selected temperature.
Cause:
The conditions listed above may be caused by the software calibration in the automatic climate control module. Customers may also be unfamiliar with operating characteristics of the automatic climate control system.
Gus
wrench
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,421
- Points
- 36
As Kev2 states,"The conditions listed above may be caused by the software calibration in the automatic climate control module. Customers may also be unfamiliar with operating characteristics of the automatic climate control system."
I don't know how long you have owned the vehicle.....the dealer says it is ok....did they explain to you how it works?
I have seen so may people that are misinformed on auto temp systems.....
They set it at 70, because they think this is just like the thermostat in their house.....you won't believe how many people come in complaining about lack of heat because they set it at 70-75.....you set it at seventy, in auto mode, and if they vehicle temp(inside air temp sensor reads this) is, for example 73, this system will automatically take in outside air(even at this time of year), and you will get cold very fast.....
If you want heat, in the auto mode, you better have that set at, at least 85.....and if it's really cold out, go to 90....at 90 you are no longer in auto mode...it is blowing full heat, just like the old manual slider systems, when you pushed that slider all the way to the right.....if it gets a little warm for you manually override the blower to a lower speed, or set it in auto mode by setting the temp to 85....this may actually cause cool air to come in if the inside temp is much higher than 85, due to running the vehicle in override at 90.....
I don't know how long you have owned the vehicle.....the dealer says it is ok....did they explain to you how it works?
I have seen so may people that are misinformed on auto temp systems.....
They set it at 70, because they think this is just like the thermostat in their house.....you won't believe how many people come in complaining about lack of heat because they set it at 70-75.....you set it at seventy, in auto mode, and if they vehicle temp(inside air temp sensor reads this) is, for example 73, this system will automatically take in outside air(even at this time of year), and you will get cold very fast.....
If you want heat, in the auto mode, you better have that set at, at least 85.....and if it's really cold out, go to 90....at 90 you are no longer in auto mode...it is blowing full heat, just like the old manual slider systems, when you pushed that slider all the way to the right.....if it gets a little warm for you manually override the blower to a lower speed, or set it in auto mode by setting the temp to 85....this may actually cause cool air to come in if the inside temp is much higher than 85, due to running the vehicle in override at 90.....