AC Diagnosis?

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moover

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Another AC question here during the summer! I've got a 2005 Tahoe LT 5.3L and the AC blows ice cold until it gets around 90deg outside or 85 and humid - then it will blow cold for 10 minutes and then switch to a sort of warm muggy blow. If I stop and turn the car off/on, it'll reset and blow cold again. Sometimes on the highway it will get warm, then 15 minutes later it will switch back to ice cold and maybe even stay that way for another 2 hours. Basically, it varies when it may come and go, but always is hot outside when there are issues.

Last year I replaced the evap core - air was even colder for a bit, but the same issue stayed around. Is it a compressor or maybe a simple valve issue?

Let me know what yall think and thanks in advance.
 
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Matthew Jeschke

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That's odd. What year is your truck? Mine has a mechanical fan off the water pump. It will do that if I stop at a light and idle for a while.
 
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moover

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That's odd. What year is your truck? Mine has a mechanical fan off the water pump. It will do that if I stop at a light and idle for a while.
2005. Temp does okay in idle - its pretty random when it chooses to change temp
 

swathdiver

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Another AC question here during the summer! I've got a 2005 Tahoe LT 5.3L and the AC blows ice cold until it gets around 90deg outside or 85 and humid - then it will blow cold for 10 minutes and then switch to a sort of warm muggy blow. If I stop and turn the car off/on, it'll reset and blow cold again. Sometimes on the highway it will get warm, then 15 minutes later it will switch back to ice cold and maybe even stay that way for another 2 hours. Basically, it varies when it may come and go, but always is hot outside when there are issues.

Last year I replaced the evap core - air was even colder for a bit, but the same issue stayed around. Is it a compressor or maybe a simple valve issue?

Let me know what yall think and thanks in advance.
That's almost always a sign of low refrigerant. Put gauges on it and check that first.
 

Doubeleive

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Thanks. Where's this located? Something an amateur could replace himself?
well either you have the digital control with LED's or you have a slider manual control with knobs that "click" to the various settings
as shown below
digital1.JPGdigital.JPG
 

Doubeleive

Wes
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as james noted best to check it with a gauge first
that digital control w/auto function is the one that "CAN" go goofy and do exactly like you are reporting
there is no fix you basically have to replace it and they are not cheap, so best to rule everything else out first.
 
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moover

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Got it, sorry - yeah I've got the sliders. Let's hope its not that
 

Scottydoggs

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my driver side blend door actuator was doing the exact same thing. put a new one in and im back to full control. driver side at any given time would turn full hot. shut the truck off and restart back to ice cold. in the winter it would come off heat and blow cold air too. id also hear it clicking sometimes.
 

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