Before everyone starts going off and saying "GO SEARCH" or "READ THE FAQ(s)" I have and they didn't help, now my problem is obviously with my HVAC. For some odd reason at no matter what speed I put the blower to the air only comes out at the four chest level vents and a little bit out on the feet. I would switch it to the Windshield and Foot option and it wouldn't work, still goes out thru the chest area and a little at the feet, none of the options work, its basically stuck at coming out at chest level and slighty at the feet, I cant even get the knob to stay on the Windhshield only option, it just springs back to the option before it. Any ideas as to what I should do before I take it into my local dealer to get them to check it out? Thought i'd ask here first see if anyone had/has some experience with this situation. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
No specific experience with your problem, but I have general knowledge of the HVAC distribution system.
First off, it depends how the system works - electric or vacuum. To clarify, the knob on the control head is designed to move doors withing the HVAC unit. These doors re-direct the airflow to the desired location indicated on the control head.
Some designs use engine vacuum; with the knob on the control head as the switch. A connector with multiple hoses at the end connects to the back of the knob. As you turn the knob, the vacuum is redirected to the appropriate "barrel" linked to a door. That door closes, and airflow is redirected to the desired outlet.
Many modern designs are electrical. Rather than using a vacuum barrel, there is a motor that shuts the door. You find these on cars with the pushbuttons on the control head for example.
Based on your post, I can tell you blower motor speed has nothing to do with it. I also suspect you have a bad control head switch based on the statement is won't stay on the defroster mode.
Hope this helps...
ours are vacuum controlled....i would pull of the hvac panel and check your hoses
I'm not sure if it is Electrical or vacuum, i have a 03 cavalier if that helps. But like I said, the speed is fine, its just the direction the air comes out, it only wants to come out at the 4 chest level vents and just slightly out of the foot vents, it is like that no matter what direction I have it set at, whether it be at just the feet or just the windshield. I'm wanting to get it done by winter since if i cant get my front windshield defrosted then I definetly wont be driving this winter.
If it is the switch, I have one that I can sell you. That could very well be the problem. I meant to buy the fan speed switch on GMPartsDirect, but I accidentally ordered the switch that controls all the vents. It's brand new and never been used. Let me know!
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
I wonder if it is the same problem that I am having. I have a 00 Z24, no matter what the selector is on, floor, vent, recirculate it will blow out of all the vents but the defrost. When you turn on the defrost, it will just blow out of that, but when it is on vents, it blows out the floor also. This is a pain in the summer, b/c it get's your feet cold!
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2000 Cavalier Z24 A4 Green Met.
I know this thread is old, but incase anybody comes across it and cares. I had the same thing in my 00 sunfire. I pulled the dash apart and the push rod had fallen off of the main flapper... happens to be the one that allows for stuff other then vent. The shaft looked like it used to have wings that held it on there that wore off so I used a nut and threaded it onto the shaft so that it couldn't fall off.
My next problem is that my fresh air door opens but sticks open... not sure why... it was kinda sticky from rubber left behind so I cleaned that off and it was better but still stays open. Any thoughts on this?
Wow this is old... i'm going to reply though in case anyone searches for this... I had this problem on my cav, when you tried to turn it would just spring back and it would stay on one setting. The problem with mine was the wire that changes it was knotted. You have to pull out the HVAC and look under it. You will see a wire that moves each time you change a setting, mess with it and try and get it to get unknotted. And your all set. Not sure if i explained that well, but thats what i did.
