So you own a Cadillac Escalade and your Heating Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) temperature and air delivery are busted. What are you to do? HVAC failures happen in all sorts of makes and models of vehicle.
However, when it comes to the full-sized luxury SUV by Cadillac, this comes off as a common problem that borders on being a design flaw. The symptoms for this typically include a warmer driver's size compared to the back or passenger's side. This typically roots from a failed mode door actuator.
The Symptoms of an Improperly Working HVAC
- Fire and Ice HVAC: If you have a busted HVAC from your Escalade, then you'll typically suffer from having hot air blowing from the driver's side regardless of the setting of the HVAC. Due to design flaws, this only happens at the driver's side. The passenger's side instead remains cold all the way. It's problematic regardless of the season. The driver can't get cold during summer and the passenger can't warm up during winter.
- The Quick Fix: Escalade owners tend to settle for a quick fix for this HVAC malfunction involving turning the car on and off. This restarts the HVAC and at times fixes the problem by making the cool or hot air blow again according to your settings. This is only a temporary repair though because after two minutes the driver's side will get hot air again. If your HVAC is moody, then it's time to get the assistance of a repair shop involved.
- The Root Cause: To fix the symptomatic HVAC problems of the Escalade, you need to know what's causing it. The blend or mode door actuator is the one that keeps your Escalade HVAC from evenly distributing hotness or coldness throughout your car. Instead of replacing your whole HVAC installment, you can have your technician mechanic fix your actuator instead for fewer dollars. This will make your air delivery more consistent.
- Fault Codes and Solutions: You can either buy an actuator directly from the mechanic responsible for fixing your Escalade or get it through the Internet and simply pay the repairman for the labor fees of installing the actuator. Even better, if you're an amateur mechanic yourself with experience in installing car parts, maybe you can save even more money by putting in the actuator yourself.
Flawed by Design?
A busted Escalade actuator makes your HVAC moody to the point of making your car temperature vary from the front seats to the back seats, with the back seats usually being much colder.
That's the risk you take every time you have an HVAC rather than an A/C installed into your car, especially when the heater and air conditioner come forth from the same vent. If you're going to install it yourself, you'll need a 5.5 millimeter socket for the job.