Chevy Avalanche Climate Control Problems [6 Common Issues & Fixes]

ByChalobah Leonard Chevy

You are riding your Chevy Avalanche in the sunny weather, but you don’t feel it because the temperature in your car is so cool. Suddenly, your AC whizzes off. Now, you’re left in the middle of nowhere with soaked clothes and no service to call your repair guy.

Chevy Avalanche

In this post, you’ll learn the common problems your Chevy Avalanche Climate Control System may develop from time to time. I’ll also show you how to tell when your climate control system is malfunctioning.

 

Problems with Chevy Avalanche Climate Control System

1. No Air Flow

If the AC in your Chevy Avalanche isn’t blowing any air, your climate control system might be faulty. Usually, this problem occurs because the blower motor in the system has stopped working.

The blower motor is the component that pushes air from your AC and heater into your car. But when the blower motor doesn’t work, the heated or cooled air stays within your AC or heater. This is why you don’t get any air.

If your AC isn’t blowing any air, you may need to replace your blower motor. The blower motor is a cylindrical object located under the dashboard in front of your passenger seat.

Avoid keeping your heater on when you have a bad blower motor. Otherwise, your engine may overheat.

2. Fluctuating Temperature

If the temperature of the air from your vents fluctuates continuously, you might have a bad climate control system.

This issue is often caused by the sensor in the headliner above the driver’s seat. The sensor may contain a small fan that produces cool air to resist the hot temperature in your car.

When the air becomes cooler, your climate control system notices it and increases the hotness of the air to match the set temperature. Again, the fan in the headliner sensor may produce cool air to resist the heat, which is then restored by our climate control system.

The temperature in your car will keep fluctuating as often as the process continues, and it might weaken your climate control system.

If the temperature in your Chevy Avalanche keeps fluctuating while you’re driving, you’ll need to change the sensor in your driver’s seat headliner.

But if you aren’t sure whether the headliner sensor is the problem, you can use a Tech2 scanner to diagnose the issue. If the scanner detects a 22834330 error, the sensor is the reason why your vehicle’s temperature keeps changing.

3. AC Only Blowing from Defrost and Bottom Vents

Another sign of a faulty climate control system is when your AC is only blowing out of your bottom vents and defrost. This issue may occur when the blend door actuator in your Chevy Avalanche gets jammed.

The blend door actuator determines the direction which air passes through from the climate control system into your car. Inside the actuator are rotating plastic gears whose movement pushes the blend doors to block or open the mid-level and floor vents at intervals.

When the blend doors block the mid-level vents, air passes through the floor vents. Likewise, air moves through the mid-level vents when the floor vents are closed.

Your blend door actuator also controls the temperature of the air that gets into your car. If you set your AC to produce cool air, the rotating plastic gears pull the blend doors to block the heater core in the climate control system. This ensures that only cool air moves into your car.

If you’ve been using your climate control system for a while, the gears on the blend door actuator may suddenly break and slip out of place. When this happens, you may hear a popping noise from your dashboard.

Since your blend door actuator can’t move without the gears, it will remain stuck when the gears break. This means that air will only be able to pass through the areas left open.

In most cases, the blend door actuator gets jammed when the mid-level and hot air vents are blocked. This is why you get air through the floor vents and in defroster vents only.

To fix this issue, you’ll need to change your blend door actuator. You’ll find your blend door actuator under the heater box, which is located inside the passenger side dashboard.

The blend door actuator is a small black box with a wire harness.

4. AC Blowing Hot and Cool Air on Different Sides

A common indicator of a problematic climate control system is that your AC is blowing hot and cool air on different sides of your Chevy Avalanche. For instance, the AC may blow cool air on your driver’s side and hot air on the passenger side.

If your AC blows hot air and cool air at the same time, your blend door actuator might be faulty.

Ordinarily, your actuator is supposed to block the hot air vent, so only cool air leaves the climate control system when you turn on your AC. But if both cool and warm air are moving into your car at the same time, the actuator might not be closing the hot air vent properly.

If you’re handy with vehicles, you can take a look at the actuator yourself. That said, it’s best to ask your dealer to resolve the problem.

5. AC Only Blowing Air on High Speeds

One sure way climate control problems may manifest in your Chevrolet Avalanche is if the AC only blows air when you are driving at high speed. This issue may point to a leaky connector in your climate control system. Your truck may give off a faint burning smell when the connector starts leaking.

The problematic connector might be letting moisture enter into your blower resistor. If there is moisture in your blower resistor, it may become weak.

Your blower motor relies on your resistor for power at lower speeds. So, if the blower resistor is weak, your blower can’t work. This is why your AC doesn’t blow air at lower speeds.

But when you are driving fast, the performance of your engine is heightened. This means that even your blower no longer needs to rely on the resistor for power. It can get all the voltage it needs on its own, and use that voltage to blow air into your vehicle.

You can eliminate this issue by changing the faulty connector in your climate control system.

6. AC Switches to Full Heat

If your AC often switches to full heat on its own, there might be an issue with your climate control system.

When your AC moves into heating mode at random intervals, it’s often because of a bad feedback circuit in your blend door actuator.

The purpose of the feedback circuit is to inform your A/C computer of the condition of your blend actuator (hot, cold, or warm). The A/C computer uses this information to stabilize the temperature in your vehicle.

When the feedback circuit stops working, the A/C computer loses its ability to assess your actuator’s condition. So, it sets your A/C to full hot as a default.

You can resolve this problem by changing the blend door actuator. The blend door actuator is located on the underside of the dashboard on the passenger side. Remove the black panel on the dashboard to reveal your blend door actuator.

Chevy Avalanche Car Models with the Most Climate Control Problems

The Chevy Avalanche car models with the highest number of climate control problems are:

  • 2004 model
  • 2005 model
  • 2003 model

According to carcomplaints.com, the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche has 21 reports of A/C and heater problems, which is the highest number across all model years. 5 complaints made the 2005 Chevy Avalanche the second most notorious model for climate control issues. The 2003 model year followed closely behind with 4 reports.

Chevy Avalanche Car Models with the Least Climate Control Problems

Here are some Chevy Avalanche models with the least climate control problems:

  • 2007 model
  • 2009 model
  • 2010 model
  • 2011 model
  • 2012 model

Carcomplaints.com states that none of the models above has received complaints about climate control problems from their users.

How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Chevy Avalanche Climate Control Problem?

The cost of fixing a Chevy Avalanche climate control problem may differ based on the faulty part(s). For instance, while you may only need $367 to change your blend door actuator, it might cost about $735 to repair the AC compressor in the car.

Tips to Prevent Chevy Avalanche Climate Control Issues

  • Service your air conditioner regularly.
  • Always park the car under a shade.
  • Use the appropriate oil for your vehicle.
  • Clean your car daily.
  • Don’t turn on your A/C unless you are driving.

Wrapping Up

If you notice any of the signs above while driving your Chevy Avalanche, perform the necessary repairs. Then apply the precautions we’ve recommended to prevent your car from developing climate control problems again.