Air Conditioning - Noise Gone - Very Cold - So far, so good

RaineMan · 09-06-2007, 09:57 PM

I have a 2006 that was having the typical AC problems that people on this web site talked about. Not blowing cold air consistently, and warm hot moist air coming out. Somewhat better performance when driving at freeway speeds and usually no cold air in stop and go traffic. All of that accompanied by a whining noise under the dash/hood when the compressor came on. I wanted to share this post as I read where some of you mentioned that your dealers were not having any success in trying to solve the problem. Some went so far as to sat that your dealers told you that the whining noise was a characteristic of the car.

I took my car a total of 3 times to 2 different dealers. This first time the said they replaced the control head. Unfortunately, the first dealer left a lot to be desired as far as customer service for more reasons than I can expound on this post. That fix did nothing noticeable. The 2nd time at the highly recommended 2nd dealer, they just topped off the freon. Slight improvement for 1 day. On the third time I spoke to the service manager and let them know what I found on this website and what people were saying here. I also told them to keep my car until they solved it. He knew I was frustrated and seemed sincere about getting things resolved once and for all. Also went on to say that if there is still a problem after this visit, he was going to get GM involved to make it right. Pretty amazing I thought.

After 4 days, I picked my car up tonight. Of course irony struck and for the first time in 2 weeks, it is cool outside. But I ran the air anyway. I am happy to say that the whining noise was gone and there was an immediate blast of cold air. Really cold air. Colder than it ever has been since I owned the car. I know it is too early to say it is fixed, but I think they got it. This was a very good dealer and and even better service manager. I will update this post in while to let you know if this worked for the long term. See below.

Here is what they did this time:
1.) Replaced the high pressure switch - saying this was causing the compressor to turn on and off when it was not suppose to, thus the /warm air.
Parts replaced were:
Sensor 9.275 #22678731
Bracket 9.225 #19130241
Valve Kit 9.213 #89025005

2.) Per GM Bulletin #06-01-39-016A - Whining noise when AC is on
Replace expansion valve and bracket {part number(s) not provided}

JBandit · 09-07-2007, 09:49 AM

Can you please post the name of the dealers that you used, so that the other members will know where to go and where to avoid?

sirwm · 09-07-2007, 06:16 PM

yep - GM Bulletin #06-01-39-016A
worked for me...

RaineMan · 09-08-2007, 11:30 AM

Bunnin of Ventura in Oxnard California (GM Store) is the place I found that reminded me of what great customer service is all about. From the way they answer their phone to the way they handle customers made the other dealer look like a concentration camp. Keep in mind that I did not buy the car at Bunnin and still was treated better than where I bought the car.

I go 22 miles out of my way to go to a great dealer. It is well worth it.

Also, if you have a dealer that does not give a damn, please report them to GM customer service. It really does have an impact on the bad dealer. After all we are plopping down a good amount of money for these cars and deserve good basic customer service. Not asking for too much.

CenturionAVRE · 09-10-2007, 03:38 PM

Raine,

Please post back in a few weeks to let us know if the A/C is truly fixed.

RaineMan · 09-15-2007, 09:00 PM

So far so good

sol79 · 09-16-2007, 06:12 AM

Thanks so much for the post! I'm having the same issues with my AC, except the dealer swears it's not a problem. Unfortunately, it's the only GM dealer within a 60 mile radius, so I'm almost stuck with what I have.

Fortunately, the AC is blowing very cold. I have noticed a little moisture near the vents, but I thought it might be normal condensation.

Regarding the whining noise. Is it a sign of a problem in the AC? Will ignoring it cause me future problems down the road? If it's a reliability issue, then I'll get it address right away (or maybe after the dealership fixes my top!). If it's a noise issue, then I may be able to live with it a while longer and revisit the problem in a few months, possibly with a different dealer.

RaineMan · 09-20-2007, 09:28 PM

Sol79 - Not sure if the whining noise is indicative of a bad AC or not. But I would say if your AC is blowing very cold, let it be.

RaineMan · 10-10-2007, 03:53 PM

Definitely fixed.

AZDarkSol · 10-10-2007, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaineMan

Definitely fixed.

You may not know for sure 'till it's hot outside again. My sounds terrible here in Phoenix when it is over 100. Have not taken it in, mine sounds perfectly quiet now that it is under 100 again. Mine is definitely associated with high ambients.

RaineMan · 10-12-2007, 09:06 AM

I live in SoCal. Have experienced hi 90's with perfect air conditioning after the fix for several weeks. I am satisfied that it is fixed.

I'll let you know if there are any changes.

AZDarkSol · 10-12-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaineMan

I live in SoCal. Have experienced hi 90's with perfect air conditioning after the fix for several weeks. I am satisfied that it is fixed.

I'll let you know if there are any changes.

I also noticed that my MPG has improved greatly since that ambients have dropped. 2-3 MPG all around average. When that a/c is whining that load on the engine is much higher.

kappacar · 12-13-2007, 02:58 PM

Thank you very, very much for posting a resolution for the air conditioner growl. I took this information to the dealership, they made the corrections, and I nearly fell out of my car when I turned the A/C on today!

Silence!!! Amazing!

Before, the A/C sounded like a box fan the second you turned it on! This is actually the first time I've gotten results from a trip to the dealership and I owe that to you and this forum! Thanks again!

RaineMan · 01-03-2008, 02:40 PM

Glad the post was of some assistance. I was hoping it would be.

Enjoy!

sol79 · 01-03-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZDarkSol

You may not know for sure 'till it's hot outside again. My sounds terrible here in Phoenix when it is over 100. Have not taken it in, mine sounds perfectly quiet now that it is under 100 again. Mine is definitely associated with high ambients.

Wow. Exactly. I posted this summer about the AC whine and you're absolutely right about high ambient temperatures.

My car is currently in the shop for differential replacement, so I thought I'd try out the AC. If there was a problem, then I could get them to repair it while it was in the shop. The only problem is, I can't duplicate the noise no matter what I do. It definitely blows cold, just as it always has.

I've never used the AC when it's under 85 or so. That's when my top is down. Come to think of it, the only time I've ever used the AC in this car is when the temperature is in the 90's. I'll do some more testing this spring and summer.