Strange problem with climate control

[Goggles]

Was driving my SSV to Sydney yesterday from Canberra.

Here are the details:

1. Left Canberra and had the climate control on auto. Drove to Robertson via the Hume and Illawarra Highways. Climate control worked ok.
2. Stopped at Robertson for lunch (about an hour).
3. Then drove down the Macquarie Pass (in second gear due to the heavy traffic).
4. Once through Albion Park and on the F6, I noticed that the climate control was not working properly. It did not work properly all the way from the F6 to Killara in Sydney.

I first noticed the issue when the interior of the car started to get a bit warm, and then heard the air going through the windscreen vents, rather than the face vents (as it was set to do). Turning the air con on and off, the climate control on and off and, even the vehicle itself on and off did not help. By the time we got to Killara, I don't believe the air con was working at all. It just felt like hot air was being blown through the system.

However, when driving the car home yesterday evening from Sydney to Canberra, the climate control worked perfectly.

Has anyone else, experienced a similar problem? If so, what is the cause?

[Pickles]

Had a similar problem with our VZ GTO shortly after delivery.
Went for a drive in the country at 36c....pretty bloody hot!..A/C stopped working...blew hot air....had to drive all the way home... 150ks...with the windows open! Got back to the city, outside temperature was much cooler, at which stage A/C started to work again!
Took car to dealer next day....the problem was that the system was over gassed by about 25%, so that when it was hot the system generated too much pressure & the compressor shut itself off!
Dropped gas to the proper level, & the system now works very well, we've been out in 43/44c, & inside the car is beautiful.
Cheers, Pickles.

[Tyre biter]

Mine has done the same thing from time to time. Like Pickles, the dealer told me it was to do with two things;

1. The A/C system being over gassed at the factory, and/or

2. Issues with the HVAC software for which there has been at least one - perhaps more software fixes released.

Not had the remedies undertaken yet and so can't report if the fix works but at least this is somewhere to start.

TB

[Goggles]

Had a similar problem with our VZ GTO shortly after delivery.
Went for a drive in the country at 36c....pretty bloody hot!..A/C stopped working...blew hot air....had to drive all the way home... 150ks...with the windows open! Got back to the city, outside temperature was much cooler, at which stage A/C started to work again!
Took car to dealer next day....the problem was that the system was over gassed by about 25%, so that when it was hot the system generated too much pressure & the compressor shut itself off!
Dropped gas to the proper level, & the system now works very well, we've been out in 43/44c, & inside the car is beautiful.
Cheers, Pickles.


Mine has done the same thing from time to time. Like Pickles, the dealer told me it was to do with two things;

1. The A/C system being over gassed at the factory, and/or

2. Issues with the HVAC software for which there has been at least one - perhaps more software fixes released.

Not had the remedies undertaken yet and so can't report if the fix works but at least this is somewhere to start.

TB

thanks for the responses.

have the car booked in for a look-see next Tuesday.

[White Rider]

agree re over-gassed, stops working just when u need it most!

[Party Pete]

My Monaro has just started redirecting the air to the windscreen on and off while driving along the freeway. I have spoken to the dealer and it is because the actuator which controls the airflow runs off vacuum and defaults to the windscreen if something goes wrong. They say most likely just a vacuum leak which is easily fixed. To see if you have the same problem as me, put the car under load for a period of time and see if this causes it to shift the air to the windscreen. I have found that this is what happens with mine when going up a hill on the freeway in a high gear. Then when I crest the hill the ease off the air goes back to the face vents like it should.

[cashie]

My Monaro has just started redirecting the air to the windscreen on and off while driving along the freeway. I have spoken to the dealer and it is because the actuator which controls the airflow runs off vacuum and defaults to the windscreen if something goes wrong. They say most likely just a vacuum leak which is easily fixed. To see if you have the same problem as me, put the car under load for a period of time and see if this causes it to shift the air to the windscreen. I have found that this is what happens with mine when going up a hill on the freeway in a high gear. Then when I crest the hill the ease off the air goes back to the face vents like it should.

Your symptoms can also be caused by the vacuum check valve at the rear of the engine that goes to the climate control. It's job is to stop a low manifold intake vacuum situation causing a loss of vacuum to the climate control.

[utebikerboy]

My SS-V used to do it from time to time. The dealer told me it was a problem with the HVAC software. They had not managed to fix it as of 12 months ago when I sold the car ... hopefully they have found the gremlin software by now.

[Party Pete]

Thanks Cashie, the times when it switches to the windscreen are consistent with when you would expect low intake vacuum so that makes sense. I have it booked in with the dealer on Tuesday so it will be interesting to see what they say it is.

[chillicatqld]

there has been a recall on VE aircons... did you receive anything?
Mine got fixed a couple of weeks ago

[Goggles]

there has been a recall on VE aircons... did you receive anything?
Mine got fixed a couple of weeks ago

no I didn't. I got the car in early Sept 09 and it has had its 3K service.

[ATOMIC MALOO R8]

could the HVAC software problem be what's wrong with our 02 GTO
it works fine when the interior of the car is cold
once it has been out in the sun and got hot
the air only blows hot air out the windscreen vents untill the in side cools off a bit then it starts to blow cold air out the vents
once it starts to work it is fine
but takes 15 min to come out the vents some times
getting worse as it gets older ??

[Hubcap]

there has been a recall on VE aircons... did you receive anything?
Mine got fixed a couple of weeks ago

Were you contacted by phone, letter or email, or was it by your vehicle in at the dealers by a 'soft recall'? Mine's an 07 SSV and I recall having a problem last year, but nothing since.

Regards

Phil

[BECAUZ]

Were you contacted by phone, letter or email, or was it by your vehicle in at the dealers by a 'soft recall'? Mine's an 07 SSV and I recall having a problem last year, but nothing since.

Regards

Phil

Mines a 9.5 and i was notified via mail and by phone from the dealer.

Im quite sure it was only some MY9 and onwards that had the problem.

[Hubcap]

Mines a 9.5 and i was notified via mail and by phone from the dealer.

Im quite sure it was only some MY9 and onwards that had the problem.

Thanks mate, I do recall the service guys talking about it but never gave it another thought. The aircon has been fine since. Am sure they will get to the bottom of it for any still affected.

[Ganzer]

I have the same sort of problem, where if my climate control is set to 20 it works fine for awhile then blows warm air. I end up changing it down to 17 and it start blowing cold again. It doesnt do this all the time, and it is pretty hot here in cairns.

[burnoutnut]

Had a similar problem with our VZ GTO shortly after delivery.
Went for a drive in the country at 36c....pretty bloody hot!..A/C stopped working...blew hot air....had to drive all the way home... 150ks...with the windows open! Got back to the city, outside temperature was much cooler, at which stage A/C started to work again!
Took car to dealer next day....the problem was that the system was over gassed by about 25%, so that when it was hot the system generated too much pressure & the compressor shut itself off!
Dropped gas to the proper level, & the system now works very well, we've been out in 43/44c, & inside the car is beautiful.
Cheers, Pickles.

i had the same issue with my shit box when i got it regassed

[LukeyT]

Mine does this going up hills in 6th with a trailer so when the engines under load (vz ss)

[Goggles]

got the car looked at today - the diagnosis was that the "control unit had a glitch"

a replacement is on order

[WHLS1]

I was going to start my own aircon thread however my problem seems to be covered.

VYII R8 climate control - blows air out through windscreen vents, then cycles back to normal, then back to windscreen vents,back to front vents etc. Has only become an issue in the last couple of days with lots of country highway cruising.

Seems vacuum check valve/vacuum leak may be the answer.

[FAVSSS]

The air con in my 07 SSV started randomly turning itself on today.Start the car and it turned on.Just driving along,just turned itself on.Anyone else had this happen?If so what was the diagnosis?