[russcrisp]

Hello all.

I have a 2003 Ody EXL, and the day before we were to set off on our beach vacation, the A/C went out. My wife had just started up the van, and began to drive, when the front blower just quit. The rear air still works fine. It blows nice cold air, so it's something specific to the front. This would seem to remove the compressor / coil from the list of suspects.


I discovered that the blower would run if I turned it to maximum. I came here, as usual, and researched the issue and discovered the known problem with the thermal cutout on the blower motor control module under the passenger dash. I didn't have a spare thermal switch, so I just soldered a bit of wire in parallel with the blown device, effectively bypassing it. The blower control works as it should now, BUT, there is no cold air. It blows air that's warmer than ambient..


Let me mention this little fact.. When I was searching for the module under the passenger dash, I first mistakenly removed a little box aslo held in place by 3 screws that contained what appears to be the motor that's controlled by the temp setting knob on the dash. It's connected via a line to a valve on a hot water line under the hood in the engine compartment. I put it back togther and verified it was still working. The valve operates as the temp knob is turned. Looks like the valve moves about a 1/4 turn as the dash knob is turned from max cold to max hot.

Do you guys think replacing the module will fix this, or do I have another issue here?

I'm thinking if this device only controls the blower motor, then there's something else wrong. Any ideas will be greatly appeciated.

Thanks for reading.

Russ Crisp
Cullowhee, NC

 

[SuperDad]

Check if the rear still blows cold.

It sounds like you've monkeyed with the device which controls both the hot coolant valve and the air doors.


Perhaps better, check if the front AC blows cold when the engine is still cold(you'll only have a couple minutes at first start of day). If it does, you need to readjust the hot water valve and air doors.

 

[russcrisp]

Fixed it!

Thanks to Superdad, and a kind fellow in the part dept at Apple Tree Honda in Fletcher, NC, I am happy to report that my AC is working again. The box under the dash that contains the motor that operates the hot water valve also controls a blend valve. Both are operated by the temp knob on the dash. I mistakenly took this motor loose, thinking it was the transistor assembly that controls the fan motor. When I reassembled it, I didn't get the rod tip back in the valve control groove.. I backed the van out into the sun where I could see better, and it was apparent right away what was wrong. Put it back in the slot, reassembled, and it works great.

Hope this helps someone.

Russ