a/c problem

Asialee

Asialee

Active LVC Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2010
Messages
154
Reaction score
0
Location
Orlando
Hello everyone..

On this HOT summer day coming home from the beach, I'd say about 2 miles before i made it to the house, I had to make a pit stop to pick up an Item, Was out of the car maybe 5 mins, when I got back in No A/C.. Now mind you, there was Air blowing out of the vents, no problem there, just hot air !! Yea, I know that's hot air from the engine.. My question is... Do i just need to top it off with some free-on ?? (2004 Ls V-8) Damn, and i just got done telling my daughter how much Mommy loves her car :confused:
 
p.s. I just went out to see if when i press the a/c button to come on, if I heard the compressor turn on, and I did.. hope that helps

please over look my spelling, it's been an looong day !
 
The odds are good that you need a DCCV instead of R-134a refrigerant.

BTW, Freon was the word you were searching for, but Freon is the DuPont brand name for R-12 which was last used in cars in the early 90s. DuPont's trade name for R-134a is Suva, but no one ever seems to call it that.

If your compressor engages, then you have at least enough refrigerant that you would be getting some cooling.
 
The only cool, (not cold) air that i can find coming out at all is from the side vent nearest to the door..

DCCV ?? Err that means Freon correct ?? I feel silly even asking that question !
 
Asialee said:
The only cool, (not cold) air that i can find coming out at all is from the side vent nearest to the door..

DCCV ?? Err that mean Freon correct ?? I feel silly even asking that question !
Click to expand...

DCCV = Dual Coolant Control Valve. Unfortunately, it is a common failure for the LS. Usually, when it fails you get full heat, for which the air conditioning is no match. If you don't see much difference in temperature when you vary the setting between 60 and 90, then it's the DCCV. If you start the engine cold first thing tomorrow and you have working air conditioning for the first minute or so, then it's the DCCV.

There are many posts on this site about what it is, where it is, how to replace it, and how much it costs.
 
Lol you knew my next question was going to be .. How much:p , i'll go do some research and see what I can find ! Thanks for the quick input, i appreciate it :)
 
Could it be just a blown fuse ?? Nope never mind.. I just checked it, it's fine
 
Asialee said:
Could it be just a blown fuse ??
Click to expand...

Not if you hear the compressor engage. It's on the same fuse as the DCCV.

If the fuse does blow, it doesn't mean the fuse is bad. It means the fuse did its job and prevented a fire when/if the DCCV shorted out. In that case, the DCCV and the fuse would both need to be replaced.
 
I've been doing some homework on this matter, replacing the DCCV doesn't seem all that hard, Well at lest for someone who has the tools an all, Around what price range are we talking about tho ?? I plan on taking it to my mechanic first thing in the morning, but as a women I don't want to be ripped off ! Also, how long would it take to replace ? e.i. I don't wanna have them charge me 3 hours of time if it only takes an hour to do ! Does that make sense lol

:give
 
Rockauto.com. I think they are around $100.
 
Asialee said:
I've been doing some homework on this matter, replacing the DCCV doesn't seem all that hard, Well at lest for someone who has the tools an all, Around what price range are we talking about tho ?? I plan on taking it to my mechanic first thing in the morning, but as a women I don't want to be ripped off ! Also, how long would it take to replace ? e.i. I don't wanna have them charge me 3 hours of time if it only takes an hour to do ! Does that make sense lol

:give
Click to expand...

I think that the dealers around here charge about $300. I think that a local mechanic (depending on where local is for you) could be less than $200.
Unless you recently had your coolant flushed and replaced, you should get this done now. It won't add too much to the cost since they have to drain and refill the coolant to change the valve anyway. (Used up coolant = one of the reasons that DCCVs fail.)
 
Local for me would be Central Florida.. Now you've got me thinking, Should I just take it to the dealership or let my local mechanic do it ? I'll call the dealership in the morning just to get a price quote, before heading over to shop. I'll keep you posted ..

Thanks Joe and have a good night :)
 
Took my car in this morning to the mechanic, I swear if it wasn't for bad luck i wouldn't have any luck at all !! First of all, the guy at the shop didn't even know what " DCCV" ment, He called it the heater control velve ??? The guy who normally works on my car is out of town, so i had to speak to someone who i really don't know.. Let's just say I didn't feel to comfy with him working on my car ! So i called the dealership, and here it goes. Please bring it in to have it checked out before we can tell you what's wrong, oh and by the way, that'll be $95.00 ! How do i convince them that it's the DCCV ?? Now I'm not sure what to do :(
 
Asialee said:
Took my car in this morning to the mechanic, I swear if it wasn't for bad luck i wouldn't have any luck at all !! First of all, the guy at the shop didn't even know what " DCCV" ment, He called it the heater control velve ??? The guy who normally works on my car is out of town, so i had to speak to someone who i really don't know.. Let's just say I didn't feel to comfy with him working on my car ! So i called the dealership, and here it goes. Please bring it in to have it checked out before we can tell you what's wrong, oh and by the way, that'll be $95.00 ! How do i convince them that it's the DCCV ?? Now I'm not sure what to do :(
Click to expand...

Heater control valve is one of the terms that is frequently used for the DCCV, so the first guy may have known what he was doing.

The diagnostic charge is SOP for dealerships, and its not really something you want to skip anyway.

They do the diagnosis but the repair still doesn't fix it, then they are still on the hook to fix it correctly and you don't get charged for the repairs that didn't fix it.

You talk them into skipping the diagnostics and your proposed repair doesn't fix it - You are on the hook for the repair charges even though that didn't fix it.

I'm pretty comfortable with my remote diagnosis of a bad DCCV, but I am a few hundred miles away so I can't be 100% certain.
 
joegr said:
Heater control valve is one of the terms that is frequently used for the DCCV, so the first guy may have known what he was doing.

The diagnostic charge is SOP for dealerships, and its not really something you want to skip anyway.

They do the diagnosis but the repair still doesn't fix it, then they are still on the hook to fix it correctly and you don't get charged for the repairs that didn't fix it.

You talk them into skipping the diagnostics and your proposed repair doesn't fix it - You are on the hook for the repair charges even though that didn't fix it.

I'm pretty comfortable with my remote diagnosis of a bad DCCV, but I am a few hundred miles away so I can't be 100% certain.
Click to expand...
I just called the dealership back, made an appointment for Thursday morning. I understand that I have to pay the $95.00 I just think it's a bit much.. I'm just worried that they will tell me it's something else... If it's the DCCV then out the door will cost me $366.88 ... Joe, I trust your diagnosis even if you are a few hunderd miles away :)
 
Probably too late but here is a write up I did on my 2004 LSV8 DCCv remove and replace. If you have a pre 03 or a V6, then I am pretty sure things are a bit different so my comments may not apply.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=67314&highlight=dccv

A fairly simple job, you'll just need something to remove spring hose clamps, and 1 screw driver to remove the single screw holding the DCCV in the car. I used Channel locks, but I have seen some pretty cool clamp removers that have a pliers handle with a cable driven piec that clamps the springs of the clamp. Much better in tight areas I have read.

If you are a reasonable home mechanic, the DCCV is a piece of cake. Disassembly is not required and was for info purposes only.

Jim Henderson
 
I happen to have a 2004 V-8 Ls so those instructions were helpful, thanks for posting! Lest now I know what the part looks like and what it'll take to fix it. Now as for me do it myself, I wouldn't have a clue where to begin, hell I'm just happy I'm able to figure out where the windshield fluid goes and I know how to read the oil dipstick :D Yea, I'm a women who has no clue LOL So I'll just take it to the dealership and hope for the best anD expect the worst lol

:Beer
 
Asialee said:
I just called the dealership back, made an appointment for Thursday morning. I understand that I have to pay the $95.00 I just think it's a bit much.. I'm just worried that they will tell me it's something else... If it's the DCCV then out the door will cost me $366.88 ... Joe, I trust your diagnosis even if you are a few hunderd miles away :)
Click to expand...



The $95 diagnostic is very nice actually.

Not only do they hook it up to scan for codes but they do a physical inspection of the entire vehicle and hand you a print out showing the status of everything.

Mine was about 5 sheets stapled together.
 
BlackLS06 said:
The $95 diagnostic is very nice actually.

Not only do they hook it up to scan for codes but they do a physical inspection of the entire vehicle and hand you a print out showing the status of everything.

Mine was about 5 sheets stapled together.
Click to expand...
5 sheets ?? good news I hope ;)
 
I've decided to go with the guy who I talked to first yesterday an not the dealership. Reason is I can save myself some money and after talking to him again today on the phone, I feel more confident that he'll get the job done ! Cross your fingers for me lol..

Joe, This morning I started up my car on a cold start and you were right, the a/c came on for about a minute then it started to get hot again.. I'll keep you posted as to how this all turns out ! thank you :)
 
Update !

Hello everyone.. First I want to say thank you to everyone who helped me threw this, couldn't have done it without ya! Like I mentioned before, I decided to let the shop fix my car instead of the dealership and so glad I did.. Not only did I save myself money, my car was ready to be picked up in less then 4 hours and that's with replacing my brakes and rotors ! the a/c is working prefect and along with the brakes :p

Now after looking at all the Clean LS on this site, I gotta wash an wax my car to post some pixs ! Have a great day everyone..

p.s. damn I almost forgot... Joe, you were right! It was the DCCV after all. Good call :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 203 (members: 0, guests: 203)
Back
Top